Riding In Thailand

[KRS1]

There's a certain something about riding in Thailand compared to other countries that I can't really put my finger on. It may be the lack of 'enforced' speed limits, less cops, good back roads, cheap beer, friendly people, cute women, sense of adventure or whatever, but whenever i go back to the states, it just doesn't seem the same as Thailand.

Anyone else find themselves in a similar situation?

[kermitzkitchen]

add to that the warm weather and beautiful scenery

[KRS1]

Beautiful scenery yep, but I can do without 'HOT' weather, warms nice though, love the mountain rides, nice and cool !

[thrilled]

many people in the us are stuck up.the closer ya get to A big city the worse it is.

[moe666]

Back home isn't the same as Thailand.no matter what you are doing.

[BSJ]

The longer I live in Pattaya the slower I ride! There are just to many Kamikaze clowns around town to be riding quickly. Out in the country it's good to be abled to add a bit of steam.

[TongueThaied]

Absolutely agree. I cannot even stand the thought of going back to the States to ride. The US has the best riding in the world, bar none, considering the stunning variety. In Colorado, I remember going from a 10,000 foot pass at a chilly forty degrees to the desert floor at 95 degrees in 30 minutes flat. There is nothing to match riding down the California coast or through an Arizona desert filled with giant seguros. The Sierra and Cascade mountains are absolutely stunning and the Rockies awe inspring. The road system is well-connected and almost endless. What place has all of this?

But with this, you get the fascist police that crawl everywhere -- that hide and actively hunt you. When riding in the US, one suffers a constant stress that simply does not exist here. In fact, I was not even aware of it, though I always had only one eye for the road, the other on the radar detector, until I came here and realized the stress was gone!

It is often too hot here, and sometimes I crave the cool crisp air of the Pacific Coast or the Rocky Mountains, but I shudder to think of ever being back in that stressful environment where law enforcement has become a money grubbing Orwellian nightmare, filled with super-arrogant gun-toting <deleted>. No thanks!

You can say anything you want about Thai police, but I will take them over the American Gestapo <deleted> ANY DAY!!!

[smedly]

at home you expect everyone to do the right thing so you almost become relaxed and pay less attention, here in thailand you always expect people to do the wrong thing so you are always extra careful, excluding drink driving and the odd idiot that has no regard for his own safety I think it might be safer here than in the west in an odd way

Edited July 13, 2011 by smedly

[Macx]

I raced a BIB here, both of us laughing, howling, trying to outrun the storm.

Don't imagine that happening in the states

[KRS1]

I sure dont miss the cops, what tongue thiaed said about the police actively hunting you is absolutely true. One of the worst feelings is looking in your rearview and seeing a patrol vehicle making a uturn. fark!

You can always leave it to the cops to spoil the fun.

[JeffreyMcCollum]

I moved here for the wonderful riding. Good year round weather. Some

of the best roads to ride in the world up north. everyone here accepts

bikes on the roads, and they are qucik and easy to fix without costing an arm

and a leg.

Love it, wouldn't want to be anywhere else. The way I

ride they would lock me up in the states in minutes !

[KRS1]

When i went to back to the states last year, i just watched as motorcycles drove in their lane and not between cars to get to the front.

Guys were just sitting in traffic like they were a parked car sweating to death while there was a wide open shoulder lane available, or even twice the available room between cars than in Thailand. That's when I decided I wouldn't be getting another bike in the US, no fun can't do anything and use the bike to its advantage. Not a day went by that i didn't wish i was back in Thailand riding. Seriously why get a bike in the city if you have to act like a car?

I wouldn't feel safe driving between cars in the US anyway, to many erratic pricks that would deliberately cause you to wreck . One time i almost got into a fight at a gas station cause i was talking on the phone while filling up, dude thought i was going to blow him up. ... in hindsight i see where he was coming from, but he was a complete <deleted> about it, people in the states are just to prone for violence for the smallest little thing that doesn't fit them.

After i got a ticket for no seatbelt, that really sealed the deal.

[floridaguy]

I sure dont miss the cops, what tongue thiaed said about the police actively hunting you is absolutely true. One of the worst feelings is looking in your rearview and seeing a patrol vehicle making a uturn. fark!

