21 minutes ago, NoshowJones said:

most Thai drivers drive as if they are under the influence of alcohol

 

No they don't.

2 minutes ago, Kinok Farang said:

Used to drink and drive but now limit myself to 6 or 7 big bottles of Chang.

Yeah, good to go.

42 minutes ago, SAFETY FIRST said:

What country has zero blood alcohol for adult fully licenced drivers? 

 

Just because you are a Muslim and don't drink is no reason to get hostile, chill dude. 

Maybe get yourself a beer and start to enjoy your life. 🍺🍺🍺🍺🍺🍺🍺🍺

 

Brazil introduced what is locally known as “zero tolerance “ in 2012 but with a high level of corruption a simple 20 or 50 Reais note tucked into your driving document would make any issue disappear .

 

https://www.who.int/news/item/01-08-2022-after-lengthy-debate--brazil-s-drink-driving-law-is-fully-ratified#:~:text=Brazil's 'Dry Law' stipulates that,blood-alcohol content of zero.

45 minutes ago, newbee2022 said:

Interesting, though ridiculous post. 

Why you put me into the Muslim corner? 

I admit I worked for WHO in Niger. That's a zero alcohol country. And yes, the driving attitudes are similar to Thailand, but without alcohol even. 

I've worked in Saudi, Malaysia (Miri was nice) and Indonesia, hated every minute of it. 

 

I've got some very good Muslim friends, just don't like the religion, it's not for a functional workplace. Occasionally one of my staff members would disappear, run to the pray room if confronted with a difficult situation, left me in the lurch. 

 

Some of the Muslim people force non Muslim people to comply with their strange Islamic policies. Every month I fly by chopper to the offshore rig, during Ramadan we were told NOT to drink water before boarding our hour long chopper flight to the rig, these countries are very hot and hydration is important for your health and well being.

Another issue was NOT having any bacon dishes on the menu. 

 

Oh well, I was paid well 💲💲💲💲

On 10/28/2024 at 9:15 AM, MalcolmB said:

It seems to me that most people I know drink drive to some extent. Bars are full of people and nobody is ordering taxis. 

After having a couple I always follow all the road rules and drive slowly, which is probably a lot safer than getting in a speeding taxi with a driver who ignores the road rules and is on his phone.

That's what all drunks say after they have an accident.

2 minutes ago, SAFETY FIRST said:

Some of the Muslim people force non Muslim people to comply with their strange Islamic policies.

 

Have worked in many Muslim countries in Asia (though not Middle East) and have never heard of any pressure on non Muslim foreigners to follow Muslim customs.It's true that some foreigners do not eat at the office during Ramadan to show solidarity with Muslim colleagues, but that is their choice.

This is a ridiculous poll. Why not post a choice: no i don't drink and drive? 

3 minutes ago, Dan O said:

This is a ridiculous poll. Why not post a choice: no i don't drink and drive? 

You either have never done it. Which the first option applies.

 

Or you have, and then the option to say to which extent.

 

I like to keep things simple.

 

Thank you for your understanding.

Just to stay within the rules, talking about it is fine, just don't advocate it, or give tips on how to do it, or evade detection. 

27 minutes ago, jayboy said:

 

Have worked in many Muslim countries in Asia (though not Middle East) and have never heard of any pressure on non Muslim foreigners to follow Muslim customs.It's true that some foreigners do not eat at the office during Ramadan to show solidarity with Muslim colleagues, but that is their choice.

You didn't read my comment did you? 

 

Where do you want me to start. 

 

Working for Petronas, sitting in the helicopter lounge, during Ramadan pulled out my water bottle from back pack, aggressively told NO.

Petronas have a policy, coveralls must be worn when travelling on their choppers, these are fire retardant, thick heavy material, very hot. 

Forget solidarity, I want to live. 

 

I've got lots of these similar situations. 

 

Petronas, is a Malaysian multinational oil and gas company headquartered in Kuala Lumpur.  

22 hours ago, OneMoreFarang said:

For those here who would never ever do that: Are you really (at least a little) drunk after a few drinks?

Personally, I feel any mild symptoms maybe starting after the 5th drink or so.

Obviously, if I had 2 or 3 drinks, I remember that I had those drinks. But listening to my body I don't think I feel any alcohol symptoms. 

Famous last words, I only had a couple but I'm not drunk.

