Thai Tailgaters

[junkofdavid2]

I've experienced around 3 occasions where I've been tailgated pretty closely.

A few things:

1) What is their common objective to tailgate? Is it to try to "push" me to go faster or get out of the way, or to show that they're "faster" than me? (I wasn't exactly 'slow' by the way, around 60 to 90 kph; and there were other available lanes to easily overtake)

2) How do you deal with them?

What I did was to piss them off by gently stepping on my brakes... it usually results in an "aggressive" honk but then they change lane immediately and look for someone else to tailgate.

How about you?

[Fun2Fun]

Depends, if you are in the far right lane then its usually to make you switch lane and give way.

If in any other lane then they are simply bad tempered and/or mannered.

[jimmi]

This is common here and has happened to me as well. "Gently stepping on my brakes" may work in other countries, including where I come from, but does not work here. I believe tailgating is very dangerous. When someone does it to me, I turn on my turn signal, move as far to the left as I can and encourage them to pass me. If there is another lane, I will change lanes and let them pass. When I drive I watch out for this and get out of their way. You can't change them, all you can do is drive as defensively as you can. Don't get mad, just let them go by you safely.

Good luck and be safe.

[Pushit]

Pull over and let the snapperhead past, theyr'e the one in a hurry not you.

[imaneggspurt]

I dont suggest "stamping " on the brakes or getting into a road rage situation,.also dont give them any credit for doing it for a reason, they aint that smart !,. its just the thai way of driving,ive had to throw all western logic and good driving habits out the window in the 10 years i have lived here and im proud to say i now drive as bad as they do and i fit right in, i dont let anyone out, i drive as fast as i can and ignore all around me,

Edited April 23, 2009 by imaneggspurt

[junkofdavid2]

I'm not sure if it's just the "Thai way of driving" because it happens to me only very occasionally...

But then again, maybe it's because I'm a "reasonably" fast driver myself, maintaining speed of 60 to 90 kph. I don't accelerate fast though, so as to save petrol. Maybe it's the Thai way of driving behind anyone slower than himself...?

[TVmonitor]

Thailand does not have a monopoly on tailgating - as anyone who has driven in Italy will know.

Whilst tailgating is dangerous, all drivers fail to leave the appropriate distance between vehicles for braking - if you do someone fills the gap....BUT...................

You have absolutely no idea whether their hurry or need is genuine or not.....braking (of any kind) is probably more stupid than their behaviour.

you are not to judge - they are travelling faster than you whether you like it or not - at the first available safe opportunity GET OUT OF THEIR WAY!!!!

Edited April 23, 2009 by TVmonitor

[Dave the Dude]

I would either move over or pulll up the handbrake a little so the brake lights come on, at the same time as accelerating away. Been doing that for years in all sorts of countries

Dave

[Fun2Fun]

Most of the "tailgating" i have seen here is as i mentioned before when someone is driving "slow" in the far right lane, then someone coming "faster" from behind will usually come up quite close to indicate that the "slow" driver should move into one of the inner lanes which after all is for "slow" driving.

And if you are driving 60 to 90 kph on a multi-lane highway and stay in the far right lane, this will happen to you quite alot since most there will average over 100 kph inside city arias and over 120 kph outside.

Edited April 23, 2009 by Fun2Fun

[VocalNeal]

I've experienced around 3 occasions where I've been tailgated pretty closely.

On a multi-lane hwy good lane discipline should mitigate this. One single lane roads ignore them and eventually they will go by.

Every person and culture has their own idea of a "personal boundary". It is no different with driving. One man's following behind is another man's tailgating.

[Pattayaseven]

The fastlane is for people going fast. That means if you are going slower you have a duty to yield from the fastlane to let the ones behind you pass.

In most countries there is legislation against being in the fastlane without overtaking another vehicle. The rules are the same in Thailand. You are suppose to be in the left lane, the exceptions are when overtaking and heavy traffic.

[Penkoprod]

I find that lifting your foot off the accelerator pedal until you get down to a speed of 30-35 KPH works well, as the <deleted> behind you loses patience and overtakes. You can then pick up your speed to what it was before............until the NEXT <deleted> comes along

Penkoprod

[onnut]

I usually get tailgated while following others in traffic, not heavy traffic just normal traffic. they cant be doing it to hurry me along as there are cars in front of me and cars to the side. if they get too close I normally tap the brake, but you are right in that it can piss them off. but then when the traffic clears I usually boot it and leave em standing. tailgaters are normally pickup trucks and the odd merc. I hate tailgaters and I think this is the main thing that makes me angry while driving, I am getting better at controling my road rage now after driving here for 5 years or so.

