Mislaeding Phuket Gazette Article

[Quero]

I guess most tourists involved in an accident will report to the police, if only because they hope it will help them claiming something from their travel insurance.

Most locals having an accident won't go to the police. So the numbers are misleading IMO.

This comment makes a lot of sense. In addition, the statistics are from only one amphur--Kathu--where huge numbers of tourists-on-motorbikes are to be found.

That being said, I can generally tell when it's a tourist on a motorbike as opposed to a local (whether Thai or local foreign resident) because they really aren't accustomed to the traffic culture here and seem to have little situational awareness. I'm guessing that it's probably not a question of license vs no license, but rather a matter of people who have never ridden bikes before renting them, quickly being able to more-or-less control the technical aspects of acceleration, braking, not falling over, and then pulling out into traffic. I can easily imagine that task loading and lack of experience contribute to more than a few accidents among tourists. There's a good reason that scars from scrapes and burns from motorbike mishaps among foreign tourists are referred to as 'Phuket (or Thailand) tattoos'.

Regardless of the Kathu stats or the reasons behind them, I agree with the lot of you that I am in turns amazed, frustrated, scared witless, and constantly on guard due to the antics of Thai motorbike drivers every day I find myself sharing the road with them.

Edited September 28, 2008 by mfiskong

[Big Guy]

I also have been riding bikes and driving cars here for years, have thai licenses for both. I find this article completely misleading. Talking about falangs bad riding, you would have to be blind not to notice the bad riding amongst the thai population. And as for the comment that thais learn to ride at 10years old, that is also crap, fair enough some or many do but that is the same for many falangs and there are also many thais who learn much later or in fact never learn. Also regarding the knowledge of road rules, many thais, far bigger percentage over the last couple of years now have licenses but of them how many have an understanding of the road rules. It was possible in phuket up until recently to get a license without ever sitting the test and a lot of people did just that, paid their 100 or 200 bt and got a license, this is now unable to be done here, but is the norm upcountry, so a fair sized proportion of drivers here who do have licenses do not have an understanding of the rules anyway.

yes there are bad falang bike riders here, but they are far outnumbered by bad thai riders.

I would like to point out that I ride daily and have done for many years. When I started riding here the traffic was no where near as bad and I have gotten used to riding in it, it is a totally different story for the tourist arrivals, many without much or any riding experience or in particular riding in traffic such as is here and the semi organised chaos that is phukets road system

[paulfromphuket]

I also have been riding bikes and driving cars here for years, have thai licenses for both. I find this article completely misleading. Talking about falangs bad riding, you would have to be blind not to notice the bad riding amongst the thai population. And as for the comment that thais learn to ride at 10years old, that is also crap, fair enough some or many do but that is the same for many falangs and there are also many thais who learn much later or in fact never learn. Also regarding the knowledge of road rules, many thais, far bigger percentage over the last couple of years now have licenses but of them how many have an understanding of the road rules. It was possible in phuket up until recently to get a license without ever sitting the test and a lot of people did just that, paid their 100 or 200 bt and got a license, this is now unable to be done here, but is the norm upcountry, so a fair sized proportion of drivers here who do have licenses do not have an understanding of the rules anyway.

yes there are bad falang bike riders here, but they are far outnumbered by bad thai riders.

I would like to point out that I ride daily and have done for many years. When I started riding here the traffic was no where near as bad and I have gotten used to riding in it, it is a totally different story for the tourist arrivals, many without much or any riding experience or in particular riding in traffic such as is here and the semi organised chaos that is phukets road system

Well some of you might feel like your safe on the roads, but really St Burr you admit you have had three offs., I hope the next one is not serious.

Living in LOS, there are not many places in the west where sub 10 year olds are let loose on the public highway also note Big Guy, and of course the Thai bad drivers out number the bad westerners we are a tiny minority of the population..

It is not a question of weather you are competent or not, the point is that riding a motorbike is far more dangerous than any other form of road transport and that is a fact, regardless of the country you ride in as you are much more likely to suffer serious injury at the hands of other road users whom cause most accidents involving bikes

.

When you ride a bike you would generally see the truck, but did the truck see you?

Add to this the level of Thai tardiness, lack of common sense, belief in good luck trinkets, love of whiskey, the ability to make a phone call, smoke a cigarette and hold a brolly with 4 people on a bike plus this countries road system and you have a recipe for disaster.

