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

[poppysdad]

I’m sitting in our markets car park as I’m reading this, it’s clearly marked to turn left on entry and is a one way system. A minibus had just passed me going the wrong way so of course all those doing it properly are now all going nowhere as there are no passing places. The minibus can only reverse and he is not happy about having to do so. I’m quite happily sitting here watching the entertainment. 

[Hummin]

3 minutes ago, novacova said:

That’s ok my friend, wish you the best on the road. 

There is a difference between rampant idiot, and calculated risk versus to conservative and to aggressive. There is always a cross point where you find less risk

[poppysdad]

I’m sitting in our markets car park as I’m reading this, it’s clearly marked to turn left on entry and is a one way system. A minibus had just passed me going the wrong way so of course all those doing it properly are now all going nowhere as there are no passing places. The minibus can only reverse and he is not happy about having to do so. I’m quite happily sitting here watching the entertainment. 

[brianthainess]

41 minutes ago, NorthernRyland said:

No excuses for them and it's actually worse because they should know better.

 

what happened there? did they go over the median and hit the car in the other lane?

The Taxi was coming up, and the M/C was coming down and took the bend to fast/wide. 

The Mini coming up well for a start he's not British  I showed him my cam footage ( I have known him a long time) He said I was over the line  What amazes me on that road is the cement trucks don't even cross the line. 

[ChipButty]

1 hour ago, Lacessit said:

I have yet to see Thai police do anything outside manning checkpoints and positioning themselves near markets for scooter riders without helmets.

When they are on the road, they are going somewhere. I have never seen a police officer booking someone on the open road.

They stand outside schools here in Phuket watching kids 4 up on a bike with no helmets, 

[NorthernRyland]

47 minutes ago, Moonlover said:

We could also do without thinly disguised profanities' in the topic title.

That was a quote from a repair man in South Carolina for one year when I had a job there. The accent is priceless and I'm very fond of it and remember it always.

 

This was in regards to cycling in South Carolina and how terrible their drivers are. Lo and behold 12 months after I left, my boss (a professor at the university) was involved in a hit and run and badly injured, broken hip, shoulder etc.... I rode my bike to work every day (never had a car even) and did all my errands with the bike plus some rides around the city area and survived.

 

Honestly I'm more at ease in Thailand since the drivers expect you. In S.C I was always the only guy out and could tell people were uneasy with what to do about me. 

[TheFishman1]

I was on my bike going about 60 km an hour in a car pulled so close to me that it freaked me out. I had to stop for about five minutes. I didn’t looked at my right sneaker. It had his tire marks on my sneaker that’s how close he was to me is unbelievable TIT 

[PJ71]

2 hours ago, NorthernRyland said:

Motor vehicles are too advanced for their current state of emotional development even. Without strict supervision and enforcement driving safely is simply beyond them.

This determines whether a country is 3rd world status?

[jesimps]

15 hours ago, norfolkandchance said:

Cue. Thai bashing.

The truth about the appallingly bad driving here is not Thai bashing. I love it here and like the Thais (I'm married to one), but agree with every word the OP says. 

[rwill]

When friends or family come to visit I always tell them not to use motorbikes if they like being alive and healthy.

[Irish star]

15 hours 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.

How many famous cyclists have died over here and I would avoid using clips here 

[NorthernRyland]

15 minutes ago, PJ71 said:

This determines whether a country is 3rd world status?

The reason Thailand is not now or ever probably going to be an England or Japan is because the people are not "engaged" properly in society, to put it broadly.

 

Notice how they behave with each other at an intersection with no light. Do these look like people who could work together and be productive? Watch how people dodge soi dogs that the owner won't keep in their yard. Not only are the owners oblivious to their fellow citizen but the people are indifferent and uninterested in fixing the problem. The list goes on and on.

 

Adults talk out their problems and find solutions but I all too often see them pushing and shoving their way through things without fully engaging. Not communicating, cutting corners (figuratively and literally), ignore problems instead of confronting them etc.. etc...