You can always leave it to the cops to spoil the fun.

OMG, I remember that sinking feeling you get when you see the darn cruiser doing that uturn. Immediate knots in the stomach, then automatically slowing down and moving left. Just last week I saw a highway patrol on BangNa Trat motorway, and had a flashback to those days driving in the States. It felt great to laugh it off and speed up past him.

[floridaguy]

When i went to back to the states last year, i just watched as motorcycles drove in their lane and not between cars to get to the front.

Guys were just sitting in traffic like they were a parked car sweating to death while there was a wide open shoulder lane available, or even twice the available room between cars than in Thailand. That's when I decided I wouldn't be getting another bike in the US, no fun can't do anything and use the bike to its advantage. Not a day went by that i didn't wish i was back in Thailand riding. Seriously why get a bike in the city if you have to act like a car?

I wouldn't feel safe driving between cars in the US anyway, to many erratic pricks that would deliberately cause you to wreck . One time i almost got into a fight at a gas station cause i was talking on the phone while filling up, dude thought i was going to blow him up. ... in hindsight i see where he was coming from, but he was a complete <deleted> about it, people in the states are just to prone for violence for the smallest little thing that doesn't fit them.

After i got a ticket for no seatbelt, that really sealed the deal.

You can split the lane in some states, like California, but you're right, the cagers don't pay attention to motorcycles like they do here.

[saorsa]

I used to go for runs up in the north and north west of scotland when I still lived there. The road to Kyle of Lochalsh and the one across Rannoch Moor are still favourites of mine. I do like not having to worry about losing my license for speeding here though.

[Gonsalviz]

Absolutely agree. I cannot even stand the thought of going back to the States to ride. The US has the best riding in the world, bar none, considering the stunning variety. In Colorado, I remember going from a 10,000 foot pass at a chilly forty degrees to the desert floor at 95 degrees in 30 minutes flat. There is nothing to match riding down the California coast or through an Arizona desert filled with giant seguros. The Sierra and Cascade mountains are absolutely stunning and the Rockies awe inspring. The road system is well-connected and almost endless. What place has all of this?

But with this, you get the fascist police that crawl everywhere -- that hide and actively hunt you. When riding in the US, one suffers a constant stress that simply does not exist here. In fact, I was not even aware of it, though I always had only one eye for the road, the other on the radar detector, until I came here and realized the stress was gone!

It is often too hot here, and sometimes I crave the cool crisp air of the Pacific Coast or the Rocky Mountains, but I shudder to think of ever being back in that stressful environment where law enforcement has become a money grubbing Orwellian nightmare, filled with super-arrogant gun-toting <deleted>. No thanks!

You can say anything you want about Thai police, but I will take them over the American Gestapo <deleted> ANY DAY!!!

Thanks to Bill Clinton and his 'cop on every street corner' plan. There are so many, they have to find something to do. The "You in a heepa trouble, boy" syndrome lives on.

I ran into more of a heat problem in Korea. Late July and all of August are nearly unbearable.

[KRS1]

Really? Even hotter than Thailand?

[blunotes]

Back home isn't the same as Thailand.no matter what you are doing.

Exactly. When I came back, I felt lonely. I still picture everything in my memory every day of every steps in Thailand. I grew up and lived in the State all my life, I went back to visit for a month and ended up 8 months later I found myself forced in the plane homebound.

[Gonsalviz]

Really? Even hotter than Thailand?

85 Mph down the hiway with the bluejeans pulled up for more air was nearly the same as being parked.

Don't know how it happens except Korea is surrounded by water on 3 sides and it is way smaller than Thailand.

[KRS1]

Wow, I always thought Korea was cool country. Well I can scratch that off my list of countries to visit.

[kermitzkitchen]

I think its also got to do with the way you can ride here if you want to cruise and take in the sights you cruise and if you want to ride it like you stole it you can also do that and anything in between . While it makes complete sense why in our home countries the law states to ride very sedately and safe and this is how one should always ride here or elsewhere, in Thailand you dont have that enforcement which can make riding more enjoyable. In no way am i condoning unsafe riding but in some countries it just goes a bit too far when things like lane splitting are even classed as illegal