Why Do They Bother Painting Lines On The Roads?

[rene123]

Nobody in Thailand seems to pay any attention to divider lines on the roads, so why bother painting them? People with cars or trucks feel it is their right to park anywere, even if it means blocking half a thorofare, if there is such a thing in Thailand. I understand that traffic in Thailand has seen radical changes in recent years, and where most people who used to ride bicycles or motorcycles, now have cars or trucks. Unfortunately, the infrastructure of roads and highways has not kept pace. And, in many instances there is no way to change the older narrow roads to accommodate more large vehicles. It seems that every narrow soi is clogged with people who just park in front of their residence and turn it into a narrow gap suitable for bikes only.

Twice in the past few days riding my scooter in Chiang Mai I've had oncomming silver vans flash their lights at me for being so being so obnoxious for riding in MY lane towards them. For some reason they feel it is me that should get out of the way and stop so they can go rushing through at high speed.

The taxi drivers in Bangkok are the worst. On the highway they constantly drive ON TOP of a divider lines so as to give them the chance to change their mind at any second.

I know, I'm just beating a dead horse here and stating the obvious, but it is something most noticeable when coming from North America where most everyone follows the laws and rules of the road. I just wonder that if nobody is going to follow the rules or laws, then why have them in the first place?

[BookMan]

Over time it will change. As you get to second third generation drivers coupled with education schemes and traffic law enforcement things will get better.

Of course, in ten years there might be quadruple the amount of cars on the road and a permanent state of gridlock

[Khun Jean]

Because then the BiB can apply the rules at random and make some extra.

[BigJohnnyBKK]

This.

You know the analogy of an airplane being "off course" 95% of the time, to signify the importance of forgiving little mistakes as long as you're on the right track?

Here's an example

Like that, the centre line is just a rough guideline to help keep drivers from going completely off the road.

[ignis]

Going to the road I need off the main road, are the red and white strips, No Parking...... also is the place where the Buses/mini buses stop.... of course there are a handful of little shops and a 7/11....... so you get a line of cars parked NOSE into pavement and then buses stopping in there place, now is like 3 lanes used,........ if nothing is parked then 2 lanes turn left into single lane, of course with 3 lanes blocked people still try to make 2 lanes to turn left, and the main highway has been widened to 3 lanes + 1 lane to turn, so know you have everyone backed up as no one can go straight + all the buses and mini buses also want to go straight with 2 lanes of traffic beside them turning left...... to say nothing of the parked cars trying to reverse out......... This is every day at rush hours......

Now for the laugh, sometimes the Police will be there and move everyone, if someone has not come back then they the Police clamp the wheel so road is block far longer..

This is just one road that I use, as everywhere is the same, how many Police would they need in Thailand just to stop cars parking, double and triple parking... ?

As for light flashing, that is normal, everyone that flashes there lights = get out of my way I am coming... Learn the Thai code or way of things here...... everyone must be in 1st place or push in

[Stradavarius37]

Tell you what - Come over to Boromratchachonani Road (Pinklao-Nakhon Pathom Road) where they are repaving. There are NO lines at that road, and haven't been for a month. Then try driving on it, with those giant ass two trailer trucks barreling through. Then you will realize that they do follow the lines so some extent, even if they are mere guidelines, its better than nothing.

[samran]

As someone said, they are there for guidance - and trust me - how roads are used now compared with the 80's and 90's is much better.

Dunno about the 'coming from North America' bit. Was driving in Houston and LA recently. Apart from keeping in the lanes, most of the other driving habits there reminded me of Thailand (speed, quick lane changes).

Best advice is simply to realise that there are certain conventions here. Learn them, and you'll be pretty much as safe as back home.

[BigJohnnyBKK]

Well where I come from there are traffic officers walking around every block of the city, really lots and lots of them during rush hours. There are also hundreds of privately operated tow trucks roaming around ready to be summoned by the officers' hand radios.

If you leave your car at the curb even to dash inside and buy ciggies, you'll have a very expensive ticket USD $200+.

Within ten minutes, sometimes three! Your car's front end is being hoisted up in the air and once they touch it you're not allowed near it no matter what even if you wave a thousand dollars in the operator's face he won't put it back down.

You then have to go downtown, wait in a queue, pay your fine, collect your authorization to get your car back, make a long expensive trip often to a completely different part of town, find the office and wait in another queue to pay the tow truck operator fee and the parking storage charges, then wait more until your car's returned to you, and if it's been damaged good luck making a fuss about that.

Waste of most of a day if not more (these places don't stay open 24 hours) and hundreds of dollars.

