What'S You'Re Driving Style In Thailand?

[Dutchbike]

Just curious to hear what kind of driving style other TV members are using here in Thailand.

I live in Thailand for almost 2 years and at first was a bit intimitated by other road users (mostly cars) Quickly i found out that as a biker you'll belong on the far left side of the road among all the other bikes no matter what you're driving.a 50 cc or a 1400cc, when approching cars decide to overtake you better hide, by now i'm used to that and devolped a totaly different driving style then in Holland.

I'm extra cautious, but still like to drive at some higher speeds then most of the bikes, when want to do so, you're kind of forced of doing things ( left and right overtaking e.t.c e.t.c) what back home you would had overthought twice before doing.

I consider myself a safe rider, but in that 2 years (about 35.000 car km's and 20.000 bike km's) i noticed my driving style has changed, to more a ( i'm looking for the right word) "offensive" style.

[Lantern]

Ultra cautious, only in the daytime, and never drunk.

Edited July 12, 2012 by Lantern

[JeffreyMcCollum]

It really depands on many things.

What bike I am riding at the time ?

Who is with me or if I am alone ?

Where I am going ?

Weather. traffic and time of day, (Night or day light)

Up north, many of the roads you don't hardly see a car all day. and the road is yours.

But I ride aobut 100,000 km a year and that includes many longer rides. (the most was 1300 Trat to Chiang Mai in 13 hours on my ninja)

I hardly never ride on the left sholder as you say. Cars parked there and A-holes turning left right in front of you from the middle lane. I tend to ride on a line in the center, It give me more options as were I can go.

here you must pay attention 100% where back in the states you did not.

However, how I ride here. I would be put in jail in hours back home.

I daily go through red lights, split lanes, go the wrong direction, make illegal turns, as well as drive on side walks and other off limit areas and some time flat out speed

[KRS1]

I dont pay attention to rules in Thailand, too dangerous...and always try to stay ahead of the pack.

But i think back here in the US, you have to be more aware of whats around you because people drive so much faster and arent usually use to looking out for bikes. I honestly feel safer riding in Thailand, but not sure if thats because ive been riding there so long.

Edited July 12, 2012 by KRS1

[NomadJoe]

Little bike: Keep left unless overtaking, even then if cars/trucks are approaching from the rear yet there is plenty of time to change lanes, I may slow down and wait until they pass. as you don't want to be in the right lane doing 80kph passing the bikes/illegal samlors doing 40-60 when the Phuket airport "limousine"/minibus/black Furtuner comes up on you from behind doing 150-170 kph, as they do on Vijit, Chao Fah, Bypass, and Thepkasattri roads.

Big bike: I do tend to ride in the right or center lane often even though it is illegal, as I put a higher priority on safety than on obeying antiquated laws made in a time when pretty much the largest displacement motorcycle in Thailand was about 150cc. I usually ride a little faster than the average speed of cars but I keep an eye on my mirrors so I can stay out of the way of the drivers which are driving at the maximum ability of their vehicle, which is fairly often. Where I am from, the California Highway Patrol actually recommends motorcycles drive at a speed slightly faster than the flow of traffic. Depending on the roads, this is the way I drive here with the a big bike. It works well on the above mentioned roads and roads similar.

One of the worst things a motorcyclist can do here is apply some of the rules of the roads from back home. Certain rules and practices are still helpful here, such as having a healthy following distance, leaving yourself an out, straight-line braking, not outrunning your sight-line or if at night not outrunning your headlight. Other concepts we learn back home, like right-of-way, while written laws are the same, in practice they are very different. You cannot challenge larger vehicles by exerting your right of way and expect to live long. Not a joke, right-of-way here is determined by the height at which the driver is sitting is, the size of the vehicle, and how expensive the vehicle is (i.e. how important the driver thinks he or she is in this hierarchical society). I learned this the hard way when a cement mixer U-turned in front of me causing me to run off the side of the road to avoid a high speed impact and certain death. Sport bikes don't handle well at 70kph on wet grass. I was lucky to have crashed on one of the very few patches of manicured grass in Phuket, and to be wearing my full riding gear.

The highest speed limit on Phuket is 90kph. The Highway Police here have all but given up trying to enforce traffic laws because, according to the Chief, everyone inevitabley produces a card stating they are a cousin of the mayor or brother of a policeman, (They now have just 6 officers on the island of 1 million people vs 30 officers in Phangna, which is larger but has a population of 250k) not that a 500B fine/bribe is much of a deterrent anyway.

[loserlazer]

i drive like hell.

