1 hour ago, VocalNeal said:

 

Is there an alternative. What If I live on the east side of a North/south highway and am travelling North. U-turns are OK if one is patient. No different really than a right turn. They are simply a gap in the median.

Exactly!

5 hours ago, hotchilli said:

Cheaper than roundabouts.

Roundabouts are a joke, Thais do not 'give way'.

It's to do with their perceived loss of face.

 

12 minutes ago, PopGun said:

Roundabouts are a joke, Thais do not 'give way'.

It's to do with their perceived loss of face.

 

They can't handle them.

On Jomtien 2nd rd there was one or two roundabouts that worked perfect (for me).

But no, now you have lights and stare on the empty intersections for a minute and more.

The impatient (bikers) jump the lights and be killed by a surprise vehicle.

Dolphin roundabout closed on one side since years.

On 8/30/2025 at 3:59 PM, bdenner said:

Effin U turns again!! Wot's with this Thai traffic management  mentality????

Effing stupid tourist motorcyclists again cutting in front of vehicles coming at them on their side of the road, what's wrong with motorcyclists mentality?

On 8/30/2025 at 4:17 PM, steve187 said:

RIP, U turns are the cause of many RTC's and unfortunately deaths

Road users are the cause of all accidents, not the U-turns.  The millions of people who are not killed at U-turns, compared to the few that are, testify to that.

On 8/31/2025 at 4:30 AM, SAFETY FIRST said:

Keep away from those U turn intersections on your motorbike if you ain't got the skill set,

 "...if you ain't got the skill set..."

So true.

6 hours ago, angryguy said:

Crazy thai drivers looking to squeeze every second they can. Why would anyone with a choice ever get on a bike

Sounds like it was the farang who was in a rush to make his turn, rather than sitting and waiting until the road was clear  when he would have had more time to make the turn.

26 minutes ago, PopGun said:

Roundabouts are a joke, Thais do not 'give way'.

It's to do with their perceived loss of face.

 

I've lived in Asia for 52 years, that is not a loss of face.  Loss of face has nothing to do with giving way. 

Loss of face is merely social embarrassment, ie being made to look stupid. 

No Asian would consider giving way a loss of face.
 

On 8/31/2025 at 11:00 AM, fredwiggy said:

People in the west are tau🙃🙃ght this from day one, making sure the other driver sees you before you make a move. Here, so many never use mirrors and just turn without looking to the sides or rear, which leave them in harm's way very quickly. Many die at these u-turns for this reason, especially in scooters where you have no protection.

Yup. Thai logic....MY Soi.

38 minutes ago, PopGun said:

Roundabouts are a joke, Thais do not 'give way'.

 

Like all Thai interactions it is a negotiation.

6 hours ago, newbee2022 said:

Riding a motorbike (without helmet) is always risky. So this guy rejected a car and welcomed the risk.

Karma.

He was not wearing a helmet?   How do you know that?

2 hours ago, Gottfrid said:

it´s not the U-turn that is dangerous, but the drivers that lack all kind of self-preserving nature. So, the result is that bad drivers cause the number of road deaths, but you chose to blame the U-turns.

Hear, hear!  It's just another irrational Thai-bash.

1 hour ago, BarraMarra said:

Hazard perception comes to mind. judging speeds at U-Turns is a must. Have you got the speed on Acceleration pulling away if a vehicle is coming your way ? Dertemine the speed of the vehicle travelling towards the path your intending to go into. If it is a busy road don't try and jump it let it pass till there is enough space to move. Sadly most don't think about this and leave it to late making a u-turn when a speeding vehicle is coming the direction your about to move into.

We in the west are taught to look for traffic joining in front of us and make appropriate considerate plans such as reducing speed and changing our place on the road to avoid the turning or crossing vehicle. In Thailand and I find in the rest of Asia, even Singapore (including for pedestrians as they have jaywalking rules, so that gives them the imaginary right to just lean on the horn and refuse to slow down or deviate) there is no such training nor compunction to avoid oncoming vehicles in a narrow lane or crossing situation etc. This is why there is an utter refusal 99% of the time to pass safely behind a crossing vehicle, instead being determined to head them off and 'win' the 'confrontation.' Giving way is loss of face. I believe this attitude is the main cause of RTA's here. In this situation the pick-up driver should have seen the queue of U-turning vehicles in front, moved to the left, ie taken anticipatory avoiding action, but that's not common here.

I have warned may farangs who first start driving here, when a Thai flashes his headlights at you it means he's coming through, not letting you go first, 

On 8/30/2025 at 4:17 PM, steve187 said:

RIP, U turns are the cause of many RTC's and unfortunately deaths

How do you get to go back the other way without u turns???

In one Katonika. If your a foreighner riding a bike in Thailand always expect the unsuspecting road users, they won't indicate telling you there going to turn left or right if there infront of you, they will cut you up, and more unnerving they will not notice you if there exiting a junction into your lane. If your traveling that way, always slow down and never do what the locals do by jumping the lights when they turn Green, give it a second then pull away.

1 hour ago, PopGun said:

Roundabouts are a joke, Thais do not 'give way'.

It's to do with their perceived loss of face.

 

Roundabouts are not a joke, at least they slow down traffic to sort out who goes first.

U-Turns mean you turn into the fast lane of the approaching traffic, that's just suicidal

1 hour ago, BarraMarra said:

never do what the locals do by jumping the lights when they turn Green, give it a second then pull away.

 

By the time the lights are green all the locals already left when the opposing lights turned red. 😮 

I usually when i'm out and about on my bike i wear my Helmut Cam, you wouldn't believe the things i get on Video from the idiots to plain dangerous.

Bickering posts removed, discuss the topic not other posters.

16 minutes ago, VocalNeal said:

 

By the time the lights are green all the locals already left when the opposing lights turned red. 😮 

 

Going through green lights I still cross like its a normal set of crossroads.

7 minutes ago, Will B Good said:

 

Going through green lights I still cross like its a normal set of crossroads.

Aye then there hosed away when a Suger Cane has ploughed into them.

1 minute ago, BarraMarra said:

Aye then there hosed away when a Suger Cane has ploughed into them.

?

8 hours ago, MalcolmB said:

Was drunk

 

......

 

8 hours ago, MalcolmB said:

So many arrive in Thailand and leave their brains at the airport.

 

Aren't you the one who always brags about how you drive drunk ?

A tragedy of course. 

 

Always better to think twice in Thailand, before hitting the roads driving yourself. Thai roads are one of the most lethal in the world. 

30 minutes ago, BarraMarra said:

Aye then there hosed away when a Suger Cane has ploughed into them.

Bring back the confused emoji .

2 hours ago, Liverpool Lou said:

Hear, hear!  It's just another irrational Thai-bash.

Did I talk about Thais? Did I mention Thais? Isn´t this news about a Brit? Sure there are mostly Thai drivers in accidents, because we are in Thailand, right? That´s not bashing, it´s fact. But most of the drivers in this country are good as well. It´s just that they have an overload of ignorant drivers.

42 minutes ago, Gottfrid said:

3 hours ago, Liverpool Lou said:

Hear, hear!  It's just another irrational Thai-bash.

Did I talk about Thais? Did I mention Thais?

Take it easy, my comment was referencing Hardcastle P,  I was supporting you view!  Don't you know what "Hear, hear!" means?

3 hours ago, Will B Good said:

?

If you have lived up in Issan when the suger Cane trucks start hitting the roads you will know all about thinking about pulling out after a second when the light is about to change from Amber to green when one Double wheeler is trying to brake near a set of lights. 

No mention of the go fund me . com to pay for the return of the body , perhaps he was one of the few with valid travel insurance