7...6...5...4... And The Thais Zips Through The Intersection!

[Tokay]

<rant>

We've all seen this a million times, day after day, but honestly, what logic is there to shoot through an intersection WHILE traffic is still going the other way and WHILE the light is still red and the count down timer is only on 4 or 3? Why???!!!????

Of course there is no logic and that is foolish of me to even assume there was any, but even at the most basic level of a thought process, one knows NOT to go until the light turns green and the numbers stop counting. If you know to stay put at "7" then you know to stay put at "1" and remain stopped until green.

Cars, buses, trucks, bikes... it doesn't matter. They go when they want with NO regards to the traffic coming the other way. If I was in a tour bus (or taxi / baht bus) and the driver did that, I honestly think I would punch him in the back of the head the next time we came to a full stop, for putting my life in danger.

What made me rant about this today is I saw a typical Thai family on a bike, dad, mom, one child around 10 and a new born baby, go on "4" and come within an inch of getting flattened by a giant tour bus coming the other way, who I may add was flat out hauling ass and going WAY too fast. Why take that risk with your entire family on board? It's not like he had ANYPLACE to really go in a hurry and that extra 4 seconds would not make a difference anyway. Are some of them really THAT ignorant and care free that they would risk the lives of their entire family just because they didn't want to wait a few more seconds? (rhetorical question)

</rant>

[easyride]

It seems to be a Thai thing to just get in front hence the weaving in and out of traffic and dozens of motorbikes revving up at the lights just to be first away. Having said that she might simply have wrong footed the peddles and can't lose face by admitting it. TIT

[Methuselah]

Precise statistics are almost certainly unavailable,however personal observations suggest that the more frequent transgression is 120,119,118,117 and so on,vehicles flashing through red lights up to 10 seconds after the change from green.

The greatest risk for disaster occurs when the two transgressions happen simultaneously---helps keep mortuary attendents in business.

[Tokay]

It seems to be a Thai thing to just get in front hence the weaving in and out of traffic and dozens of motorbikes revving up at the lights just to be first away. Having said that she might simply have wrong footed the peddles and can't lose face by admitting it. TIT

I love your avatar.

Reminds me of when I have to use bottles of gas late night and the guys pouring it in have lit ciggy in their mouth as they pour fuel into my tank. Their ciggy right over the funnel, just waiting for one lit spark to fall and light it all up.

Edited May 29, 2009 by Tokay

[metisdead]

Its the Ol' "Thai Competitive Spirit!"

[Tokay]

Its the Ol' "Thai Competitive Spirit!"

One thing that is interesting, is that when one of them goes, half of them waiting will go and those behind me will beep at me to go, which I refuse to do.

For fun, I sometimes sit behind a group of Thais and on "4" I will beep my horn to see who is silly enough to drive through the red light. Many of them will go.

Best of luck to all of them. Buddha knows they need it.

[basjke]

I guess it is because they are all in a hurry to go work.

[peterrabbit]

Being Budists they believe it is all in the hands of Budha, and therefore nothing to do with their actons.

So if they drive dangerously and do not crash it just proves that Budha does not want them to die today and be reincarnated as snails.

In any civilised country their actions would be considered irresponsible and down right suicidal. But in the LOS it is all in the hands of Budha so what they do has no bearing on any possible outcome. Ie if they drive safely and slowly the risk of a fatal accident is exactly the same as driving flat out through red lights etc because Budha has already decided when they will be reincarnated and it has nothing to do with their actions.

Remember TIT and they drive using the Thai official M A D highway code.

[PattayaParent]

Being Budists they believe it is all in the hands of Budha, and therefore nothing to do with their actons.

So if they drive dangerously and do not crash it just proves that Budha does not want them to die today and be reincarnated as snails.

In any civilised country their actions would be considered irresponsible and down right suicidal. But in the LOS it is all in the hands of Budha so what they do has no bearing on any possible outcome. Ie if they drive safely and slowly the risk of a fatal accident is exactly the same as driving flat out through red lights etc because Budha has already decided when they will be reincarnated and it has nothing to do with their actions.

Remember TIT and they drive using the Thai official M A D highway code.

Ah, so same same as Allah.

[IanForbes]

In 2007 in Chiang Mai I did see a family of 5 get hit at an intersection. All of them died: father, girl about 6, boy about 5, and the wife holding a baby. The silly idiot was on a cel phone at the time he passed me and he went through a red light long after it had changed. They were hit by a big truck and they all flew off in different directions. I have an industrial first aid ticket but there was nothing I could do to save any of them. Nobody were wearing helmets.

[Tokay]

Being Budists they believe it is all in the hands of Budha, and therefore nothing to do with their actons.

While this is true on some aspects, if it held true to this one then they would not stop at all and just fly on through.

In 2007 in Chiang Mai I did see a family of 5 get hit at an intersection. All of them died: father, girl about 6, boy about 5, and the wife holding a baby. The silly idiot was on a cel phone at the time he passed me and he went through a red light long after it had changed. They were hit by a big truck and they all flew off in different directions. I have an industrial first aid ticket but there was nothing I could do to save any of them. Nobody were wearing helmets.