[dave_boo]

I pretty much do what Jeffrey says. The morning coffee runs on the Airblade are leisurely affairs, say 40 km/h over the 3 km...any faster and the cigarette blows out. Usually a slow down or a stop for the cows on the road.

On the other hand, when out and about on the Ninja I drive as a Thai. Lane splitting, charging to where there is an opening, etc are all par for the course. Is this safer? How can I be sure, but I have not had any accidents or close calls doing this although I've seen mates riding with me have some issues (as in a car drifts over into their area and hits their bike...luckily he kept it upright). I still get white knuckled attacking the curves in the mountains; something about being pointed down hill and having to make a corner makes me pucker up like a bull's arsehol_e during fly season.

[Hili]

i think riding offense is more safe than defense here. i just try to get away off every idiot around me as you'll never know what they do. fully agree with dave_boo.

[snowflake]

I would say I am aggresive on highways andin town- I dont trust anyone around me so it is better to pass them quickly- but safely! I work hard when riding hard, always a few exits ready( off road crash might even be one)

On a small bikeit is amazinghat I have yet killed myself...

Sent from my GT-S5660 using Thaivisa Connect App

[KeyserSoze01]

When riding through intersections, I do as the Thais do, I close my eyes and hope for the best.

[MichelBangkok]

Greetings to you all bike drivers ! I only drive cars (own two) since the 22 years I lived here and the perspective from a car driver (foreign or native) is that all bike drivers look like flies running around your car all the time without attention to the fact that a car is way bigger than the fly, sorry...the bike. And what do you want to do with flies ? So, back to the original question : my driving habits have evolved over that long period, from very "defensive-polite" to "sometimes-aggressive-native" ('native' meaning in this case not-so-polite); especially against the line cutters and jumpers, but trying to remember that road rage here could prove mortal, as we have monitored in so many instances.

[dave_boo]

Michel; thanks for the heads up from a non-rider. It's good to get reminded that there are homicidial cage passengers out there who apparently have their delicates egos enraged by the slightest precieved insult...

Your post happens to be an argument against control also.

[snowflake]

Tell me if you go south so I can park my bike and bring out a cement truck, then we can crash and you will be the fly!!!

Bike riders (the ones that know what they are doing) are always calculating and judging angles, lines, speed, dangers, and anything else that you might think off. Ok so the local somchai don't but people who has been riding for years ARE!!!

So you sit in a car, lazy and bored, listening to music, texting, talking to your GIG, do you really pay attention to the road at the same level as the biker? NOPE, so let us just hope that you are lucky enough to not hit a biker, but start paying attention to the road and try to understand what bikers are doing...

[overherebc]

I pretty much do what Jeffrey says. The morning coffee runs on the Airblade are leisurely affairs, say 40 km/h over the 3 km...any faster and the cigarette blows out. Usually a slow down or a stop for the cows on the road.

On the other hand, when out and about on the Ninja I drive as a Thai. Lane splitting, charging to where there is an opening, etc are all par for the course. Is this safer? How can I be sure, but I have not had any accidents or close calls doing this although I've seen mates riding with me have some issues (as in a car drifts over into their area and hits their bike...luckily he kept it upright). I still get white knuckled attacking the curves in the mountains; something about being pointed down hill and having to make a corner makes me pucker up like a bull's arsehol_e during fly season.

That's natural reaction to give you a good grip on the seat

[MichelBangkok]

Tell me if you go south so I can park my bike and bring out a cement truck, then we can crash and you will be the fly!!!

Bike riders (the ones that know what they are doing) are always calculating and judging angles, lines, speed, dangers, and anything else that you might think off. Ok so the local somchai don't but people who has been riding for years ARE!!!

So you sit in a car, lazy and bored, listening to music, texting, talking to your GIG, do you really pay attention to the road at the same level as the biker? NOPE, so let us just hope that you are lucky enough to not hit a biker, but start paying attention to the road and try to understand what bikers are doing...

Hello Snowflake; please note that this perspective is from the greater Bangkok area driving, as my name implies. Bikes in the metropolis are a real pain for themselves and for car-truck-bus drivers as well, although they are a money-making machine for the police enjoying to check them way more regularly than they do for us, car drivers - could there be a reason? Especially dangerous are the taxi-bikes in green, or red or yellow attires, trying to deliver their clients the fastest possible way irrelevant of traffic rules or security. In country, the situation is different and the feeling is much better toward the two wheelers sharing the road. As for your assumption that car drivers are 'lazy and bored and do not pay attention to the road' you are entitled to your opinion, although I do not concur, especially when one has to watch for all the flies around trying to slide between your car and the next one with a 5 millimeters gap on each side or pass on either side whatsoever the circumstances... How many times I was hit this way for the bike - and biker - to disappear only leaving a scratch as a souvenir ? It is then very difficult to discriminate the, how do you say ? 'the ones that know what they are doing'... Finally as for your invitation to the South, I would kindly decline, not in the mood to meet you at the wheel of a cement truck, given your seemingly hot temper responding to a very moderate comment !

