Road Rage In Thailand

[Banzai99]

The above 2 posts in a nutshell.

[Heng]

It is amusing that you can find baseball bats in most Super Sports outlets but you'd be hard pressed to actually find a baseball field here (they do exist, just really really rare).

[xen]

You say " i have tinted windows so how could he have know that i wasnt thai and maybe a soldier or cop on his way home. he didnt seem to care either way. he just lost it." If that is so then how did he know you gave him the finger.

Why i am saying this is because i often give other drivers the finger just as a method of stress relief and hope they don't really see it thru the tinted windows as i am just too old,too slow and too past it to really get involved in biff like i perhaps would have done once. Perhaps i should find another method of stress relief that won't get me into any bother.

[Banzai99]

You say " i have tinted windows so how could he have know that i wasnt thai and maybe a soldier or cop on his way home. he didnt seem to care either way. he just lost it." If that is so then how did he know you gave him the finger.

Why i am saying this is because i often give other drivers the finger just as a method of stress relief and hope they don't really see it thru the tinted windows as i am just too old,too slow and too past it to really get involved in biff like i perhaps would have done once. Perhaps i should find another method of stress relief that won't get me into any bother.

Maybe just have a ThaiVisa sticker visible to all other road users, they will know you are really tuned in to life in Thailand, you have as family that are rich and powerful, and they will give you the respect you deserve.

[HerbalEd]

You flipped him the bird, huh? Very stupid thing to do ... although I understand. However, even though the other driver might have put you in danger, where's the logic in overreacting and endangering yourself even more.

Edited November 27, 2011 by HerbalEd

[ChaiLor]

The OP posts about a school van that tailgated and that's one thing, giving the van driver the bird takes matters into a totally different league - best to understand those things or live a short life here in LOS.

Absolutely right.

Better to have just slowed down and let the mini bus pass.

The problem is that many farangs can`t resist making they`re objections known and would rather risk creating an incident rather than just swallowing their pride and having to give way.

Something similar happened to a German tourist on a motorbike in Chiang Mai a few months ago. He ended up dead with a bullet in his head.

I think some farangs are unable to adapt to the way of life and attitudes in Thailand.

It's a very gentle, patient, caring, Buddhist culture.

Of course we all know jai yen yen/mai bpen rai is the attitude one needs to adopt, and everyone knows you don't make a Thai loose face.

One question: What about our f'ing face! Farang has face too!

So we try the Thai conflict avoidance and they chase us for a fight. Where is their conflict avoidance or face saving now, yes it's their country, so what, just cos it's their country it doesn't mean they can abuse us.

I love Thailand and Thai people, I respect that I'm a guest in their country, but everyone has a limit to what shit they will take, so the big man who goes around shooting people in the head cos of driving, well you'll be coming back as a f'ing dung beetle!

I don't have a solution for these situations, just tactics to avoid or manage - try to avoid with jai yen yen - try to manage with jai yen yen - then if they insist, fight for your f'ing life!

Same tactics as most conflict situations anywhere, of course if you simply have no chance of winning or you will clearly be taking a severe beating then don't fight for your life - run for your life!

[Soboringtochooseaname]

They deserve the finger and to be badly hit, but the problem is that these cowards have knife when you have only your hands and they have gun when you just have a stick...

Sorry to say the truth but when I see a road accident even with dead I just feel nothing or even happy, because this guy must deserve it in some way...

Sad for the innocents who die because of the axxholes, but life is unfair, we all know it.

Edited November 27, 2011 by Soboringtochooseaname

[submaniac]

I am noticing some cultural differences here, that I would throw out. In Great Britain, no one has guns, so it's perfectly acceptable to give the finger and indulge in road rage. Nice car or crappy car, pretty much you can be assured that no one is going to start shooting at you when you give the finger. So for summation:

British while driving=unarmed=me not intimidated by.

In the United States, well, everyone pretty much has a gun and when I am driving throughout the streets of Southern California, I am mindful that other people may have guns. Freeway shootings are fairly commonplace. I think about whether or not to effectuate "the bird". The mathematical equation is:

Nice expensive luxury cars=less likely to shoot at me from their car=me more likely for me to give finger.

