just a reminder, they will ******* kill you

[NorthernRyland]

I felt the need to rant after the sad story of the forum member being killed on his bike today and it was not appropriate to post it there.

 

I'm a road cyclists and motorcyclist in Chiang Mai with over 15 years experience riding the roads here so I've seen just about everything. It's nigh impossible to have a single day where you don't see or experience something shocking and appalling in regards to how the locals drive.

 

Just today I had a guy decide he couldn't wait 2 seconds for me to go by and decided to turn into the road anyways, nearly resulting in a collision (I had to unclip my shoes even in case I had to dismount). Yelled at the guy and he starred back at me with a brain dead look. After that I'm biking up a mountain road and some women decides as a truck is passing in the other lane that this is the best time to pass me and gets with inches of me while we're both going at very slow speeds up a 12% grade. I easily could have swerved 10 inches and that would have been enough to cause a collision.

 

The experience of driving in Thailand (removed) Watching them navigate an intersection without a light is another really sad display <remmoved> It shouldn't feel like a jungle survival game doing something so simple but here we are.

 

I like to joke that I wasn't a racist... until I moved to Thailand. You may know how I feel.

 

Anyways the point I wanted to get off my chest is that these <removed>will absolutely get you killed out of sheer stupidity and selfishness and the sad part is they're <removed>to even understand what they're doing.

 

I love riding in Thailand and ironically it's the best part of the country for me but eventually if you're on the road long enough they will ******* kill you.

[Middle Aged Grouch]

Not to mention the <removed> Thai Police all over the place from Bangkok to Hua Hin to Pattaya to Phuket. They just love to stop farangs and take money. Of course there are also many farangs who do not respect the laws and think they can do what they like in Thailand.

 

We also have our friends the driving licence people at the DLT who in many cities will make it a point to make a fuss on driver foreigner driver licence conversion and many offices have rude staff who just love hushing foreigners away and find some excuse not to do the foreign licence conversion for Thailand.

[norfolkandchance]

Cue. Thai bashing.

[Lemsta69]

Swim in shark infested waters, get bitten. The universe is trying to tell you something, best listen up.

[Hummin]

12 minutes ago, NorthernRyland said:

I felt the need to rant after the sad story of the forum member being killed on his bike today and it was not appropriate to post it there.

 

I'm a road cyclists and motorcyclist in Chiang Mai with over 15 years experience riding the roads here so I've seen just about everything. It's nigh impossible to have a single day where you don't see or experience something shocking and appalling in regards to how the locals drive.

 

Just today I had a guy decide he couldn't wait 2 seconds for me to go by and decided to turn into the road anyways, nearly resulting in a collision (I had to unclip my shoes even in case I had to dismount). Yelled at the guy and he starred back at me with a brain dead look. After that I'm biking up a mountain road and some women decides as a truck is passing in the other lane that this is the best time to pass me and gets with inches of me while we're both going at very slow speeds up a 12% grade. I easily could have swerved 10 inches and that would have been enough to cause a collision.

 

The experience of driving in Thailand (removed) Watching them navigate an intersection without a light is another really sad display <remmoved> It shouldn't feel like a jungle survival game doing something so simple but here we are.

 

I like to joke that I wasn't a racist... until I moved to Thailand. You may know how I feel.

 

Anyways the point I wanted to get off my chest is that these <removed>will absolutely get you killed out of sheer stupidity and selfishness and the sad part is they're <removed>to even understand what they're doing.

 

I love riding in Thailand and ironically it's the best part of the country for me but eventually if you're on the road long enough they will ******* kill you.

That's what we have to deal with

 Risk versus pleasure, and when the risk is greater than the pleasure, time to quit

[Hummin]

1 minute ago, Lemsta69 said:

Swim in shark infested waters, get bitten. The universe is trying to tell you something, best listen up.

Only the inexperienced and stupid get bitten by sharks. With little bit experience and knowledge you will most likely never be a snack.

 

Can't say the same about Thai roads 

[steven100]

16 minutes ago, NorthernRyland said:

I like to joke that I wasn't a racist... until I moved to Thailand. You may know how I feel.