 

Actually unless you space a a significant amount of time between drinks you would most likely fail a breath test. If you cant "feel" any effects after a couple drinks you definitely shouldn't be driving. 

1 minute ago, SAFETY FIRST said:

I've worked in Saudi, Malaysia (Miri was nice) and Indonesia, hated every minute of it. 

 

I've got some very good Muslim friends, just don't like the religion, it's not for a functional workplace. Occasionally one of my staff members would disappear, run to the pray room if confronted with a difficult situation, left me in the lurch. 

 

Some of the Muslim people force non Muslim people to comply with their strange Islamic policies. Every month I fly by chopper to the offshore rig, during Ramadan we were told NOT to drink water before boarding our hour long chopper flight to the rig, these countries are very hot and hydration is important for your health and well being. Another issue was NOT having any bacon dishes on the menu. 

 

Yes, Islam is not easy to understand. But there are a lot of similarities to our Christian belief. Not surprising. The Quran was written only 300 years after the Bible was assembled. 

And nowadays fasting is very popular again.🤗. 

In general Mohammed gave his people a structure for daily life as a society. It should stop murder, cheating, stealing, lying aso, same as the Bible demands.

I'm an atheist since many decades though educated in a Catholic area.

During my time in Niger I met a lot of obscure and strange/dangerous rituals called Religion or sects. 

Many came into my clinic as mutilated caused by horrible orders of wise men.😵‍💫

 

2 minutes ago, Dan O said:

If you cant "feel" any effects after a couple drinks you definitely shouldn't be driving. 

I can not really understand that logic.

 

I am more old school, and use the old way of walking in a straight line to see if I am good to drive. That test makes a lot more sense than a number on a breathalyzer.

 

If I don’t fall over in the carpark I am good to go.

24 minutes ago, SAFETY FIRST said:

these countries are very hot and hydration is important for your health and well being.

Unfortunately for Muslim Thais Romodan falls on the hottest time of the year in Thailand.

They do it hard.

I suspect for most UK drinkers over a certain age there was a point where they did and now they dont. 

In the UK the attitude changed sometime around the late 70's  from you were unlucky to get caught, and you might get a warning and your boss would cover for you , to it being socially unacceptable and a guaranteed ban with possible jail time and you'll probably get fired..

Hasn't stopped it altogether but people you know dying, peer pressure, and law enforcement works on most people.

Thailand has yet to make that transition. 

I was in a 3 car  convoy  in Laos from Vientiane to Luang Prabang and I was the only person not drinking while driving. They all thought it was hilarious.

 

 

52 minutes ago, jayboy said:

 

No they don't.

Yes they do! Try riding a pedal bike through your town every day.

33 minutes ago, Dan O said:

This is a ridiculous poll. Why not post a choice: no i don't drink and drive? 

So what's the first option then? There are different ways of wording things you know. 

You can call me goody two shoes (or worse...) but apart from one occasion when it was an out and out emergency I have never consumed alcohol and then driven a motor vehicle.

If I drive I don't even have so much as a sip simply because I just wouldn't enjoy it and certainly wouldn't feel comfortable doing so.

 

One of the big problems with bars and restaurants in Thailand is there is a very limited choice of non-alcoholic drinks available unless you wish to partake in the god awful coke and fanta type beverages.

Even my nine year old grandson won't touch those.

25 minutes ago, Dmaxdan said:

You can call me goody two shoes (or worse...) but apart from one occasion when it was an out and out emergency I have never consumed alcohol and then driven a motor vehicle.

If I drive I don't even have so much as a sip simply because I just wouldn't enjoy it and certainly wouldn't feel comfortable doing so.

 

One of the big problems with bars and restaurants in Thailand is there is a very limited choice of non-alcoholic drinks available unless you wish to partake in the god awful coke and fanta type beverages.

Even my nine year old grandson won't touch those.

Well, I think in the special circumstances we can put you down in the first line.

1 hour ago, MalcolmB said:

You either have never done it. Which the first option applies.

 

Or you have, and then the option to say to which extent.

 

I like to keep things simple.

 

Thank you for your understanding.

Drunk driving isn't something to encourage, condone or make excuses for when you do it.  Its easy enough to get some type of public transportation here and it isn't cost prohibitive so no excuse not to. 

1 hour ago, MalcolmB said:

I can not really understand that logic.