Old, cheap, car + young male driver (that could potentially be "gangbanger")=me less likely to give finger.

In Thailand, guns are out there, however, it is not the same situation as in the USA where guns are inexpensive and anyone can get them. In Thailand, you have to have a certain amount of money in the bank to own a gun, and the guns in Thailand are not cheap (thousands of dollars for a firearm that can be purchased for $500 in the USA).

So, exensive car + driven by Thai=more likely to have gun=less likely to give finger.

It is difficult for a falang to purchase a firearm in Thailand so

Falang=less likely to have gun=more likely to give finger.

Furthermore, most Thais also know that Falangs do not have guns. So for the average Thai the equation is:

Falang + car or bike= unarmed = don't care.

[ALFREDO]

I like driving in Thailand, a bit "Wild East" reminds me of the lawless Wild West (USA 130-200 years ago).

My driving fits, to surf the wave, with car and Sportbike

Only once, I had to flee from a possible -Road Rage-, I offended my counterpart slightly (really)

at the next red light and the only one for 65 km, a tall driver with a Stetson? a Falang? and a big object in hand,

(was to dark to see more and my side windows are tainted) got out of his car and knocked on my door.

But I, wisely had left enough space to pull out of the stationary waiting cars and made a run in the other direction.

The Stetson? jumped back in his car (4 door Triton) and followed me.

Immideately we both U-turned at the next possibility but my driving and my lightweight

3 l Vigo 2 door made it impossible for him to get me.

I was not interested to know what he had in his hands.

Edited November 27, 2011 by ALFREDO

[KKK]

I've noticed a few comments about tinted glass here; he couldn't see who I was, get darker tint etc.

Isn't highly tinted glass illegal? I'm sure I heard 20 or more years ago that a tint above a certain percentage was illegal. From what I remember it had something to do with the police being able to see who is in a car as it went past. I do still see a few highly tinted cars around and some with that awful mirror effect but generally I'd say they were factory original.

Also for a Thai to tint his/her car so that they can't be seen is kinda opposite of the normal show-off style of "being seen".

[CarlBkk]

It's amazing how a middle finger from within the "safety" of a car can incite such huge anger, even more so when they don't think they've done anything wrong. Just last week (not in Thailand) I exchanged middle finger vows with a white van driver for him pulling out in front of me, going slow, then pulling off without indicating. I beeped, he middle fingered, I returned it. 10 secs later he'd overtaken others on a small road to get behind me, going crazy, signalling frantically for me to pull over while nearly hitting me car. I laughed in my mirror at him and he tried to overtake me to block me in. This is on a school run. Busy road. I drove normally, heading for the police station just in case. The driver was a big skinhead without his front tooth. That helped my decision not to stop.

An Italian restaurant in Ploenchit has a tough-looking 40 something waiter with a huge deep scar on his forehead. He laughs now while telling the story of his drunken stupidity in Bangkok with his friends, middle fingering a taxi driver who stopped, had a fight with him and knifed him in the head. That ended the fight. Thais will fight one on one if they're angered enough!

[KKK]

I don't wish to offer an excuse for Thai's driving bad but what could be an explanation. The majority of Thai's are I'm sure 1st generation drivers. Their parents never had motor vehicles; they never travelled much by bus, etc. I can't remember my father not having a car. As a kid when we drove somewhere he would talk to me about road signs and markings and being polite to other road users, giving way etc. When I became old enough to drive he paid for 10 lessons with a driving instructor. I wasn't allowed to drive my father's car as it was a company car and not insured for me. After one hour, my first hour, at the wheel the instructor said he was wasting his time teaching me and said to put in for an immediate test. I did and passed first time with flying colours. Somewhere all that "driving with dad" had rubbed off making me, what I hope is, a good 2nd generation driver. I've taught my own kids the same way that my father did me and so far they have turned out to be excellant 3rd generation drivers. But the majority of Thais have not had that benefit of being driven around and consiously or subconsiously taught good driving habits.

