Road Safety in Thailand – a summary of Perceptions and Reality

[kwilco]

"Oh great, more campfire stories. If swapping ‘idiot driver’ tales made roads safer, Thailand would have zero accidents by now. Try looking at actual data instead of just whining about what you saw last Tuesday." - I think some people need to re-read to OP.

[Briggsy]

@kwilco

 

Completely wrong audience.

 

You are trying to present a viewpoint in a manner that is tending towards an academic style

i) on a forum in which the vast majority of posters have no notion of the subject (road safety management) but are unaware of their ignorance and think they know a great deal about it (because they can drive)

ii) the majority of posts in all topics are superficial or humorous (i.e. not considered or academic)

 

I suggest you take your ideas and present them on a road safety management forum where you will interact with like-minded people. If you continue here, you will become exasperated.

 

[fredwiggy]

8 hours ago, kwilco said:

 

THis means it is unlikely you will ever understand or fit in with road safety in Thailand. Being a good driver regardless of country involves understanding and adapting to the driving environment.

Kreng Jai is an aspect of Thai culture th foreigners frequently grossly underestimate because to them it “just sounds too silly”

While "Kreng Jai" is a deeply ingrained cultural value in Thailand, it's important to note that it doesn't necessarily translate directly into safe or responsible driving habits. In fact, some aspects of "Kreng Jai" might even have unintended negative consequences on the road.

The problem is that whilst Thai people understand this, foreigners, even those who have lived for years in Thailand fail to understand even the basics, let alone how it influences driving.

Kreng jai is a double-edged sword  It can mean that drivers are more patient and there are potentially aggressive road rage incidents compared to some Western countries until the Thai cultural limit is exceeded – which of course foreign drivers can’t gauge.

 There is in general less overt hostility between drivers, reducing direct conflicts but as foreigners don’t react “normally” to Kreng jai as they don’t recognise it they then incur the disrespect of other drivers which foreigner misinterpret as Thai bad manners when in fact their behaviour has inadvertently triggered it.

 

There are negative aspects that foreigners don’t realise either…. Apparently Unpredictable driving behaviour due to politeness or hesitation goes over the heads of foreigners when Thai drivers recognise and expect it.

Seemingly a lack of assertiveness in enforcing traffic laws and road discipline, a reluctance to address unsafe driving habits in social settings.

 

"Being a good driver regardless of country involves understanding and adapting to the driving environment.".Your words from above............This contradicts what you've been saying all along, that it's more the infrastructure, police and roads to blame than the driver. I myself fit in as soon as I started driving in Thailand, even driving on the opposite side, as I knew this was the law here. Fitting in with driving on ANY road in ANY country means you understand the laws BEFORE you drive, and follow them as you drive.

 

Driving isn't a right but a privelege, something taken for granted here because many start on scooters at 8 years old and think they're competent enough when they get a little older, even though they started out with bad habits. Foreigners that come here have been driving in their advanced countries for years, meaning they already know the laws of safe driving. This doesn't mean all of them, as there are idiot drivers everywhere and I make no excuses for them, as they also have no business driving. Being polite and respecting others, Kreng Jai, means you do it everywhere, and I, along with many foreign drivers, already do this. If Thai people, meaning the ones who are causing the accidents, understood this, they would not cut others off and drive recklessly around others. Again your words......."Apparently Unpredictable driving behaviour due to politeness or hesitation goes over the heads of foreigners when Thai drivers recognize and expect it"............If they recognize and expect it, they wouldn't drive like they do and cause so many deaths and accidents daily...

[fredwiggy]

Just now, Briggsy said:

@kwilco

 

Completely wrong audience.

 

You are trying to present a viewpoint in a manner that is tending towards an academic style

i) on a forum in which the vast majority of posters have no notion of the subject (road safety management) but are unaware of their ignorance and think they know a great deal about it (because they can drive)

ii) the majority of posts in all topics are superficial or humorous (i.e. not considered or academic)

 

I suggest you take your ideas and present them on a road safety management forum where you will interact with like-minded people. If you continue here, you will become exasperated.

