Moterbikes On The Wrong Side Of The Road

[chiman]

So driving through the mismash mangle of roads in Bangkok, some highly intelligent MB people tend to move into oncoming traffic to shave a few seconds on their trip and the expense of everyones safety. Driving toward them, one clearly can not go left or we will either hit the other car or a tree. So what are we to do when they invade the other lane and not just their own. I have been told that it will be my fault if I hit one.. errr cuz of course, he can't hit me, i'm to big.

[snowflake]

Not true... If he is at the wrong lane, it will be his fault... But then again, this is Thailand and we should try to avoid killing the natives... It looks bad...

I tend to just drive the same way if they come against me, not slowing down, not moving aside, I presume that they know what they are doing...

[gotlost]

Its their road you are wrong for being on it.

[MikeyIdea]

I have been driving in Bangkok for 19 years, both car and motor cycle and I have never felt this to be a big problem. Yes, sure it happens that motor cycles drive on the wrong side of the road, I experience it every day. I have never experienced being accused of something being my fault even if it is not but I can tell you that, in my opinion, if you hit him even though you could have avoided it, then of course it is your fault

Just do what the Thais do, avoid accidents.

[somtampet]

Be cautious,whether its a thai or farang!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We are in Thailand and should Not assume we have the right to critisise a practice thats been happening for generations.We all know that the roads here can be madness,from time to time,but a little bit of care and patience goes a long way.

[richard_smith237]

I nearly got hit by one the other day....

Totally my fault: 'Always look both ways when crossing a one way street' - I've read that many times on this forum.

I was getting in my car parked on the side of the road (legally) while popping into the Market. Upon returning to my car I looked right to ensure it was clear to return to the drivers door, stepped out, then WOOSH a motorbike just missed me from the left heading against traffic. It would have hurt and gave me quite a shock. It was night and he also had no lights on !!!

IDIOTS - Expect them everywhere and triple check everything.

What to do ? Your best to avoid them without causing an accident with someone else yourself.

I wonder when I'll get hurt by a motorcycle on a pavement and wonder if they'll be blamed for hitting a pedestrian, this nearly happened last night but after my fright last week my 'alertometer' is at a refreshed high.

Edited June 30, 2010 by richard_smith237

[somtampet]

Be cautious,whether its a thai or farang!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We are in Thailand and should Not assume we have the right to critisise a practice thats been happening for generations.We all know that the roads here can be madness,from time to time,but a little bit of care and patience goes a long way.

Maybe so, but the practice even in Thailand is illegal, just not policed.

I never said it wasnt illegali said this practice has been happening for generations.Doesnt make it right but you have to accept this type of driving or dopnt drive,simple

[cardholder]

Be cautious,whether its a thai or farang!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We are in Thailand and should Not assume we have the right to critisise a practice thats been happening for generations.We all know that the roads here can be madness,from time to time,but a little bit of care and patience goes a long way.

Maybe so, but the practice even in Thailand is illegal, just not policed.

At the of the day TIT and your missus is right - it will not change. Any policing/education will take longer than our lifetime to resolve.

The manouvre that I detest is the right hand turn (car or bike) where they cut 45 degrees off the corner.

[gotlost]

I wait till they get near then hand on hooter, they don't like that, at night, main beam, they don't like that either but the mrs says you wont change anything.

Sure is fun. Love to see the buggers jump

[somtampet]

Be cautious,whether its a thai or farang!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We are in Thailand and should Not assume we have the right to critisise a practice thats been happening for generations.We all know that the roads here can be madness,from time to time,but a little bit of care and patience goes a long way.

Maybe so, but the practice even in Thailand is illegal, just not policed.

I never said it wasnt illegali said this practice has been happening for generations.Doesnt make it right but you have to accept this type of driving or dopnt drive,simple

I understand what you say but just cos they got away with it for generations will never be OK in my eyes, no excuse, it's laziness . In my eyes it's the same as a drunk causing or near causing an accident, totally unacceptable, where ever l am in the world. .

