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I Like And Don't Like Rain

dingdongrb

By dingdongrb
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dingdongrb Platinum Member

dingdongrb

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I noticed something driving home tonight during a very heavy rainstorm occurring. I noticed that I found something I didn't like during my drive as I'm sure many of you have already felt the same. And that is dealing with the hydroplaning effect. I still wonder why, with all the heavy rains that occur in Thailand during the rainy season that the Thais do not design and build their highways with any kind of runoff or drainage in order to prevent large puddles (the size of Lake Erie) from building up in the roadway. I know it is almost impossible for a Thai to drive within the lines painted on the road, but jeez when it rains they are even worse.

Now the thing I realized I liked about driving in a heavy rainstorm, not too many dam_n scooters.... :o

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Moonrakers Ruby Member

Moonrakers

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I hydroplaned once on the Bangkok-Pattaya motorway. Thankfully because of visibility being so poor I had slowed to about 30-40 kmh. I must have hydroplaned for about 20-30 meters and I had no control over the car whatsoever, fortunately though the car continued traveling in a straight line and re-joined the surface quite smoothly.

It's good that there are less bikes on the roads although reduced visibility can make them even more of a hazard.

Asides from that, I usually like the rain as it is clears the and is usually accompanied by a thunderstorm, and I love a good thunderstorm, the louder and scarier the better. :o

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dingdongrb Platinum Member

dingdongrb

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Oh, and with regards to the drainage.

Sometimes I think that it just rains so hard that the amount of water falling on the road means that it just cannot wash away quick enough, drainage or not.

Glad to hear you pulled out of that hydroplaning episode globalj. Reminds of my days living in Colorado and driving on the ice (aka 'freezing rain').

As far a raining so hard nowhere for the water to go, I kind of agree with you. But the places I see water built up is around the curbs in the intersections where they have no underground drain system or else on the right side of a 4 lane highway next to the median. The Thais seem to like to make their medians of a 'mound' (higher than the road) rather than a ditch and water has nowhere to go so it builds up in the outside (fast) lane.

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girlx Platinum Member

girlx

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Reminds of my days living in Colorado and driving on the ice (aka 'freezing rain').

me too!

i won't take taxis on the expressways when it rains in BKK, they drive too dam_n fast whether it is raining or not.

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lordsux Silver Member

lordsux

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I hydroplaned once on the Bangkok-Pattaya motorway. Thankfully because of visibility being so poor I had slowed to about 30-40 kmh. I must have hydroplaned for about 20-30 meters and I had no control over the car whatsoever, fortunately though the car continued traveling in a straight line and re-joined the surface quite smoothly.

It's good that there are less bikes on the roads although reduced visibility can make them even more of a hazard.

Asides from that, I usually like the rain as it is clears the and is usually accompanied by a thunderstorm, and I love a good thunderstorm, the louder and scarier the better. :o

You need to get your tires checked, hydroplaning at the speeds you mention is almost impossible.

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  • 1 month later...
Gary A Star Member

Gary A

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I have had my share of ice and snow on the roads. At this point in my life, the only place I want to see ice is in my glass. I'll gladly put up with the occasional road puddles or even water across the road during the heavy storms.

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missismiggins Senior Member

missismiggins

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I noticed something driving home tonight during a very heavy rainstorm occurring. I noticed that I found something I didn't like during my drive as I'm sure many of you have already felt the same. And that is dealing with the hydroplaning effect. I still wonder why, with all the heavy rains that occur in Thailand during the rainy season that the Thais do not design and build their highways with any kind of runoff or drainage in order to prevent large puddles (the size of Lake Erie) from building up in the roadway. I know it is almost impossible for a Thai to drive within the lines painted on the road, but jeez when it rains they are even worse.

Now the thing I realized I liked about driving in a heavy rainstorm, not too many dam_n scooters.... :o

You wonder why they haven't designed a run off for the roads?

Thet couldn't design anything if they tried.

Why don't they DESIGN a health care system ( they spend around 3% of GDP on healthcare - while civilised nations contribute about 8-10%)

Wh don't they DESIGN an education system....the list goes on... and you worry about puddles for your car?

Enough!

