Close Call

[Ronaweigh]

I nearly collided with another motorbike this morning, I went through the green flashing light and turned left into the next street and coming down the street is a young thai lady driving on the wrong side of the street she was obviously trying to rush to get to the front of the que on the red count down. I slammed on the brakes and ended up in the gutter still on my bike. If I had of stopped to wait at the flashing green light the cars that had sped up to get through the lights would have cleaned me up.

What is it with many people over here driving on the wrong side of the road, this is not the first time it has happened to me and it is not only thai people who do it. Maybe my life means more to me than theirs do to them.

[freedom4life]

They just don't care. Very careless and move about hoping for the best. Life seems to be petty to them. Just be a defensive driver and you should be ok. It doesn't hurt to stop the careless driver and let them know he/she almost caused an accident, not that he/she would care. Thais don't like confrontation, but I think it is time for a change. My gf doesn't like when I confront them, but too bad. I want them to be more thoughtful to others on the road, even if they don't care about their own hides. That's what police are for...but their too busy extorting money from farangs and the like.

[PeaceBlondie]

I don't confront Thais. I do learn where they're likely to ride the yellow line before the green light comes on. I've gone that way at times, too.

[Spoonman]

This shit happens everyday at every intersection, luckily your on a bike, gets interesting in the car,Iwont giveway and will happily sit there waiting for them to negotiate their way round me.

[BigBikeBKK]

They just don't care. Very careless and move about hoping for the best. Life seems to be petty to them. Just be a defensive driver and you should be ok. It doesn't hurt to stop the careless driver and let them know he/she almost caused an accident, not that he/she would care. Thais don't like confrontation, but I think it is time for a change. My gf doesn't like when I confront them, but too bad. I want them to be more thoughtful to others on the road, even if they don't care about their own hides. That's what police are for...but their too busy extorting money from farangs and the like.

LOL, nice stereotypes. 1 of you and 60 million of them, I wish you luck!

To the OP: Welcome to Thailand, hope you get used to it!

[LivinLOS]

Also when riding here you have to learn to assume nothing.. You cant assume because the light is green you can go, or that your lane will be clear, or or or or.. You have to assume at every point that everyone will drive in your path etc and be prepared for it.

[BigBikeBKK]

This shit happens everyday at every intersection, luckily your on a bike, gets interesting in the car,Iwont giveway and will happily sit there waiting for them to negotiate their way round me.

Ha ha! Back when we lived on Ramkamhaeng 53 my ex-wife thought I was joking when I told her I wanted to hang some Texas-style buffalo horns off the front of the Vigo for the benefit of the kamikaze motorcycle taxi guys that love to play chicken on that crazy soi.

[BigBikeBKK]

Also when riding here you have to learn to assume nothing.. You cant assume because the light is green you can go, or that your lane will be clear, or or or or.. You have to assume at every point that everyone will drive in your path etc and be prepared for it.

+1 to that! That's the key to survival on a motorcycle and not only in Thailand. If you ride assuming you have the right of way it's only a matter of time before you'll get splattered.

[Ronaweigh]

Guys I never assume anything when riding in LOS or in any other country, I have been riding many years but for the life of me I just don't get the idea that it is ok to ride down the wrong side of the road.

She was in the middle of the road on a two lane main road it was at the corner of Pattaya Tai and Third Road in Pattaya a major intersection if I was a novice I am sure I would have scrapes and bruises down my side tonight. But luck was on my side and no one was hurt.

Also I was just having a winge and a bit aggro at the time at the mindlessness of some people but I never never ride down the wrong side of the road in the LOS. Maybe I am to old for the addrenlian rush to do that. (laughing) Hmmmm I ride in Thailand.

[ajahnlau]

Also when riding here you have to learn to assume nothing.. You cant assume because the light is green you can go, or that your lane will be clear, or or or or.. You have to assume at every point that everyone will drive in your path etc and be prepared for it.

+1 to that! That's the key to survival on a motorcycle and not only in Thailand. If you ride assuming you have the right of way it's only a matter of time before you'll get splattered.