I do not need to have box junctions (criss-cross yellow lines painted on the road that you MUST NOT enter until your exit road or lane is clear). I know to keep back and create a gap so that oncoming traffic may turn in front of me and traffic entering from the left may pass in front of me and on their way in the opposite direction. I mean where am I getting ignoring that simple rule....10 meters further on my journey only to stop again but block others from continuing theirs. Sadly in Pattaya it is mostly pig-headed Farangs driving enormous 4wd pick-ups who ignore those yellow markings, the baht buses, who people like to complain about, always stay well clear of them.

Edited November 28, 2011 by KKK

[chiang mai]

I don't wish to offer an excuse for Thai's driving bad but what could be an explanation. The majority of Thai's are I'm sure 1st generation drivers. Their parents never had motor vehicles; they never travelled much by bus, etc. I can't remember my father not having a car. As a kid when we drove somewhere he would talk to me about road signs and markings and being polite to other road users, giving way etc. When I became old enough to drive he paid for 10 lessons with a driving instructor. I wasn't allowed to drive my father's car as it was a company car and not insured for me. After one hour, my first hour, at the wheel the instructor said he was wasting his time teaching me and said to put in for an immediate test. I did and passed first time with flying colours. Somewhere all that "driving with dad" had rubbed off making me, what I hope is, a good 2nd generation driver. I've taught my own kids the same way that my father did me and so far they have turned out to be excellant 3rd generation drivers. But the majority of Thais have not had that benefit of being driven around and consiously or subconsiously taught good driving habits.

I do not need to have box junctions (criss-cross yellow lines painted on the road that you MUST NOT enter until your exit road or lane is clear). I know to keep back and create a gap so that oncoming traffic may turn in front of me and traffic entering from the left may pass in front of me and on their way in the opposite direction. I mean where am I getting ignoring that simple rule....10 meters further on my journey only to stop again but block others from continuing theirs. Sadly in Pattaya it is mostly pig-headed Farangs driving enormous 4wd pick-ups who ignore those yellow markings, the baht buses, who people like to complain about, always stay well clear of them.

The correct answer almost certainly has more to do with the lack of enforcement of traffic laws over time rather than the lack of cars of drivers, IMO..

[KKK]

I don't wish to offer an excuse for Thai's driving bad but what could be an explanation. The majority of Thai's are I'm sure 1st generation drivers. Their parents never had motor vehicles; they never travelled much by bus, etc. I can't remember my father not having a car. As a kid when we drove somewhere he would talk to me about road signs and markings and being polite to other road users, giving way etc. When I became old enough to drive he paid for 10 lessons with a driving instructor. I wasn't allowed to drive my father's car as it was a company car and not insured for me. After one hour, my first hour, at the wheel the instructor said he was wasting his time teaching me and said to put in for an immediate test. I did and passed first time with flying colours. Somewhere all that "driving with dad" had rubbed off making me, what I hope is, a good 2nd generation driver. I've taught my own kids the same way that my father did me and so far they have turned out to be excellant 3rd generation drivers. But the majority of Thais have not had that benefit of being driven around and consiously or subconsiously taught good driving habits.

I do not need to have box junctions (criss-cross yellow lines painted on the road that you MUST NOT enter until your exit road or lane is clear). I know to keep back and create a gap so that oncoming traffic may turn in front of me and traffic entering from the left may pass in front of me and on their way in the opposite direction. I mean where am I getting ignoring that simple rule....10 meters further on my journey only to stop again but block others from continuing theirs. Sadly in Pattaya it is mostly pig-headed Farangs driving enormous 4wd pick-ups who ignore those yellow markings, the baht buses, who people like to complain about, always stay well clear of them.

The correct answer almost certainly has more to do with the lack of enforcement of traffic laws over time rather than the lack of cars of drivers, IMO..