Until they can sort those cultural issues out it won't matter how many fancy iPhone they import or how big and shiny their malls are because they're all window dressing over the real nature of the people. 

 

(respect for building the malls though even if they were taught by foreigners initially)

[NorthernRyland]

2 minutes ago, Irish star said:

How many famous cyclists have died over here and I would avoid using clips here 

good question. I have no idea.

 

Some years ago a drunk driver ran over about 5 cyclists in San Sai area as they were doing their morning ride in the early hours. These were middle aged Thai people that were probably going very slow and  in a group occupying the whole lane so when a car went around the bend he couldn't see them. 

 

People die in my home state of Colorado more often than you would think and I see lots of dangerous things happening there too. Drivers are much more careful but the rules are strict so no one is driving defensively as they should and mistakes happen.

[Bangkok Barry]

16 hours ago, NorthernRyland said:

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.

Yes. Everyone who has ever been on the road in Thailand knows that.

[captainjackS]

15 hours ago, Tropicalevo said:

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".

Last time I went to Samui, I rented a scooter. I think the rental shop was trying to kill me by providing me with such a poorly maintained bike.  Tires flat, brakes gone, wheels out of alignment.  I can only imag8ne being an inexperienced rider and "learning" on a garbage bike while on vacation.  poor maintenance of rentals likely contributes to many road accidents.

[Reginald Prewster]

I am 42 years now on two wheels and barely use cars.

(only if my compeny hires one for me, don't be gentle its a rental) 

 

My past 20 years I drove all around Asia with hired bikes and in Thailand my Enfield.

 

2007 - 2009 I had a job in Penglai and Gaoshan (both China mainland)

2018 I was working for almost a year in Jakarta and Jogjakarta....

....and last 4 year I spent working in Taiwan on an e-scooter, capable doing 98 Km/h.

 

Done the above, then you will relalize, that the Thai traffic is actually pretty safe LOL... 

[BritManToo]

21 minutes ago, NorthernRyland said:

Some years ago a drunk driver ran over about 5 cyclists in San Sai area as they were doing their morning ride in the early hours. These were middle aged Thai people that were probably going very slow and  in a group occupying the whole lane so when a car went around the bend he couldn't see them. 

About 20 Thai cyclists were cycling along the hard shoulder. The car was driven by a drunk woman who had been drinking all night who ploughed through them all..

[bbbbooboo]

22 hours 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.

Yes they sure will ,they dont give a <deleted>

[Peterphuket]

16 hours 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. 

 

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.

That's the problem about the dogs, they jumping in front of my bicycle.

That's the reason I quit bicycling in LOS.

[NorthernRyland]

36 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

About 20 Thai cyclists were cycling along the hard shoulder. The car was driven by a drunk woman who had been drinking all night who ploughed through them all..

it was 20? damn. worse than I remember.

[PJ71]

1 hour ago, NorthernRyland said:

The reason Thailand is not now or ever probably going to be an England or Japan is because the people are not "engaged" properly in society, to put it broadly.

 

Notice how they behave with each other at an intersection with no light. Do these look like people who could work together and be productive? Watch how people dodge soi dogs that the owner won't keep in their yard. Not only are the owners oblivious to their fellow citizen but the people are indifferent and uninterested in fixing the problem. The list goes on and on.

 

Adults talk out their problems and find solutions but I all too often see them pushing and shoving their way through things without fully engaging. Not communicating, cutting corners (figuratively and literally), ignore problems instead of confronting them etc.. etc...

Until they can sort those cultural issues out it won't matter how many fancy iPhone they import or how big and shiny their malls are because they're all window dressing over the real nature of the people. 

 

(respect for building the malls though even if they were taught by foreigners initially)

All the things you mention are true, however Thailand is far far from being 3rd world, i take it you've never visited West Africa, now that's some poor countries.