Thank you ....   I know how thais operate  ... they are the lowest imo

[steven100]

5 minutes ago, Lemsta69 said:

Swim in shark infested waters, get bitten. The universe is trying to tell you something, best listen up.

stupid comment

[Keep Right]

I have had many motorcycles in my lifetime and even raced motocross for a short period of time. From what I have seen of the Thai drivers including foreigners, I will never get on a motorbike in Thailand. It is a death wish.

[steven100]

bs

[Tropicalevo]

I understand your frustration.

It is the same here on Samui but it is not just the Thais. It is everyone.

I ride a scooter because it is usually quicker with the traffic and crazy tourists here. (Thai and foreign tourists.)

Most days it is 'dicing with death'.

I warn all guests that want to rent scooters - assume that everyone on the roads is trying to kill you.

And if you are a learner - do not rent a scooter. Samui is the most dangerous place in the world per capita.

Still, it is what it is.

As the man said as he fell of the Empire State Building and passed the 50th floor "so far, so good".

[NorthernRyland]

12 minutes ago, Middle Aged Grouch said:

Not to mention the <removed> Thai Police all over the place from Bangkok to Hua Hin to Pattaya to Phuke

I hate Thai police so much I can't tell you. About 5 years ago up from where I live a 16 year old kid on a motorbike got decapitated by a tractor trailer. Any thinking person could tell you it's not safe to have massive trucks driving 90k/hour past markets but apparently there is no one smart enough in Thailand to figure this out.

 

The police are the only ones who have the authority to do anything about this madness yet they do literal nothing. If the villagers decided to take the matters in to their own hands and punish the dangerous drivers then the police would intervene and put THEM in jail. Worse than useless.

[bignok]

Ive had arrogant cyclists abuse me when they were all over the road. One day I had enough so said ok mate lets go. He cycled away like a coward. Get off the road. The road isnt for bicycles.

[NorthernRyland]

1 minute ago, Tropicalevo said:

It is the same here on Samui but it is not just the Thais. It is everyone.

 

I've seen appalling behavior from foreigners also. They know better but for some reason they feel like "when in Rome".

[Keep Right]

1 minute ago, NorthernRyland said:

I've seen appalling behavior from foreigners also. They know better but for some reason they feel like "when in Rome".

Stupid is as stupid does in Thailand, stupid has no borders.

[NorthernRyland]

Just now, bignok said:

Ive had arrogant cyclists abuse me when they were all over the road. One day I had enough so said ok mate lets go. He cycled away like a coward. Get off the road. The road isnt for bicycles.

this goes all ways in Thailand. Unless you're in a tank you will get abused.

 

Having said that the number of cyclists that are dicks is astounding. The only defense I have is that the feeling of almost getting hit when you're on a bike is visceral so people tend to lash out easier.

[NorthernRyland]

10 minutes ago, Keep Right said:

I have had many motorcycles in my lifetime and even raced motocross for a short period of time. From what I have seen of the Thai drivers including foreigners, I will never get on a motorbike in Thailand. It is a death wish.

to be fair it's much safer than it looks and the stats include the idiots that are weaving in an out of traffic and people that pull into roads without looking etc.... that's not saying much though.

[bignok]

Best to drive a car.

[Hummin]

1 minute ago, NorthernRyland said:

to be fair it's much safer than it looks and the stats include the idiots that are weaving in an out of traffic and people that pull into roads without looking etc.... that's not saying much though.

I do have my 200k soon on Thai roads, 130 on motorbikes. Doesn't matter how experienced you are when everyone else is complete idiots. Pure statistics. 

 

Anyway, so far so good, and only expected near misses so far, and a few dogs who got a few more days to bark at the moon.

[NorthernRyland]

10 minutes ago, norfolkandchance said:

I'm so sorry. Just done 20 press ups. You Cowson.

I should't be calling people names, sorry about that. Nonetheless I'm being serious, not here to bash Thai's for the fun of it.

[bbko]

33 minutes ago, NorthernRyland said:

these <removed>will absolutely get you killed out of sheer stupidity and selfishness and the sad part is they're <removed>to even understand what they're doing.

