Roundabout (Use Of)

[evadgib]

Yesterday I as approached the roundabout on the lake road from Tesco lights I noticed a taxi giving way to me when he clearly had right of way (he was coming out of the road behind McDonalds & turning towards Chaweng). I passed him & indicated right to turn into the same road, expecting the 4x4 coming from Chaweng to give way to me as I now had right of way. He didn't. Conservative driving on my part prevented an accident (the driver was a Ferang male around 60, presumably from a country that drives on the right)

I caught everything on dashcam but fortunatly it wasn't needed.

Am I right in assuming there must have been a few horror stories there?

Edited July 11, 2012 by evadgib

[Tropicalevo]

Basically, Thais do not have a clue as to rules on a roundabout. Taking into consideration that they ignore all road rules and logic anyway, well,,,,

..................it's an accident waiting to happen.

Regarding Farangs - most seem to leave their brain on the plane. (Or they check them in at immigration!) It seems the norm that Farangs lower their 'home' standards to the lowest common denominator on the island.

Example yesterday - I am riding my bike, on the left, on a pot-holed and partly flooded road. A truck coming towards me decided to overtake a bike coming in my opposite direction. When I did not immediately get out of his way so that he could overtake the bike, he shouted at me to "<deleted> off".

[nod]

I agree. It was a great idea, but as you say, "an accident waiting to happen" due to ignorance.

There are even notices in Thai and English that say "Give Way"!

[NHJ]

Simple observation of the driver's behaviour will show you the way to go at this roundabout, that's what everyone is doing and it's fine.

[samuijimmy]

Basically, Thais do not have a clue as to rules on a roundabout. Taking into consideration that they ignore all road rules and logic anyway, well,,,,

..................it's an accident waiting to happen.

Regarding Farangs - most seem to leave their brain on the plane. (Or they check them in at immigration!) It seems the norm that Farangs lower their 'home' standards to the lowest common denominator on the island.

Example yesterday - I am riding my bike, on the left, on a pot-holed and partly flooded road. A truck coming towards me decided to overtake a bike coming in my opposite direction. When I did not immediately get out of his way so that he could overtake the bike, he shouted at me to "<deleted> off".

most disrespectful of him.... did you give him the one finger salute, back?

But too, most people from north america would have no idea about roundabouts ... and how to use them.... they are becoming more in use now, but people have no idea about how to "give way"... some people drive straight over them.... running over the pretty flowers

[Boater]

I agree. It was a great idea, but as you say, "an accident waiting to happen" due to ignorance.

There are even notices in Thai and English that say "Give Way"!

imagine if they put this roundabout from the UK in !, even i get confused when i travel round it

[notmyself]

Doesn't the one very close to the airport departures have only one exit?

[Tropicalevo]

Crikey. I have obviously been away from the UK for too long.

What the heck is that Boater?

So - if I go back to England - rent a bike and just drive on the wrong side. Yes?

[steelerian]

The signs at that roundabout say "YIELD" and also a Thai word underneath that I can only presume means "do what you want"

That roundabout really is an accident waiting to happen

[motocrosser]

The problem here is that no one will ever give way to you,you can be pulling out of a turning and be right across the road and people will still drive around you rather than give way,the general rule in the western country's is give way to the right,the biggest problem here is so many people driving around with no license and don't have a clue how to drive and the police do nothing about it,to be honest if i ever left samui the driving would be the main reason,its crazy out there.

[Boater]

The problem here is that no one will ever give way to you,you can be pulling out of a turning and be right across the road and people will still drive around you rather than give way,the general rule in the western country's is give way to the right,the biggest problem here is so many people driving around with no license and don't have a clue how to drive and the police do nothing about it,to be honest if i ever left samui the driving would be the main reason,its crazy out there.

Sad thing is I have known a few people who have left the island due to poor driving / roads in body bags ...

