Driving Culture

[huahinjoe]

I'm not new to Thailand, been here for years, but what i seeing here specially around peak times its more than mad...

Don't get me wrong, i'm not complaining just couldn't go without a word about how ppl driving so crazy without any care and without any knowelegde of a respectful driving.

It seems common having old mamas with their kids driving without look behind before turn, young boys coming out to street with sidecar without even looking anything come from the street where have potential dangers of being hit by a truck. Everybody care only their 30 degree angle on the front, mirror is only for make up and if i dont want to die i have to have 8 eyes around my head with caring all way around not being hit by someone. I feel safer to pass by faster from the traffic, rather than stuck with undeducated drivers who have no idea about the rules of driving at all.

Not wonder if there is daily lethal accidents rate. Everytime i going out feeling frustrated and constantly have to look for dangers... Seeing accidents on a daily basis getting used to have the feeling ppl are really dont care their life.

Would be nice to start a blog with a video camera and record this things but i know it worthless and even we have a shamewall it will help nothing for sure.

Another great question is how many lightyears have to spend to ban those malfunctioning cars and bikes with strange big exhaust smokes and non-working lights for thailand is will be a misery for ages i guess so...

Wish everyone safe driving and hope nobody get hurt in this crazy traffic. Overall its a nice city and buddha bless the thai ppl mentality about being friendly and kind but I really dont see any end for this driving culture to anyhow improve in the next decades...

[Gers1873]

Just learned to read a bit of Thai. They have something akin to an Internationally recognized STOP sign. But the Thai lettering actually translates to:

close your eyes, accelerate and hope for the best.

[hinhua]

I am about to purchase a GoPro HD camera that can attach to a helmet and I'll make a video of all this crazy stuff. I already have some video recording sunglasses and will also make some videos! :-) One important to note is that don't trust the motorbike shops. My small click is supposed to have 30 psi on the front and 40 on the back. I went to the shell garage where they actually have a gauge, they put in 30 on the front. It wouldn't fit on the back so I went off to the local motorbike shop. They put some air in, didn't have a gauge to check the pressure. Next time I went to see a friend that used to race bikes he checked on his gauge and they'd put in 80 on the back! dam_n dangerous and liable to explode. This is what typifies Thailand! Another friend had an Airblade. He put new tyres on....unfortunately and unknown to him the garage put Honda Click tyres on which don't really fit and are dangerous....unbelievable!

Even the Honda garage put the incorrect pressure the tyres....if u want to drive safely and have a bike in working order, it's best that you find a garage that you can really trust.

About the other stuff about driving. Yes, it's crazy out there.....a friend had a motorbike accident the other day, a young kid on a bike with no lights came around the corner right into him. Another incident happened to me on the main road. A car was reversing..a Thai in front was signalling to the cars to come past, waving us on. I went past but the car kept on moving right out into the road, nearly hit me (+ passenger). We swerved several times, I cut my foot, twisted my leg, and no idea how I didn't come off....definitely their fault and lucky I was paying close to attention and not trusting 100% the other driver. Every day I drive here, people pull out across the u-turns. People have no mirrors and never use them. Half the Thais don't even have a license (I do, have a motorbike license here and back in my own country so I know how to drive properly and safely). My advice is don't drive here unless you have to! put it's largely unavoidable and just a matter of time before you have an accident which is not your fault.

[hehehoho]

Western concepts are difficult for them.

Look at them and electricity.

Give them a few more decades and they might learn how to do things better. Perhaps you could teach them how to do things more effectively and safer, they listen well and like being given advice.

[Colin Yai]

I am about to purchase a GoPro HD camera that can attach to a helmet and I'll make a video of all this crazy stuff. I already have some video recording sunglasses and will also make some videos! :-) One important to note is that don't trust the motorbike shops. My small click is supposed to have 30 psi on the front and 40 on the back. I went to the shell garage where they actually have a gauge, they put in 30 on the front. It wouldn't fit on the back so I went off to the local motorbike shop. They put some air in, didn't have a gauge to check the pressure. Next time I went to see a friend that used to race bikes he checked on his gauge and they'd put in 80 on the back! dam_n dangerous and liable to explode. This is what typifies Thailand! Another friend had an Airblade. He put new tyres on....unfortunately and unknown to him the garage put Honda Click tyres on which don't really fit and are dangerous....unbelievable!

Even the Honda garage put the incorrect pressure the tyres....if u want to drive safely and have a bike in working order, it's best that you find a garage that you can really trust.