Agree,but the post wasnt about that.Start a new post about the illegal aspect then i might answer it different.

[cardholder]

.... and bold

[somtampet]

.... and bold

Yes, l quite like it.

Dont you just love this new thaivisa lol.

Watch them motorbikes if you are in the garden,they come from everywhere pmsl

[somtampet]

.... and bold

Yes, l quite like it.

Dont you just love this new thaivisa lol.

Watch them motorbikes if you are in the garden,they come from everywhere pmsl

Your right, in the garden l have to watch out for the mrs on her's.

Just be careful out there lol

[Bobr]

I've known 2 guys hit by wrong way motorcycles, one while I was riding with him. How your behave when the police arrives seems to make a difference. He was polite to both the police and the motorcyclist, but also insistent that it was not is problem to compensate a wrongway driver. The police sent the wrong way driver on his way with only the name of my friends insurance company. Seems to be one of those annoying things here, but if you get angry and call the moron on the wrong side stupid, you will lose, but if you are polite and firm you will probably win. No Thai insurance company is going to pay anything to a wrong way driver, so the only way you can lose is to have money extorted out of you by the police at the scene.

[neverdie]

.... and bold

Yes, l quite like it.

Dont you just love this new thaivisa lol.

Watch them motorbikes if you are in the garden,they come from everywhere pmsl

Don't laugh about it. The other day I heard an almighty BANG and a guy went wizzing past my window and landed at the edge of my garden. DEAD! I remained cautiously inside when the Police were here investigating, in case the Police determined the FARANG's fence was responsible for the death.

[MikeyIdea]

I've known 2 guys hit by wrong way motorcycles, one while I was riding with him. How your behave when the police arrives seems to make a difference. He was polite to both the police and the motorcyclist, but also insistent that it was not is problem to compensate a wrongway driver. The police sent the wrong way driver on his way with only the name of my friends insurance company. Seems to be one of those annoying things here, but if you get angry and call the moron on the wrong side stupid, you will lose, but if you are polite and firm you will probably win. No Thai insurance company is going to pay anything to a wrong way driver, so the only way you can lose is to have money extorted out of you by the police at the scene.

How your behave when the police arrives makes a big difference. I can think of numerous people who most likely wouldn't be polite regardless of if the police / people wanted to help or not here at ThaiVisa. Fact is: If you are in the right, polite, matter of fact and firm, then you will win

My opinion is that if people don't show the police respect, then they don't deserve their help either.

Edit: people, not you bobr

Edited July 1, 2010 by MikeyIdea

[MikeyIdea]

Don't laugh about it. The other day I heard an almighty BANG and a guy went wizzing past my window and landed at the edge of my garden. DEAD! I remained cautiously inside when the Police were here investigating, in case the Police determined the FARANG's fence was responsible for the death.

Wake up neverdie

Fences can be partly responsible for deaths but it's not going to be because a farang rents the house, not in Thailand anyway

Edited July 1, 2010 by MikeyIdea

[Lickey]

I wait till they get near then hand on hooter, they don't like that, at night, main beam, they don't like that either but the mrs says you wont change anything.

So now we are getting closer to the truth of how my mrs poor farmer cousin died, some idiot was flashing his lights at him, he was dazzled and lost control, you otherwise acept the fact that thai bikers ride how and where they want or you dont drive,

Your mrs is right, you wont change anything, and what comes around, goes around, !!

[katabeachbum]

I wait till they get near then hand on hooter, they don't like that, at night, main beam, they don't like that either but the mrs says you wont change anything.

So now we are getting closer to the truth of how my mrs poor farmer cousin died, some idiot was flashing his lights at him, he was dazzled and lost control, you otherwise acept the fact that thai bikers ride how and where they want or you dont drive,

No, he died because he was illegally on the wrong side of the road, while a Vigo was driving legally with his high beam on. Besides I have never seen motorbikeriders on the wrong side of the road beeing dazzled by anything.