 

You sound exactly like him, another one who assumes what others here know. What he's been saying all along we agree with, at least as far as some of the reasons why accidents happen here. What he misses is the human equation, where the driver is first responsible for their behavior on the roads. A good driver can adapt to any road conditions, and if they follow the laws already there, a responsibility of all drivers if they are given a license, there won't be the accidents or deaths daily that happen. If they can wear a helmet as a driver, they know all passengers should also, is but one example of thumbing their noses at a law they know about.

[Briggsy]

1 minute ago, fredwiggy said:

You sound exactly like him, another one who assumes what others here know. What he's been saying all along we agree with, at least as far as some of the reasons why accidents happen here. What he misses is the human equation, where the driver is first responsible for their behavior on the roads. A good driver can adapt to any road conditions, and if they follow the laws already there, a responsibility of all drivers if they are given a license, there won't be the accidents or deaths daily that happen. If they can wear a helmet as a driver, they know all passengers should also, is but one example of thumbing their noses at a law they know about.

And you respectfully sound exactly like my group defined in "i)" 😀

 

Touché

[fredwiggy]

5 minutes ago, Briggsy said:

And you respectfully sound exactly like my group defined in "i)" 😀

 

Touché

And you are as ignorant and as much of a skimmer as he. Read ALL of what a person writes BEFORE you comment. I know what he's mentioned about road safety, and have since I was a teenager. It isn't that hard to understand why accidents happen, but failing to understand that it's still on the driver first is what he's missing. In the US, there are much more involved classes on road safety when you go for your license, and you have to pass a bigger test, including a driving test. If those tests were given here, many would fail and not be given a license until they passed, which would mean they had a better understanding of what it takes to be a safe driver. Try your childish sarcasm elsewhere, as you haven't a clue to whom you're commenting about. Assuming is a bad habit.

[KannikaP]

13 hours ago, kwilco said:

"Nowhere else in the world have I seen people consistency take the kinds of chances and risks in the road, "

 

THis is a false syllogism and appears in many other posts on this thread......

Your post is making a false syllogism about road safety and it goes like this  …. faulty reasoning in racial stereotyping for road safety

premise 1: some car accidents involve drivers from group x (Thai people).

Premise 2: I have seen or heard of accidents involving drivers from Group X.(Thai people)

Therefore, Thai people are inherently more dangerous on the road.

 

This is Fallacious because it commits several logical fallacies:

Hasty Generalization: It assumes that the few observed cases apply to all Thai drivers –  you don’t take into account the reality of large numbers.

It ignores the overall accident rates across all groups and doesn’t consider the proportion of drivers from Group X in the population.

And something that is so common on this thread - Confirmation Bias: It selectively remembers instances where Thai drivers were involved in accidents while ignoring counterexamples.

 

 

 

Thank you Chat GPT.

[HuaHinNew]

Re: Many foreigners perceive Thai drivers as incompetent, but the real issue is inadequate enforcement of laws and poor road infrastructure.

 

Thanks for providing all the statistics in regard to this issue.

 

Unfortunately, from someone that have been working here since 1996 and now living here permanently for the last 10 years.

 

It's in Thai's DNA that cause them to act in the selfish, erratic and disregard way they drive on the road systems here.

 

They have no regard for anyone else on the roads, my driving is perfect, me first and the rest of you can go to hell at any or all costs.

 

IMHO Improved policing, road systems, increase in fines and / or driver education and license testing will not solve this problem.

 

My survival attitude is when ever I am out driving, I treat it as all drivers here are trying to kill me and I drive defensively accordingly. 

[spidermike007]

14 hours ago, kwilco said:

"Nowhere else in the world have I seen people consistency take the kinds of chances and risks in the road, "

 

THis is a false syllogism and appears in many other posts on this thread......

Your post is making a false syllogism about road safety and it goes like this  …. faulty reasoning in racial stereotyping for road safety

premise 1: some car accidents involve drivers from group x (Thai people).

Premise 2: I have seen or heard of accidents involving drivers from Group X.(Thai people)

Therefore, Thai people are inherently more dangerous on the road.

 

This is Fallacious because it commits several logical fallacies:

Hasty Generalization: It assumes that the few observed cases apply to all Thai drivers –  you don’t take into account the reality of large numbers.

It ignores the overall accident rates across all groups and doesn’t consider the proportion of drivers from Group X in the population.

And something that is so common on this thread - Confirmation Bias: It selectively remembers instances where Thai drivers were involved in accidents while ignoring counterexamples.