I do believe that most Thais have an understanding of the rules and 90% of it is common sense but in a country were the police do almost no proactive policing people just break the rules to suit their convenience like driving the wrong way up the hard shoulder of the main highways and not just bikes I even seen cement trucks do it.

.

I have never seen a police car, truck or motorbike pull anyone over for a traffic offence.

We have all seen them put on the helmet 200m before a check point and remove it again as they have passed so they know that law and how many off duty police have you seen wearing a helmet none I bet such is the disregard for the law

So to all you budding Valentino Rossis out there I stand by my original point, your all just an accident waiting to happen

.

And that’s as dumb as a box of rocks

[Sir Burr]

So, what you are basically saying, is ALL motorcycle drivers everywhere are "dumb as a box of rocks" because motorbikes are inherently more dangerous than cars.

Do you think you are telling us something we don't already know?

[LivinLOS]

So to all you budding Valentino Rossis out there I stand by my original point, your all just an accident waiting to happen

And that’s as dumb as a box of rocks

I intend to actually live right up to when I die..

I have multiple pins, bars, screws, and scars, broken my legs, one arm 4 times, another 3.. Scrapes and injuries.. I have leapt out of perfectly working airplanes after lieing about my experience at parachuting, taught myself to hangglide by running of a big bloody hill, and self taught paragliding by only a little better.. Run at full sail into a force 9 storm in the bay of biscay..

Life is a risk, I fully intend to run through mine with a gleeful attitude and live life with gusto and passion. You can keep the horlicks, comfy slippers and cardigan thanks.

[fiddlehead]

So to all you budding Valentino Rossis out there I stand by my original point, your all just an accident waiting to happen

And that’s as dumb as a box of rocks

I intend to actually live right up to when I die..

I have multiple pins, bars, screws, and scars, broken my legs, one arm 4 times, another 3.. Scrapes and injuries.. I have leapt out of perfectly working airplanes after lieing about my experience at parachuting, taught myself to hangglide by running of a big bloody hill, and self taught paragliding by only a little better.. Run at full sail into a force 9 storm in the bay of biscay..

Life is a risk, I fully intend to run through mine with a gleeful attitude and live life with gusto and passion. You can keep the horlicks, comfy slippers and cardigan thanks.

Great Post LLOS!

I agree.

"Tourists see the world, travelers experience it. " Which one are you Paul?

I think it's easy to see which Livin LOS is.

[LivinLOS]

If he thinks Phukets traffic is bad.. I doubt he would have enjoyed downtown Mumbai in a Bajaj 150cc auto rickshaw after having piloted it 2000 kms across India in monsoon season !!! Much of done dressed in mexican wrestler masks !!

http://www.extremetrifle.com/3/monsoon_madness_video.php

http://www.extremetrifle.com/3/monsoonmadness_index.php

http://www.flickr.com/photos/hanleybros/co...57601363020904/

[TheWizardofRnR]

After 20 years of Living here & watchin' lots of accidents, I believe the only way to cut down on the Foriegn devils being in accidents , is to have some police in Patong enforce speeding violators , especially Thais, on Sois beach road,Rat-u-tit, nam Yen,Na-Nai(big TimeSpeeders on bikes) Enough letting the speed bikers rule the roads , some people are afraid to cross streets ( sois) 'cause of Bike speeders....turn the traffic lights on , where accidents are occuring, on Nam yen by the new road near the hospital, is giving them lots of biz I hear....I hate Speed bumps but it may be a necessity, in those long stretch spots on roads where they tend to give it the gun.....If you observe the proper speed , the bump really isn't so bad !!!

[LivinginKata]

....turn the traffic lights on ,

And you think traffic lights would make a difference.... Every single day in life (here on Phuket Island) I see motor bikes ignoring red lights. Some drivers don't even slow down, some make cautious red light runs. About 95% are Thais, only 5% foreigners (I would guess locals).

Speed bumps.... that's the answer, so long as they go all the way into the curb.

[fiddlehead]

....turn the traffic lights on ,

And you think traffic lights would make a difference.... Every single day in life (here on Phuket Island) I see motor bikes ignoring red lights. Some drivers don't even slow down, some make cautious red light runs. About 95% are Thais, only 5% foreigners (I would guess locals).

Speed bumps.... that's the answer, so long as they go all the way into the curb.

Speed bumps definitely do their job. it's the one thing Thai's will respect on the road.

I always get a kick out of these guys with the big 4 wheel drive trucks or the big Fortuna SUV's and they have to slow to a stop and then go over the speed bump at 2 kmh.

