To argue about Thai riding skills is silly. The statistics indicate the truth-20,000 die each year on the roads; the majority are Thai bike riders. They ride like idiots with a belief they will be protected by some deity. They just don't get all the publicity on this expat forum when they come to grief. Along comes a naive young foreign tourist, he possibly doesn't have a bike license, certainly hasn't been riding through the mad streets here since he was 12 going to school. He thinks he can emulate the madness of the locals on his cheap rental bike, and no one here wears a helmet! He rides too fast and recklessly because he's on holiday and there are no cops waving you down, no rules!! What he doesn't have is the knowledge that many Thai car drivers are idiotic and erratic also. Back in London no car driver does a U turn unless it's safe and clear. Here anyone can pull out into traffic, from anywhere at any time. The Thai dare devil knows it, the long-term expat knows it, the stupid tourist doesn't, and he cannons into the car at great speed.
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