 

 

 

Well number one I don't do Woke and PC which you are asking me to do, and that will never happen. Number two statistics don't lie. Thailand has the second highest fatality rate per capita of any country in the world when it comes to road accidents, so you can ignore that statistic all you want, and try to play professor on us, but it doesn't mean anything. 

[newbee2022]

On 2/1/2025 at 9:16 PM, kwilco said:

I've studied road safety world over and over 20 years in Thailand. I'm amazed by the ignorance and rubbish written in the social madia about driving in Thailand

 

Just because you can drive doesn't make you an "expert" on road safety..........

Thailand has one of the highest road fatality rates in the world, with around 25,000 deaths annually. The public and government responses to road safety issues are often misguided, focusing on blaming "bad drivers" rather than addressing systemic failures.

 

Road Safety and Media Reporting

The media often reports crashes as isolated incidents rather than as part of a larger public health crisis.

Comprehensive road safety strategies, including better data collection and analysis, are lacking in Thailand.

International organizations have provided recommendations, but these are often ignored.

 

Common Misconceptions and Cognitive Biases

Confirmation Bias: People tend to focus on evidence that supports their existing beliefs about Thai drivers being reckless.

Cognitive Dissonance: Many fail to accept new information that contradicts their assumptions about road safety.

Many foreigners perceive Thai drivers as incompetent, but the real issue is inadequate enforcement of laws and poor road infrastructure.

 

Key Causes of Road Accidents

Speeding: Higher speeds significantly increase crash severity.

Drink-Driving: A major contributor, with Thailand’s rate among the highest in the world.

Lack of Helmet Use: Over 75% of road deaths involve motorcyclists, often due to non-compliance with helmet laws.

Distracted Driving: e.g - The rise of mobile phone use has worsened the problem.

Unsafe Infrastructure: Poor road design and lack of pedestrian safety measures.

Inadequate Law Enforcement: Existing traffic laws are weakly enforced, often due to corruption.

 

Statistical Issues

Thai crash statistics are inconsistent and unreliable.

The Thai police primarily record deaths at the scene but fail to track later fatalities and injuries.

WHO data suggests Thailand has a road fatality rate of 32.7 deaths per 100,000 people, one of the worst globally.

 

Driving Culture in Thailand

Traffic norms in Thailand differ from Western countries.

Drivers often don’t use indicators and have an unusual codes and styles of driving, making defensive driving crucial for newcomers.

Road social hierarchies exist, with wealthier individuals facing fewer consequences in traffic incidents.

Don't overlook the historical influence of river traffic either!

 

Legal and Enforcement Challenges

Corruption among law enforcement makes proper road policing ineffective.

Many traffic stops are aimed at collecting bribes rather than enforcing safety.

Legal fines are often negotiable on the spot.

 

Potential Solutions: The Safe System Approach

Education: Public awareness campaigns on safe driving.

Enforcement: Stricter implementation of traffic laws.

Engineering: Improved road and vehicle safety standards.

Emergency Response: Faster and more efficient post-crash care.

Evaluation: Data-driven policy-making.

 

 

 

Thailand needs a systemic shift in road safety management. Road safety is a public Health issue. Instead of blaming individual drivers, authorities must focus on structural changes, stricter law enforcement, and improved road design. Implementing proven international strategies like Sweden’s “Vision Zero” could significantly reduce fatalities. Until such reforms take place, Thailand’s roads will remain among the deadliest in the world.

Thank you for your post.

We all were complaining about road safety standards. And we all know what to do to make driving safer.

However, the Thai structure of society, customs and rules will prevent a breakthrough in safety.

If the govt would not address the problem and look how other countries are tackle this problem (Shinawatras live long enough in Western countries) there will be no improvement.

[cdemundo]

On 2/2/2025 at 9:46 AM, seajae said:

really, as far as we all know you may well have your hand on it as well. Thai drivers/riders in general are not the best, many have no idea of the actual road rules, at the video  training during licence renewal all of them are too busy on their phones and not watching, they are not interested in what the laws are.

Their learner driving is pathetic at best, our daughter did 1 week of driving around an enclosed track, drove on an actual road for an hour or so and was given a licence, she had no idea at all how to do a lot of basic driving skills, the questions were multiple choice  after a couple of hours of reading them without actually understanding what they meant plus no one was failed for getting them wrong.

