Warn Tourists About Thai Driving Habits, Expert Says

[Mosha]

Road safety in Thailand: worse then in India... Every year about 6500 deaths on Thai Roads, no wonder with these habits. Drunk driving, driving without licence, etc.

2010 figures 19.6 deaths per 100,000 population. Your figures are too low.

[jamhar]

If you think thai drivers suck check this out...

Russian dash cam hell

I was impressed with the horse that knew how to use the crosswalk.

more "streetsmart" than most of the Los Angeles population

[pedro01]

Since TOT is internationally promoting Thailand as a tourist haven ... a tourist paradise .... doesn't the Thai government and people have a moral duty to make it safe? People spending, in some cases, a lot of money for a relaxing holiday are not going to read a half dozen pamphlets on how to be safe in a tourist paradise.

Are they?

dam_n - wish they'd focus on getting my internet fixed!

[NoshowJones]

You mean 95% of Thai drivers have licences????

[jamhar]

PS! I have seen elephants having a red light attached to the tail

Hey that's my Ex you're talking about!

[pedro01]

I am glad driving in Thailand is not as bad as all the people on this thread make out.

Thje MAJORITY of Thai drivers are absolutely fine. In fact, I'd say we have about the same percentage of idiot drivers in Thailand as anywhere else.

The problem here is that their idiocy is unrestrained and unencumbered by any chance of recourse. The idiots are bigger idiots because there is no enforcement of road laws.

I can assure you the majority of Thai drivers are just as annoyed about this as the expats on the board. You should hear my wife swear when she's driving...

[youngXpat]

Last weekend, my lady and I were driving to Chiang Rai to visit my son. On approaching Phayao province, on a dual carriageway part of the highway, I approached a Vigo pick-up, travelling a little faster than he was, maybe he was moving at 100km/h and me at 110km/h. He was in the slow lane as was I. I indicated right to move out of my lane and even did the Thai flash your headlights thing(habit picked up due to many near misses) so he could see me coming and started the over taking procedure. All seemed normal until we met a long, right hand bend and by this time, I am side by side with the Vigo. Anyway, he then started to do the Thai thing and drift into my lane. Girlfriend was screaming, I was on the horn and at last, just as we are inches from the storm ditch, he sees me and moves into his own lane. On passing him and recovering from a mild coronary, I said to my girlfriend, 'nice new pick up but he can't drive it' to which the girlfriend explained that the red number plate wasn't a new car plate but a police plate! Incident 1.

We then stopped at a PTT station to use the toilet and low and behold, the gold coloured Vigo pulls up too. I swear to you all, 3 men, 2 of which must have been off duty policemen, dressed in coppers casual clothes, you know black or white t-shirts with the small, royal police emblem on them, almost fell out of the vehicle, red eyes, slurring away, shouting at each other, god only knows why!!! incident 2.

I'm sharing this story with you because if the people that are entrusted with keeping the roads safe can't even drive and or abuse the right to drive and others safety, what chance do we really have???

[thaibeachlovers]

Recently, having just obtained my Thai driving licence, I drove from Lamphun to Chiang Mai, around Chiang Mai and back again. I said to my wife that I'll never do that again, as it scared me witless.

The things that REALLY got me were doing a U turn at the correct places, as so much traffic, just have to take a chance and go for it or stay forever, and trying to work out the signage, or in most cases lack of signage. eg when changing from the cross road to the Lamphun highway, there is an overhead sign with 2 arrows, indicating to me that there are 2 lanes on the turnoff, but in fact only 1 lane, causing me to miss the exit and having to drive a considerable way till we reached a U turn.

Then there are the police directing traffic on a main highway at a light controlled intersection ( lights still working ), without any warning signs, and police checkpoints on the supposed expressway.

Frankly, with the sheer volume of traffic and the number of uncontrolled side roads onto main thoroughfares, I now don't blame Thais for being aggressive drivers, as otherwise, they'll never get anywhere.

However, to be fair, I found Dublin drivers to be appalling, so it's not just Thais. I used to drive around Dublin in the countryside just to avoid going through the city centre- place was mad.