Not so sure about that. You don't need a law to tell you what is wrong. Laws are most often in place to reinforce what is already thought to be the correct thing and to give penalties for going against it. I mean would murders increase if the laws against them were done away with. Consideration for others (e.g. don't stop in a box junction [yellow box] blocking others from passing through), safety (e.g. tailgating, drunk driving etc) are all matters of common sense and don't really need laws for people to know that they are just plain wrong or dangerous. Most people have little or no knowledge of what the law says but they do know the difference between right and wrong. Experience, teaching, and parenting all add to the knowledge of how to drive. The lack of or inadequacy of all three amount to the recklessness that we see on the roads in Thailand.

Of course when you see a policeman (law enforcement officer), riding his motor cycle the wrong way down a one way street, helmetless, with two passengers, talking on his mobile phone is it any wonder that things are not as they perhaps should be....

[Soutpeel]

In Great Britain, no one has guns, so it's perfectly acceptable to give the finger and indulge in road rage.

Take it you have never been to Moss side or certain parts of London / Liverpool then....

Granted you chance of getting a bullet between the eyes during a road rage incident is very low in the UK compared to other places...but there are guns about..

[JurgenG]

I like driving in Thailand, a bit "Wild East" reminds me of the lawless Wild West (USA 130-200 years ago).

My driving fits, to surf the wave, with car and Sportbike

Only once, I had to flee from a possible -Road Rage-, I offended my counterpart slightly (really)

at the next red light and the only one for 65 km, a tall driver with a Stetson? a Falang? and a big object in hand,

(was to dark to see more and my side windows are tainted) got out of his car and knocked on my door.

But I, wisely had left enough space to pull out of the stationary waiting cars and made a run in the other direction.

The Stetson? jumped back in his car (4 door Triton) and followed me.

Immideately we both U-turned at the next possibility but my driving and my lightweight

3 l Vigo 2 door made it impossible for him to get me.

I was not interested to know what he had in his hands.

When and where was it ?

I was involved in a similar incident, a guy in Black Mitsubishi followed me for about 50 km. In the beginning I was thinking we were just going in the same direction but after a while I was starting to wonder what was his real intention as insisted to stick behind me and even taking some risk for that. When I turned in a smaller road I saw him slowing down then, like he had changed his mind, accelerated again on the main road. I never saw his face, never really knew what he wanted as I don't have the souvenir of having being agressive in my driving, not with him anyway.

It was near Korat, around two month ago.

[ALFREDO]

-KKK-

I do not know from the Thailaws regarding -tinted carwindows- at my car only sidewindows are tinted. If necessary I open that windows to have a better few in the night at corners.

-JurgenG-

My incident was about 2 years ago, first on the road from the Nong Khai Friendship Bridge border to the Nong Khai - Udon Thani Highway and than on that Highway in direction Udon Thani.

Top Model 4-door Mitsubishi Triton Black.

Edited November 28, 2011 by ALFREDO

[David48]

I'll be happy when they begin to stop for a red light at the zebra crossing with traffic lights outside my house in BKK to let the children cross the road. It's as if they think because they are driving they are more important than pedestrians. Again in Thailand they have things completely ar*e about face.

You can see what the Thais are really like behind the wheel of a car and it's not pleasant. I gave up driving here a couple of years ago but ultimately I cannot win; regularly I get in taxis or on buses where the drivers are complete idiots, dangerous and under the influence of drugs/alcohol.

It's something you cannot avoid living in Thailand unfortunately.

A Thai friend of mine pointed out to me that there were no 'Zebras' in Thailand ... lesson well learnt for me.

Edited November 28, 2011 by David48

[KKK]

I'll be happy when they begin to stop for a red light at the zebra crossing with traffic lights outside my house in BKK to let the children cross the road. It's as if they think because they are driving they are more important than pedestrians. Again in Thailand they have things completely ar*e about face.

You can see what the Thais are really like behind the wheel of a car and it's not pleasant. I gave up driving here a couple of years ago but ultimately I cannot win; regularly I get in taxis or on buses where the drivers are complete idiots, dangerous and under the influence of drugs/alcohol.

It's something you cannot avoid living in Thailand unfortunately.

A Thai friend of mine pointed out to me that there were no 'Zebras' in Thailand ... lesson well learnt for me.