Many riders/drivers are unlicensed, they refuse to follow the rules because it doesnt suit them, they drive the way they want, they drive the opposite way on roads, they overtake on double lines/blind corners, they cut right turning corners forcing oncoming cars off the road, they overtake into oncoming traffic flashing their lights to say they are not going to give way, they drive through red lights a lot, they do not give right of way, they just stop in the lane they are in to go into a shop, they pull out in front of other cars to get where they want to be forcing the cars to stop, they think being "rich" or driving an expensive car gives them the right to do as they please, many are arrogant and simply refuse to let others get in their way.

The police do not enforce road rules and only go out to get tea money, you may or may not be what you claim but you also show you are an appologist for the poor driving in this country. There are some good drivers/riders in Thailand but the greater majority are not among them. I have been driving for over 50 years, cars, bikes, trucks, busses, heavy equipment as well as service vehicles, I understand road safety very well and have never caused an accident, thais do not have the same driving sense, while some of what you say is correct  trying to take the blame away from the poor driving skills/mentallity of thais is a white wash as is calling anyone pointing out how bad they are as being racist. You really need to pull your head from where you have stuck it, your summations are in your head only and not fact, I am calling BS on your claims.

"thais do not have the same driving sense, while some of what you say is correct  trying to take the blame away from the poor driving skills/mentallity of thais is a white wash as is calling anyone pointing out how bad they are as being racist."

 

IMHO this is true.

Since living in Thailand I have not been a driver but always a passenger in taxis.

The idea of defensive driving seems to be foreign to Thai drivers.

 

I was taught the priority of driving goals:

Don't injure or kill anyone.

Don't destroy or damage property, including other vehicles.

Choose the safest, not the fastest route.

Get to your destination after observing the previous priorities.

 

My observation would indicate that the Thai drivers follow one goal

Get to your destination as fast as you can.

 

Bangkok traffic seems like a million vehicle game of chicken.

 

 

 

 

[cardinalblue]

My own observations over 25 years here….20-25% vehicle drivers are bad drivers meaning they make road driving mistakes daily…motorcycles and cars are two separate systems trying to share one road…it just doesn’t work 

[digger70]

On 2/2/2025 at 5:28 AM, kwilco said:

over 20 years I've averaged between 30 and 40 km per annum - but more importantly I have a knowledge of road safety and am able to critically analyse what I see. 

Well now, you better look again at that road safety Knowledge of yours  it needs some attention.

As for being able to See and Critically  analyzing what you see you better get an up to date set of spectacles.

Have a nice day . 🙏

[MangoKorat]

8 hours ago, kwilco said:

I think some people need to re-read to OP.

No, what people need to do is ignore this ridiculous wind up.

[MangoKorat]

3 hours ago, cardinalblue said:

My own observations over 25 years here….20-25% vehicle drivers are bad drivers meaning they make road driving mistakes daily…motorcycles and cars are two separate systems trying to share one road…it just doesn’t work 

Yes and a much higher percentage have absolutely no idea who has the right of way at roundabouts for example. They don't improve, even when you explain it to them yet. In the UK and Europe, roundabouts are not seen as a problem - its not difficult.

[MangoKorat]

5 hours ago, cdemundo said:

My observation would indicate that the Thai drivers follow one goal

Get to your destination as fast as you can.

You missed off........and sod everyone else.

[jesimps]

On 2/2/2025 at 4:58 AM, kwilco said:

"they" -???

 

 that's exactly the racist rubbish that impedes any progress in understanding road safety in Thailand

When you make a sweeping generalizations like “they are all reckless” or list complaints using "they", you need to define  Who ”they” is - Are you saying every single Thai driver does this?”
Do you think all Thai drivers fit this stereotype. - Road safety issues exist everywhere, and different factors contribute to them, like infrastructure, enforcement, and driving culture. But saying ‘all Thai drivers’ ignores responsible drivers and improvements being made.

“Driving habits vary across countries due to road conditions, enforcement, and training. Instead of blaming all Thai drivers, maybe we should look at the driving education system or road safety laws.”

When you see one bad driver in Thailand, do you assume all Thais drive that way? Would you say the same if you saw a reckless driver in your own country?” You seem unaware of the reality of statistics of driving a car in Thailand compared to other countries

 “If road safety is a concern, what do you think would help improve it? Playing the blame game clearly doesn’t.