Edited February 19, 2013 by thaibeachlovers

[jamhar]

Sorry about the double post but had to get this off my mind.

In every country, people complain about the other drivers.

Blacks , whites, asians, old, young, men, women.

Its always the others that are such horrible drivers.

My dad would complain about other drivers

as he drove, biting his lit cigarette in half.

Of course I would complain about my dad's driving to my friends.

My point? I dont know that Thai's are as bad as most on here are making them out to be.

i'm off my soap box,

please continue with your whine-a-thon.

[draftvader]

Here is the FCO (British government) advise.

Road Travel

An International Driving Permit or Thai driving licence is required to drive in Thailand.

In Thailand 124,855 people were killed in road traffic accidents between 2000 and 2010 meaning that on average there were over 12,000 deaths a year from road traffic accidents during this period. In the UK there have been on average about 3,000 deaths from road traffic accidents each year over the past decade. In any comparison of these statistics, you should note that there is a difference in the method of calculating statistics for road deaths in Thailand (at the scene of the accident) and the UK (within 30 days of the accident). The risk of death or injury on the road increases if you travel at night.

With motorcycles so widely used in Thailand the majority of road traffic accidents involve motorcycles, contributing to around 70% of all road deaths. If you are riding a motorcycle in Thailand take extra care. According to Thai law, safety helmets must be worn.

Serious accidents involving other vehicles including cars, coaches and mini-buses also occur. Many accidents are due to poor application of vehicle and driver safety standards. There have been a number of accidents involving overnight coach travel. In June 2011, 3 British nationals were killed in an accident involving overnight coach travel, on 3 July 2012 2 British nationals were injured in an overnight coach crash and on 6 February 2013 3 British nationals were injured in an accident, again involving overnight coach travel. Seek local advice if you are in any doubt about the safety of your transport provider.

The motorcycles or scooters for hire in beach resorts are often unregistered and cannot be used legally on a public road. Before you hire a vehicle, check your travel insurance policy to ensure that you are covered and check the small print of the lease agreement. Never hand over your passport as a guarantee against returning a motorcycle or scooter. Unscrupulous owners have been known to hold on to passports against claimed damage to the motorcycle or scooter.

Riding ‘Quad-bikes’ can also be dangerous. It is illegal to drive these on the roads in Thailand even though they are available to hire on the roadside.

The last ammendment was to mention the dangers of overnight coaches. In other words there are plenty of warnings, but people are still happy to take the risk. There are worse in the world, but they are few and far between!

[louse1953]

How about teaching Thais to drive properly before issuing a DL?

How many Thai drivers actually have real driving licences?????

There's a guy up the road from me that buys wrecked trucks, mostly older ones and fixes them up to sell. He told me many of these people come in, make a down payment and drive out of the lot. Many of them don't have drivers licence.And some have never driven before.

During this New Year week police stopped around 4 million vehicles and out of them over 200,000 faced legal action for driving without a license. That makes it about 5% of all drivers do not have a license.

Same % as Oz.

[stingray]

We do car rentals. Up to my expirience: If a foreigner had a car accident, it was always his fault. The last thing happened, when a local Lady hit one of our customer in the back. After visiting the Police Station, our customer was wrong, they said. If we don't acepted the officers desition, we had to apeal in the court. That's the way they "play". Our customer can't wait several months to go to court. He would not beable ti leave the country. Btw, they said, His international DL Is not valid for Thailand. That's the game they play.

[ttl]

It is the speed that kills'

90KMH is supposed to be the highway limit.for cars and vans

A local prominentHotel in my area operates a fleet of mini vans, they have a sign that passengers are requested to report their driver if they exceed their 110kmh speed limit sign..

At a road check point recently I actually found an officer who spoke reasonable English.When i queeried my above comment,I got a wide smile.

He said they have to connect with airline flights so we look after them and they look after us.

Try travelling long distance and count the number of vehicle that pass you while you are doing 90.One would need a fast calculator.

Mai Pen Lai!

i questioned WHY THAILAND DOES NOT HAVE SPEED CAMERAS? and he said many people have NO money so what is the use!