[BSJ]

I am more agressive here....but I've tripled my safety margins!

[snowflake]

My point was that if one compare cars vs bikes, the car drivers are in general more lazy than bikers. I give that there are MANY people on the road that should never be there, and yes, it sucks that they leave souvenirs on your car, deepest appologies on behalf of those little f...ers. A tip for you might be to create a larger space around your car (i know that is not always possible)...

You say bikes are flying around like flies- change your perspective- what do you think bikers feel about clowns that think they own the road in their SUV? Do bikers not have thesame rights on the road as cars? Being tailgated while you are in your cage is not nice, but think i you are tailgated while you are on a honda wave by a drugged out powerhungry drunk flyswatter (sp)... Believe me, the attentiong goes to what is happening behind you, not the road.

It is easy to blame all bikers if you dont ride yourself, but please, you treat us as flies, why should we treat you differently???

We do agree about the scratches on you car- no excuse there- but i am sure not everyone hits you...

When I learned to ride a bike my instructor said something line this; "It iseasy to be lazy in your cage, automatic gear- point and step on pedal, talk, eat,drink, argue, sleep- comes easily because you just sit sown and point your car, you are not in touch winh thed traffic- vs on your bike, you have to work- openings in the traffic, avoid cars that dont check their blind spot or rear view mirror, you are one with the bike." Or close to that. I would also add sms to his speech... Yes i have seen people texting while riding (darwins law will catch up).

You claim that this is for the big cities but have you thought about the people driving cars? Maybe you dont treat bikers nice, let them filter in traffic, be polite and keep distance to the bikes as you would with cars.

All I say is that you need to look at it from both sides- as everyone should.

Ps. If you do hea south I would ofcourse not greet you with a cement truck, maybe a glass or two would better?

Wow early morning rant...

Sent from my GT-S5660 using Thaivisa Connect App

[SumetCycle]

Fast and aggressive, but always courteous to fellow riders, pedestrians, and cagers alike. When I only drove cars, I used to always complain about idiot motorcycle riders. Now that I mainly ride motorcycles, I complain about idiot car drivers. I guess it's a matter of perspective.

[BSJ]

Fast and aggressive, but always courteous to fellow riders, pedestrians, and cagers alike. When I only drove cars, I used to always complain about idiot motorcycle riders. Now that I mainly ride motorcycles, I complain about idiot car drivers. I guess it's a matter of perspective.

In Pattaya the worse drivers are the old farts in SUVs and pick-ups that should be letting their toyboys or teenage wifes drive. I know I'd feel a lot safer!

[MichelBangkok]

My point was that if one compare cars vs bikes, the car drivers are in general more lazy than bikers. I give that there are MANY people on the road that should never be there, and yes, it sucks that they leave souvenirs on your car, deepest appologies on behalf of those little f...ers. A tip for you might be to create a larger space around your car (i know that is not always possible)...

You say bikes are flying around like flies- change your perspective- what do you think bikers feel about clowns that think they own the road in their SUV? Do bikers not have thesame rights on the road as cars? Being tailgated while you are in your cage is not nice, but think i you are tailgated while you are on a honda wave by a drugged out powerhungry drunk flyswatter (sp)... Believe me, the attentiong goes to what is happening behind you, not the road.

It is easy to blame all bikers if you dont ride yourself, but please, you treat us as flies, why should we treat you differently???

We do agree about the scratches on you car- no excuse there- but i am sure not everyone hits you...

When I learned to ride a bike my instructor said something line this; "It iseasy to be lazy in your cage, automatic gear- point and step on pedal, talk, eat,drink, argue, sleep- comes easily because you just sit sown and point your car, you are not in touch winh thed traffic- vs on your bike, you have to work- openings in the traffic, avoid cars that dont check their blind spot or rear view mirror, you are one with the bike." Or close to that. I would also add sms to his speech... Yes i have seen people texting while riding (darwins law will catch up).

You claim that this is for the big cities but have you thought about the people driving cars? Maybe you dont treat bikers nice, let them filter in traffic, be polite and keep distance to the bikes as you would with cars.

All I say is that you need to look at it from both sides- as everyone should.

Ps. If you do hea south I would ofcourse not greet you with a cement truck, maybe a glass or two would better?

Snowflake first things first : excellent idea these two glasses, as long as there is no cement inside... More seriously, thank's for the offer, it is kind indeed. If you come to the metropolis, same offer from this side of the driving divide.