What do you suggest – I expect you have a single issue tht you b;eive will provide the answer?

“Yes, road safety is a major public health issue in Thailand like in many other places. But generalizing all Thai drivers as reckless isn’t accurate or fair.

  

I have a feeling you started this thread just to have an argument. Reminds me of the Monty Python sketch. Someone agrees with you and you call them a racist for agreeing. Reckon you just wanted to make this about politics.

[kwilco]

10 hours ago, Briggsy said:

@kwilco

 

Completely wrong audience.

 

You are trying to present a viewpoint in a manner that is tending towards an academic style

i) on a forum in which the vast majority of posters have no notion of the subject (road safety management) but are unaware of their ignorance and think they know a great deal about it (because they can drive)

ii) the majority of posts in all topics are superficial or humorous (i.e. not considered or academic)

 

I suggest you take your ideas and present them on a road safety management forum where you will interact with like-minded people. If you continue here, you will become exasperated.

 

Done that - I have plenty of contacts in government in industry of the years. To understand how "unacademic" the average expat can be it is useful to see the comments here and see what you are up against. I suppose you could say I'm doing a survey.

[kwilco]

3 hours ago, jesimps said:

I have a feeling you started this thread just to have an argument. Reminds me of the Monty Python sketch. Someone agrees with you and you call them a racist for agreeing. Reckon you just wanted to make this about politics.

why are people arguing?  Do you have a contribution to make?

[richard_smith237]

Just now, kwilco said:

why are people arguing?  Do you have a contribution to make?

 

You create arguments by your very nature Kwiclo... 

 

People make perfectly valid comments based on their observations, years of experiences and comparisons of driving in Thailand with many other countries....    and you shut them down with pages plagiarised from an antiquated text book... 

 

 

[alien365]

I remember a thread a few years ago on road safety that worked exactly like this one. The enlightened OP went in length to say his piece and attacked anyone else who responded as being uneducated. I don't see the point in opening a thread if one is unwilling to hear others viewpoints.

[novacova]

3 minutes ago, alien365 said:

I don't see the point in opening a thread if one is unwilling to hear others viewpoints.

The point is to further beat the subject to death and the rest is just complaints. Anyone who drives in this country is well aware of the hazards.

[kwilco]

2 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

 

You create arguments by your very nature Kwiclo... 

 

People make perfectly valid comments based on their observations, years of experiences and comparisons of driving in Thailand with many other countries....    and you shut them down with pages plagiarised from an antiquated text book... 

 

 

what book would that be?

[kwilco]

What this thread has shown is that people don't know much about road safety, can't assess their own driving skills and don't understand how to put forward an argument of present reasoned evidence because they don't know what it comprises of.

Here are some of the challenges for foreign drivers in Thailand:

 

Road Safety, Perception, and the Pitfalls and flaws of Anecdotal Experience

 

Driving in a foreign country presents unique challenges, particularly when discussing road safety. Many foreign drivers in Thailand attempt to assess the country’s road safety using anecdotal experiences rather than empirical evidence. This leads to misconceptions, exaggerated fears, and resistance to statistical reasoning. Discussions on Thai road safety often descend into personal stories about "reckless" drivers, typically focused on four-wheeled vehicles, rather than considering broader patterns and statistical data.

However, there are problems with anecdotal reasoning in road safety discussions and how human error and perception affect accident analysis. I would also consider the difficulties foreign drivers face when adapting to Thai road culture.

 

First of all the flaws of anecdotal reasoning in road safety - Foreigners discussing Thai road safety often rely on personal observations rather than comprehensive data. A few common misconceptions include the use of anecdotes vs. data. Many foreigners assume four-wheeled vehicles are the primary source of danger. However, statistical analysis contradicts this. In Thailand, a person is actually less likely to die in a four-wheeled vehicle than in the USA. 80% of road deaths in Thailand involve vulnerable road users—motorcyclists, pedestrians, and cyclists, and 75% of all road deaths involve motorcycles, not cars or trucks.

 

Then there is the misinterpretation of near-misses. Many anecdotes focus on "almost" accidents—stories full of "nearly," "almost," and "should have.". These do not actually reflect accident rates; they are subjective fears, not concrete data. A driver feeling unsafe does not necessarily indicate a statistically dangerous environment.

