43 minutes ago, FruitPudding said:

They don't respect the pedestrian crossing, and they don't seem bothered by the potential legal ramifications of driving over a pedestrian crossing with pedestrians on it.

Well  there should be lights there as marks on the road mean little here. I was on the other side of the argument recently as some Russians, crossing some 30m from a crossing (North end 2nd Rd), held up their hands to get me to stop as if they were traffic police and owned the road. 

On 12/29/2023 at 2:29 PM, Lacessit said:

Assume everyone on the roads in Thailand is out to kill you, and you won't be far wrong.

Some people I see in cars or on two wheels are working their mobile phones, which means their attention is divided.

 

It's not divided it's fully concentrated on their phone.

22 hours ago, BigStar said:

 

Friend of mine has a Tesla. Eerily quiet.

 

But there are currently few electric vehicles on the road in Pattaya.

 

Might need to turn up the hearing aids. Now there could be a slight chance that the driver would sound the horn when noticing you're about to step off the curb in front of him. You wouldn't want to miss that slight, perhaps infinitesimal, chance, now would you?

 

Otherwise, you should be listening for engine noise etc.

 

Loads of EV's on the roads in Muang Udon Thani. BYD seems to have caught a load of attention up here as there's more of them than Ora, Tesla or MG.

 

Not sure if their 'quietness' is really a safety issue as they tend to be in among the regular, noisy IC engined stuff and their tires make the same road noise like any other vehicle. Unless it's a souped-up pickup, it's road noise you hear above any engine noise. Especially if they have stuck great big knobby tires on their Fortuner (you know who you are).

 

In my experience, just like regular drivers here, the scooter drivers are loath to use their horns... unless they've got at least 4-up and they're already flying through the intersection on red light at +80 kph. Beeeeeeeeeeeeeeee.......p! Like that's gonna save your life?

 

Anyone that doesn't use their EYES as the primary determinant if it's safe to cross a busy road needs a slap. More so here in Thailand, where one-way and contraflow (and red lights) are rather abstract constructs.

3 hours ago, jacko45k said:

I have been here some time too, and had a couple of near misses......and I come from a country that also drives on the left, if that matters at all. Soi Buakhao, with no pavement for pedestrians on many stretches, is of particular risk.  

Yes, no pavements is a massive issue.

 

I feel sorry for disabled people, in the real world you see them going about life pretty much as normal people, Thailand you barely spot any disabled people in public - shocking.

19 hours ago, PJ71 said:

I feel sorry for disabled people, in the real world you see them going about life pretty much as normal people, Thailand you barely spot any disabled people in public - shocking.

I often shop at weekends and drive down soi Yume to big-CX in the morning, and there I often see disabled people heading to and from there, from Father Ray's place. It annoys me a bit to see how so many park on, and block the disabled lane that is there. 

On 12/29/2023 at 1:52 PM, Liverpool Lou said:

"Look left. Look right, Look left again-Brit hit by bike"

 

That could have been why!   For traffic that drives on the left, i.e. it will be approaching pedestrians from their right, it should be "Look right, look left, look right again".  

100 percent true....I said the same on another post where the dude on the big bike launched quickly when the light turned green and was nailed hard by a car.   Some dip ___ tried to say the opposite.  L/R/L is correct for traffic driving on the right side, but that's not in Thailand.

If we aim the traffic into two narrow slits then it won't exist when it is observed.  And we can just walk freely.

20 hours ago, NedR69 said:

100 percent true....I said the same on another post where the dude on the big bike launched quickly when the light turned green and was nailed hard by a car.   Some dip ___ tried to say the opposite.  L/R/L is correct for traffic driving on the right side, but that's not in Thailand.

Jumping lights is also dumb here, they dawdle when a light just turns green, finish off what they are doing on the phone. Traffic from the other side is racing and tailgating to get through the recent red. 

On 12/29/2023 at 4:45 PM, scubascuba3 said:

A mystery of life is why there isn't more indians involved in accidents, they frequently are walking in the road 

 

In many, maybe most, side sois in Bangkok you have no choice but to walk in the road, no matter what nationality you are. Just part of the fun of being in the 'world-class' city.

1 hour ago, jacko45k said:

Jumping lights is also dumb here, they dawdle when a light just turns green, finish off what they are doing on the phone. Traffic from the other side is racing and tailgating to get through the recent red. 

It's the dawdling at a green light I loathe. !0 cars back from lights and I still can't make it through the light. Sometimes traffic doesn't even move until light turns red again. 

TIT, speeding is the biggest issue.  No one slows down for anyone or anything here.

52? Many British men look like walking dead, this particular chap seems to have had a very hard life. He looks 92... 

4 minutes ago, OzzBlizz said:

52? Many British men look like walking dead, this particular chap seems to have had a very hard life. He looks 92... 

I  only saw a blurred image and could not make that determination. 

If anything I think locals show their age more.

Just now, jacko45k said:

I  only saw a blurred image and could not make that determination. 

If anything I think locals show their age more.

I sure didn't have white pasty crepe skin on toothpicks at 52. There is ugly, and then there is unhealthy and this one looks like both. Yikes...

1 hour ago, Bangkok Barry said:

 

In many, maybe most, side sois in Bangkok you have no choice but to walk in the road, no matter what nationality you are. Just part of the fun of being in the 'world-class' city.

Harder in Bangkok I find, I get a sense the traffic deliberately wants to impede or even hit you on the back roads. 

Have witnessed the pedestrian/ motorcycle interface on Soi Buakao a few times.

Often as a result of instinctive avoiding action concerning a groping ladygeezer .

5 hours ago, Bangkok Barry said:

 

In many, maybe most, side sois in Bangkok you have no choice but to walk in the road, no matter what nationality you are. Just part of the fun of being in the 'world-class' city.

difference maybe in Pattaya the indians walk in the road side by side, 2, 3 not unusual, on pavement up to 4

2 hours ago, mancub said:

Often as a result of instinctive avoiding action concerning a groping ladygeezer .

 

I don't think so, unless you mean a Thai lady pedestrian trying to avoid being groped by one of the countless old male geezers.

 

That said, crossing Soi Buakhao may be the greatest such challenge in Pattaya. I happened to be over there yesterday to visit a watch shop, decided to have a cold one, and walked a bit in search of a bar w/ no music and few customers.

5 hours ago, BigStar said:

 

I don't think so, unless you mean a Thai lady pedestrian trying to avoid being groped by one of the countless old male geezers.

 

That said, crossing Soi Buakhao may be the greatest such challenge in Pattaya. I happened to be over there yesterday to visit a watch shop, decided to have a cold one, and walked a bit in search of a bar w/ no music and few customers.

Nah. I mean exactly what I said.

4 hours ago, mancub said:

Nah. I mean exactly what I said.

 

OK. It was nonsense, as you know.

12 hours ago, BigStar said:

 

OK. It was nonsense, as you know.

Pleased that you can admit as much.

Just now, mancub said:

Pleased that you can admit as much.

 

I admit I gave you too much credit. Always a mistake here.