To the middle aged guy with a white shirt driving towards South Pattaya on Suk Road near the intersection with Soi Siam Country Club around 10:00AM today. Hopefully you subscribe to this forum. You had a young teenage boy with no helmet as your passenger and cut across the front of my car in heavy traffic. I braked and avoided your bike by millimeters. If I hadn't braked fast enough you and your passenger would have been on the ground and probably killed by being run over. You then turned around and gave me a hard glare. Wake up!, think about having to say to your partner (if you were still alive) that her child was killed due to your stupidity.

end of rant...

Edited October 21, 201213 yr by simple1

Any idiot can father a child, hope at least the kid gets some sence.

Any idiot can father a child, hope at least the kid gets some sence.

It gets to me that so many western motor bike drivers in Pattaya drive without care and attention; it's a though they are trying to prove something (?) Let's hope we do not have yet another announcement on TV that a foreigner has been killed in a motorbike accident in Pattaya, along with their Thai partner/child in the coming week/s. I know it's wishful thinking.

Just need to regularly watch the News Clippings part of the Pattaya Forum to see how many accidents involve expats. Definite room for improvement

Just need to regularly watch the News Clippings part of the Pattaya Forum to see how many accidents involve expats. Definite room for improvement

Dont be silly Farang drivers are much better than Thais,especially on motorbikes

This event mirrors my own experience. Why would someone who has learned to drive in a western country, with high standards,elect to drive like an imbecile in total disregard of his safety or the safety his family and others? I experience examples of this kind of driving all the time.

Thailand is not distinguished by it's standards of road safety or driving courtesy, however,if you have never driven elsewhere you may be forgiven to some extent for having low standards. For Europeans, Americans and Australians etc to drive this way is unforgivable and inexplicable!

Any idiot can father a child, hope at least the kid gets some sence.

It gets to me that so many western motor bike drivers in Pattaya drive without care and attention; it's a though they are trying to prove something (?) Let's hope we do not have yet another announcement on TV that a foreigner has been killed in a motorbike accident in Pattaya, along with their Thai partner/child in the coming week/s. I know it's wishful thinking.

Mind you there is no difference between car & bike drivers, an old fart in car cut me on sukumvit deliberately

Edited October 21, 201213 yr by poanoi

A couple of weeks ago I was pulling into a main road from a side road and turning right. I indicated and waited for a gap in the traffic. A motorcycle driven by a farang pulled up along side me on my right and indicated left. As I began to turn right he began to turn left and we almost collided. It's not just that some people drive recklessly or negligently, it sometimes feels more like a deliberate and obstinate attempt to be as stupid as possible!

There should be a special category of visa for these imbeciles!

For me it's nearly daily that I have to use defensive driving when a westerner just doesn't use safe driving in Pattaya, whether it be a car or motor bike driver. What especially annoys me is the western motor bike drivers with kids as pillion passengers with no helmets. Those of us who live in Pattaya see the new white marks on the road with outlines at the accident scenes every few days or so. It's as though many western drivers think they are immune to death and injury. As I said it's the risk they expose the children in their care that I fail to comprehend.

This event mirrors my own experience. Why would someone who has learned to drive in a western country, with high standards,elect to drive like an imbecile in total disregard of his safety or the safety his family and others? I experience examples of this kind of driving all the time.

Thailand is not distinguished by it's standards of road safety or driving courtesy, however,if you have never driven elsewhere you may be forgiven to some extent for having low standards. For Europeans, Americans and Australians etc to drive this way is unforgivable and inexplicable!

Same reason why so many foreigners drive drunk here... because of lack of enforcement.

We are not naturally better drivers, we drive in our home countries the way we drive because of education and enforcement. Maybe most of it is enforcement.

Here people know they can drive drunk or drive stupid and not get into trouble.. or bribe themselves out of it.

Just need to regularly watch the News Clippings part of the Pattaya Forum to see how many accidents involve expats. Definite room for improvement

Dont be silly Farang drivers are much better than Thais,especially on motorbikes

Think they are.

Many have never had any formal training or passed a test to ride a motor bike, let alone got a licences.

Any idiot can father a child, hope at least the kid gets some sence.

You had a young teenage boy with no helmet as your passenger

This doesn't mean he is the father of the teenager.

<extremely tiny font post edited out>

Re: The OP needs to take a powder and worry about his own driving.

Absolutely, I do take complete responsibility for my driving. However, one day I may be unable to avoid an accident and cause injury or death to a child due to the utter carelessness & stupidity of another driver. Someone switching lanes with no indication & cutting across the front of your vehicle whilst traveling in heavy traffic at 50 kilometers an hour leaves very little time to take evasive action.

Edited October 22, 201213 yr by metisdead

A post with extremely tiny font has been removed as well as some replies. Use the default forum font size when posting.

I think the OP makes a number of valid points. My long time TGF is a polite and courteous lady but I still need to occasionally remind her we're never in need of hurrying when we travel on her motorbike.

Yes, this place is totally lethal to a biker, i'm scared every second i drive,

primarily because of the car drivers, who don't hesitate to cross my lane

Yes, this place is totally lethal to a biker, i'm scared every second i drive,

primarily because of the car drivers, who don't hesitate to cross my lane

Westerners, Thai or both?