[ripstanley]

At a rounabout in the NT I was following a WA registered vehicle. The driver indicated turning right. They proceeded to without going around the the roundabout.They went the wrong way. Lucky there was no other traffic on it. It does not only happen here.

[notmyself]

The problem here is that no one will ever give way to you,you can be pulling out of a turning and be right across the road and people will still drive around you rather than give way,the general rule in the western country's is give way to the right,the biggest problem here is so many people driving around with no license and don't have a clue how to drive and the police do nothing about it,to be honest if i ever left samui the driving would be the main reason,its crazy out there.

Sad thing is I have known a few people who have left the island due to poor driving / roads in body bags ...

Same here. Aussie fella had a couple of near misses due to being smashed and riding his bike, he gave up all drink and smoking too in 2009. Some months later, less than 6, he was hit by a car while riding his bike and died.

[Leckyman]

Crikey. I have obviously been away from the UK for too long.

What the heck is that Boater?

So - if I go back to England - rent a bike and just drive on the wrong side. Yes?

It's in Hemel Hempstead. Known locally as the majic roundabout.

You treat it like a series of mini ones, you can go either way round..

[SantiSuk]

Traffic planners are clearly on drugs in Herts

[evadgib]

At a rounabout in the NT I was following a WA registered vehicle. The driver indicated turning right. They proceeded to without going around the the roundabout.They went the wrong way. Lucky there was no other traffic on it. It does not only happen here.

You'll have greater chance of receiving fair play from the legal system in the NT than we do here.

[BigC]

U should have over taken him parked your car infornt of him. got out and smashed his teeth in.

go to police station pay fine for fighting plus his hospital expenses. job done.

[sweeneytodds]

Crikey. I have obviously been away from the UK for too long.

What the heck is that Boater?

So - if I go back to England - rent a bike and just drive on the wrong side. Yes?

It's in Hemel Hempstead. Known locally as the majic roundabout.

You treat it like a series of mini ones, you can go either way round..

Its called the magic roundabout, in hemel, half way between the famous Luton Town and the shitty place up the road called shitford, oh i mean watford, sorry

[dvdlock]

Does anyone actually know what the Thai road traffic rules are for a roundabout here.

It seems most comments regarding the correct use of roundabouts are from Brits, but the correct way to use a roundabout in the UK, giving way to traffic already on the roundabout, is not the case in some other countries where traffic on the roundabout has to give way to that entering.

So which is the correct way in Thailand?

Could all those that assume they are using the roundabout correctly actually have it wrong?

Sent from my HTC Flyer P510e using Thaivisa Connect App

[Leckyman]

If the vehicles on the roundabout have to give way to those entering the roundabout it would be full in seconds, nobody would get anywhere.

Especially here, as Motocrosser says, nobody will leave a space to get a car through.

[BigC]

Does anyone actually know what the Thai road traffic rules are for a roundabout here.

It seems most comments regarding the correct use of roundabouts are from Brits, but the correct way to use a roundabout in the UK, giving way to traffic already on the roundabout, is not the case in some other countries where traffic on the roundabout has to give way to that entering.

So which is the correct way in Thailand?

Could all those that assume they are using the roundabout correctly actually have it wrong?

Sent from my HTC Flyer P510e using Thaivisa Connect App

Maybe it was you turb to get a round in

[BangrakBob]

Just stop and wait until you are definite no one is able to hit you while crossing, I don't use my foreign understanding of roundabout use.

I just think okay this guy is going to stop or this guy is not going to stop or this guy is going to hit me if i don't stop or get out of the way!

[BigC]

Just stop and wait until you are definite no one is able to hit you while crossing, I don't use my foreign understanding of roundabout use.

I just think okay this guy is going to stop or this guy is not going to stop or this guy is going to hit me if i don't stop or get out of the way!

yep a good driver is always ready for a bad driver and can re-act in time to avoid an accident. specially in koh samui i have seen people rarther hit you car than stop and let you go.

Mr Banrakbob hit thenail on the head. itisjust common sense.

