First Experience Of Terrible Thai Driving

[oldexplorer]

Drove back down to Bangkok from Petchabun yesterday - packed roads with automotive insanity every yard of the way.

I had read a bit about Thai drivers being dangerous, but nothing quite prepared me for it. Bus drivers (and I mean the giant buses) weaving randomly across 3 lanes at 90kph, missing cars by an inch or two at each swerve. Failure to indicate by most people when changing lane. Tailgating by everyone - including the huge bus that rushed up to within 6 inches of my rear bumper (honestly not an exaggeration) then swerved violently into the next lane to undertake me to gain 3 yards advantage.

In the UK many of these people would have their licenses taken away, and some would even be jailed for their antics. I saw a number of accidents on the journey, and am surprised the current Songkran death toll is only about 270 (sure to rise steeply by the end of the week).

I was just pleased to arrive home with pickup intact - it took all my nearly 30 years of driving experience in car/truck/motorcycle to get home safely. I never realised what a paradise of discipline and orderliness many falang countries are to drive in.

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[rolypie]

Welcome to Thailand!!!!

[PhilHarries]

Well there's one of you and 60 million of them.

Guess who is not going to change?

[torrenova]

I do question the sanity of anyone who attempts a long distance drive during Songkran though !

[ballbreaker]

I do question the sanity of anyone who attempts a long distance drive during Songkran though !

Could not agree more with this statement.

[MJo]

it took all my nearly 30 years of driving experience in car/truck/motorcycle to get home safely.

That is your biggest problem here, i mean the 30 years spent in UK roads. The sooner you forget your old ways and assumptions how other will act in the roads in UK, the sooner you start to "expect the unexpected" to happen and you can see in advance and avoid most of the cars changing lanes or turning without signaling etc etc.

[BigSnake]

Hey, not a betting man, but I will wager you Bt10000, that you will see more of the same within a week to ten days if not sooner are we ON(?)>

Edited April 16, 2009 by BigSnake

[ALFREDO]

Yes sanuk, sometimes crazy driving here, but I prefer to drive here than in my overregulated home country. (Austria)

There it can easy happen that my driving license and I get a law-ordered long time and expensive divorce.

But, yes dangerous in TH. I already had two accidents here, (one with a Bus, other one with a Moto) in which I was more or less innocent.

[PhilHarries]

it took all my nearly 30 years of driving experience in car/truck/motorcycle to get home safely.

That is your biggest problem here, i mean the 30 years spent in UK roads. The sooner you forget your old ways and assumptions how other will act in the roads in UK, the sooner you start to "expect the unexpected" to happen and you can see in advance and avoid most of the cars changing lanes or turning without signaling etc etc.

That just about sums it up "expect the unexpected". Just look around you and ask yourself "what is the most stupid, crazy, idiotic, dangerous thing that person could do?" Then expect any one of the options you come up with plus a few you didn't think of. After a while it all becomes second nature and then you get the culture shock of a trip back home.

As long as you know your place you'll be okay.

In a pickup you are:-

below the trucks and buses because they are bigger than you.

equal to the cars and other pickups because they are the same size (except Benzes who have right of way over all other terrestrial life forms).

but above the motorcycles, bicycles, pedestrians, soi dogs etc because you are bigger than them.

Except nobody has told the motor cyclists, cyclists, pedestrians, soi dogs etc this rule so they do whatever they wany anyway.

[noahvail]

it took all my nearly 30 years of driving experience in car/truck/motorcycle to get home safely.

That is your biggest problem here, i mean the 30 years spent in UK roads. The sooner you forget your old ways and assumptions how other will act in the roads in UK, the sooner you start to "expect the unexpected" to happen and you can see in advance and avoid most of the cars changing lanes or turning without signaling etc etc.

That just about sums it up "expect the unexpected". Just look around you and ask yourself "what is the most stupid, crazy, idiotic, dangerous thing that person could do?" Then expect any one of the options you come up with plus a few you didn't think of. After a while it all becomes second nature and then you get the culture shock of a trip back home.

As long as you know your place you'll be okay.

In a pickup you are:-

below the trucks and buses because they are bigger than you.

equal to the cars and other pickups because they are the same size (except Benzes who have right of way over all other terrestrial life forms).

but above the motorcycles, bicycles, pedestrians, soi dogs etc because you are bigger than them.

Except nobody has told the motor cyclists, cyclists, pedestrians, soi dogs etc this rule so they do whatever they wany anyway.

I can readily compare current Thai driving with rush hour on 128 out of Boston back in the late 60s, early 70s. Bumper to bumper at 70mph lol... Haven't come up with anything like it until Thailand, and didn't like it, swearing at the buses and scooters, with my wife telling me to chill out (or whatever the Thai expression is). But when I started thinking of it as a video game (without extra lives), and driving like a Thai, it became much more fun.

[onnut]

yeah, I like driving over here but some of the idiots do make my blood boil! have to say that I am getting better at controlling my rage now. the one that really annoys me is the tailgating, I hate it. there are up sides though and if you like speeding its not too expensive if you get caught. keep your eyes open and drive safe folks!

[phutoie2]

U-Turns-U-Turns-U-turns!. Sara Buri to Rangsit, 3 lanes bombing along at 100 kph+, One Hgv comes out, oh and then the one behind decides to follow. More brake lights than Blackpool illuminations. First time I witnessed that, could not believe it!.

Edited April 17, 2009 by phutoie2

[longball53098]

We all complain and compare the way Thai's drive to our home countries. The 60 plus million Thai's have never been to a western country and only know the Thai way of driving. Most likely the majority have never had any driver training and education. They live by a different set of driving rules and techniques than most of us Westerners. We are the ones that need to adapt to their way of driving. As said above they "ain't" likely to change anytime soon so we are the ones that have to make some adjustment.

Keep your head on a swivel and look everywhere when piloting your vehicle. Check your mirrors frequently and all around you. As said, "expect the unexpected" and go with the flow.

Don't try to apply your western driving habits to all the Thais here as it will make you insane and more frustrated. If you expect a Thai to drive the way you are used to your counterparts in you're home country then you better move back home.

And never, never drive on the Songkran holiday!