On 10/24/2025 at 5:30 AM, georgegeorgia said:

what about food shopping etc 

Many of large shopping stores will have a queue for taxis, GrabCar not necessary. But otherwise GrabCar works as well.

 

On 10/31/2025 at 10:10 AM, JamesPhuket10 said:

 

When speaking Thai maybe or maybe the uneducated Thais say that as they have poor English, people from up-country perhaps and small villages in Isaan.

 

 

 

I live in a village in Isaan.  Please don't be disrespectful about my friends and neighbours.  Every location contains a spectrum of abilities, including yours.
 

On 11/4/2025 at 3:19 PM, IsaanT said:

I live in a village in Isaan.  Please don't be disrespectful about my friends and neighbours.  Every location contains a spectrum of abilities, including yours.
 

 

• The Isaan region (Northeastern Thailand) is widely cited as the least-educated, poorest and least developed region in Thailand according to UNICEF and other reports.

   

  • For example: “More than three-fourths of Isan’s people are engaged in agriculture … the isolated rural region continues to be Thailand’s least educated, least urban, least developed and least integrated region of the country.”  

  • Also: According to a UNICEF fact-sheet, the Northeast region has the highest share of children lacking foundational reading and numeracy skills.  

  • Data from a report shows that access beyond primary school in the Northeast remains lowest among the major regions.  

 

You said "Every location contains a spectrum of abilities, including yours."

 

There are some very good schools in Phuket, some international schools as well, Thai people seem a lot smarter here and more business like compared to the small villages I have visited, those with the get up and go leave such small villages and become educated, the dim ones stay behind it seems.  

 

Over my 35 years experience of Thais, most Thais I have ever met see Isaan as an uneducated area and tend to look down on the region and do not regard the natives as really Thai as they only became part of Thailand 150 years ago and have their own customs, culture and language which is bases on Loas.

 

It is a bit like Scotland, Wales and England, they are part of the UK but have their own identity and cultures.

 

 

 

48 minutes ago, JamesPhuket10 said:

 

•  

 

Over my 35 years experience of Thais, most Thais I have ever met see Isaan as an uneducated area and tend to look down on the region and do not regard the natives as really Thai as they only became part of Thailand 150 years ago and have their own customs, culture and language which is bases on Loas.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thais racist against Thais.

 

 

Who would have thought it.

4 minutes ago, hotandsticky said:

 

 

 

Thais racist against Thais.

 

 

Who would have thought it.

Not only racists, but also do not like motorbikes 😳

8 minutes ago, hotandsticky said:

 

 

 

Thais racist against Thais.

 

 

Who would have thought it.

 

It's not racism, they are looking down on the least educated area in Thailand, plus the fact Isaan became part of Thailand very recently when we look at the history of Thailand as a whole,  as was detailed in my last comment. 

 

If Wales and Scotland suddenly became part of England those regions would be looked at as not really English as well.

8 minutes ago, Hummin said:

Not only racists, but also do not like motorbikes 😳

 

It seems very many Thais do like motorbikes, well the poor ones do, the well off drive cars and would never go near a motorbike, 

2 minutes ago, JamesPhuket10 said:

 

It seems very many Thais do like motorbikes, well the poor ones do, the well off drive cars and would never go near a motorbike, 

Yeah I've seen them going round in circles around Pattaya Pratumank looking for a space then going home, zero baht spent

9 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said:

Yeah I've seen them going round in circles around Pattaya Pratumank looking for a space then going home, zero baht spent

 

Yet another reason not to go to Pattaya, I have no problem with parking a car in Phuket. 

58 minutes ago, JamesPhuket10 said:

 

Yet another reason not to go to Pattaya, I have no problem with parking a car in Phuket. 

Phuket looks awful, always in the news, the worse tourists go there it seems

1 hour ago, JamesPhuket10 said:

 

It seems very many Thais do like motorbikes, well the poor ones do, the well off drive cars and would never go near a motorbike, 

You possess the innate ability to convey your character clearly through your responses.

2 minutes ago, IsaanT said:

You possess the innate ability to convey your character clearly through your responses.

 

 

...and the funniest thing is that he can't see it.

2 hours ago, JamesPhuket10 said:

• For example: “More than three-fourths of Isan’s people are engaged in agriculture...”  

