What essential safe riding habits from back home could put you in danger in Thailand?

[MartinL]

On 8/15/2024 at 9:16 AM, Pouatchee said:

 

... most thais rely solely on their mirrors ...

They might occasionally look in their mirrors but for a long time I've been convinced that many don't understand what they see in them.

[Photoguy21]

Best advice is to stay off the road unless you have to use it.

[mikebike]

On 8/15/2024 at 7:35 AM, Gsxrnz said:

Assume that every driver on the road woke up that day with the sole intention of seeking you out and unaliving you - take the appropriate action.

Which was exactly my mindset back home. No need to adapt 😂

[RT555]

My Sig Sauer P365 sitting next to me here in Texas.

[ThaiFelix]

Driving on the left side of the road and stupidly expecting everyone else going that way too!

[Asquith Production]

On 8/15/2024 at 7:16 AM, bbbb1952 said:

If a Thai driver flashes his head lights at you he is telling you not to move in the UK it means the opposite 

Officially in theUK it is to alert another road user of your presence and not you can pull out. Granted people do flash to allow people right of way but good luck if you have an accident in the UK and you get taken to court due to you flashing them.

[Homburg]

On 8/12/2024 at 4:23 PM, BangkokReady said:

I've heard of things like obeying traffic signals or zebra crossings can get you read-ended

 The best way to avoid being rear-ended is to ride like a Thai - on the wrong side of the road or on the sidewalk!  Perhaps that's why they do it?

Edited August 20 by Homburg

[sikishrory]

Assuming other people will drive well and follow the rules basically.

Assuming people will:

not pull out in front of you

know how to use a roundabout

not tailgate at 100km/h

stop at red lights

not stop and park in the middle of the road

signal before turning

The list goes on and one and on really.

Lane splitting "like the thais" - it's a dangerous game too but also common, legal practice here and abroad. You need to check the "lanes" of splitters in between the lanes and make sure nobody is coming. Be mindful that the shoulder or road you are in can dissapear in an instant with no warning. Don't sit in blind spots and avoid splitting between long vehichles like trucks and busses. I remember seeing 1 thai end up with a head that was as thin as a crepe after a bus ran over his face in bkk.

One of the single biggest bits of advice I normally give if people ask me is to look behind you just as much as you do in front and often the danger comes from from behind with lunatics speeding and you need to know what is going on back there.

[Ombra]

If you approach a junction when the traffic lights start to change from green to red, you must accelerate. Slowing down will result in you being hit from behind by a truck driver who is racing to get through.

[wombat]

Ride to arrive alive is one that should be branded and never forgotten for obvious reasons 

[Will B Good]

1 minute ago, wombat said:

Ride to arrive alive is one that should be branded and never forgotten for obvious reasons 

 

 

Good idea.....that's why I never ride a bike or motorbike.....tickle the odds in my favour.

[spidermike007]

Those of us with driving skill, and a strong desire for not only survival, but the avoidance of terrible injury, are constantly scanning the road, in front of us, beside us, and behind us. There are an exceptionally high number of reckless fools on these roads, and it is the only way to preserve our lives, and those of our families, and friends, who may be driving with us, and depending on us. 

 

And no, Buddha, God, nor any other supernatural force will not protect you, if you are not protecting yourself. I don't think many Thais ever ponder thoughts like this. Why, I can't imagine. It is likely something we will never understand about their nature. I often like to say the best way to understand these differences in attitude and intellect, is to realize Thailand is NOT a foreign country. It is a distant planet.  

 

The police are not here to protect you. They do not care one iota about your well being, your safety, or traffic safety. Expect that. Do not employ them, unless absolutely necessary.

 

If driving a motorbike, treat the activity as an act of war, in a sense that you may be mowed down or killed at any moment.

 

Maintain eyes in the back of your head. Watch everyone.

 

Expect craziness, insanity, lack of reason, and a complete lack of courtesy and respect on the roads, at all times.

 

Expect cars and trucks to be coming at you in the wrong lane. Expect people to overtake you with the slimmest of margins.

 

 

 

[itsari]

Watch out for polished concrete surfaces leading into service stations and large shopping centres when on a motorcycle.

I came off the bike as I was turning right into a Thai Watsadu parking area . The back wheel slid round rapidly and as I corrected the front wheel so the bike flipped to the other side and I was thrown of and landed on my right shoulder that has now got a torn ligament that is still painful after 2 weeks. I also badly bruised my left ankle . Not sure how that happened.

I was not going fast at all but the roads were wet from the rain . 

[connda]

Stopping at a crosswalk for pedestrians which doesn't have a stoplight.
Stopping at a crosswalk for pedestrians that does have a red stoplight in your direction.

[connda]

2 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

If driving a motorbike, treat the activity as an act of war, in a sense that you may be mowed down or killed at any moment.