Makes a lot of money for the city government and of course the private sector.

Pop quiz question - why would this be impractical to try to implement here?

Parking spots cost thousands per month and usually none to be had in the street at all, and if you do find one have to go down and move it every few hours.

Basically impractical to use a car within the city, only wealthy people that go up to their country houses every weekend bother owning a car at all.

Edited November 16, 2012 by BigJohnnyBKK

[rene123]

I wasn't really complaining. I was just noticing the difference. In many ways I kind of enjoy the "unlawlessness" of it here. My sister in London has a small car, but it's always parked in their paid for parking spot. They always take the subway, bus or train system unless taking a trip to the countryside. I just thought it strange to waste money painting lines on the roads when nobody is ever going to follow them as a rough sort of guidance. You just get used to people coming at you in your lane. I think it might be tougher for people from North America to adjust because they normally drive on the right in Canada and the US. In an emergency a person tends to revert to how they learned. That can be a disaster when driving in Thailand or Britain.

[yourauntbob]

Because then the BiB can apply the rules at random and make some extra.

they dont already?

[Mosha]

It brings out their artistic side

[Pormax]

I don't usually like to make flippant comments but your question is like 'Why did the chicken cross the raod'

Therefore the answers I will give you are;

Because they can

Because it gives a few guys a job.

It makes the road look pretty

Other than that I have to agree with most of the posts that they are used as guidelines/warnings, but there again many Thais have never read the Highway Code and wouldn't know this so I guess my original answers are what you might get in reply.

[Payboy]

It's just a reminder that your life's on the line.

[qdinthailand]

I've been on a motorbike thru Central and South America, thru Africa, the middle East (and all over Europe).

You see a lot of different interpretations of proper driving on all the continents, from what you are used to from your experience of driving in North America or Europe.

I somewhat like the more relaxed nature of driving in South America and Africa (and Asia). Driving across a vacant lot, on a sidewalk, between one of the 3 lanes of traffic filling a 2 lane road, or in the motorcycle lane (that narrow strip between the 2 yellow lines in the middle of the road) knowing a ticket isn't in your immediate future, is certainly better than the humorless police operating in the western world.

Don't think of it as right or wrong - just "different".

Edited November 16, 2012 by qdinthailand

[phuketrichard]

I was told when i moved here its so the Thais can get home when they are drunk.

they just follow the yellow line :-)

[payak]

i thought the lines were there to hypnotise the thai drivers, honestly i have no words to describe there driving but it scares the hell out of me.

[hhiser]

Over time it will change. As you get to second third generation drivers coupled with education schemes and traffic law enforcement things will get better.

Of course, in ten years there might be quadruple the amount of cars on the road and a permanent state of gridlock

Two thing cause your argument to fall to pieces, Education and Enforcement, never will happen.

[NoshowJones]

I wasn't really complaining. I was just noticing the difference. In many ways I kind of enjoy the "unlawlessness" of it here. My sister in London has a small car, but it's always parked in their paid for parking spot. They always take the subway, bus or train system unless taking a trip to the countryside. I just thought it strange to waste money painting lines on the roads when nobody is ever going to follow them as a rough sort of guidance. You just get used to people coming at you in your lane. I think it might be tougher for people from North America to adjust because they normally drive on the right in Canada and the US. In an emergency a person tends to revert to how they learned. That can be a disaster when driving in Thailand or Britain.

Don't compare driving in Thailand with driving in Britain. When British drivers speed, cut you up etc, and plenty do, it's because they are ignorant. When drivers in Thailand do the same it's not because they are ignorant, it's because they don't know any better, and have very little common sense.

[NoshowJones]

I don't usually like to make flippant comments but your question is like 'Why did the chicken cross the raod'

Therefore the answers I will give you are;

Because they can

Because it gives a few guys a job.

It makes the road look pretty

Other than that I have to agree with most of the posts that they are used as guidelines/warnings, but there again many Thais have never read the Highway Code and wouldn't know this so I guess my original answers are what you might get in reply.

Do Thais have a highway code?

[NewlyMintedThai]

Don't worry. One day everything here will be just like at home. Then you'll be happy.

[Naam]

I just wonder that if nobody is going to follow the rules or laws, then why have them in the first place?

it's a matter of road beautification. without lines roads would be boring and dull.

[Tanaka]

To the OP, as for the oncoming silver vans flashing lights demanding you to yield, carry a few decent sized stones in your pocket. I found it works wonders. (If you don't just let them stay there, that is)

[Bagwan]

Many moons ago I read, maybe here, that there is no right of way inThailand. 5 minutes at Dolphin Circle watching the traffic convinced me that that is the case.