Jeremy Clarkson is heavily engaged in agriculture, and thus is implicated in your example.  I can imagine how he would respond if he saw your comment.

p.s. I changed your cut-and-paste text in the quote from black to white because some of us find white letters easier to read.

1 hour ago, JamesPhuket10 said:

It seems very many Thais do like motorbikes, well the poor ones do, the well off drive cars and would never go near a motorbike, 

I wish you realized that every social strata of Thai society use motorbikes. Even in upscale mubans you will find most have a bike to jump on and run some quick errands. Hell if any business person in Bangkok has to get somewhere fast in a traffic jam they have a motorbike guy they can call. 

1 hour ago, JamesPhuket10 said:

 

Yet another reason not to go to Pattaya, I have no problem with parking a car in Phuket. 

Depending where in Phuket you refer to. Phuket is busy year around mostly, but lately, it might be less people because of the flooding 

30 minutes ago, marin said:

I wish you realized that every social strata of Thai society use motorbikes. Even in upscale mubans you will find most have a bike to jump on and run some quick errands. Hell if any business person in Bangkok has to get somewhere fast in a traffic jam they have a motorbike guy they can call. 

It's possible PhuketJames hasn't done much research - I guess he's extrapolating his own views and biases upon everyone else, based on the strength of his personal beliefs.
 

3 hours ago, JamesPhuket10 said:

 

• The Isaan region (Northeastern Thailand) is widely cited as the least-educated, poorest and least developed region in Thailand according to UNICEF and other reports.

   

  • For example: “More than three-fourths of Isan’s people are engaged in agriculture … the isolated rural region continues to be Thailand’s least educated, least urban, least developed and least integrated region of the country.”  

  • Also: According to a UNICEF fact-sheet, the Northeast region has the highest share of children lacking foundational reading and numeracy skills.  

  • Data from a report shows that access beyond primary school in the Northeast remains lowest among the major regions.  

 

You said "Every location contains a spectrum of abilities, including yours."

 

There are some very good schools in Phuket, some international schools as well, Thai people seem a lot smarter here and more business like compared to the small villages I have visited, those with the get up and go leave such small villages and become educated, the dim ones stay behind it seems.  

 

Over my 35 years experience of Thais, most Thais I have ever met see Isaan as an uneducated area and tend to look down on the region and do not regard the natives as really Thai as they only became part of Thailand 150 years ago and have their own customs, culture and language which is bases on Loas.

 

It is a bit like Scotland, Wales and England, they are part of the UK but have their own identity and cultures.

 

 

 

You've p***ed me off James.

I can't tell you how many acts of kindness, inclusion, generosity, respect and helpfulness I've received since living in my village for the last two years.  I try to reciprocate as best as I can.  Around once a week, a parent gets their young children to wai to me when they pass me in the local market.

Perhaps the difference between you and me is that the first thought in my head is not what university they graduated from or whether they're using the right stockbroker.
 

3 hours ago, IsaanT said:

You possess the innate ability to convey your character clearly through your responses.

 

As do you.

1 hour ago, IsaanT said:

You've p***ed me off James.

I can't tell you how many acts of kindness, inclusion, generosity, respect and helpfulness I've received since living in my village for the last two years.  I try to reciprocate as best as I can.  Around once a week, a parent gets their young children to wai to me when they pass me in the local market.

Perhaps the difference between you and me is that the first thought in my head is not what university they graduated from or whether they're using the right stockbroker.
 

 

Maybe you wish to deny the evidence I have given about what I wrote about the educational level of Isaan, maybe your think kindness is a replacement, it will not be much of a future for those kids by saying hello to you, that will not buy them a future.

 

The figures I gave are not something I made up and if you can not face up to reality then dream on.

 

True, my first though about my own two kids was for them to study hard at school and go to a good university, but I do not see what stockbrokers have to do with it, do people have to have a stockbroker connection to go to university in Thailand?

2 hours ago, IsaanT said:

It's possible PhuketJames hasn't done much research - I guess he's extrapolating his own views and biases upon everyone else, based on the strength of his personal beliefs.
 

 

The rich thais who only drive cars do have motorbikes, so their conchais can nip to the shops for them, not all of us mix with only the poorer people Thailand, I think a lot of farangs are married to Thais in Isaan and that is why they think all Thais are poor as they are the only group they mix with. 