[smedly]

I have seen equally as much bad driving by falangs as Thais maybe even worse - at least Thais can drive badly well falangs that think they can do as Thais are actually more dangerous - cars and bikes

[gibson123]

This aimed at the majority and not everybody.....

All over the world, drivers are the same.....they drink and drive (UK and Europe too), smoke joints (UK and Europe too), play with mobiles (UK and Europe too), put make-up on (UK and Europe too) look at their passengers while talking (This really pisses me off)...I've seen it all!! The Farang come here with their agressive atitude thinking they are the best drivers in the world....well news for you...you are not! I've seen more wobbly, never rode a bike in their life Farang, here than in any other country I have been to, and I've been to many!

Furthermore, the Thais don't get upset when someone make an honest mistake, they avoid the potential accident and drive on. That's what I have witnesed so far in my 2 years here. The farang hoot their horns, shout, and just want to cause a bigger problem (Unless the driver in front is bigger than them) :-)

Just drive careful, keep your eyes on the road and mirrors, and don't drink! And main point....learn to drive a bike before you get here.

And that's my 2 cents :-)

Your post reads like a Thai masquerading as a foreigner, and I have not met to many aggressive farang who weren't tourists. I did have an encounter this morning with a racist Thai male who felt like he needed to cut me off wherever I drove my motorcycle. Maybe he was trying to over compensate for something lacking...

I'm not a Thai...I'm originally from the UK, but not been back for over 13 years. However, I want to say......What people have described as bad driving here, and only by the Thais is true, but all of us have these same bad habits. Most of you don't know you do them, and oblivious to who you have upset or annoyed. Most of my working days were spent driving around London, my god! The worst drivers in the world are there....and you think Thailand is bad!! Then 13 + years in the Czech republic....You think they drive better than here :-) People love to slag off other people, but they do the same as the people they are slagging off...they just don't know it. back....

[BahBahBoBo]

As someone who travelled an around the world motorcycle journey more than 6 years in total this story brings me sadness for this couple, and my sympathies and condolances to their families.

I do not agree with all the Thai bashing on the forum here, this accident can happen anywhere and all around the world including the western nations there is always that percentage of horrendous driving, hit-and-runs, etc.

To survive on any such journey, at least I can say in my case, I rode defensively, always scanning the path ahead, ALWAYS expecting the idiot to pull out in front of me from a side road, ALWAYS expecting that vehicle approaching the intersection ahead where I had a green light to run it, and guaging THEIR approach in mental calculation. ALWAYS being aware of different driving customs.

A perfect example is many nations use a turn signal, for example a right signal, to indicate to a following vehicle to overtake them o the right! So assuming they are turning right, and going around their left could get you killed.

I had a sidecar, and gear on it. I had fitted extra brake lights and running lights for visibility, and even the orange safety triangle with a canadian flag stuck in the middle of it on the sidecar rear. Believe me, that rig was no 'slow moving vehicle' but the extra visibility, specifically in darkeness, was extra life insurance.

I came around a curve on a beautiful Moroccan coastal road, riding and admiring the beauty of the day and the seaside, and MORE THAN half the road was gone into the sea! No warning signs at all!

I narrowly missed death.

Adventure travel is just filled with such events, thats what makes it all so worthwhile, like climbing a mountain or skydiving. Its all part of the adventure and you need to act accordingly and you also accept the dangers.

The key to surviving in any foriegn environment is awareness and cautionary calculations.

Even when walking.

If on a dark lonely road and a suspicious feeling on an individual or group approaching you, at a strategic time, cross the road at an angle. If they then cross that road, look at a window or other item as if it was your interest, and cross back. If they cross back you have a fight on your hands but you will not be caught unaware or jumped without warning.

It served me well, only once having a late night fight with three attackers in Guatemala in six years.

The Thai radio announcer cannot be condemned for stating the obvious. Bicycles are particularly susceptable to accidents. If you cannot move with the flow of traffic, then every vehicle passing you is a potential accident, vehicles passing you may also block a potential 'pull-out' from seeing you or awareness of you. On a bicycle small safety triangles on rear, additional reflectors all around, orange safety vests, these are all in my opinion mandatory common sense life insurance.