How about the 12 or so that are at the northern end of that new bypass road from the new Honda dealer on Choafa road to Prince of Songla U. ?

I must admit, one of the bonuses of living here is that when there is nobody coming, you can go through the red lights.

Problem is, i got used to it and tried it in the states last year.

Didn't get caught but really flipped out my passenger.

[LivinginKata]

How about the 12 or so that are at the northern end of that new bypass road from the new Honda dealer on Choafa road to Prince of Songla U. ?

Yes, those bumps work really really well. You just can't speed without damaging your vehicle. They tried some speed bumps along Karon beach front road about 3 years ago. They were well painted, but still the clowns drove full speed. Result, bad incidents (not accidents !!!), and just a couple of weeks later the bumps were removed. Classic Thai answer to a problem... ignore it.

[logbags]

I don't know whats more funny, people actually giving a shit about what is written in a local rag or the hysterical comments about motorbike riding in Phuket.

All local papers are just glorified advertising brochures with a bit of news added as padding. You are not going to find any pulitzer price winning journos working at the Phuket Gazzette.

I know a taxi driver who will take you to the airport for 500 baht or to the bus station in town for 300 baht from Patong. I have used him for years and just call him on his mobile when I need him and he is waiting to pick me up wherever. If tuk tuks are a problem, don't use them.

I have used an Australian driving licence for over 20 years and never had a problem. If you read the fine print of most travel insurance you are not covered for injuries received in a accident unless you have a current motorbike licence.

What do people expect in Phuket? Autobahns or super highways? I remember when there was no made roads in most of Phuket. Anywhere you went on a motorbike you ended up covered in red sand if you got caught behind a bus or pick up.

The first time I road through Bang Tao it was a cow track at best. So it is all relative.

[LivinginKata]

I have used an Australian driving licence for over 20 years and never had a problem. If you read the fine print of most travel insurance you are not covered for injuries received in a accident unless you have a current motorbike licence.

You have just been lucky over 20 years. Don't brag about it.

Then you proceed to say that your travel insurance is void as you don't the proper license ...

[paulfromphuket]

So to all you budding Valentino Rossis out there I stand by my original point, your all just an accident waiting to happen

And that's as dumb as a box of rocks

I intend to actually live right up to when I die..

I have multiple pins, bars, screws, and scars, broken my legs, one arm 4 times, another 3.. Scrapes and injuries.. I have leapt out of perfectly working airplanes after lieing about my experience at parachuting, taught myself to hangglide by running of a big bloody hill, and self taught paragliding by only a little better.. Run at full sail into a force 9 storm in the bay of biscay..

Life is a risk, I fully intend to run through mine with a gleeful attitude and live life with gusto and passion. You can keep the horlicks, comfy slippers and cardigan thanks.

Great Post LLOS!

I agree.

"Tourists see the world, travelers experience it. " Which one are you Paul?

I think it's easy to see which Livin LOS is.

Well life is about risk I agree but calculated risk in my life, for example I also sailed Biscay, amongst many ocean passages, but waited in Breast for 10 days for a window in the weather, finally went in a f7 which was very unpleasant and with the forecasts available sailing in to a f9 is not only avoidable but really as dumb as a rock, hope you were not the skipper.

You can choose to live however you wish but at he end of the day life is about experience and I would like to have a few more thanks good luck with your reckless adventures.

I’ll just have my horlicks now with a splash of rum.

[stevenl]

Paul,

Why do you use a different font? Very irritating reading a thread, and having to adjust to your font every time.

[Ping]

Remember the licence must be a specific motorbike licence and I am not completly certain you can get an IDP for them.

IDPs cover all categories of licence. Stamps validate the categories to which your normal licence applies.

You were indeed fortunate to be able to negotiate 150 baht fare. I suspect that would have been a passing by tuk tuk, and not a tuk tuk waiting in a rank. Might take several hours waiting for a fare.... 150 baht, not interested. They are looking for at least 500 baht, especially for a newbie in town.

One time from a rank in Soi Sai Nam Yen, the other time from the rank out front of OTOP market. I agree that I was lucky with those fares (I was expecting c B200 to 250) , but have to assume it's not uncommon for those capable of negotiation and which involve very short distances. (The one in Sai Nam Yen had initially insisted on B200 because he first thought I had described an address off Nanai.) As to the 'why bother for the sake of B50 0r B100' brigade, they are a large part of the reason that the TTM have got away with such hefty prices as compared with other areas. The unthinking tourists who come here for two weeks and give large tips for everything spoil it for those of us who spend large periods of time or live here... but yes, I know that this hoary old chestnut has been done to death in previous threads.