3 hours ago, IsaanT said:

Jeremy Clarkson is heavily engaged in agriculture, and thus is implicated in your example.  I can imagine how he would respond if he saw your comment.

p.s. I changed your cut-and-paste text in the quote from black to white because some of us find white letters easier to read.

 

He would laugh probably.

 

Jeremy Clarkson is a figure from TV, he doesn't do any real farming, he makes his money by getting people like you to watch his telly programs and then laughs all the way to the bank. 

 

Comparing him to a poor farm worker in Isaan is so silly. 

 

"p.s. I changed your cut-and-paste text in the quote from black to white because some of us find white letters easier to read."

 

Very kind of you, well done. But it still does not have anything to do with the facts.

2 hours ago, Hummin said:

Depending where in Phuket you refer to. Phuket is busy year around mostly, but lately, it might be less people because of the flooding 

 

One street was flooded for 'ten minutes', it made no difference to 99% of Phuket.

 

Central Shopping Kathu, hundreds of car parks as do the other shopping areas.

 

Patong near all the action, there are hundreds of underground parking spaces in Jungcelon shopping centre. 

 

Easy to park in many of the beach areas, I never have a problem. 

 

I know by personal experience not by reading opinions this blog. 

6 hours ago, JamesPhuket10 said:

 

One street was flooded for 'ten minutes', it made no difference to 99% of Phuket.

 

Central Shopping Kathu, hundreds of car parks as do the other shopping areas.

 

Patong near all the action, there are hundreds of underground parking spaces in Jungcelon shopping centre. 

 

Easy to park in many of the beach areas, I never have a problem. 

 

I know by personal experience not by reading opinions this blog. 

Even hundreds of parkings, it is still the traffic. Been there on motorcycle, wouldn't drive around Kara or any place with car. 

10 hours ago, IsaanT said:

Around once a week, a parent gets their young children to wai to me when they pass me in the local market.

Do you have a shaved head and wear saffron? 

8 hours ago, JamesPhuket10 said:

 

One street was flooded for 'ten minutes', it made no difference to 99% of Phuket.

 

Central Shopping Kathu, hundreds of car parks as do the other shopping areas.

 

Patong near all the action, there are hundreds of underground parking spaces in Jungcelon shopping centre. 

 

Easy to park in many of the beach areas, I never have a problem. 

 

I know by personal experience not by reading opinions this blog. 

You must live on a different Phuket than the one we've visited the past 20+ years.   Around 2010, Phuket simply got too congested, and unless using a MC, parking was a joke, and that was usually off season; Mar, Apr, May, Sept Oct, during school breaks. 10+ years running.

 

Stopped visiting till the scamdemic, which was excellent of course, though last time there, at beaches, it was the worst, again, off season, June 2023.  

 

Popped down for just 2 nights, recently, August (Mon/Tues), to visit niece, not at beaches, and getting around & parking was brutal.   Won't be returning, till next scamdemic, if ever.

 

You obviously own a business, as gridlock at the malls, and parking at Patong, you are joking 

On 11/2/2025 at 9:03 AM, richard_smith237 said:

 

Agreed - valid points. The timing of traffic lights also matters critically. Research shows that simply extending the green phase or cycle length does not always improve throughput. One study found that when green phases were lengthened significantly, the headway between vehicles increased - meaning cars left larger gaps and overall throughput actually dropped.

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/245563548_Long_Green_Times_and_Cycles_at_Congested_Traffic_Signals

 

In practical terms: when a green light lasts longer, vehicles get “strung out” more - the first few go through, then there’s a growing gap before the next bunch arrive. The effective flow rate reduces. This inefficiency is compounded when driving behaviour is sub-optimal: slow reactions, hesitation at the light, leaving extra gap in front, etc.

 

In the “Western world,” traffic engineers use this kind of research to model traffic flows, optimise signal timings, and reduce delay. For example, the review of signal-timing optimisation found that cycle length, green time, inter-green time (amber/all-red), phase sequencing and coordination are all key parameters.

 

So your point stands: poor driving behaviour (slow starting, leaving big gaps) combined with sub-optimal signal timing introduces inefficiency - and when the local system (in say Thailand) has these compounded issues, traffic congestion gets much worse.