A stranger I was talking to in a bar a few months ago said that he was thinking of buying a paint gun and using it on oncoming buses and lorries if they had crossed the centre line. I understand his exasperation but I hope that he was joking.

[Stefanix]

Twice in the past few days riding my scooter in Chiang Mai I've had oncomming silver vans flash their lights at me for being so being so obnoxious for riding in MY lane towards them.

I think you don't know your place in the hierarchy, riding a scooter. Anything 4 wheel has priority.

Some tips to improve your situation:

- Buy a golden police helmet and brown clothes

- Drive in a very bold way criss-cross to make everyone else clear you don't care about them

- Drive on the wrong side like everyone else - left is for sissis

[MilesCh]

Two disturbing driving habits: The double line separating driving directions is ignored. Bikes are the usual culprits who drive down the wrong side of the road, but I've also seen plenty of cars and songtheaws (most commonly used by roh dangs in Chiang Mai). Have you ever tried walking across a road without looking both ways and lived to tell about it?

Secondly when I applied for a Thai driver's license I asked where I could buy the manual and as far as I could ascertain they are not sold. The DMV had one copy to read -- which was lengthy in several language with pictures. Needless to say it took me some time to wade through it and was continuously asked if I was finished. Not that someone else wanted to read it, but simply to avoid losing their one and only copy! It's no wonder the driving regulations are unknown!!

[rattler]

Going to the road I need off the main road, are the red and white strips, No Parking...... also is the place where the Buses/mini buses stop.... of course there are a handful of little shops and a 7/11....... so you get a line of cars parked NOSE into pavement and then buses stopping in there place, now is like 3 lanes used,........ if nothing is parked then 2 lanes turn left into single lane, of course with 3 lanes blocked people still try to make 2 lanes to turn left, and the main highway has been widened to 3 lanes + 1 lane to turn, so know you have everyone backed up as no one can go straight + all the buses and mini buses also want to go straight with 2 lanes of traffic beside them turning left...... to say nothing of the parked cars trying to reverse out......... This is every day at rush hours......

Now for the laugh, sometimes the Police will be there and move everyone, if someone has not come back then they the Police clamp the wheel so road is block far longer..

This is just one road that I use, as everywhere is the same, how many Police would they need in Thailand just to stop cars parking, double and triple parking... ?

As for light flashing, that is normal, everyone that flashes there lights = get out of my way I am coming... Learn the Thai code or way of things here...... everyone must be in 1st place or push in

Which tells you a lot about a society!! selfish, thoughtless, greedy

[rattler]

I've been on a motorbike thru Central and South America, thru Africa, the middle East (and all over Europe).

You see a lot of different interpretations of proper driving on all the continents, from what you are used to from your experience of driving in North America or Europe.

I somewhat like the more relaxed nature of driving in South America and Africa (and Asia). Driving across a vacant lot, on a sidewalk, between one of the 3 lanes of traffic filling a 2 lane road, or in the motorcycle lane (that narrow strip between the 2 yellow lines in the middle of the road) knowing a ticket isn't in your immediate future, is certainly better than the humorless police operating in the western world.

Don't think of it as right or wrong - just "different".

How about when right and wrong involves dead or living?

[rene123]

Like I said before, I'm actually enjoying it. I just have to pay attention at all times and never take anything for granted, such as red lights. I can judge distances pretty well of moving vehicles and know how long it takes me to squeeze into a narrow spot in traffic to get out of the way of oncoming, speeding vans. I don't think they will intentionally enjoy having my scooter smeared over the front of their vehicle. Big trucks are a different story and I stay clear of them. They think nothing of smashing anything in front of them. I try to avoid the areas that I've recently learned have traffic congestion at certain times of the day.

[BigJohnnyBKK]

Don't think of it as right or wrong - just "different".

How about when right and wrong involves dead or living?

The west grossly overvalues human life, they're more realistic here, we're just not that important.

[hookedondhamma]

Tell you what - Come over to Boromratchachonani Road (Pinklao-Nakhon Pathom Road) where they are repaving. There are NO lines at that road, and haven't been for a month. Then try driving on it, with those giant ass two trailer trucks barreling through. Then you will realize that they do follow the lines so some extent, even if they are mere guidelines, its better than nothing.

I was travelling through the other day. You are right.

By the way, are you a violinist? I used to be a violist, things have changed now but will probably get back into it. It would be great to get a string quartet together. the quartet of smile ... kill me please.

Edited November 18, 2012 by hookedondhamma