As for your added comments, it is certainly, as SometCycle also mentioned, a question of perspective. Admit that the last time I drove a bike in this country it was 24 years ago, just before establishing myself permanently in the region; but once you drove a two-wheeler, you remember the feeling for life... It seems that a great many drivers, whatsoever the locomotion device they use, are careless and sometimes very dangerous to others, especially in the large cities. It seems that the issue with security and prevention is not understood by the Thai psyche, the same as for most foreigners do, coming from countries where regulations are enforced and where no one would dream about bribing a policeman for 100 bahts. One living here long enough usually adapt to the local circumstances or quit. You can say that, as a driver, I have "adapted", translation : sadly enough I became a little bit more "local", and not necessarily in the good sense of it. This being stated, I would certainly consider myself way more careful than the average "local" driver, irrelevant of the numbers of wheels under me. Understand that this forum is for "Bikes in Thailand", so maybe I should have refrained from intervening. Apologies if considered out of topic ! Any time for the two glasses... Cheers !

[bbradsby]

Hello Snowflake; please note that this perspective is from the greater Bangkok area driving, as my name implies. Bikes in the metropolis are a real pain for themselves and for car-truck-bus drivers as well, although they are a money-making machine for the police enjoying to check them way more regularly than they do for us, car drivers - could there be a reason? Especially dangerous are the taxi-bikes in green, or red or yellow attires, trying to deliver their clients the fastest possible way irrelevant of traffic rules or security. In country, the situation is different and the feeling is much better toward the two wheelers sharing the road. As for your assumption that car drivers are 'lazy and bored and do not pay attention to the road' you are entitled to your opinion, although I do not concur, especially when one has to watch for all the flies around trying to slide between your car and the next one with a 5 millimeters gap on each side or pass on either side whatsoever the circumstances... How many times I was hit this way for the bike - and biker - to disappear only leaving a scratch as a souvenir ? It is then very difficult to discriminate the, how do you say ? 'the ones that know what they are doing'... Finally as for your invitation to the South, I would kindly decline, not in the mood to meet you at the wheel of a cement truck, given your seemingly hot temper responding to a very moderate comment !

Instead of insulting them by calling them nuisances and flies, you should be singing the praises of all the urban bikers and moto-taxi passengers who every day, every hour and every soi, massively reduce your cage-created traffic jambs all over Bangkok while risking their lives to car drivers' inattention, arrogance and disrespect for human life in the way they drive. Imagine every person on a bike, instead riding in a car all by themselves likely just like you... and then do the math on how many cars would be added to your car-dream-world. We call that a nightmare.

[BlackArtemis]

Sad to say, but highly aggressive. I feel that living here has shown me that the best defense is a good offense. Working brakes and a proper helmet are a must though >_>

Is it good that I speed around cars and cut them off? No, but I would rather be the one doing it than it happening to me.

My pet peeves are people on their cell phones or those listening to music on a scooter.

Edited July 15, 2012 by BlackArtemis

[T_Dog]

Posts number 3 and 5 are excellent. I find myself getting a lot more careful and conservative after spending many days visiting three friends in ortho recovery wards. Just seeing 60 folks recovering really lets you know how dangerous motorcycling here is.

[MichelBangkok]

Instead of insulting them by calling them nuisances and flies, you should be singing the praises of all the urban bikers and moto-taxi passengers who every day, every hour and every soi, massively reduce your cage-created traffic jambs all over Bangkok while risking their lives to car drivers' inattention, arrogance and disrespect for human life in the way they drive. Imagine every person on a bike, instead riding in a car all by themselves likely just like you... and then do the math on how many cars would be added to your car-dream-world. We call that a nightmare.

Fully support the motion ! I am signing loud and clear... But doubt that most bikers in Bangkok would not buy a car would their finances allow it. If you understand that not all but many car drivers initiated their good habits by running a bike for a while... It is certainly way faster in the Bangkok traffic using two wheelers, no question asked. I am still riding on the pillion, once in a while, although my heart-rate is increasing every time at the desperation of my cardiologist. Back to your accusation that I am insulting, sorry, but many, many, many are sadly acting exactly like flies; just stand on a busy corner (aren't they all ?) and watch from - maybe - a pedestrian perspective for a change ? Many bikes are running on sidewalks like if it was their own mini-highways, pedestrians remaining at the lowest end of the transportation food chain... Many bikes jump red lights like if these were just turning yellow. Many zigzag (buz ?) around cars to try to get in front of anything that moves, oh yes protecting themselves, but without consideration for others, etc. So am I really that insulting bbradsby ? But I do fully agree that all bike drivers are paying attention way more than your typical car-truck-bus driver, it is a question of simple survival, given the vulnerability of the vehicle versus the propensity of other drivers to consider the road their own property, car drivers included !