There are plenty of zebra crossings and the Thais call them "tang maa lai". "maa lai" meaning "horse with stripes", a "zebra", tang meaning "way" or "crossing". Unfortunately the Thais pretty much ignore them from both the pedestrian and drivers point of view. They are pretty hard to see anyway with most of them highly worn, just a splotch of white here and there, and don't have any lighting, beacons, or signs to indicate that it is there.

In Pattaya there has been a recent upgrade of some Zebras to Pelicans having pedestrian controlled trafffic lights. First time I used one I was almost run over as a Thai lady driver completely ignored the stop light and and carried on driving as though she owned the road. While driving on another day I stopped at the red light allowing the pedestrian to cross. I heard a screeching of tyre rubber and a motorcycle passed me on the inside straight through the red light. Recently I've noticed that most don't work. They are left with an amber light flashing 24/7. Any amount of pushing the button will not turn the light red. What a complete waste of money......

[David48]

hi guys, thanks for all the replies. its good to know that it isnt only me who has gone through road rage (and survived).

to kananga, you my friend sumed the whole situation up nicely. some of the posters on here seriously suggest that "it is the culture here' and 'you need to learn to adapt to the way they do things here'. what a pile of crap. how about thais learn the universal rules of the road and drive like they give a shit about a human life.

next thing posters will be telling us that "honor killings' in other countries is just their culture and its the way they do things so adapt. i know this is taking it to the extreme example but we are on a slippery slope here - where do we draw the line.

to those of you who say bow your head, forget about your pride and take one in the ass you are only farrang, you dont live here, go home........... then i feel very sad for you all.

i realised immediately that giving the finger is wrong in any society and i do still regret it now. however tailing me and trying to side swipe me and then finally blocking the road with his vechicle is taking it way beyond this 'face; crap that is used for this behavior.

thanks again for your replies and be careful out there.

p.s. for those of you who say swallow your pride,bow your head and take all the shit thailand throws at you with a smile, you had better get your xmas letter to santa soon.

Dear santa, I have been a good boy all year in Thailand. I have never once stood up for myself or questioned the logic in any situation here in thailand. i am not a citizen here and so have no rights whatsoever and i accept that. i have given my wife/gf all my money and relinguished all my responsibilities. Please.please, please santa, this year can you give me a set of ....................Balls. thankyou santa, see you again next year if i havent been wiped out on the roads. xx

-1 the quietman

Firstly ... your Santa comment really belittles your overall argument and myself and the majority of the contributors here would not waste their time replying to that mentality.

As for the driving ... 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'.

Same as in Thailand.

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'.

When you said

i realised immediately that giving the finger is wrong in any society

... wrong again.

In Thailand it is acceptable beheavour. As petedk Posted 2011-11-25 00:15:53 wrote ...

my girlfriend was driving and she gave some guy the finger... and her reply was "I'm Thai. That's the difference"

When we point our feet at Thais it is a big insult, yet they don't go for us for that gesture ... most Thais just realise that we are ignorant of their thoughts on this guesture.

Try saying 'you are here' loudly at someone and watch their reaction. If you don't know that the word 'here' (prounced with a strong and falling 'e' at the end) in Thai means well ...

So it comes down again to learn what can do, when and where.

I suppose that you consider yourself to be a 'better then average driver', here, or in your own country and maybe you have been in a few accidients ... but never caused any of them, but your insurance firm didn't see it that way and you had to pay the insurance excess ... but the accidient wasn't your fault!

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 (taking the racing line) 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.

[trevorg]

This may have been brought up earlier in the thread. But I now find it hilarious when my wife shouts at me within the van - he's a f*cking w*nker - drivers in Thailand are f*cking idiots! This is for some farmer driving a tractor and trailer down the shoulder of a road.i.e. no problem.

When we venture further afield and drive within traffic - she goes super-paranoid and tells me to 'don't do this' and 'don't do that'! usually she falls asleep after a few km (like a toddler) and then i can get on with the business of getting where we want to be!