About the other stuff about driving. Yes, it's crazy out there.....a friend had a motorbike accident the other day, a young kid on a bike with no lights came around the corner right into him. Another incident happened to me on the main road. A car was reversing..a Thai in front was signalling to the cars to come past, waving us on. I went past but the car kept on moving right out into the road, nearly hit me (+ passenger). We swerved several times, I cut my foot, twisted my leg, and no idea how I didn't come off....definitely their fault and lucky I was paying close to attention and not trusting 100% the other driver. Every day I drive here, people pull out across the u-turns. People have no mirrors and never use them. Half the Thais don't even have a license (I do, have a motorbike license here and back in my own country so I know how to drive properly and safely). My advice is don't drive here unless you have to! put it's largely unavoidable and just a matter of time before you have an accident which is not your fault.

Lets just state that Thai's truly believe that there is life after death ,and of course drive or ride accordingly, problem here of course is that Thai's are such racist bigots, and whatever the circumstances if there are Thai witnesses involved in a Thai /farang accident in most cases the "stupid" farang will be judged to be at fault Edited November 18, 2011 by Colin Yai

[swisstouristpattaya]

It Was the same in eu 60 years ago. No safety belt, no protection againsy rain or crash...

Mothers don't care if baby dies. Their life is shit and worth nothing. This is what they told me. So dying or living poor , they don't care....

Most drivers are on yaba anyway.

[rodcourt49]

It Was the same in eu 60 years ago. No safety belt, no protection againsy rain or crash...

Mothers don't care if baby dies. Their life is shit and worth nothing. This is what they told me. So dying or living poor , they don't care....

Most drivers are on yaba anyway.

..more than often you see mum with a helmet and the little dek-lek with no helmet clinging onto her shirt with her little fingers which could never have enough strength should there be a sudden lurch or stop (not that you would expect them to ever take evasive action).

Other day i saw one such dek-lek nodding off, her little head flopping backwards and forwards as she was about to drop into a deep sleep, lulled by the soft purr of the motorbike's engine..i blasted on the horn..mum wouldn't stop..luckily my insistent blasting woke up the dek-lek. I drew alongside mum and pointed to her daughter..mum just grineed and nodded at me the f*wit farang.

Bottom line is you can only help them so much..rest is up to them..keep your wits about you when you're out there among them, because some way or another you will be drawn into it all.

Edited November 19, 2011 by rodcourt49

[Gonsalviz]

I am about to purchase a GoPro HD camera that can attach to a helmet and I'll make a video of all this crazy stuff. I already have some video recording sunglasses and will also make some videos! :-) One important to note is that don't trust the motorbike shops. My small click is supposed to have 30 psi on the front and 40 on the back. I went to the shell garage where they actually have a gauge, they put in 30 on the front. It wouldn't fit on the back so I went off to the local motorbike shop. They put some air in, didn't have a gauge to check the pressure. Next time I went to see a friend that used to race bikes he checked on his gauge and they'd put in 80 on the back! dam_n dangerous and liable to explode. This is what typifies Thailand! Another friend had an Airblade. He put new tyres on....unfortunately and unknown to him the garage put Honda Click tyres on which don't really fit and are dangerous....unbelievable!

Even the Honda garage put the incorrect pressure the tyres....if u want to drive safely and have a bike in working order, it's best that you find a garage that you can really trust.

About the other stuff about driving. Yes, it's crazy out there.....a friend had a motorbike accident the other day, a young kid on a bike with no lights came around the corner right into him. Another incident happened to me on the main road. A car was reversing..a Thai in front was signalling to the cars to come past, waving us on. I went past but the car kept on moving right out into the road, nearly hit me (+ passenger). We swerved several times, I cut my foot, twisted my leg, and no idea how I didn't come off....definitely their fault and lucky I was paying close to attention and not trusting 100% the other driver. Every day I drive here, people pull out across the u-turns. People have no mirrors and never use them. Half the Thais don't even have a license (I do, have a motorbike license here and back in my own country so I know how to drive properly and safely). My advice is don't drive here unless you have to! put it's largely unavoidable and just a matter of time before you have an accident which is not your fault.

On you statement about a motorcycle garage. I have a Harley. I won't be bothered to go to Harley of BKK due to poor labor practices. I get my oil changed a little Suzuki shop. They never worked on one before so they listen to me when I show them how to do things. I bring the oil and filter and I get priority. The rest I do myself. I can't wait until I have my workshop. I am in Issan.

[Gonsalviz]

Western concepts are difficult for them.