If anyone starts shouting at you then you try to speak to the forang nicely. If they are nothaving it then chin the runt

[Payboy]

Roundabouts in LOS = a game of Dodge 'em at the amusement park.

[BigC]

Roundabouts in LOS = a game of Dodge 'em at the amusement park.

do u modify your cars with big bumpers. I modified my birds car with big bumpers. now she has big bumpers

[samuijimmy]

I think we are just going around in circles here!!!!! make sure to go left or is that right????

[BangrakBob]

If anyone starts shouting at you then you try to speak to the forang nicely. If they are nothaving it then chin the runt

short cross elbow, quick, simple no need to give way

[BigC]

If anyone starts shouting at you then you try to speak to the forang nicely. If they are nothaving it then chin the runt

short cross elbow, quick, simple no need to give way

I amsorry but i am a big C. Normally i just plow through the roundabout with my middle finger up as an indicator. Right or wrong. if i have a bigger car then in my view i am right as if i collide with a small car or a bike then the smaller shall come second.

sorry law of the jungle.

There again if i am driving a bike i have to remebeer there are other peiople like me so i have to be carefull.

If you come to thailand and expect everything to run like clock work and everything organised then u might be in the wrong part of the worlld people going the wrong way down a 1 way system on even a high way is seen as normal here so expecting peole to give way at a roundabout. Well leave that for the judges to decide. I shall give simon Kaol a call.

In fact i did. he told me my driving is terrible. i shall never be shoemaker. Go home i discust him. my approach to the roundabout was appauling and i get his worst review ever.

i left the cobversation crying. that i would not be the next Thailand Idoit driver (

[notime]

Does anyone actually know what the Thai road traffic rules are for a roundabout here.

It seems most comments regarding the correct use of roundabouts are from Brits, but the correct way to use a roundabout in the UK, giving way to traffic already on the roundabout, is not the case in some other countries where traffic on the roundabout has to give way to that entering.

So which is the correct way in Thailand?

Could all those that assume they are using the roundabout correctly actually have it wrong?

Sent from my HTC Flyer P510e using Thaivisa Connect App

I have passed test for Thai driving license and I don't know/remember if they have the familiar law that the vehicle on the roundabout has the right of way. I suspect that they do thought. There are "give way" signs placed on all approaching the roundabout roads that would indicate just that. I often go through that roundabout and try to "enforce" that rule to "teach" other drivers as this is the only sensible rule for roundabout. Unfortunately hardly anybody knows it here and the drivers often stop while on the roundabout giving way to whomever they think they should give way. In the process the roundabout gets jammed of course paralyzing the whole traffic around it.

The trouble here is that even the police and whoever installs these road-signs have no clue about what the rules are and only a vogue idea what those signs mean. There is a roundabout sign in front of the road island as you are coming out of Tesco/HomePro and onto the Ring Road. NOBODY follows that sign and treat that island as a roundabout with the traffic on the Ring Road (big road) having priority. There are NO roundabout signs or give way signs on Ring Road approaching that intersection so why wouldn't they? The roundabout sign is clearly an incorrect sign there which should be an "arrow pointing down and left" instead. So, how can the public understand the road signs if they are incorrect?? In effect the drivers here take matters in their own hands and don't follow ANY signs or rules. The only rule and the "correct way" in Thailand is "watch the other traffic, don't trust any signs they give and be very careful". Whoever feels like giving way gives way, and whoever is in most of the harry or has the biggest truck doesn't.

Edited July 15, 2012 by notime

[Virt]

even the T junction down at end of lake road scare me so can imagine what a roundabout would do.

Normally when we try to cross that t juntion we go like 50 m to one side just to be sure we can cross it safely lol :-)

We just stand there and look like dummies, while waiting for no ones is in sight, while the locals just sprint across the road.

So if you see one standing for twenty seconds looking both ways its me lol.

Love this island but will never get used to the traffic :-)