When they dont use lights its hard to spot them anyway, even if a CD is installed on the sidecar to reflect my high beams

[craigt3365]

Don't laugh about it. The other day I heard an almighty BANG and a guy went wizzing past my window and landed at the edge of my garden. DEAD! I remained cautiously inside when the Police were here investigating, in case the Police determined the FARANG's fence was responsible for the death.

Wake up neverdie

Fences can be partly responsible for deaths but it's not going to be because a farang rents the house, not in Thailand anyway

You absolutely sure about that.

Isn't there a farang here in Pattaya fighting charges because a scooter ran into his legally parked car and died? I seem to remember reading about this....

The wife says don't hit a scooter for sure. No matter what the circumstances, you will get the blame. She tells a story of an old man in her village who ran into a car that was stopped at a stop sign. He sued, ended up in court for years...finally the car owner, one of his neighbors, offered to settle for 50k Baht. The old man took it.

[craigt3365]

I wait till they get near then hand on hooter, they don't like that, at night, main beam, they don't like that either but the mrs says you wont change anything.

So now we are getting closer to the truth of how my mrs poor farmer cousin died, some idiot was flashing his lights at him, he was dazzled and lost control, you otherwise acept the fact that thai bikers ride how and where they want or you dont drive,

Your mrs is right, you wont change anything, and what comes around, goes around, !!

In my case it wont go around cos l don't drive on the wrong side of the road.

Thailand has one of the highest road fatalities on the planet, a great many being fools that drive on the wrong side of the road through laziness, in fact it's even illegal here. You telling me, that an on coming bike, on the wrong side of the road doesn't dazzle the car driver, cos of being in near direct in line, cos it bloody well does, totally different to a bike on the correct side of the road, and the reason the driver is probably flashing the bike in the first place, then obviously you don't drive at night..

Totally agree. They are too lazy to cross the road and do it the right way. No enforcement allows this to happen. And like you said, it screws me up when I have lights coming at me on BOTH sides of the road! Or at least lights on one side with a blacked out scooter on the other....

[Lickey]

Cousin lived 1k from his MIL, on the Nong Khai/Udon hiway, to go home correctly, he would have to travel 12ks to a U turn, then go past his house to the next U turn, a journey of perhaps 15ks, Like i said, he was a poor farmer and never had much money for fuel ect, so it was always the quick way home, in the designated motorsi lane, whether it be both ways, the police dont police this activity atall.

You ever seen a Thai driver behave this way? flashing lights and sounding horn at a bike on the wrong side? i very much doubt it,,

[craigt3365]

Condolences to your wife's cousin. Horrible way to go. Unfortunately way too many Thai's die this way. And yes, he does what everybody else does....including the police!

Ever seen a Thai do crazy things? While driving?

[Murf]

Boot on the other foot... a foreigner is riding on the wrong side of the road, and gets hit by a Thai... I think it would be looked at in a different light.

I hate the Motorbikes on the wrong side of the road, it frustrates me, but i guess that's just the way it is. Motorbikes ride on the wrong side frustrating foreigners.

[MikeyIdea]

Boot on the other foot... a foreigner is riding on the wrong side of the road, and gets hit by a Thai... I think it would be looked at in a different light.

I'm at over 300,000 km in Thailand by now and I still have never encountered being treated differently from a Thai, ever. Guys, it's not if you are a farang or not, it's how you behave, if you behave and talk respectfully then you will get respect, if you don,t then you wont.

This is not the consipiracy theory thread, here please deal with facts. Tell the story about the lawyer / wife who says "don't hit a scooter for sure. No matter what the circumstances, you will get the blame" there

[imaneggspurt]

Not true... If he is at the wrong lane, it will be his fault... But then again, this is Thailand and we should try to avoid killing the natives... It looks bad...

I tend to just drive the same way if they come against me, not slowing down, not moving aside, I presume that they know what they are doing...

Not true ?.well i was turning left out of foodland 2 lane highway, looked left and right, nothing, looked right again nothing, pulled out, bang, hit a bike on my side of the road coming in the oppisite direction, cop came 6000 baht to be paid to the bike rider, we have no RIGHTS in Thailand, or to confer, we dont have the same rights in Thailand,

[katabeachbum]

Not true... If he is at the wrong lane, it will be his fault... But then again, this is Thailand and we should try to avoid killing the natives... It looks bad...