Look at them and electricity.

Give them a few more decades and they might learn how to do things better. Perhaps you could teach them how to do things more effectively and safer, they listen well and like being given advice.

You are a nasty being.

[UKJASE]

i have found in my time driving in thailand that, even though it feels quite chaotic, and there are a lot more different types of road users to get used to, dogs, young children, hand carts, motorbikes travelling against the traffic flow, ladies shouting at you for a massage etc, after a while you get used to the chaos, and find that it all seems to flow along quite nicely

if you get into the feel for the flow of the traffic, and dont go too slow, or too fast, i have found the traffic system works well here

i have seen very few accidents, never get shouted at or beeped at for my at times useless driving, and find everyone's temperament pretty chilled

(but woe betide if anyone scratches my new Scoopy - i will rip his / her / it's bleeping head off)

[hehehoho]

Bottom line is you can only help them so much.

I find laughing at them to be just as effective and far more fun.

It's like Fawlty Towers.

24/7.

Great!

[josephinebloggs]

It Was the same in eu 60 years ago. No safety belt, no protection againsy rain or crash...

Mothers don't care if baby dies. Their life is shit and worth nothing. This is what they told me. So dying or living poor , they don't care....

Most drivers are on yaba anyway.

This isn't Pattaya Swiss Tourist,.. But the don't care part is correct.

The Driving is horrific but it isn't just restricted to Hua Hin, Samui's much worse. In their defense however, how are they meant to learn how to drive well when they're not taught to do so, when Laws where the Road is concerned are just not simply enforced ??

You regularly see people jumping Red Lights & they're not just young Thai's, but 40 plus year old Men & Women, what hope is there for the younger Drivers with that happening. Thai people very, very rarely look when they turn corners & even when they do & see you coming they still pull out.

It's the mindset that is the biggest problem, everyone CAN learn to drive safely but if you have a mindset that has very little regard for anything at all & is has been deep rooted for Centuries, driving like so many other things here, just simply won't & doesn't matter.

[hehehoho]

how are they meant to learn how to drive well when they're not taught to do so, when Laws where the Road is concerned are just not simply enforced ??

Very true.

Looking to see if a truck or anything else is coming before pulling out is a difficult trick to learn.

Lucky it was taught to me because I simply would not have thought of it otherwise.

[David48]

i have found in my time driving in thailand that, even though it feels quite chaotic, and there are a lot more different types of road users to get used to, dogs, young children, hand carts, motorbikes travelling against the traffic flow, ladies shouting at you for a massage etc, after a while you get used to the chaos, and find that it all seems to flow along quite nicely

if you get into the feel for the flow of the traffic, and dont go too slow, or too fast, i have found the traffic system works well here

i have seen very few accidents, never get shouted at or beeped at for my at times useless driving, and find everyone's temperament pretty chilled

(but woe betide if anyone scratches my new Scoopy - i will rip his / her / it's bleeping head off)

+1 UKJASE

I'm with you on your thoughts.

What so many people who live and drive here expect the conditions to be the similar (not the same ... before you want to flame me) as home.

As with any place there are written and 'unwritten' rules and then there are courtesies.

I used to ride a motorcycle professionally in London. When passing on the right there the oncoming traffic would move over a little to their left to allow me this.

Sort of the same way the Thai's pass on the highway.

In Germany there is a strict code of lane discipline. The fastest car on the outside lane and woe behold anyone who slowed up a car trying to pass.

We were doing 160 klm/hr in the fast lane of an autobahn then the Mercedes came up behind us, flashed it's lights so we moved over into the middle lane then passed us by like we were standing still!

Yet in the States people drive in any lane with no real concept of 'inside lane for slower cars and trucks and outside lane for passing'.

So people are selective about what rules and local customs they observe and which ones they don't.

Same in Thailand there are rules and 'customs'.

To enjoy driving here (and I do enjoy) learn what is acceptable rules to break and what rules to observe.

Actually the only time that there seems to be an issue with anger over driving in the tourist areas is when recently arrived tourists who 1/ don't have a motorcycle licence at home and 2/ don't understand the local rules and customs (like turning left on a red light or walk between the stopped cars but look for the scooters riding between them) seem to think that they know everything and everyone else is wrong!

Equally I have the same feeling for the Thais (and others) who come and drive in my home country and try and drive the same as in their country!

when negotiating a 2 lane wide round-a-bout in my country my then Thai gf decided that it was OK to use both lanes and nearly wiped out (crashed into) the car on the inside lane. Later that day she drove though a 4 way stop sign at full speed ... 'sorry honey ... I not see it!'