[Gers1873]

I've had to drive in lots of places and one of the worst is the Middle East as anyone that has lived there will tell you...in the west there is no excuse for inconsiderate driving and the question of 'deliberate disrespect' comes into play and the associated 'road rage'...

as a westerner who is used to courtesy from other drivers one of the hardest things to get used to in the third world are the local driving habits which do not incorporate western expectations; people simply are bad drivers, wandering all over the road, not signalling, squeezing in if there is a space (sometimes when there is not)...basic dumbshits...but, one must realise that they do not intend to be deliberately disrespectful or unsafe: they simply don't know any better...

on the other hand, there is no question about disrespect when someone gives you the finger...lucky not to get shot...

If an accident happens in the Middle East it's the will of God. So accidents will happen regardless of driving behaviour. Much the same as in Thailand I think. Go to the temple, make merit, but some amulets and your be safe at 160 km/h in the rain on the footpath..

It may be the will of god but it doesnt stop them hitting each other with their sandals...... I've yet to see Thais beating each other with their 'flip-flops'.

[elwood]

In Great Britain, no one has guns, so it's perfectly acceptable to give the finger and indulge in road rage.

Take it you have never been to Moss side or certain parts of London / Liverpool then....

Granted you chance of getting a bullet between the eyes during a road rage incident is very low in the UK compared to other places...but there are guns about..

And possibly he has never seen the reports over the years of people in the UK being brutally beaten, sometimes even killed, by thugs enraged at another driver. It isn't only guns that hurt you, you know!

[Chittychangchang]

Sorry about bumping an old thread up but im still vexed about an incident that happened yesterday evening

I'm driving along carefully at about 80kmh up north on the main highway with my wife and children in the car and this motorbike/scooter with no lights on and 3 teenage boys on rides straight into my path from nowhere! <deleted>!

I take avasive action to avoid massive carnage succesfully, although it was touch and go for a few seconds.

I stop my car to make sure my family is o.k, then get out to see the youths laughing and drinking a bit further down the road at some shop/shack. I start to walk over shaking, fighting the urge to knock the rider out with the adrenelan pumping .

My wife stops me saying if i'd hit them i would have to pay Xbaht and go to jail etc

So the fact that they sit there drinking/laughing afer nearly killing my family is of no consequence, they will not learn or be punished?

I personally think it was a game of dare or maybe stupid ignorance.

Rant over.

[NeverSure]

In the United States, well, everyone pretty much has a gun and when I am driving throughout the streets of Southern California, I am mindful that other people may have guns. Freeway shootings are fairly commonplace. I think about whether or not to effectuate "the bird". The mathematical equation is:

This annoys the hell out of me. First, fewer than 1/2 of all adult US citizens own guns. Second, your chances of getting a permit to carry a firearm in Southern California are less than winning the lottery. They just don't issue them except to a special few such as off duty law enforcement. So, anyone who has a gun is already a criminal. That's right. "When guns are outlawed, only outlaws will have guns." How is that different for Thailand? You basically said that in Thailand the bad guys have guns but the good guys don't. How's that a good deal?

Where I live, permits are issued, but the training required and the in-depth background check eliminates all but the upstanding citizens. So now if a criminal has a gun I can protect myself and those around me. How is that worse than Thailand? I think it's better.

I was recently getting a haircut. I had to take my jacket off and the hairdresser noticed my gun. Carrying is not the norm in the US so she commented casually. I told her that the safest place she could be in that shopping center was right there with me. I told her that if some criminal decided to come in and start robbing and shooting, to just duck down behind me and I'd handle it. She said "You'd do that for me?" LOL. I told her "No, I'd be doing it for me but you would benefit."

Crimes are very rarely committed by the good and honest people, even if they get angry. In fact, a license to carry will cause you to avoid trouble like you never have before because now a conflict would be incredibly serious. You will walk away from things you never would have before and be more polite than ever in your life.

Wherever you go, crimes are committed by criminals and I'll go to my grave wondering why anyone questions my right to be prepared to save my life or the life of another if the need arises.

[anon210]

Would this not be appropriate in the motoring section?

Btw, one of the lessons at my Thai driving school was not to provoke road rage.