I tend to just drive the same way if they come against me, not slowing down, not moving aside, I presume that they know what they are doing...

Not true ?.well i was turning left out of foodland 2 lane highway, looked left and right, nothing, looked right again nothing, pulled out, bang, hit a bike on my side of the road coming in the oppisite direction, cop came 6000 baht to be paid to the bike rider, we have no RIGHTS in Thailand, or to confer, we dont have the same rights in Thailand,

Think that shows a good example of why Thais have no interest in doing stuff the right way, we all know that the bike rider should pay the the other guy. The government has these drink drive crackdowns on holidays cos of road deaths but do absolutely nothing to protect drivers the rest of the year, by protect, l mean nick them for driving on the wrong side of the road, no helmet, no lights etc, and nick the parents that let toddlers ride their motorcycles. The list goes on and on but sadly no officials are interested, just their pay packet and status..

hmm, if you enter a 2 lane highway from a private road (foodland), you need to yield for any vehicle in any direction at any speed.

rather than paying 6k on the spot, I would have called my insurancecompany cause they usually dont want to pay unless you are in wrong.

I do hate bikes and cars on the wrong side of the road, and its been close several times

[katabeachbum]

I have had trucks do it at night cos to lazy to go and do a U turn or perhaps save some diesel , crazy.

yepp, any vehicle on the wrong side of the road is my main reason for not doing fast long distance after dark any more.

Its been to close to many times, even with my lights being very bright they are hard to see when theyr not using any lights.

so bette find a nice hotel, have some beer and a good meal in the evening and continue next morning when the maniacs are more easy to spotB)

[basjke]

Cousin lived 1k from his MIL, on the Nong Khai/Udon hiway, to go home correctly, he would have to travel 12ks to a U turn, then go past his house to the next U turn, a journey of perhaps 15ks, Like i said, he was a poor farmer and never had much money for fuel ect, so it was always the quick way home, in the designated motorsi lane, whether it be both ways, the police dont police this activity atall.

You ever seen a Thai driver behave this way? flashing lights and sounding horn at a bike on the wrong side? i very much doubt it,,

And I'm sure that in that 12 km stretch to the U-turn they had created at least every km a crossroad between the 2 driving strokes for the use of motorbikes as they do everywhere.So for sure he didn't have to travel those 15 km's.But no against the traffic flow is easier isn't it?

What I do when i see a motorbike coming in the wrong direction?I go driving as close as possible to the left hand edge of the road and start flashing my lights in the thai way of understanding,move because I don't stop for anything.

You should see what manoeuvres they make to get out of my way.

[richard_smith237]

I have had trucks do it at night cos to lazy to go and do a U turn or perhaps save some diesel , crazy.

yepp, any vehicle on the wrong side of the road is my main reason for not doing fast long distance after dark any more.

Its been to close to many times, even with my lights being very bright they are hard to see when theyr not using any lights.

so bette find a nice hotel, have some beer and a good meal in the evening and continue next morning when the maniacs are more easy to spotB)

It is for precisely the same reasons I make the choice to avoid driving a night as much as possible.

When involved in an accident, holding ones temper and remaining calm is the best and only response. The car driver is not always in the wrong when involved with an accident with a motorcycle and police will listen to reason if reason presented reasonably. Police will not pay attention to an irate angry driver of any nationality (unless they are higher up in the pecking order).

The foreigner is not always at fault if he politely sticks to his guns. Police are lazy and chose the path of least resistance. i.e. blame the foreigner, if he has a car he can afford to pay for the poor motorbike riders damage - Problem solved for everyone, except for the small matter of 'Principle'.

So, if you can afford it, pay the B5000 or whatever and move along quickly. OR, if you prefer it (as I do) politely hold your ground and you will be treated fairly, or at least as a Thai would be treated in the same circumstances.