+2 we can't rely on Thai time.

[JSixpack]

Guys I never assume anything when riding in LOS or in any other country, I have been riding many years but for the life of me I just don't get the idea that it is ok to ride down the wrong side of the road.

She was in the middle of the road on a two lane main road it was at the corner of Pattaya Tai and Third Road in Pattaya a major intersection if I was a novice I am sure I would have scrapes and bruises down my side tonight. But luck was on my side and no one was hurt.

Also I was just having a winge and a bit aggro at the time at the mindlessness of some people but I never never ride down the wrong side of the road in the LOS. Maybe I am to old for the addrenlian rush to do that. (laughing) Hmmmm I ride in Thailand.

You've just got to go ride in Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh to appreciate how very sane, safe, law-abiding, and skilled Thai riders are.

[soundman]

You've just got to go ride in Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh to appreciate how very sane, safe, law-abiding, and skilled Thai riders are.

I've been to HoChiMinh. Traffic is nuts in some places.

Imagine a five way intersection on a major road with no traffic lights or any other form of signalling device, and all lanes go at once, no-one stops or gives way. You use your legs and arms to fend other scooters off you, as you are moving through the intersection.

[Kf6vci]

Countless times, when riding peacefully on a big bike in Europe, doing maybe 110 km/h and being 1/3 on the

right side of the slow right lane. some $%^%$%$#%$# car driver would pass me with half a meter to spare.

Collide with such a car - then what?

Statistics say, car drivers are responsible for over 2/3 of bike accidents.

I'm not surprised!

Chris

[Fishenough]

I agree that stereotypes don't fit the careless individuals. There are all over the world.

Just yesterday a senior farang on a scooter, a couple of bungee cords holding down two backpacks and what look like a year old cartridge on a 10 year old paint/fiber glassing mask, pulls into the far left at the corner of Pantip plaza; and proceeds to drive straight through the horde of bikes in the left lane, mostly with signals on, and luckily escaping many near misses. Including myself, though at the moment the thought of knocking out his front wheel, with my bike, would have taught him a valuable lesson. The roads are starting to fill with visitors, and you certainly have to worry about the numbers that drive with terrible habits, whatever they may be. That is worry about them but not including those moments when their stupidity and careless in there attempts to run into you and several others scooters - puts you in harms way.

Some else coined the pharse 'think Thai or die' with regards to riding a motorbike in Thailand.

[neverdie]

They just don't care. Very careless and move about hoping for the best. Life seems to be petty to them. Just be a defensive driver and you should be ok. It doesn't hurt to stop the careless driver and let them know he/she almost caused an accident, not that he/she would care. Thais don't like confrontation, but I think it is time for a change. My gf doesn't like when I confront them, but too bad. I want them to be more thoughtful to others on the road, even if they don't care about their own hides. That's what police are for...but their too busy extorting money from farangs and the like.

Yes another shooting or stabbing victim in the making

[LivinLOS]

Guys I never assume anything when riding in LOS or in any other country, I have been riding many years but for the life of me I just don't get the idea that it is ok to ride down the wrong side of the road.

She was in the middle of the road on a two lane main road it was at the corner of Pattaya Tai and Third Road in Pattaya a major intersection if I was a novice I am sure I would have scrapes and bruises down my side tonight. But luck was on my side and no one was hurt.

Also I was just having a winge and a bit aggro at the time at the mindlessness of some people but I never never ride down the wrong side of the road in the LOS. Maybe I am to old for the addrenlian rush to do that. (laughing) Hmmmm I ride in Thailand.

You've just got to go ride in Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh to appreciate how very sane, safe, law-abiding, and skilled Thai riders are.

Try driving an autrickshaw through downtown mumbai at rush hour !!

An experience I shall never forget.

[MaiChai]

Safety education is useless if your karma is that you are going to die? Uneducated Thais think like this; educated Thais understand the wisdom of safety? Farang=alway wrong; Thai=always right?