Thai traffic is NOTHING compared with making your way through a major African city with all the traffic lights NOT WORKING as a regular daily event.

I've been run off the road, but never in Thailand.

Bottom line, if you're not a local, anywhere, learn how those locals drive (good and bad habits) and ALWAYS expect stupidity and the unexpected. You'll live longer.

R.I.P. to this lovely couple, at least they left this world doing what they loved and not stuck in some <deleted> job with a punchclock.

[a99az]

What driving habits? I live up in Nongbulamphu and I drive as bad or worse then the locals. What rules of the road? Maybe in some book but none in reality. If my mother only knew how bad i drive up here. Speed freak

You must be so proud, how will you feel I wonder if you kill a child? I bet you won't fell so proud. I can tell you, dead children don't look very pretty.

[Soi Sauce]

mix the accident rate, murder rate, alcohol consumption, and corruption indexes; add in the scams, drugs, and prostitution, what image is there to damage?

[coma]

Hah ? Don't try and educate people how to correctly control a vehicle, follow normal traffic etiquette, have the BIB enforce traffic violations. Teach them to reverse park, three point turns and not to bow out to the middle of the road to make a turn into a side street as if driving a Abram tank. Not to mention ensuring they have a license to drive to start with, a road worthy vehicle and that they are not drunk. Then we have double and tripple parkers, Songtaews that bee line it to the kurb without indicating to get a fare. etc etc etc.

Iraqis have better driving skills than this lot.

Are you saying in a pissing contest Thailand would beat out Iraq as the worst drivers. Or worst driving habits? How would Bangladesh do if they were allowed to enter the contest?

Who are the judges what are there qualifications?

The whole idea of educating tourist is just an extension of the nanny state where they come from.

Really a tourist arriving in Thailand expecting the same driving habits as where he come's from is ridicules then again coming from a nanny state not surprising.

How about the nanny states educate there citizens on the realities of the world.

To answer your first question. Yes. As for your second question, I have never been to Bangladesh and never want to so I cannot comment.

I do agree with your Nanny state call. I guess I am more about having the Thais do it more for themselves than for tourists. After all almost all road accidents in Thailand involve Thais and the vast majority of road fatalities in this country are indeed Thais.

When I first came to Thailand many years ago it was as a tourist and there wasn't a soul on the planet that would get me behind the wheel or riding a motorcycle. Nowadays I would place myself as one of the top 100 road users here. lol !!!!

[Angeledge7777]

The road safety code in Thailand is exactly the same as Canada, USA, UK or every countries all around the world. The fact is that the police does not enforce the laws and even if they want to, with which vehicule can they enforce the laws?

Once there is an accident, Thais have different strategies to make you pay instead of them. If you catch the rich or famous one, he is going to bribe the police and you are going to pay for the damages. If you catch the poor one, he is going to beg you not to make him pay because he does not have money.

Is that legal in Thailand to drive wrong way if you are a car or a motorbike, no.

Is that legal in Thailand to drive on the sidewalk, no.

Is that legal in Thailand to overtake another car on the left, no.

Is that legal in Thailand to overtake someone and turn on the lights in sign to the other guy to get his ass out of the way or he is going to kill you, no.

Is that legal for a scooter to ride on the highways in Thailand, no.

All of these are illegal here as they are in our respective countries but who is going to enforce it? The policeman in his box doing traffic is going to run at you? The policeman in his old rusty Thairung that can barely go up to 100KM/h?

Anyway, driving in Thailand is all about luck. Thais are easily distracted while driving a vehicule. Thais are also selfish and they all thing they are alone on the road. Thais does not look on their mirrors or at their dead angle. They press gas and look forward, that is it. If you are next to them and you does not break to let them pass, you are going to have an accident, it is as simple as that.

In resume, buy the biggest car you can with airbags everywhere for it to turn as a balloon when you have an accident because it is going to happen. Their book is a stupid move as they admit to the rest of the world that they does not follows the law.