 

 

I think it’s entirely reasonable to make critical observations. Many of our views on life in Thailand often align closely with those of our Thai friends. Being a foreigner doesn’t disqualify one from forming intelligent, experience-based opinions - provided those opinions are grounded in observation rather than coloured by prejudice.

 

Like any country, Thailand isn’t perfect, and it would be naïve to pretend otherwise. But imperfection doesn’t equate to negativity. On balance, Thailand remains overwhelmingly net positive (personal perspective) - the warmth, community spirit, and quality of life here far outweigh the frustrations and inefficiencies that exist.

The slow reaction time when light turns green is tedious at best. In a line of cars that doesn't move until the light turns red again. Sometimes I'll take an extreme detour just to avoid the 15 minute light delays.

34 minutes ago, EVENKEEL said:

The slow reaction time when light turns green is tedious at best. In a line of cars that doesn't move until the light turns red again. Sometimes I'll take an extreme detour just to avoid the 15 minute light delays.

Yes, the opposite of say Saudi where they are quick  off the mark. The danger is that they also rush on through after the light turn red.

I love riding my motorbike in Pattaya and the surrounding area but Pattaya is NOT a place to learn how to ride a motorbike.

9 hours ago, Hummin said:

Even hundreds of parkings, it is still the traffic. Been there on motorcycle, wouldn't drive around Kara or any place with car. 

 

I am from the South East of England, 30 miles from London, so the traffic is no problem to me, I am used to it,  but at the most it takes me fifteen minutes in Kathu, Kathu to get to where I want to go to in a car. I overtake many motorbikes as I go.

 

Some of them drive so slowly we have to continually overtake them, it is though they have fallen asleep. 

 

The reason many places outside of Phuket have very few cars is because no one want to go there, I was in a village a few weeks ago for a funeral near Surat Thani, there was nothing there but trees, and trees and some more trees, what a boring place to live I thought. A day was like a week.

 

I got back to Phuket and thought great, civilisations again, there is traffic yes, but that is the price we have to pay for living in a place with thousands of things to do. 

 

On 10/31/2025 at 11:03 AM, KhunLA said:

I think it's called defensive driving.   Always allowing space between you and the vehicle in front of you.   In case they make a sudden stop, you have plenty of room ... BUT ALSO ... in case the idiot behind you is on your tail, that extra space gives you room to go forward a bit, if you notice the idiot behind you may not have enough room to stop.

 

Probably why many of use, haven't had as many oops as others, getting rear ended.   Same with your example of slowing, if tailgating when approaching curves, as you can't always see around them.   Aside from the silly tailgating, at least they have some common sense around curves, realizing it takes more paying attention to the curve, so leave space between the car in front of you.

 

Again, defensive driving skills prevail ... with some of us 

 

We're not in any hurry, and we're lucky if we average 80 kph on long trips, from home to the day's destination, if not stops.   That's doing 90 or 110+ when & where possible.   If I average 80 kph, it was a fast trip, as sad as that is.

 

I have been driving here since 1987 with varying lengths of visits, some a few weeks , many a few months, once for a year and full time for the last three years, I bought my car quite a few years ago.

 

Oh I did have a stint of about nine months where I visited Phuket once a month each month for a long weekend, Thursday until Monday from Germany.  

 

I have never had an accident but I have avoided many by defensive driving.

 

There reason Thais here slow down on bends is because they are afraid they will topple over, even when the bend it turning to the right and they  can see the road ahead for hundreds of meters they still slow down.

 

When I am driving on the straight and a car is behind me and wishes to pass and I can seen a  bend coming up I stay in that lane as it is guaranteed he will slow down on the bend, I don't slow down as I know I will not topple over, I do though take into account the visibility of each bend. 

 

If I am following a car and we are about to go around a bend I slow down as I know the car in front will slow down.

 

It is also possible for a whole line of cars waiting at a red light to move off quickly and faster when the light turns green as you can keep a safe distance as if all cars are moving faster in unison then more cars get though, that is the system in the UK for example and there are a lot less road accidents and deaths there than here.

 

The reason they drive off slowly even if they are the tenth car and there is a big gap in front of them is they think they are saving fuel, the opposite is true, they are using more fuel as they are in the wrong gear for too long when they should be in a more efficient gear. 

 

Thailand is great, I love the place, I am just discussing the way they drive without complaint, just observation.

 

It is fun driving here as it like being at the funfair on the dogem cars during every journey.