Reminds me of the time when I was riding my motorbike and another motorbike coming from the opposite direction wanted to pass a slow moving car in his lane, so he jumped the yellow line into mine, now we are on a head-to-head trajectory and we almost hit (in my lane) and as we pass, he has the nerve to give me a dirty look as if I should of gotten out of his way.  F these low IQ drivers.

[HauptmannUK]

My grandfather and father were UK motor trade (haulage business, car sales and service, motorcycle sales and service). Both were avid motorcyclists so I kind of have it in the blood. I first got on a MC at something like 10 years old. Ridden just about every kind of MC in the 50+ years since. Rode competitively back in my 20's (got expensive and broke a couple of bones so packed it in). For a whil I imported bikes (grey market) as a little sideline business in the late 90's and early 2000's. Was a UK DSA Direct Access MC trainer for a while.

In Thailand I never travel on two wheels. Life is cheap here and motor/cyclists are way down the hierarchy. Its a hostile and unsafe environment with way too much bad stuff going on that is outside of your control.  Without thinking too hard I can recall a half dozen MC fatalities known to me in the last few years.  Last October a friend of mine over in Saraburi was killed. He was hugely experienced and riding a route he took every day. An SUV came barreling out of a small side soi without looking and just went clean over the bike. I doubt my friend even saw the vehicle that killed him.

Just a few weeks ago a French acquaintance was killed. 

I've also come to realise that many of these fatalities are not reported in the news. I was at the scene of a collision in Jomtien where a young Russian lad was killed. Never saw a word about it in the news. 

[bob smith]

30 minutes ago, norfolkandchance said:

Cue. Thai bashing.

So?

[NorthernRyland]

1 minute ago, Hummin said:

I do have my 200k soon on Thai roads, 130 on motorbikes. Doesn't matter how experienced you are when everyone else is complete idiots. Pure statistics. 

 

The one thing you can't defend against is a car going the wrong way on the road down a blind curve where you can't seem them until it's too late. The amount of times this happens in the mountains here blows my mind.

 

In fact, the hill tribe that transport vegetables are the #1 most dangerous fools on the road in Thailand. I see these people come off the road so many times but they never learn. It's such a shame because the mountains here are beautiful and my favorite place to ride.

[NorthernRyland]

2 minutes ago, bbko said:

he has the nerve to give me a dirty look as if I should of gotten out of his way.  F these low IQ drivers.

the look they give you just kills me. In that guys mind he thinks he should be able to do anything he wants and have the world revolve around him. I really struggle to see Thai people as my equal after I have these experiences. That's what racism feels like I don't like it at all.

[bignok]

I drive slow in mountains. Idiots overtaking. Just low IQ twits.

[NorthernRyland]

5 minutes ago, HauptmannUK said:

Its a hostile and unsafe environment with way too much bad stuff going on that is outside of your control.

That's 100% correct. I badly want to move out of CM but I need to figure out what to do with my wife who has a career here. At least one thing you can do is live in an area where there are as few cars as possible. These days it's damn near impossible to go anywhere in CM without entering on to some busy roads. Not saying it's safe anywhere but less cars = less chances.

[NorthernRyland]

Just now, bignok said:

I drive slow in mountains. Idiots overtaking. Just low IQ twits.

notice how they pass you going around blind curves? So many of these people are absolutely willing to put it all on the line and kill themselves, their family, you, your family etc... if it means they save some time on the drive. They don't have control over their emotions and they're too simple to know any better. Sad truth of the matter it is.

[Celsius]

37 minutes ago, Lemsta69 said:

Swim in shark infested waters, get bitten. The universe is trying to tell you something, best listen up.

 

Yes. 

 

But he must feel special on instagram

[Hummin]

28 minutes ago, NorthernRyland said:

In fact, the hill tribe that transport vegetables are the #1 most dangerous fools on the road in Thailand. I see these people come off the road so many times but they never learn. It's such a shame because the mountains here are beautiful and my favorite place to ride.

They are still not used to traffic faster than 40km/h