I had an accident with a motorbike that was wrong way a few month ago. The motorbike driver had no helmet and no driver license. He was trying to intimidate me with his friends not to pay because he supposedly had no money. The police arrived and after telling them he was wring way and everything, he had to pay my new bumper. There are laws, they are going to enforce them if you have an accident or something.

So, all those that comes gere in Thailand and drive like shit, like most of the Thais does, do not complain if you have an accident and the police make you pay. Follow the rules and the day you are going to have an accident, it is going to be easier for you to claim your innocence and make the other driver pay.

Note: i also bought a camera to fix in my car. It only costs 1000 baht and is very useful in the case you have an accident.

[onflipflops]

If driving yourself does not kill you, you are just as liaable to die in a bus or minibus.

True, and therefore I prefer driving myself.

I've been too often in public minivans/ buses that were driving like crazy. When driving myself, at least I have some influence on the situations.

Driving during the day isn't that bad as long as you keep in mind that the other road users could (and will) do something stupid.

At night is a bit more scary. I can't believe all the places where they have changed road situations, but forgot to remove the old lining, and you just need to guess which line to follow and not just accidentily wander off your lane and possibly hit a car next to you. I like the environmental friendly highways where they've decided not to turn on the ligghts, but you need to be careful with the dogs, drunks, and motorcycles/ cars without lights.

However, last October I've visited Sumatra and found out that Thailand isn't all that bad...

Many Thais might drive like crazy, and unlike in daily life, suddenly they are in a hurry when driving a car or motorbike, but I don't consider them being rude. They don't create much space for you, you need to create it yourself, but I think it's nothing personal .

It's sad for this traveling couple to die on the road, but a serious risk when traveling. I presume most travellers die in traffic. The 304 road (at least I've heard it happened there) is not a road where I would like to go on my bicycle, nor on a motorbike. I feel a bit safer in a car. Last week I saw a foreigner on a bicycle on the Highway No. 2. Maybe he was lost, or just out of his mind.

Edited February 19, 2013 by onflipflops

[Billmont]

I believe that the authorities know that the Thai driving culture needs to change but where to start. Leave to the next government, lets have some crackdowns at holiday time etc. I think that a start will be short educations driving videos played during adverts on prime TV, such as Thai Soaps and Football matches. All police should be made to watch them and then ask them to enforce. The advert should say you should follow this advise or you may be fined and or lose your licence. It may take years to noticably improve the Thai driving but at least it would be a start and show intention.

[smedly]

If driving yourself does not kill you, you are just as liaable to die in a bus or minibus.

True, and therefore I prefer driving myself.

I've been too often in public minivans/ buses that were driving like crazy. When driving myself, at least I have some influence on the situations.

Driving during the day isn't that bad as long as you keep in mind that the other road users could (and will) do something stupid.

At night is a bit more scary. I can't believe all the places where they have changed road situations, but forgot to remove the old lining, and you just need to guess which line to follow and not just accidentily wander off your lane and possibly hit a car next to you. I like the environmental friendly highways where they've decided not to turn on the ligghts, but you need to be careful with the dogs, drunks, and motorcycles/ cars without lights.

However, last October I've visited Sumatra and found out that Thailand isn't all that bad...

Many Thais might drive like crazy, and unlike in daily life, suddenly they are in a hurry when driving a car or motorbike, but I don't consider them being rude. They don't create much space for you, you need to create it yourself, but I think it's nothing personal .