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technocracy Gold Member

technocracy

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I had a very unnerving hydroplaning moment drive from Udon back to Vientiane - the rain was coming down big style I had slowed from the regular 100kmph to around 70-80kmph as the visibility wasn't the best. As I rounded one of the large bend on the highway the outside lane I was in was filled with water - I had no way to avoid it. I just kept the throttle at a constant rate and gripped like hel_l to the steering wheel - because of the spray I couldn't see nothing! Thankfully the pick up just ran straight and returned to the the tarmac but my heart was quite so undisturbed! :D

I had absolutely no control over the car and couldn't see nothing - not a good predicament! Thank god there wasn't any slow moving or stationary traffic ahead or I'd of just plowed in the back of them.

When in the UK rain on motorbikes isn't such a problem when your are wearing full waterproof soft clothing on fully faired bikes . . . however on twist n goes in shorts and flip flops it ain't quite so enjoyable! :o

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dingdongrb Platinum Member

dingdongrb

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I noticed something driving home tonight during a very heavy rainstorm occurring. I noticed that I found something I didn't like during my drive as I'm sure many of you have already felt the same. And that is dealing with the hydroplaning effect. I still wonder why, with all the heavy rains that occur in Thailand during the rainy season that the Thais do not design and build their highways with any kind of runoff or drainage in order to prevent large puddles (the size of Lake Erie) from building up in the roadway. I know it is almost impossible for a Thai to drive within the lines painted on the road, but jeez when it rains they are even worse.

Now the thing I realized I liked about driving in a heavy rainstorm, not too many dam_n scooters.... :o

You wonder why they haven't designed a run off for the roads?

Thet couldn't design anything if they tried.

Why don't they DESIGN a health care system ( they spend around 3% of GDP on healthcare - while civilised nations contribute about 8-10%)

Wh don't they DESIGN an education system....the list goes on... and you worry about puddles for your car?

Enough!

If you would like to start another thread about your unhappiness of the health care and education system then go at it. This thread is on the topic of rain and lack of scooters during it as well as poorly designed road systems for rain run off.

By hey why you 'PAM' about the health care I can actually say I have had no problem with it since being here for as many years as I have. My 2 year daughter has been getting her regular checkups and vaccinations at a fraction of the cost it would be in the USA. Likewise when I go to the dentist I don't sit and wait 2 hours past the appointment time scheduled as I did in the USA. Read a little and you would see that many westerners come to Thailand for cosmetic, dental, and other medical surgeries because of the costs.

...back on topic.... Yes, if you would drive over 10 km/hr you would worry about puddles as well...... Step on the gas a little dude (or dudette)

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Heng Star Member

Heng

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Have yet to have any issues because of the rain, yes, even that heavy near blinding rain that we get a dozen or so times a year (depending on how often you drive of course). Brand new set of tires each year on all cars I use and a driver who drives at the instructed speeds. Sorted.

:o

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phaethon Gold Member

phaethon

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I got caught in a downpour on my way to Pantip plaza once and ducked into that Diamond mall place where they had people on the doors handing out long narrow bags to pop you rolled-up brolly into so it didn't drip on the floor and make it slippy.

Never mind the crime, corruption, trafficking, healthcare for the poor, universal education etc... Let's get those brolly drips under control first :o

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Nignoy Gold Member

Nignoy

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what a topical subject, mods please allow a bit of leeway here :D I,m on sundrenched Bribie Island at the moment :o thursday and friday we had 260mills of rain, , drains could not cope, light flooding everywhere, but the style of driving did not change or slow down one wee bit, now me and mrs nignoy both drive car and motorbike in thailand, but here yesterday it was madness!! 27 fender benders during the day, including 5 accidents with deaths all on a 52 kilometre long nearly straight stretch of state highway,so its not just in thailand , its the same every where when its wet, all you british expats, who have experienced the M25 on a rainy morning or the M6 after a summer shower, like the big M6 pileup in the rain near lancaster a while back over 160miles of standing traffic, 2counties gridlocked, when it rains or has rained!! be it on Bribie, in Hua hin or Leong Nok Tha, we stay of the road :D

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LooseCannon Advanced Member

LooseCannon

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....high tech open-graded asphalt that's low-noise....
Indeed - Thai Hi-Tech is the ditch in the middle of the highway.

.... that has skillfully been disconnected from a series of lo-tech 'water features' on the driving surface.

I like sitting under a thatched roof, beer in hand, gazing out at the lush green vegatation, torrential rain falling, & thinking about why I am where I am. :o

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