Motorcycle driving in Thailand is 110% defensive driving, therefore no fun at all.

[harryviking]

On 8/12/2024 at 5:23 PM, BangkokReady said:

Basically as the title.

 

What are some things that are essential for safe riding back home that might get you in trouble in Thailand?

 

I've heard of things like obeying traffic signals or zebra crossings can get you read-ended (so have a real good look around).  What else?

 

Should you still stay in the centre of the lane unless overtaking?  Or should you just constantly lane split like Thais do?

 

Any tips for what you need to learn/unlearn would be greatly appreciated.

 

Thanks.

Always make sure what is coming from the rear before even thinking about changing position in the road. Most dangers comes from the rear. If three lanes, I stay middle lane. 

[Hummin]

Rules and patterns is not constant, go with the flow, and try to be safe. Most on the road never had any driving school, and do as as everybody else doing. 

[hotandsticky]

20 minutes ago, Hummin said:

Rules and patterns is not constant, go with the flow, and try to be safe. Most on the road never had any driving school, and do as as everybody else doing. 

 

Who 'teaches' them to approach turns at 45 degrees, rather than 90 degrees.

 

Whether Phuket, Buriran, Kanchanaburi, Hua Hin or Trat................most drivers (motocy and car) turn at 45 degrees to their right turn

[Purdey]

Having driven across Europe and around Thailand, there is no true form of defensive driving here when there are loonies on the road.

I prefer turning my head in addition to using wing mirrors as distance is easier to figure out and you can catch anything in a blind spot (usually). While my biking days are behind me, I turn my head while driving the car too.

[richard_smith237]

On 8/15/2024 at 7:58 AM, OneMoreFarang said:

When I arrived in Thailand and saw the traffic on Sukhumvit Road, at that time still without Skytrain, I thought I will never ride a bike in Thailand.

Then I used motorcycle taxis for about four years before I bought my own bike. In those years I learned the Thai traffic "rules" and behaviors, all the shortcuts, and all that.

I think best is to just forget anything from driving school and experience from back home. Learn here from scratch, assume nothing is the same as back home.

And don't try to find any logic. There is no logic.

 

Now, I ride bikes in Bangkok for more than 20 years with no real accident (apart from very minor almost standing). I expect all the time the unexpected. Worst, IMHO, are all those stupid riders who like to squeeze left or right and then the meter space between me and the car in front of me. And when I "complain" that they try to use space which just doesn't exist, they get angry.

 

Many of us know how to drive a car and how to ride a bike. I think in Thailand there are many people with motorcycles who never drove a car. And there are many drivers who never rode a bike. For that reason, many of them just don't understand the differences, i.e. space needed in corners, limited view from inside a car, etc.

 

Similar.. But nid-noi different... 

 

When I first arrived and saw the traffic... I thought I'd never ride here..

 

I took an MC taxi and thought I'd never do that again either - putting my safety in the hands of the poorest of educated locals seemed like madness.

 

So, I was stubborn and relied on taxi's only, which often make me late or plan ahead more, but was safer and of course, cooler with AC.

 

Soon after I bought I own car and found that a more relaxing way of getting around (no google maps back then but learned Bangkok quickly - after getting lost often).

 

After a few years of driving I also got a motorcycle.

 

Now I think nothing of driving anywhere in Bangkok, its a very normalised every day thing.

 

BUT... I still give pause for thought when 'needing' to ride anywhere other than for local necessities - i.e. I won't ride across the city anymore, its just too hot and if I can do it with the car, using expressways etc then I will revert to the bike (if the journey is necessary).

 

So, the bike has become a local convenience and the car for everything else. 

 

I no longer bother with longer rides, but am Jealous of those who do so.

 

[richard_smith237]

2 hours ago, itsari said:

Watch out for polished concrete surfaces leading into service stations and large shopping centres when on a motorcycle.

I came off the bike as I was turning right into a Thai Watsadu parking area . The back wheel slid round rapidly and as I corrected the front wheel so the bike flipped to the other side and I was thrown of and landed on my right shoulder that has now got a torn ligament that is still painful after 2 weeks. I also badly bruised my left ankle . Not sure how that happened.

I was not going fast at all but the roads were wet from the rain . 

 

I used to have the same issue turning into an apartment I'd previously lived in..... 

 

The entrance was a gentle slope of polished concrete - it was quite slick when wet. 

 

If entering too quickly the front wheel would 'slip' a little (I nearly dropped the bike a couple of times)

If entering too slowly the rear wheel would skit about trying to go up the incline, it was a balancing act - quickly learned....  but the surface was treacherous !!