[Bung]

I used to be a dispatch rider in London in the '80's. I ride here like I did there, that is very defensively and like a radar I scan the road ahead and treat everything as a potential threat and idiot.

Most locals here don't have much concern with safety as they have a Buddha lucky amulet on their side, have little conscious about killing someone and insurance will cover any repairs free. If you are a Farang even better as you will pay and then some.

I do like to open it up on my Triumph out on the open road, around town on my CRF 250, pretty careful but keep up with the flow of traffic, I aint using the scooter lane and if a car wants to try and shove me over there I can easily get away from him.

One thing I really hate here that some guys do is not slow down while riding through villages. I saw one guy use it as an opportunity to pop wheelies while passing traffic. It really doesn't endear us to the locals and I have seen the looks following through after the speeders. If you hit a kid like that you are history here. There are just too many half asleep, too young, drunk riders in villages. Not to mention the added cars, dogs, tuk tuks etc

Do us all a favour guys, slow down through the villages. A few extra minutes on your ride wont hurt and a lot of locals and kids love to see a procession of big bikes cruising through town. Respectfully.

[bbradsby]

Instead of insulting them by calling them nuisances and flies, you should be singing the praises of all the urban bikers and moto-taxi passengers who every day, every hour and every soi, massively reduce your cage-created traffic jambs all over Bangkok while risking their lives to car drivers' inattention, arrogance and disrespect for human life in the way they drive. Imagine every person on a bike, instead riding in a car all by themselves likely just like you... and then do the math on how many cars would be added to your car-dream-world. We call that a nightmare.

Fully support the motion ! I am signing loud and clear... But doubt that most bikers in Bangkok would not buy a car would their finances allow it. If you understand that not all but many car drivers initiated their good habits by running a bike for a while... It is certainly way faster in the Bangkok traffic using two wheelers, no question asked. I am still riding on the pillion, once in a while, although my heart-rate is increasing every time at the desperation of my cardiologist. Back to your accusation that I am insulting, sorry, but many, many, many are sadly acting exactly like flies; just stand on a busy corner (aren't they all ?) and watch from - maybe - a pedestrian perspective for a change ? Many bikes are running on sidewalks like if it was their own mini-highways, pedestrians remaining at the lowest end of the transportation food chain... Many bikes jump red lights like if these were just turning yellow. Many zigzag (buz ?) around cars to try to get in front of anything that moves, oh yes protecting themselves, but without consideration for others, etc. So am I really that insulting bbradsby ? But I do fully agree that all bike drivers are paying attention way more than your typical car-truck-bus driver, it is a question of simple survival, given the vulnerability of the vehicle versus the propensity of other drivers to consider the road their own property, car drivers included !

The motivations for riding bikes are immaterial to the discussion, we all benefit from their choice. I will never say that all bikers are not idiots. I am daily irritated and not amused by the teens & twenty-somethings that treat the commute as a scooter race. But by definition, males at this age have yet to realize they are mortal, and Darwin's Law culls these from the herd... eventually. And dont give an inch when they ride at you on the sidewalk. Just stare them down and they blink.

[fasteddie]

i drive like hell.

maybe so but he's asking what you ride like!

[NoshowJones]

It really depands on many things.

What bike I am riding at the time ?

Who is with me or if I am alone ?

Where I am going ?

Weather. traffic and time of day, (Night or day light)

Up north, many of the roads you don't hardly see a car all day. and the road is yours.

But I ride aobut 100,000 km a year and that includes many longer rides. (the most was 1300 Trat to Chiang Mai in 13 hours on my ninja)

I hardly never ride on the left sholder as you say. Cars parked there and A-holes turning left right in front of you from the middle lane. I tend to ride on a line in the center, It give me more options as were I can go.

here you must pay attention 100% where back in the states you did not.

However, how I ride here. I would be put in jail in hours back home.

I daily go through red lights, split lanes, go the wrong direction, make illegal turns, as well as drive on side walks and other off limit areas and some time flat out speed

If you drive on sidewalks, I hope someday you get seriously injured, you deserve it for putting innocent people at risk, ignorant SOD.

[NoshowJones]

Is it legal to ride your'e motor cycle on the sidewalks in Bangkok? If not, why are slopes made at the end of sidewalks? Is it the bikers themselves that do this? OH yes, This is Thailand where peoples lifes and injury don't matter.

[BirdsandBooze]

i drive like hell.

Where I come from that literally means drives badly