A tip for all drivers, no matter what country you are in ... take the time to learn what are the rules, what rules are ignored and when they are ignored and the local driving customs and everyone will appreciated you new 'informed' (not better or worse) driving style.

[Gers1873]

No driving education and a totally inadequate testing system are not exactly conducive to best driving practices.

There is a junction on the way to my son's school with a 'four way' stop system. Few people actually STOP. Last week we saw a motorcycle with sidecar thingy get wiped out by a van. BOTH had totally ignored the STOP sign.

Even my missus takes the 'slow down & look' approach --- cannot understand STOP.

Traffic lights --- just there to add a bit of colour to the road.

People using the on-ramp to LEAVE the highway.....

Most of it is down to bad practices learned over time and an "I'm all right Jack" approach to driving. This will be very hard to change.

[josephinebloggs]

No driving education and a totally inadequate testing system are not exactly conducive to best driving practices.

Not fully no, but you can't deny they'd help..

[hehehoho]

No driving education and a totally inadequate testing system are not exactly conducive to best driving practices.

Not fully no, but you can't deny they'd help..

I agree. If the price of passing without actually doing the test was reduced from 300b to 100b, drivers would be happier and less aggressive.

[hehehoho]

I used to live near a school and each morning all the parents with the kids on their bikes would line up at the redlight and at the first opportunity to drive through it they'd zoom through. Great example for the little ones I thought.

One copper used to arrive with one young kid on the back of his bike and a younger one spread across the gas tank. No helmets on them of course.

You just have to laugh at them, like Manuel in Fawlty Towers. It's a great and endlessly entertaining place to live when you have that attitude.

Edited November 20, 2011 by hehehoho

[BazilFox]

I used to live near a school and each morning all the parents with the kids on their bikes would line up at the redlight and at the first opportunity to drive through it they'd zoom through. Great example for the little ones I thought.

One copper used to arrive with one young kid on the back of his bike and a younger one spread across the gas tank. No helmets on them of course.

You just have to laugh at them, like Manuel in Fawlty Towers. It's a great and endlessly entertaining place to live when you have that attitude.

Quite right, have a laugh instead of getting so frustrated it makes you ill. Double standards, expect the copper was being paid for Police Work at the time.

Edited November 21, 2011 by BazilFox

[hehehoho]

I used to live near a school and each morning all the parents with the kids on their bikes would line up at the redlight and at the first opportunity to drive through it they'd zoom through. Great example for the little ones I thought.

One copper used to arrive with one young kid on the back of his bike and a younger one spread across the gas tank. No helmets on them of course.

You just have to laugh at them, like Manuel in Fawlty Towers. It's a great and endlessly entertaining place to live when you have that attitude.

Quite right, have a laugh instead of getting so frustrated it makes you ill. Double standards, expect the copper was being paid for Police Work at the time.

I believe he got so many xmas presents off the other parents he had to bring his pick-up truck to collect them.

Of course the school security man who helps the cars and children in and out everyday in the hot sun didn't get any.

[hinhua]

I witnessed another minor accident in Cha-am yesterday. Woman came off her bike on the beach road, not sure how as there wasn't much traffic but I looked up when I heard the screech. Luckily she was OK and not seriously injured. I don't think she was wearing a helmet. The attitude in Cha-am appears to be "the police don't enforce wearing a helmet here so I won't bother"...and girls say "my hair will be ruined" so don't bother. Madness!

What also gets me about the road rules is the "no left turn on red light" signs you see at junctions everywhere. The Thais just go left. When I sit there waiting as the sign says, I get people behind beeping me angrily and saying "go on". When I point to the sign they just laugh. OK idiots, risk your own life then! :-)

All good fun anyway.

[hehehoho]

I saw a scooter go down on that road when it had to brake on sand. There's a lot of sand gets blown on to that road, particularly the beach side lane. If someone has to swerve and brake it's very easy for them to go down, even if it isn't at speed.

I was in heavy traffic in Silom one day and bikes usually ride up along the footpath as it's gridlock. There was a copper on his bike behind me so when we got to the traffic jam I decided I better just stop instead of going up and riding along the footpath like everyone usually does. Well he gave me a right bollocking and shouting and told me to get the <deleted> onto the footpath in no uncertain terms so he didn't have to wait in the traffic.

He wasn't wearing a helmet either.