other things that piss me off are

pulling out in front of me and then stopping for no reason

stopping for no reason

hogging two lanes

reversing the wrong way on main roads or even motorways

overtaking on single lane roads and flashing me to get out of the way

pulling into my lane in front of me making me slow down to let them in and not signaling while doing it

squeezing me out of my lane just so they can move forward a couple of feet

parking in carparks too close to my car so I cannot get my door open

parking in the middle of the road and not up against the curb

spewing black smoke everytime they put there foot down, who do they think they are? James Bond!

plenty more, but cant think of any now, I bet when driving home from work today some tit will do something strange, I will post it later.

drive safe people.

oh yeah, Tailgaters are also most Fortuners as well.

Edited April 23, 2009 by onnut

[TVmonitor]

I would either move over or pulll up the handbrake a little so the brake lights come on, at the same time as accelerating away. Been doing that for years in all sorts of countries

Dave

Sorry to spoil your fun but your brake lights won't go on when you apply the hand brake.

this is also a very dangerous activity - either he will run into the back of you as there is no warning that you are slowing or if he suddenly realises and jams on his brakes it may cause him to collide with traffic behind - assuming he/she does serve into the nest lane hitting a car there.

The "fast" lane is NOT that - especially in Thailand.

the fast lane is the "overtaking" lane - so in theory you should only use it to pass other vehicles - the police will actually often stop you for staying in the outside lane - it's a good source of tea-money.

The other thing about the outside lane on a dual carriageway is that in Thailand it is also for "U-turns" - this brings about the need for passing on the inside, which is very common in Thailand and all the more reason not to get in the way of tail-gaters.

Quite honestly - there shouldn't be a post like this if farang were good drivers. The traffic in Thailand is unruly at best and it takes good driving skills to drive safely - people who incur "tail-gaters must accept that they are at least partly to blame.

If you drive a little quicker you will find that a lot of these troubles "from the rear" melt away.

...and before you "piss off" another motorist in Thailand it is worth remembering that they could legally be carrying a handgun!

Edited April 23, 2009 by TVmonitor

[Insight]

If there's nothing I can do (car in front and to the left), I sometimes put the hazard lights on - they tend to back off a little.

[onnut]

If there's nothing I can do (car in front and to the left), I sometimes put the hazard lights on - they tend to back off a little.

good idea! I am going to try that next time. probably tonight while driving home from work.

[Insight]

Something else I sometimes do - but this could be interpreted as a bit of a wind-up (because it is) - is to take the opportunity to clean your rear window using the spray/wiper.

[onnut]

Nah, throw marbles out of your sunroof!

only joking

[Daffy D]

Gently apply the break pedal with your left foot, just enough to light up the brake lights while accelerating away.

No that's silly Best is just slow down and pull over as much as practical let him get past to have his accident further up the road.

Drivers are people of mature age and if they have not learned how to behave and drive reasonably by now you are not going to teach them in a few moments aggressive actions.

[hkt83100]

... pulll up the handbrake a little so the brake lights come on, ...

I doubt that your brake lights will come on when you pull the handbrake, I have seen no car until now (driving since 1970) which would do this.

[Dave the Dude]

... pulll up the handbrake a little so the brake lights come on, ...

I doubt that your brake lights will come on when you pull the handbrake, I have seen no car until now (driving since 1970) which would do this.

I have many times, although you are quite correct with regard to my current vehicle(unfortunately). I just checked!

DAVE

[loong]

I think that when there are 3 lanes or more, all lanes are designated as overtaking lanes. There is no fast lane. So you can overtake or undertake where you like

[patklang]

Continue to drive but put your hazard warnings lights on.This will totaly fxxk his/her brain up and maybe a nervous breakdown as well lol.

[chiang mai]

Most posters in this thread need need to make the transition from living in the USA to staying in Thailand!

I've experienced around 3 occasions where I've been tailgated pretty closely.

A few things:

1) What is their common objective to tailgate? Is it to try to "push" me to go faster or get out of the way, or to show that they're "faster" than me? (I wasn't exactly 'slow' by the way, around 60 to 90 kph; and there were other available lanes to easily overtake)

2) How do you deal with them?

What I did was to piss them off by gently stepping on my brakes... it usually results in an "aggressive" honk but then they change lane immediately and look for someone else to tailgate.

How about you?

[Texpat]

Who do some people soften up the term bribe into a something less offensive term like tea money?

It's a bribe. I refuse to call it anything else.

[2long]

They are all ignorant stupid uneducated morons that cannot be changed.

Drive with your left foot on the brake, I have. It's fun.

Slow down, let them past. I have. It's fun.