Just terrible.

[thaimate]

i have come to the conclusion over the years that the average Thai driver has the brain capacity of a plant,today i saw a bad accident on sukhumvit ,where a motorbike tried to cut in front of a car ,he must have had a death wish .the number of times a m/bike has done a u turn in front of me without a signal ,well ive stopped counting .

no wonder so many die on the roads.

its the Thai ME FIRST mentality.

[Pattaya Dave]

Precise statistics are almost certainly unavailable,however personal observations suggest that the more frequent transgression is 120,119,118,117 and so on,vehicles flashing through red lights up to 10 seconds after the change from green.

The greatest risk for disaster occurs when the two transgressions happen simultaneously---helps keep mortuary attendents in business.

My thoughts exactly; you beat me to it (lol).

[Lantern]

In 2007 in Chiang Mai I did see a family of 5 get hit at an intersection. All of them died: father, girl about 6, boy about 5, and the wife holding a baby. The silly idiot was on a cel phone at the time he passed me and he went through a red light long after it had changed. They were hit by a big truck and they all flew off in different directions. I have an industrial first aid ticket but there was nothing I could do to save any of them. Nobody were wearing helmets.

That must have been a terrible thing to witnness.

[zaphodbeeblebrox]

Cars, buses, trucks, bikes... it doesn't matter. They go when they want with NO regards to the traffic coming the other way.

I applaud the traffic signal jumpers. They cut off the train of cars going through the red light in the cross-traffic direction. Let the signal jumper take the risk of being broadsided. I'll follow if it's clear.

Pattaya traffic is insane for such a small town. Who can blame the signal jumpers?

[Methuselah]

One could discuss the driving irregularities that one observes,and occasionally participates in,ad infinitum.The miraculous reality is that despite all the driving eccentricities in Pattaya,that the fatality rate is not much higher.Perhaps Buddha is having an influence.

[Green19]

Ok, what if you are involved in an accident on Sukhumvit for example, say a small prang with one of the lunatic weaving motorcycles.... anybody know what is the procedure (besides doing a runner) where the cops are concerned? I imagine you stop and wait for cops with their white spray paint right?

Anyone with first hand experience?

[LennyW]

Ok, what if you are involved in an accident on Sukhumvit for example, say a small prang with one of the lunatic weaving motorcycles.... anybody know what is the procedure (besides doing a runner) where the cops are concerned? I imagine you stop and wait for cops with their white spray paint right?

Anyone with first hand experience?

Always, always contact your insurance company immediately and wait for their rep to arrive and let them deal with it all, do not try to deal with it yourself, or it will cost you!!!!

[moo9]

I think some people are exaggerating, as imho it is not that bad (at least in daytime, nightime is somewhat different and I avoid to drive late at night).

However, before entering ANY crossing, WHATEVER color the traffic light shows, you should take a look right and left.

[Able]

The good old Thai lunatic riders club. Great aren't they.

I remember a young teenager on a motorbike, going way to fast, running into the back of my trials bike about 10 years back. He bounced off stright under the wheels of an oncoming big Merc. Game over. Nothing we could do even with 2 english nurses there at the scene. Winesses told me that he didn't slow down or even swerve, just rode straight into the back of me as if nothing was there. No licence, no road training, no clue. I was lucky that there were honest witnesses and the police acted perfectly fairly.

But in all fairness a lot of countries are far worse. Try a little run through Riyadh or Doha during rush hour and when your nerves have settled Thailands roads seem amazingly sane in comparison.

[pattayaGaz]

Ok, what if you are involved in an accident on Sukhumvit for example, say a small prang with one of the lunatic weaving motorcycles.... anybody know what is the procedure (besides doing a runner) where the cops are concerned? I imagine you stop and wait for cops with their white spray paint right?

Anyone with first hand experience?

Yes in 7 years 3 incidents, the first one was a Thai bike driver who was too close up my arse when I had too brake fast he hit me from behind, in any other country in the world you are in the right, he should be far enough back too brake as well, anyway after demands for money even though the main damage was to my bike I called the police who just told them I was not willing to give them money and they dropped their claim, no mention of paying for the damage to my bike though, the next two times I have been hit with minimal damage too my bike I have just put my foot down and driven away as fast as possible, you are seen to be an oportunity too make money, don't let them, remember as well that they will cut the police in on any money that they extort from you, as I said if you can just get away as fast as possible.

[blackopsnz]

Beat the pricks to it offer the cop a bribe to put the a/hole who hit your bike in jail for a week.

[Lagoud]

If you go on the Thai Gov website and open the road accident statistics page...............................

...........guess what? Yep it's empty and has been for a long while.

The World Bank did a survey on SE Asia a few years ago and LOS has the second highest fatality, disabled and injured rate in the whole region. Only Indonesia was slightly worse.

“Road accidents have disabled more than 5,000 people a year, killing one person every 20 minutes and injuring one every two minutes, especially during the New Year holiday break, according to a Thai Health Promotion Foundation (THPF).” Estimated costs $3 Billion a year.

And noone doing anything about it.

Very sad.