Why Build Dual Carriageways In Phuket?

[Wellington]

In the last five years Phuket's roads have been steadily improved and widened.

The route from Phuket to Krabi is now mostly dual carriageway and being extended this year.

You can drive nearly all the way to Bangkok on dual carriageway,

so why do bus and lorry drivers still not realise the two lane system is to allow slower traffic to use the inner lane, so overtakers can do so more safely in the outside lane?

This also applies to most drivers of pick-ups and older model cars and taxi drivers.

It seems to me the inside lane is often only used by Farangs who want to get on, plus the hoards of bikers who want to obstruct as much as possible.

Is it a "Thai Thing". ? Is it just lack of driving instruction? Is it the lack of a "Highway Code"?

Edited January 9, 2008 by Wellington

[steelepulse]

In the last five years Phuket's roads have been steadily improved and widened.

The route from Phuket to Krabi is now mostly dual carriageway and being extended this year.

You can drive nearly all the way to Bangkok on dual carriageway,

so why do bus and lorry drivers still not realise the two lane system is to allow slower traffic to use the inner lane, so overtakers can do so more safely in the outside lane?

This also applies to most drivers of pick-ups and older model cars and taxi drivers.

It seems to me the inside lane is often only used by Farangs who want to get on, plus the hoards of bikers who want to obstruct as much as possible.

Is it a "Thai Thing". ? Is it just lack of driving instruction? Is it the lack of a "Highway Code"?

I love how now motorbikes and the illegal motorbikes with sidecars now drive in the slow lane instead of to the left of the line as they do on one lane roads.  So basically the two lanes are really only one lane still.

[huggybear]

In the last five years Phuket's roads have been steadily improved and widened.

The route from Phuket to Krabi is now mostly dual carriageway and being extended this year.

You can drive nearly all the way to Bangkok on dual carriageway,

so why do bus and lorry drivers still not realise the two lane system is to allow slower traffic to use the inner lane, so overtakers can do so more safely in the outside lane?

This also applies to most drivers of pick-ups and older model cars and taxi drivers.

It seems to me the inside lane is often only used by Farangs who want to get on, plus the hoards of bikers who want to obstruct as much as possible.

Is it a "Thai Thing". ? Is it just lack of driving instruction? Is it the lack of a "Highway Code"?

Wellington, Wellington, Wellington, you have missed the whole point of having two lanes.

You see my friend, the bonus of having two lanes is that there is a line in the middle. This line is used to center your vehicle. Once centered you know you are o.k., because at any given moment you can drift into one lane or another. You'll find this especially helpful after about a dozen whiskies.

Someone missed that day in class at the Thai school of driving............

[Zpete]

In the last five years Phuket's roads have been steadily improved and widened.

The route from Phuket to Krabi is now mostly dual carriageway and being extended this year.

You can drive nearly all the way to Bangkok on dual carriageway,

so why do bus and lorry drivers still not realise the two lane system is to allow slower traffic to use the inner lane, so overtakers can do so more safely in the outside lane?

This also applies to most drivers of pick-ups and older model cars and taxi drivers.

It seems to me the inside lane is often only used by Farangs who want to get on, plus the hoards of bikers who want to obstruct as much as possible.

Is it a "Thai Thing". ? Is it just lack of driving instruction? Is it the lack of a "Highway Code"?

Wellington, Wellington, Wellington, you have missed the whole point of having two lanes.

You see my friend, the bonus of having two lanes is that there is a line in the middle. This line is used to center your vehicle. Once centered you know you are o.k., because at any given moment you can drift into one lane or another. You'll find this especially helpful after about a dozen whiskies.

Someone missed that day in class at the Thai school of driving............

I bin using cetre line to get home for over 50 years, neva lets me down.

Dunno how it gets me there, but sure works fine.

[phukethovercraft]

My wife went for her driving test a few months back. She told me that a form that has questions about the highway code has to be completed by all applicants. One particular question was about duel carriageways and what is an overtaking lane? more then half of the applicants tests failed to answer the question right, stating that the right hand lane is for slow moving traffic.

So if you see a car driving slowly in the fast lane you can bet your life on it that he/she has no driving licence.

By the way, my wife did pass.

[ozymandious]

More of the same

the bike/motorbike/break down lane has become a parking lane, Pig-cart-tricycles and other slow moving craft have moved into the left lane. The dump truck/cement truck is taking up both lanes and the silver airport mafia car is right behind you inspecting your muffler (that's why they flash their lights, to see down that black hole)

[Kimera]

In the last five years Phuket's roads have been steadily improved and widened.

The route from Phuket to Krabi is now mostly dual carriageway and being extended this year.

You can drive nearly all the way to Bangkok on dual carriageway,

so why do bus and lorry drivers still not realise the two lane system is to allow slower traffic to use the inner lane, so overtakers can do so more safely in the outside lane?

This also applies to most drivers of pick-ups and older model cars and taxi drivers.

It seems to me the inside lane is often only used by Farangs who want to get on, plus the hoards of bikers who want to obstruct as much as possible.

Is it a "Thai Thing". ? Is it just lack of driving instruction? Is it the lack of a "Highway Code"?

YES all of this, everything you say and much much more, go take a Thai driving test, its got nothing to do with driving on roads

[Kimera]

In the last five years Phuket's roads have been steadily improved and widened.

The route from Phuket to Krabi is now mostly dual carriageway and being extended this year.

You can drive nearly all the way to Bangkok on dual carriageway,

so why do bus and lorry drivers still not realise the two lane system is to allow slower traffic to use the inner lane, so overtakers can do so more safely in the outside lane?