It's sad for this traveling couple to die on the road, but a serious risk when traveling. I presume most travellers die in traffic. The 304 road (at least I've heard it happened there) is not a road where I would like to go on my bicycle, nor on a motorbike. I feel a bit safer in a car. Last week I saw a foreigner on a bicycle on the Highway No. 2. Maybe he was lost, or just out of his mind.

great post and couldn't agree more

I've said on here a few times that driving here could "in a warped way" be safer than your home country, in your home country you assume that everyone will abide by the rules so you tend to be relaxed - whereas in Thailand you drive always expecting the unexpected, I have the comfort on being able to go a little bit faster than most of the moving traffic therefore I tend to concentrate more on what is in front of me, the only time I feel exposed is when I'm moving slower either because I'm on a small bike or riding with someone that is unsure of themselves

Driving here is by no means the worst, just take a trip across to cambodia and you will be enlightened, that's not to say there isn't room for vast improvement, police enforcing traffic law would be a good step - markings on roads at junctions showing clearly where you should be when turning left or right, in Pattaya the traffic has got worse over the years probably due to the influx of more people from the sticks - junctions are a free for all, for some reason Thais always seem to be in a hurry taking the shortest route possible to get to their end, I often find myself pushing through hordes of bikes that are leaving a side road on the wrong side - I try to maintain my driving standards of entering a junction/side road on the left and exiting on the left (road markings would help) it's a freeforall and falangs are no better even though they should know better

[peterbkk9]

Driving habits in Thailand is a huge problem.

An official recognizes there is a problem and wants to do something about it. This is a good step.

[Thai at Heart]

If driving yourself does not kill you, you are just as liaable to die in a bus or minibus.

True, and therefore I prefer driving myself.

I've been too often in public minivans/ buses that were driving like crazy. When driving myself, at least I have some influence on the situations.

Driving during the day isn't that bad as long as you keep in mind that the other road users could (and will) do something stupid.

At night is a bit more scary. I can't believe all the places where they have changed road situations, but forgot to remove the old lining, and you just need to guess which line to follow and not just accidentily wander off your lane and possibly hit a car next to you. I like the environmental friendly highways where they've decided not to turn on the ligghts, but you need to be careful with the dogs, drunks, and motorcycles/ cars without lights.

However, last October I've visited Sumatra and found out that Thailand isn't all that bad...

Many Thais might drive like crazy, and unlike in daily life, suddenly they are in a hurry when driving a car or motorbike, but I don't consider them being rude. They don't create much space for you, you need to create it yourself, but I think it's nothing personal .

It's sad for this traveling couple to die on the road, but a serious risk when traveling. I presume most travellers die in traffic. The 304 road (at least I've heard it happened there) is not a road where I would like to go on my bicycle, nor on a motorbike. I feel a bit safer in a car. Last week I saw a foreigner on a bicycle on the Highway No. 2. Maybe he was lost, or just out of his mind.

great post and couldn't agree more

I've said on here a few times that driving here could "in a warped way" be safer than your home country, in your home country you assume that everyone will abide by the rules so you tend to be relaxed - whereas in Thailand you drive always expecting the unexpected, I have the comfort on being able to go a little bit faster than most of the moving traffic therefore I tend to concentrate more on what is in front of me, the only time I feel exposed is when I'm moving slower either because I'm on a small bike or riding with someone that is unsure of themselves

Driving here is by no means the worst, just take a trip across to cambodia and you will be enlightened, that's not to say there isn't room for vast improvement, police enforcing traffic law would be a good step - markings on roads at junctions showing clearly where you should be when turning left or right, in Pattaya the traffic has got worse over the years probably due to the influx of more people from the sticks - junctions are a free for all, for some reason Thais always seem to be in a hurry taking the shortest route possible to get to their end, I often find myself pushing through hordes of bikes that are leaving a side road on the wrong side - I try to maintain my driving standards of entering a junction/side road on the left and exiting on the left (road markings would help) it's a freeforall and falangs are no better even though they should know better

That is a warped judgement. i think it is safe to say that the stats speak for themselves. It is statistically dam_n dangerous out there. Remember everything you learnt overseas and stick to it. Then learn what happens commonly which is so dangerous.

Expect the bus on the blind corner, expect the bike coming the wrong way, expect the tak tak tractor to come out of the junction, expect the bus to making a u turn in the wrong place, expect, expect, expect.

Driving long distances here can be extremely stressful if you try to keep your wits about you all the time. It really is extremely tiring.

The worst I ever had was in driving rain on the Bangkok Chonburi road, at twighlight. The inside and middle lanes were flooded. Coming over one of the hump back bridges, maybe doing 60km/h only to be faced with a car, with no hazard lights, that had decided to stop in the outside lane on the far side of the hump.