 

When comparing Thailand’s roads to other countries, foreigners perceive them as uniquely chaotic, yet all countries have reckless drivers. Even nations with the lowest accident rates can provide videos of reckless driving. Measuring road safety requires comparative statistical analysis, not just individual experience.

 

A big misunderstanding of crashes is the role played by human error. Most road crashes occur due to human error, yet many people misunderstand what this actually means. Many assume "reckless driving" is the main cause of accidents, but this is not the case, in reality, most crashes result from everyday mistakes like:

o      Distraction (e.g., adjusting the radio, checking a phone).

o      Fatigue or momentary lapses in attention.

o      Misjudging distances or speeds.

o      Microsleeps and delayed reaction times.

o      Misinterpretation of road conditions.

 

Anecdotal evidence and when people actually see a crash occur leads to all sorts of problems, most notably rooted in the unreliability of eyewitness testimony. Many accident reports rely on eyewitness accounts, but human perception is highly flawed.

Why? Because witnesses often:

o      Experience stress, which distorts memory.

o      Focus on selective details, missing the full context.

o      Have hindsight bias, where they remember events differently after knowing the outcome.

This is why serious accident investigations use physical evidence and sometimes dashcam footage (but even this is subject to major distortions), not just personal testimonies.

 

There are many challenges foreign drivers face in Thailand. Many foreign drivers struggle due to cognitive overload, misinterpretation of road culture, and unfamiliar infrastructure.

 

This manifests as perceptual distortions and stress. Foreign drivers often get the illusion that traffic is moving faster than it really is. Thai roads often seem "chaotic" because lane discipline differs from Western norms. Informal signalling (horns, flashing lights) is has different subtexts and uses, largely influenced by th unwillingness to confront and the concept of Kreng Jai. Pedestrians and motorbikes move in ways that may seem unpredictable. However, Thai road users anticipate these behaviours, meaning they are in less dangerous than they appear.

 

Road Signs and Subliminal Reactions Road signs in general work by Subliminal reactions (automatic responses to road signs), but may not work the same way for foreigners, leading to hesitation. Some foreigners misinterpret road signs even when they are in English. Traffic signals and road markings in Thailand are frankly appalling, they are inconsistent poorly located and often not fully visible. Traffic light rules are vague and different - Thailand uses countdown timers on traffic lights, which many foreigners are unfamiliar with. The occasional  "turn left on red" rule confuses those used to stricter regulations. And no-one understands the priority on the left rule or what happens at roundabouts.

 

It can be seen how many foreigners end up misjudging Thai driving behaviour, the result being they often mistakenly  assume Thai drivers are rude or don't give way. In reality, things like vehicle positioning and road behaviour send different signals than in Western countries. Thai drivers avoid obstacles instinctively—swerving is common and anticipated, not reckless.

The cultural value of "Kreng Jai" (avoiding confrontation) also influences driving behaviour, making open aggression rare.

 

Another problem foreigner need to ovecome is the challenges of Thai Infrastructure, Unfamiliar road layouts like U-turns, new roundabouts, and complex interchanges cause confusion. Poor road markings (faded lines, inconsistent signage) add to navigation difficulties. Road engineering varies, making conditions unpredictable and inconsistent.

 

All this leads to foreigners suffering  from cognitive overload and fatigue.Processing new road rules, unfamiliar layouts, and unpredictable traffic causes mental exhaustion. Many foreign drivers don’t recognize their own fatigue, instead they resort to blaming other drivers for stress.

 

So to truly understand road safety in Thailand one has to forget all those preconceptions brought from home and bring  all one’s analytical skills to bear on a radically different driving environment; it requires a rational approach to road safety.

 

We can see on this thread that foreigners often misjudge Thai road safety due to biases, anecdotal reasoning, and unfamiliarity. The personal experience they rely on is misleading—only statistics and data provide an accurate picture.

Human error is the biggest factor in crashes, but it is often misunderstood.

Perception, stress, and cognitive overload make adapting to Thai roads challenging, distorting foreign drivers’ judgments.

 

Rather than relying on fear and anecdotes, a rational discussion on road safety must be based on evidence, comparative data, and an understanding of local driving culture.