Sent from my GT-N7000 using Thaivisa Connect App

[TommoPhysicist]

In Thailand, guns are out there, however, it is not the same situation as in the USA where guns are inexpensive and anyone can get them. In Thailand, you have to have a certain amount of money in the bank to own a gun, and the guns in Thailand are not cheap (thousands of dollars for a firearm that can be purchased for $500 in the USA).

And yet, almost all the 'poor Thais' I know have guns (varies from S&W .357 to AK47), those without guns have machetes.

If you had done your stint in the Thai army, you would realise how easy it was to take a gun home, totally free.

Edited December 8, 2012 by TommoPhysicist

[robblok]

Sorry about bumping an old thread up but im still vexed about an incident that happened yesterday evening

I'm driving along carefully at about 80kmh up north on the main highway with my wife and children in the car and this motorbike/scooter with no lights on and 3 teenage boys on rides straight into my path from nowhere! <deleted>!

I take avasive action to avoid massive carnage succesfully, although it was touch and go for a few seconds.

I stop my car to make sure my family is o.k, then get out to see the youths laughing and drinking a bit further down the road at some shop/shack. I start to walk over shaking, fighting the urge to knock the rider out with the adrenelan pumping .

My wife stops me saying if i'd hit them i would have to pay Xbaht and go to jail etc

So the fact that they sit there drinking/laughing afer nearly killing my family is of no consequence, they will not learn or be punished?

I personally think it was a game of dare or maybe stupid ignorance.

Rant over.

They did someting dangerous and stupid but if they were on a bikr and you in a car with safety belts there was almost no risk to your family.

However i do understand your feeling adrenaline pumping and all.

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[robblok]

In the United States, well, everyone pretty much has a gun and when I am driving throughout the streets of Southern California, I am mindful that other people may have guns. Freeway shootings are fairly commonplace. I think about whether or not to effectuate "the bird". The mathematical equation is:

This annoys the hell out of me. First, fewer than 1/2 of all adult US citizens own guns. Second, your chances of getting a permit to carry a firearm in Southern California are less than winning the lottery. They just don't issue them except to a special few such as off duty law enforcement. So, anyone who has a gun is already a criminal. That's right. "When guns are outlawed, only outlaws will have guns." How is that different for Thailand? You basically said that in Thailand the bad guys have guns but the good guys don't. How's that a good deal?

Where I live, permits are issued, but the training required and the in-depth background check eliminates all but the upstanding citizens. So now if a criminal has a gun I can protect myself and those around me. How is that worse than Thailand? I think it's better.

I was recently getting a haircut. I had to take my jacket off and the hairdresser noticed my gun. Carrying is not the norm in the US so she commented casually. I told her that the safest place she could be in that shopping center was right there with me. I told her that if some criminal decided to come in and start robbing and shooting, to just duck down behind me and I'd handle it. She said "You'd do that for me?" LOL. I told her "No, I'd be doing it for me but you would benefit."

Crimes are very rarely committed by the good and honest people, even if they get angry. In fact, a license to carry will cause you to avoid trouble like you never have before because now a conflict would be incredibly serious. You will walk away from things you never would have before and be more polite than ever in your life.

Wherever you go, crimes are committed by criminals and I'll go to my grave wondering why anyone questions my right to be prepared to save my life or the life of another if the need arises.

Your blazing away with your gun and so does the criminal and you miss and hitva bystander. Its not easy to hit a moving target with a gun. Id hate to get near a firefight and get hit by some cowboy shooting it out.

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[TommoPhysicist]

This annoys the hell out of me. First, fewer than 1/2 of all adult US citizens own guns. Second, your chances of getting a permit to carry a firearm in Southern California are less than winning the lottery. They just don't issue them except to a special few such as off duty law enforcement. So, anyone who has a gun is already a criminal. That's right. "When guns are outlawed, only outlaws will have guns." How is that different for Thailand? You basically said that in Thailand the bad guys have guns but the good guys don't. How's that a good deal?

Reminds me of that old saying ...."The best nuts are grown in California".