Now, expecting the unexpected, but what on earth would possess anyone to stop there?

[Morden]

I believe that the authorities know that the Thai driving culture needs to change but where to start. Leave to the next government, lets have some crackdowns at holiday time etc. I think that a start will be short educations driving videos played during adverts on prime TV, such as Thai Soaps and Football matches. All police should be made to watch them and then ask them to enforce. The advert should say you should follow this advise or you may be fined and or lose your licence. It may take years to noticably improve the Thai driving but at least it would be a start and show intention.

Propaganda videos as you suggest might be a good idea. They were used a lot in the UK when seat belt laws were introduced and drink driving laws were toughened up. One more was used more recently to show what might happen in an accident if back seat passengers weren't belted. The problem here is that people seem impervious to the results of road injuries and deaths and, even if the government had the wit to make a good video, I wonder if it would sink in.

As I wrote earlier, the underlying problem is that the entire social and business system is based on bribery. The police take fines as part of their pay. Even if they were given better wages, I think that they would still be as ineffective at enforcement as they are now, but with more cash in their pockets. Major change here has to start at the top and that would mean less cash under the table for the people who are there.

[cambtek]

Dear oh dear, so many people here who want to live in the third world but expect first world behaviour.

Get a grip chaps, the driving is far worse in neigbouring Cambodia but we adapt to survive.I have driven tens of thousands of ks here on motos and in cars and have only hit one cow and run over one moto driver.

We learn to drive ultra defensively but we also drive much like khmers much of the time, when in rome and all that.I drink drive nearly every night, go the wrong way down one way streets, often dont bother to stop at red lights, do the thirty degree turn, ride with the wife and two kids on the moto with no helmets etc etc.Most barangs drive exactly as I do, no point in the holier than thou attitude in asia.

Our roads are terrible, there are slow moving contraptions and cows,dogs,pedestrians wandering everywhere but there is one golden rule- never drive at night outside the city.

I have driven a lot in thailand as well and the roads are fantastic compared to cambodia and the drivers much better, yes its true!

We live in cambodia because it is still edgy and dangerous and undeveloped, the road manners of khmers are a constant source of entertainment.There is probably one main difference when it all goes wrong though, it is not always our fault, witnesses are honest and the police pretty even handed.

Thai forums are stacked with people who would really seem to be much happier at home and who cant accept that these are alien people with alien ways, most barangs say vive la difference and just get on with it.

[tomacht8]

An improvement I saw at the Suvarnabhumi Airport. On the departure level, from the taxi

stand to the entrance building you must cross a four-lane road. Now they have there

traffic Controllers with red flashing lights trowels in hand. They try to give you a safe passage

at the zebra crossings (pedestrian crosswalks) to the departure building.

Previously the cars, taxis and buses have just gone overboard.

But even now it is not fool safe, because about 50% of drivers ignore the zebra crossing

and the traffic controllers, and do not stop!!! I've often wondered why they painting

pedestrian crosswalks on the roads, when the drivers never stops.

I think it must have to do with the lack of driving skills training!

In this particular case Thailand is very different to many other countries.

Friends and first time visitors I often give the advise:

As an pedestrian do not trust zebra crossings in Thailand!

Edited February 19, 2013 by tomacht8

[peterbkk9]

The problem is that the average Thai driver does not "perceive" his driving habits as dangerous.

For example tailgating a car (or even worse, a motorbike) at 20cm at 80km/h is something I see literally everyday.

And everyday, even after all these years, I shake my head in disbelief and horror and think "THIS IS INSANE!!!"

Always driving with zero margin for safety means you cannot react properly if anything goes wrong. But Thai drivers seems to ignore the probability, the risk of anything going wrong, and ignore the most basic laws of physics.

This is part of the reality of living in Thailand.

Edited February 19, 2013 by peterbkk9

[spectre324]

Good idea

The govt should find ideas to improve road safety? IN YOUR DREAMS! THE majority of thai drivers are idiots!