 

There are a lot of road surfaces in Bangkok which when wet are just too slick... I've watched so many motorcycles just drop (the front wheel slips out from underneath) under the lightest of braking due to an extremely slick road surface... I avoid riding in the wet whenever possible now, primarily because of this. 

 

 

[OneMoreFarang]

18 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

putting my safety in the hands of the poorest of educated locals seemed like madness

They didn't learn to ride like that. It's instinct.

But the good news is that their instinct is very similar to the instinct of many other Thai drivers or riders. And they ride a lot, mostly in their neighborhood. That makes them expert riders in that neighborhood.

My conclusion: I never had any problem riding as a pillion on a motorcycle taxi. They are pretty good at what they are doing.

[itsari]

47 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

 

I used to have the same issue turning into an apartment I'd previously lived in..... 

 

The entrance was a gentle slope of polished concrete - it was quite slick when wet. 

 

If entering too quickly the front wheel would 'slip' a little (I nearly dropped the bike a couple of times)

If entering too slowly the rear wheel would skit about trying to go up the incline, it was a balancing act - quickly learned....  but the surface was treacherous !!

 

There are a lot of road surfaces in Bangkok which when wet are just too slick... I've watched so many motorcycles just drop (the front wheel slips out from underneath) under the lightest of braking due to an extremely slick road surface... I avoid riding in the wet whenever possible now, primarily because of this. 

 

 

I have often thought why they polish the concrete on a driveway. It does not make sense at all.

If you complained about it you will be guaranteed to receive the classic Thai giggle.

I will suffer in silence.

Thank you for your reply 

[Hummin]

An good example

 

https://youtube.com/shorts/C7_yADjJW8I?si=CeU9vGSDBXLEenwg

 

 

[richard_smith237]

4 hours ago, OneMoreFarang said:

They didn't learn to ride like that. It's instinct.

But the good news is that their instinct is very similar to the instinct of many other Thai drivers or riders. And they ride a lot, mostly in their neighborhood. That makes them expert riders in that neighborhood.

My conclusion: I never had any problem riding as a pillion on a motorcycle taxi. They are pretty good at what they are doing.

 

They are good at controlling and manoeuvring a motorcycle.

They are good at getting you somewhere quickly, going through gaps and taking chances.

 

They are not good at assuring your safety, and take chances I wouldn't attempt to take when riding a motorcycle here. 

 

Thus when in a direct comparison - riding pillion on a win tax vs riding myself - I am always safer.

 

That said: I too have been here a long time and drove a car long before I rode a bike here... Thus, for others, their risk-profile may vary and it would be of benefit to them to put their trust in someone with more local experience than to ride themselves. 

[novacova]

On 8/12/2024 at 10:23 PM, BangkokReady said:

Any tips for what you need to learn/unlearn

Simple, pay attention on the road.

[Kinnock]

In my home country we're taught the 'life saver' - the good look over your shoulder to check behind, but when riding in Thailand I find that in the millisecond spent looking behind, total mayhem can break out in front of you.

 

So in Thailand I rely more on my mirrors, unless I'm stationary.

 

And I use my mirrors when stopped at lights, looking for the 'brake failure' truck charging through on red.

 

Also, when going through a green light at home, I don't feel a need to check for red light jumpers crossing in front, but here you need to thread through the traffic that decided the red light was only advisory.

 

Finally .... only use your horn and give the finger when you have a clear escape route.

[SingAPorn]

Driving of course is at risk here but bigger risk to get pulled over by some corrupt police who will find any excuse to racket money out of you. Happens quite a bit in  Hua Hin or Phuket and on the Koh's...

[Hummin]

On 8/15/2024 at 2:54 AM, fredwiggy said:

Defensive driving is exactly what you need to do here to survive. They aren't looking to hurt you. They are just incompetent and don't look at life as a precious commodity like most westerners do. If it's going to happen, it will, and thinking that, you don't take precautions to ensure your safety.

 

I rarely see locals looking in the mirrors besides to put on makeup. I'm constantly looking at all of them while driving, either in a car or scooter, as you never know when someone will be coming up behind you and taking their eyes off the road to look at their phones and running into you. If you see them coming, you can take evasive actions.

 

They drive under the speed limit right on the line, not looking into their rear view mirror so they can see you want to pass, and move over. You pass them and see their eyes are still looking straight ahead,as if that's all that matters. The best rule here is to stay away from everyone else if at all possible, and to know they aren't paying much attention so be ready. There are some good drivers here as I've seen them, but they are in the small minority.

 

If you're in the right lane, and either going the speed limit or just over, they will pass you on your right, heading into oncoming traffic, instead of in the lane on your left, showing you they own the road and you should move over even if they haven't flashed their high beams. Risking not only their life but the lives of others instead of just passing you on the left.

I would say active driving saves you here, and not defensive driving, which is in my eyes impossible to do here.