Edited November 21, 2011 by hehehoho

[huahinjoe]

I really think the main problem behind this bad driving culture is the lack of law enforcement. I dont support the police state ideas, but what is going on here in Thailand is crazy sometimes. It would be nice if the police come out from the aircon bungalows sometimes and start to enforce some law. Maybe they need some study first and bring some farang tourist police to explain them the Driving rules in the World... After it they start to charge the ppl with the correct way (not only the annoying helmet-tax) I really think everybody will learn very quickly how to drive on the road...

Also another idea is to install traffic cams and record the things so they can send the cheque-s to the address of the owner. Record also when they charge the ppl, so they can't be bribed too. Beleive me, everybody will do like first day in school, thats for sure...

Edited November 21, 2011 by huahinjoe

[hehehoho]

But that would upset the 'Mai pen rai' culture.

Mai pen rai.

[swisstouristpattaya]

They need more radar. Increase fine, more control...

[hehehoho]

They need a lot more than that mate.

Perhaps they should be banned from using motorized vehicles and start them off on buffalo and cart again to see if they can develop driving skills bit by bit.

Edited November 23, 2011 by hehehoho

[huahinjoe]

I've been on the Exam for Driving license and compare to european standards its a complete joke what they have in thailand. The whole process is more like a cooking class and the drivers even didnt had to go out to real driving just had to turn around inside the parking lot of the Transportation Department and have to tell you 90% of the students are failed

The problems are very common all over thailand and not sure it will change in the mentality in the next decades. I aggree some of the previous posters opinion the traffic usually flows nicely like ant's follow each other but its still includes a lot of human error and nobody really thinks before acts.

More control and enforcement of the driving rules not only help to prevent accidents for innocent people who obey the rules but also keep away the ppl shouldnt be on the road. Common sight to see vehicles not ready for traffic and youngsters driving crazy as 4 ppl on bike passing the standing by policeman who really dont cares.. Yesterday i see an old papa keeping a 1y old baby sleeping in his hand and he was driving the bike with his other shaky hand, he even couldnt see more than 5m far i guess, so crazy...

What i really hate is the smoky bikes pass away very fast with mindblowing smoke without any respect to other ppl, i think they think they very cool but not until someone slap their face and the speeding lorries who probably on yaba or they think they driving a ferrari, its complete disrespect from a country where i see a lot of respect from ppl normally but not on the road when they driving they thinking they are super mario and having unlimited lifes...

[hehehoho]

btw, for Thai intercity bus drivers they need to have a valid Thai driving license, be at least 22 years old, and do a 2 day 'course'. The only part of this course that involves driving is around a track, the same as the standard driving license.

So Thai intercity bus drivers can be fully licensed and legit without ever having driven on an actual road, in any sort of vehicle.

:jap:

[UKJASE]

i passed my driving test today...... i had to name the colours on a chart, align two sticks up for distance awareness, do a simulated emergency stop on a pedal below the desk, and that was it...... didnt go anywhere near a car!!!

not sure on how the thai driving laws vary from my home country, but i guess i will find out in time!!

[roly]

i passed my driving test today...... i had to name the colours on a chart, align two sticks up for distance awareness, do a simulated emergency stop on a pedal below the desk, and that was it...... didnt go anywhere near a car!!!

not sure on how the thai driving laws vary from my home country, but i guess i will find out in time!!

I did the bike test in Pranburi in May and had to do the same test in a little room, although they also made me ride around the track which was easy. Additionally they gave me two hours to study a book of highway signs which was easy (I can read Thai fairly well so no problem at all), followed by an electronic multiple choice test in which the questions bore very little relation to the signs that I was given to learn....I was expecting just to be be asked the meaning of each sign. Most questions were worded a little strangely (as if someone had used Google translate to convert them into English) and the pictures were abysmal and not easy to identify what they actually represented. When I pressed the 'help' button to call an officer so I could ask a question, they were too busy and so I just continued the test. Luckily, I managed to reach 23/30 which was EXACTLY the minimum score to pass the test! I remember one question was something along the lines of "...of each of these options which is NOT allowed in Thailand. A. To drive a tank in the street when you have permission from the government. B. driving with no forward windshield. C. driving with no lights....D....." etc....very strange questions indeed!

I drove to the test centre with no license, of course. About a month later when I was next stopped by the police, I pulled out my license with a huge grin on my face and avoided the fine!

I had an expired international driving license (from UK) which for some reason included as standard a motorbike entitlement up to 500 kg if I recall. The lady at the desk said that if it hadn't expired they would have just given me the car and motorbike license with no test whatsoever.

Crazy Thailand eh.