Edited October 22, 201213 yr by simple1

Primarily thai's, but there was one western ole man that unlike the thais did it on purpose,

the thai's honestly think they are doing the right thing, or simply dont give a shit

ive given up riding a motor bike now ive never been involved in an accident but it could happen very easily just by being a little careless and losing concentration.

It happens very easily by simply being at the wrong place at the wrong time

when someone decide to make a U-turn right in front of you,

ignoring the fact that you happen to be there at that particular moment.

Any idiot can father a child, hope at least the kid gets some sence.

You had a young teenage boy with no helmet as your passenger

This doesn't mean he is the father of the teenager.

Don't burst the bubble...

general advise to all car drivers, get on board cameras

one day they may save your skin and your liberty

i know mine have......

A couple of weeks ago I was pulling into a main road from a side road and turning right. I indicated and waited for a gap in the traffic. A motorcycle driven by a farang pulled up along side me on my right and indicated left. As I began to turn right he began to turn left and we almost collided. It's not just that some people drive recklessly or negligently, it sometimes feels more like a deliberate and obstinate attempt to be as stupid as possible!

There should be a special category of visa for these imbeciles!

This reminds me of the other day when I was at the extreme right of a lane indicating to turn right and a Thai motorcycle rider overtook me on the right immediately before I was about to make the turn.

A couple of weeks ago I was pulling into a main road from a side road and turning right. I indicated and waited for a gap in the traffic. A motorcycle driven by a farang pulled up along side me on my right and indicated left. As I began to turn right he began to turn left and we almost collided. It's not just that some people drive recklessly or negligently, it sometimes feels more like a deliberate and obstinate attempt to be as stupid as possible!

There should be a special category of visa for these imbeciles!

This reminds me of the other day when I was at the extreme right of a lane indicating to turn right and a Thai motorcycle rider overtook me on the right immediately before I was about to make the turn.

Happened to me 2 dyas ago, just after I had told gf that I actually saw a motor cyclist ride into someone's mirror at a restaurant near the lake while overtaking. Motor cyclist just got up, shook himself down and buggered off. Electric mirror from the Vigo needs replaced, 6000-7000 baht job

A couple of weeks ago I was pulling into a main road from a side road and turning right. I indicated and waited for a gap in the traffic. A motorcycle driven by a farang pulled up along side me on my right and indicated left. As I began to turn right he began to turn left and we almost collided. It's not just that some people drive recklessly or negligently, it sometimes feels more like a deliberate and obstinate attempt to be as stupid as possible!

There should be a special category of visa for these imbeciles!

This reminds me of the other day when I was at the extreme right of a lane indicating to turn right and a Thai motorcycle rider overtook me on the right immediately before I was about to make the turn.

Very common & not just limited to Thai's. Same happened to me, turning right with indicator on, from the main road into a side street & over taken at high speed on my right side. Had already looked in the rear mirror & didn't see the motor bike, if I had not looked at my drivers side mirror at the very last moment, motor bike driver would have been seriously injured, if not dead

Edited October 23, 201213 yr by simple1

A couple of weeks ago I was pulling into a main road from a side road and turning right. I indicated and waited for a gap in the traffic. A motorcycle driven by a farang pulled up along side me on my right and indicated left. As I began to turn right he began to turn left and we almost collided. It's not just that some people drive recklessly or negligently, it sometimes feels more like a deliberate and obstinate attempt to be as stupid as possible!

There should be a special category of visa for these imbeciles!

This reminds me of the other day when I was at the extreme right of a lane indicating to turn right and a Thai motorcycle rider overtook me on the right immediately before I was about to make the turn.

Very common & not just limited to Thai's. Same happened to me, turning right with indicator on, from the main road into a side street & over taken at high speed on my right side. Had already looked in the rear mirror & didn't see the motor bike, if I had not looked at my drivers side mirror at the very last moment, motor bike driver would have been seriously injured, if not dead

Or in my case I may have been the dead one - I was riding a motorcycle.

on a moped ? take my advice...wear a helmet , drive slowly if possible

I you were taking a guess, what proportion of westerners driving motorcycles in Thailand do you suspect of not have a motorcycle licence in their home country? Do you think that farangs driving motorcycles for the first time in Thailand is widespread? Generally I would say that many of the most experienced drivers in the UK are motorcyclists.

I you were taking a guess, what proportion of westerners driving motorcycles in Thailand do you suspect of not have a motorcycle licence in their home country? Do you think that farangs driving motorcycles for the first time in Thailand is widespread? Generally I would say that many of the most experienced drivers in the UK are motorcyclists.

I don't have a license for a motorbike back home but i got a Thai one does that count ?

I you were taking a guess, what proportion of westerners driving motorcycles in Thailand do you suspect of not have a motorcycle licence in their home country? Do you think that farangs driving motorcycles for the first time in Thailand is widespread? Generally I would say that many of the most experienced drivers in the UK are motorcyclists.

A guess would be that Westerners driving 250CC motorbikes and above would be experienced. Those driving basically scooters/mopeds would be inexperienced and using them due to lack of parking and road congestion around Pattaya; maybe cost is a factor.