 

I am more old school, and use the old way of walking in a straight line to see if I am good to drive. That test makes a lot more sense than a number on a breathalyzer.

 

If I don’t fall over in the carpark I am good to go.

You are delusional if that's your standard to test by. I guarantee you would fail most breathalyzer tests and be significantly impaired even if you think your not. Thats the problem with this mentality is you dont have the ability to know the impact to your reflexes after drinking and if you think you do its pretty sad to put yourself and others in danger with a careless attitude like that. 

50 minutes ago, Dmaxdan said:

So what's the first option then? There are different ways of wording things you know. 

An option that should be there is:  I don't drink and drive

1 hour ago, Dan O said:

You are delusional if that's your standard to test by.

Been using that proven method for over 30 years now without incident.

1 hour ago, Dan O said:

Its easy enough to get some type of public transportation here and it isn't cost prohibitive so no excuse not to. 

You obviously don’t live in Phuket.

2 hours ago, Dan O said:

Famous last words, I only had a couple but I'm not drunk.

 

Actually unless you space a a significant amount of time between drinks you would most likely fail a breath test. If you cant "feel" any effects after a couple drinks you definitely shouldn't be driving. 

 

Where does your experience come from?

When I was a little younger in a country far away I had often enough too many drinks to legally drive. In the hindsight I am not proud of that, but that's what it was.

My philosophy was always to drive careful in such condition. Not too fast, careful when making turns, things like that. I never had an accident or even any dangerous encounter. At that time, I drove about 20,000km per year, I guess lots of experience helps.

And with drinking: We also get used to drinking. Some are drunk after a few drinks; some can handle a lot more.

 

All in all, it would be good if nobody would drive under any influence. And nobody should drive playing with a smart phone and all that. I am pretty sure I with a few drinks drive mostly still better that those smombies with a screen in front of their face. 

 

Actually my choice is not there. In principle I will refrain from drinking when I have to drive, but accept either one glass of wine or a small beer over some period of time. After that it's a red line. As a farang you will always lose if anything happens.

43 minutes ago, MalcolmB said:

You obviously don’t live in Phuket.

No I don't,  living in phuket doesn't mean you have a pass to drink and drive.  It doesnt matter where you live, that doesn't give you an implied excuse to do it

18 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

 

Where does your experience come from?

When I was a little younger in a country far away I had often enough too many drinks to legally drive. In the hindsight I am not proud of that, but that's what it was.

My philosophy was always to drive careful in such condition. Not too fast, careful when making turns, things like that. I never had an accident or even any dangerous encounter. At that time, I drove about 20,000km per year, I guess lots of experience helps.

And with drinking: We also get used to drinking. Some are drunk after a few drinks; some can handle a lot more.

 

All in all, it would be good if nobody would drive under any influence. And nobody should drive playing with a smart phone and all that. I am pretty sure I with a few drinks drive mostly still better that those smombies with a screen in front of their face. 

 

My experience has nothing to do with facts and I do drink. I don't drive if I'm drinking I get a taxi or take tuk or have the wife drive or been known to walk.

 

You claim and think you can handle more because "your experienced"  but in reality your reflexes and response time is still impaired,  you just perceive its not.  Doesnt mean you will do something wrong driving slow and careful  (although it could) but your reaction to what others do will also be delayed and can cause just as significant a result. Dont kid yourself as thats all your doing

Just now, Dan O said:

You claim and think you can handle more because "your experienced"  but in reality your reflexes and response time is still impaired,  you just perceive its not. 

Yes, I agree. There will be some slower response even after only one or a few drinks.

I think the question is how much slower and compared to what.

I ride motorcycle in Bangkok, and I see all the time people playing with their mobile phones and they try to drive at the same time. Many of these people have a horrible reaction time - because they look at their phone and not the street.

If I would drive drunk in Bangkok, concentrating on the street and nothing else. Would my reaction time be worse than all those people who play with their phones? I have my doubt.

And since I visited driving school decades ago, I know and accept the principle of safety distance. This helps a lot in all situations which need reaction time. A second more to react because I don't drive right behind someone but leave some space is always a good idea. How many people in Thailand do that?

57 minutes ago, MalcolmB said:

Been using that proven method for over 30 years now without incident.

Only takes one time to kill someone. I don't care if its you for being stupid, that's on you.  I do care if its me or my family or someone I know or care about.