 

 

[JimTripper]

5 hours ago, Lacessit said:

I have yet to see Thai police do anything outside manning checkpoints and positioning themselves near markets for scooter riders without helmets.

When they are on the road, they are going somewhere. I have never seen a police officer booking someone on the open road.

Yep, that’s weird. They are always in those closed traffic booths. I never see them actively patrolling. It’s like they only respond and are not proactive.

[Tropposurfer]

I loved to ride my bikes. Nearly been killed in Oz a few times with plenty of gravel rash to prove the near misses. France countryside is the safest place I still regularly ride in, by far.

When we bought, and now live part of the year here I stopped riding altogether. I ride a stationary bike at home in LOS.

I drive a large, high safety rated SUV, drive extremely carefully AND never at anything akin to long distances as the highways here are a mega death-zone.

I ended up selling my first largish SUV and bought a larger one to ensure safest driving on the island.

As for motor bikes forget it!

 

[Iamloki]

20 hours ago, NorthernRyland said:

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

I'm sorry about your friend. Condolences to his family and friends.

 

When I was growing up, we dismounted horses... got off bikes and bicycles. And... no, I do not know how you feel. That said, I do hope you enjoy being a guest of the LOS, until you move on to a place that suits you better.

[Russell17au]

There are a lot of comments on here about the lack of action on the roads by the police, well I would like to know how much action you would take as a police officer on the roads if you had to supply and pay for your own uniform, gun, bullets, transport and be paid a low income instead of like the police in the western countries that are supplied with everything by their government and paid a decent wage. The only supplied highway patrol cars that I have seen working here were all involved with escorting the snobs of Thailand. I have never seen any of them out patrolling the highways and why should the police officers have to use their privately owned scooter (110/115cc Honda Clicks, 115cc Yamaha Mio's) and pay for the fuel to perform high speed chases. Why does the government not supply the police officers with the right equipment to perform their duties properly and pay them a decent wage the same as the western countries do. If they did this then the police could do their jobs properly and patrol the roads and catch the law breakers and the government would collect a lot of money in fines to pay for this plus they could even reduce the road toll as well..

[Yorkshire Tea]

11 minutes ago, Russell17au said:

There are a lot of comments on here about the lack of action on the roads by the police, well I would like to know how much action you would take as a police officer on the roads if you had to supply and pay for your own uniform, gun, bullets, transport and be paid a low income instead of like the police in the western countries that are supplied with everything by their government and paid a decent wage. The only highway patrol cars that I have seen working here were all involved with escorting the snobs of Thailand. I have never seen any of them out patrolling the highways and why should the police officers have to use their privately owned scooter (110/115cc Honda Clicks, 115cc Yamaha Mio's) and pay for the fuel to perform high speed chases. Why does the government not supply the police officers with the right equipment to perform their duties properly and pay them a decent wage the same as the western countries do. If they did this then the police could do their jobs properly and patrol the roads and catch the law breakers and the government would collect a lot of money in fines to pay for this plus they could even reduce the road toll as well..

Highway police buy their own police cars?

[gamb00ler]

21 hours ago, Tropicalevo said:

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

 

21 hours ago, NorthernRyland said:

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

I'm annoyed more by the farangs that drive carelessly because most of them DO know better.  I have to cut the locals a little slack because they probably were never taught to give safety a high priority.

[StreetCowboy]

21 hours ago, 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.

The road is for bicycles.  If car drivers can’t share the road without killing people, maybe we should ban the killers, not the victims.

[Lacessit]

2 hours ago, JimTripper said:

Yep, that’s weird. They are always in those closed traffic booths. I never see them actively patrolling. It’s like they only respond and are not proactive.

It gets even better for criminals.

There's a checkpoint on the main highway near my GF's village. It is manned by police in the morning.

At 12 noon, they shut up shop. I've never seen a cop there in the afternoon or evening.

[Liverpool Lou]

Wow, all the IAM-certified drivers, Advanced Police-instructed drivers and general personifications of driving perfection are, once again, out in force.