[huggybear]

I couldnt help but laugh at this report......

Has anyone ridden through Bang Tao on the main road before??? now that is scary!

quite frankly any farang riding a motorbike anywhere on this island is as dumb as a box of rocks.

I would not matter if you were Barry Sheen, you are just an accident waiting to happen,the thais are brought up with bikes, they start riding at under 10 years old and somehow seem to manage there way though the mayhem but us poor westerners just dont.

get a car, rent a car, use tuk tuks,walk but just dont get on a bike.

I've been riding my bike here for years, never had a problem. I've seen many Thai's who have driven through the mayhem... being carried off to the local temple.As for tuk tuks, i'd rather walk!

its just a matter of time my friend

this is why i love the "phuket" forum, now i'm out it seems everyone wants to be my friend - and it's all down to Hug, bless 'im.

Sorry Bob, but now seeing the new avatar, I guess I hit the nail on the head....? No? No offense intended, to each their own.

But you are right, a lot of "pissing matches" are being started by a lot of the long-term members, not real sure why....low season weather maybe has people a bit cranky.

[LivinginKata]

IDPs cover all categories of licence. Stamps validate the categories to which your normal licence applies.

Ping, not sure that's correct. Last time I looked an IDP issued in the UK there were catagories to be endorsed (stamped) in line with your UK licence. Definately a box for mobike endorsement, which had not been endorsed on the IDP I examined, as the licence holder had not passed a UK mobike test.

[LivinLOS]

IDPs cover all categories of licence. Stamps validate the categories to which your normal licence applies.

Ping, not sure that's correct. Last time I looked an IDP issued in the UK there were catagories to be endorsed (stamped) in line with your UK licence. Definately a box for mobike endorsement, which had not been endorsed on the IDP I examined, as the licence holder had not passed a UK mobike test.

Then surely it stands to reason they are NOT licensed to ride then ??

The IDP is only going to back up your home country license, it wont give you a bike license if you dont have one.

[huggybear]

Rob- if this BobeGraves is you, I thought you said you were going to come in as some old lady and pull people's chains.

Although "sizzlelean" is quite funny too.........

Edited September 29, 2008 by huggybear

[Bobegraves]

Rob- if this BobeGraves is you, I thought you said you were going to come in as some old lady and pull people's chains.

Although "sizzlelean" is quite funny too.........

You just don't get it do you Hug.

By the way, i got loads of PM"s regarding my new tattoo the other day, even one of the "super moderators" wanted to take a closer look and add it to his collection. Donna on the other hand pulled the plug as she was worried it might push you over the edge, didn't want the "senior member" to have a heart attack i guess.

Best get back to the OP , you're doing it again!

[huggybear]

Rob- if this BobeGraves is you, I thought you said you were going to come in as some old lady and pull people's chains.

Although "sizzlelean" is quite funny too.........

You just don't get it do you Hug.

By the way, i got loads of PM"s regarding my new tattoo the other day, even one of the "super moderators" wanted to take a closer look and add it to his collection. Donna on the other hand pulled the plug as she was worried it might push you over the edge, didn't want the "senior member" to have a heart attack i guess.

Best get back to the OP , you're doing it again!

You're right Bob (again!).

OP the only tuk-tuk ride there is for 150thb goes from Bangla and 200 year rd. to Christins Massage where they will then get a commission on top of the 150thb. So you are correct in calling the Gazette's bluff. Did you get a response from them?

[smiley2003]

As for tuk tuks, i'd rather walk!

i used one once from Patong to Cherng Talay and he charged me 700 THB !!! thieves i tell you!

B4 the tsunami all tuk-tuks in phuket had a price list stuck to the vehicle.

Since the tsunami 99 % have not.They charge whatever they feel like on the day!

I once wrote to the Gazzette about this and I got a reply from the local government stating "All tuk-tuks are required to show a price list on the vehicle" .

If a vehicle does not display a price list "the owners tuk-tuk licence will be revoked".

What a joke ! No tuk-tuks would be operating then !!!!!

[LivinginKata]

The previous governor of Phuket tried to curb the excesses (some might say robbing) of the Tuk Tuk mafia by insisting that all Tuk Tuks display a price list as produced by the Phuket authority. The notice display lasted about a week, then many Tuk Tuks converged on the govenor's mansion and blocked all exit/entry routes. The governor quickly gave in = as we all know, Tuk Tuks rule .....