Speed up and get away from them. I have. It's fun.

Watch them take your place, then choose another lane to race away. I have. It's fun.

Let them go, then wave as they stop for fruit or Lao Khao. I have. It's fun.

On my recent Song Kran trip south I drove 9 hours there and 10 hours back. I convinced myself that ALL other cars and trucks are not driven by humans and therefore not open to reason or abuse. They can't see your indications or hear your horn. They are simply robots on auto-pilot. Some indicate, some drive consistantly badly, others drive ok. They're just lumps of metal in your way and able to hurt you if you hit them. Amazingly it worked, and now, back in Bangkers, I use the same philosophy and it seems to work. If they <deleted> up, I just say "malfunction" to myself and drive on.

[yabaaaa]

The fastlane is for people going fast. That means if you are going slower you have a duty to yield from the fastlane to let the ones behind you pass.

In most countries there is legislation against being in the fastlane without overtaking another vehicle. The rules are the same in Thailand. You are suppose to be in the left lane, the exceptions are when overtaking and heavy traffic.

Hm well in the UK there is no "fast lane" its an "overtaking lane" why not surprise them and yank the handbrake on, no brake lights show and they will shi* their pants..........probably kill u too mind. I like this in the UK as they will be at fault and have to pay. Yes I know it aint the same in Thailand.

[yabaaaa]

I usually get tailgated while following others in traffic, not heavy traffic just normal traffic. they cant be doing it to hurry me along as there are cars in front of me and cars to the side. if they get too close I normally tap the brake, but you are right in that it can piss them off. but then when the traffic clears I usually boot it and leave em standing. tailgaters are normally pickup trucks and the odd merc. I hate tailgaters and I think this is the main thing that makes me angry while driving, I am getting better at controling my road rage now after driving here for 5 years or so.

other things that piss me off are

pulling out in front of me and then stopping for no reason

stopping for no reason

hogging two lanes

reversing the wrong way on main roads or even motorways

overtaking on single lane roads and flashing me to get out of the way

pulling into my lane in front of me making me slow down to let them in and not signaling while doing it

squeezing me out of my lane just so they can move forward a couple of feet

parking in carparks too close to my car so I cannot get my door open

parking in the middle of the road and not up against the curb

spewing black smoke everytime they put there foot down, who do they think they are? James Bond!

plenty more, but cant think of any now, I bet when driving home from work today some tit will do something strange, I will post it later.

drive safe people.

oh yeah, Tailgaters are also most Fortuners as well.

Matey i sympathise with the parking and always park diagonally to pi** em off (crazy Farang) . It also protects my car doors form the morons too! I once wathce d woman at Seri centre reverse into a space and hit the car next to her 4 times before getting out and walking off like nothing had happened.

[junkofdavid2]

...and before you "piss off" another motorist in Thailand it is worth remembering that they could legally be carrying a handgun!

I'm aware of that...

Once it was some guy either late teens or early twenties in a japanese "sports" car, (nothing overly expensive/fancy, just like one of those mazda miyata types..)

Second one was one of those semi-public commuter vans (the ones which are sorta like public transport but which have a definite start point and destination... but don't stop along the whole route the way buses do)

Third one was a brand new taxi (toyota altis)..

I admit that with one of them, the young guy in a "sporty" car, I was on the rightmost lane going a bit slow but that was because I had just made a U-turn and was about to move to the left lane like I should, but he tailgated like just within very few meters of the U-turn.. Duh! So I then decided to continue on that lane and step on my brakes... that's when he gave an angry honk and then overtook.

Edited April 24, 2009 by junkofdavid2

[yabaaaa]

...and before you "piss off" another motorist in Thailand it is worth remembering that they could legally be carrying a handgun!

I'm aware of that...

Once it was some guy either late teens or early twenties in a japanese "sports" car, (nothing overly expensive/fancy, just like one of those mazda miyata types..)

Second one was one of those semi-public commuter vans (the ones which are sorta like public transport but which have a definite start point and destination... but don't stop along the whole route the way buses do)

Third one was a brand new taxi (toyota altis)..

I admit that with one of them, the young guy in a "sporty" car, I was on the rightmost lane going a bit slow but that was because I had just made a U-turn and was about to move to the left lane like I should, but he tailgated like just within very few meters of the U-turn.. Duh! So I then decided to continue on that lane and step on my brakes... that's when he gave an angry honk and then overtook.

In doing your U turm surely it was your responsibility to join the traffic in that land at an "appropriate" speed without causing other drivers to alter speed or change course and within the speed limits ,therefore unless he was doing way over the limit or the gap you tried to get into was too small you were probably in the wrong. IMHO