This also applies to most drivers of pick-ups and older model cars and taxi drivers.

It seems to me the inside lane is often only used by Farangs who want to get on, plus the hoards of bikers who want to obstruct as much as possible.

Is it a "Thai Thing". ? Is it just lack of driving instruction? Is it the lack of a "Highway Code"?

I love how now motorbikes and the illegal motorbikes with sidecars now drive in the slow lane instead of to the left of the line as they do on one lane roads.  So basically the two lanes are really only one lane still.

Strange that I thought they all come towards me on my side of the road

[LivinginKata]

The driving test is not even on a public highway, just a test track for bikes. And the car test is a joke, just parallel parking and reverse back in a straight line.

A friend recently took the m/bike test and he was astonished at how bad the Thais drove on the test track. AND THEY ALL PASSED.....

And don't you love the way the kids sit up front holding the handle bar, leaning all the Thai driving 'skills' ... from their parents.

[Lilawadee]

You'd be foolish to spend significant time in the left lane.

Because while roads may be dual carriageway, they're NOT fully separate from the rest of the world. There's side streets all along those roads, so at any time some motorbike, noodle cart or buffalo can enter the slow lane from there.

I think the slow lane is best seen as a strip to pick up speed and reduce speed while weaving into or out of the one proper lane.

[Wellington]

You'd be foolish to spend significant time in the left lane.

Because while roads may be dual carriageway, they're NOT fully separate from the rest of the world. There's side streets all along those roads, so at any time some motorbike, noodle cart or buffalo can enter the slow lane from there.

I think the slow lane is best seen as a strip to pick up speed and reduce speed while weaving into or out of the one proper lane.

So the answer is

The "Authorities" have completely wasted the tax payers money on road widening.

Lets all go back to the sand and gravel of twenty years ago!

[fiddlehead]

After living in Phuket for 6 years now, i just returned after a 2 month visit to the states.

I must say, it was very frustrating and boring to drive where everyone follows the rules (most) all the time.

So often, i wanted to pass on the left of somebody driving too slow or stopping at a yellow light.

People seemed content to sit at red-lights when there was nobody around. I was itching to run them often, and did so a few times. My friends asked if i was crazy or what

I'm glad to be back to the land of driving however you feel like it at the time.

Be careful what you wish for.

[LivinginKata]

So the answer is

The "Authorities" have completely wasted the tax payers money on road widening.

Lets all go back to the sand and gravel of twenty years ago!

No No, not at waste of money. I just wizz along on the inside lane, passing all the traffic. The interesting thing it that passing on the left is completely accepted here in Thailand, no honks or finger ... don't you just luv it here, doubt whether I could ever go back to the driving discipline back home ...

[Wellington]

So the answer is

The "Authorities" have completely wasted the tax payers money on road widening.

Lets all go back to the sand and gravel of twenty years ago!

No No, not at waste of money. I just wizz along on the inside lane, passing all the traffic. The interesting thing it that passing on the left is completely accepted here in Thailand, no honks or finger ... don't you just luv it here, doubt whether I could ever go back to the driving discipline back home ...

True, but it's a continual danger, they never look in their mirrors,except to adjust the make up!

[makavelithedon]

In the last five years Phuket's roads have been steadily improved and widened.

The route from Phuket to Krabi is now mostly dual carriageway and being extended this year.

You can drive nearly all the way to Bangkok on dual carriageway,

so why do bus and lorry drivers still not realise the two lane system is to allow slower traffic to use the inner lane, so overtakers can do so more safely in the outside lane?

This also applies to most drivers of pick-ups and older model cars and taxi drivers.

It seems to me the inside lane is often only used by Farangs who want to get on, plus the hoards of bikers who want to obstruct as much as possible.

Is it a "Thai Thing". ? Is it just lack of driving instruction? Is it the lack of a "Highway Code"?

I love how now motorbikes and the illegal motorbikes with sidecars now drive in the slow lane instead of to the left of the line as they do on one lane roads.  So basically the two lanes are really only one lane still.

Love the comments always made by those who don't drive or only drive cars. I have both a bike and car and defending the bikers- the reason they drive so much in the 1st proper lane is because of the abysmal condition that the so called 'bike lane' is kept in on most of the road infrastructure in Phuket.

Obstacles, gravel and huge pot holed drains plague nearly all of this lane and it is blantantly obvious to anyone who has been on a bike for more than 5 minutes how lethal it will be to follow. If you want to advocate them driving in this lane go ahead but I don't think you'll find many takers and rightly so! So when I'm on my bike I'll continue to obstruct as much as necessary to ensure I remain on my bike thanks, especially if that means it slows down the lunatic minibus drivers,airport taxis and idiotic 4x4 jugganauts who would and do bring absolute carnage by driving a far more lethal weapon than a Honda moped every day of the week in Phuket!

Mak

[karlbkk]

now out of phuket the police are now stoping anyone who sits out in the outside land and telling you what the lane is for it a shame they forgot to tell the test center the same thing

now here in phuket the lanes are good inside lane is now the parking lane and in some places in phuket you are charged to park in this lane or in patong the outside lane is for tuk tuk parking only

karl...

[Wellington]

now out of phuket the police are now stoping anyone who sits out in the outside land and telling you what the lane is for it a shame they forgot to tell the test center the same thing

now here in phuket the lanes are good inside lane is now the parking lane and in some places in phuket you are charged to park in this lane or in patong the outside lane is for tuk tuk parking only

karl...

Try and get near Kata Beach in your car and you will be told by the nearest Tuk Tuk Driver who is not asleep in the back ,that "You can't park here"

If you do you may need a new tyre.