Thailand To Change From Left To Right Hand Driving

[JanekS]

Guys... Look at the date its 1-st of April... Fools day

[virtualtraveller]

The most hilarious thing about this, is how many people in the comments had fallen for it. Check the publish date of this article. In any case, a lot Thais already do drive their cars (forwards) on the right hand side.

A few other things to say about this policy;

1. It will help alleviate hardship for the farmers

2. Reconciliation will be better served if we start using the 'right'

3. It was a policy proposed by Peua Thai in their election and they are only following through with it

4. It's all part of the infrastructure development and will boost the economy

5. Driving on the left is part of the old elitist Thailand

[lounger]

No accidents just like songkran!

[55Jay]

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/552145-something-for-thai-roads/

[catweazle]

Absolutely unbelievable that so many fell for this April Fools joke... It proofs again that by using mainstream media you can make people believe absolutely everything. If it weren't so sad it actually could be funny...

However, the article itself is witty and brilliant! Nice one!!!!!!

[bruttabuona]

oh god what a nice 1st april joke! loved it!

[CMFarang]

Next April 1 , we will start working on the Side Walks and which side to walk on ?? (bandit) (mooning)

[TomJoad]

This is sort of like in the US, where it's standard to have a McDonalds, a Wendys, a Burger King, and a Taco Bell on each corner of an intersection no matter which state you're in.

[MaxYakov]

"However busses, trucks and taxis will be exempted as they are driven by professional drivers who can handle their vehicle safely."

That is one of the better jokes in the article!!!

“We will inform the people beforehand with a campaign. “Our successes

with reducing the number of accidents during holidays like Songkran

proofs we can do the transition safely. The change will take place

during the new year as at that time there are already a lot of

check-points all over the country. They will see to it that the change

will be made without incident”.

My vote is with this one. And was that 'proofs' mistake a very oblique reference to alcohol? Superb!

[peterbkk9]

This is good news.

Other countries should do the same. As some readers suggested, the transition should be gradual.

It is technically unfeasible for example to displace all the road signs overnight.

I myself will start driving on the right hand side starting today.

[catweazle]

One of the funniest ideas yet from these idiots. Not least because of the financial impact on local car sales. No one in their right mind will want to buy a car until this is resolved.

"As of 1 January 2014 all cars sold in Thailand will need to have the

steering wheel on the left side. Old normal cars can keep their steering

wheel on the right, but owners cannot sell these cars."

So all those people who have been encouraged to go into debt to buy cars are now going to find they have a worthless investment that they cannot sell without an expensive modification.

I wonder how the manufacturers feel about this, they will have huge stocks to sell, what happens to those cars?

Reality, this will not happen anytime soon, it is simply not feasible by Jan 2014. Change every single signpost in the country? All the traffic lights that need to be re sequenced? Seriously, Jan 1st overnight change when so many are already drunk! Accident rates will go up dramatically to start with, I certainly wouldn't want to be on the roads for the next few days, it would be total chaos.

Another outstanding and totally laughable plan from the man in Dubai.

So who is the fool then?

[rawhod]

Putting aside the April Fools joke for a second, if it was true, what difference would it make to Thai motorbike riders? None.

Incorrect...the prop stand would be on the wrong side.

[stegser]

April fools?

[xen]

I saw the title and just naturally assumed it was an April Fools joke.

I still think it is.

I can't believe it went three and a half pages before anybody even mentioned April Fools...

three and half pages... LOL...you do realise what the mods were doing dont you...they were deleting those post relating to 1/4/13 so the fools keep on posting...

so that is what happened to my post and i thought i had stuffed up posting it . I have not seen a subject take off like this before.

[NoshowJones]

so you got hundred of thousands people to buy their first car with incentives. Now they'll have to pay to retrofit their car to drive on the otherside. LMFAO

How much is that gonna cost?

Insurance company will go broke with all the payout from accidents.

Insurance companies usually find excuses not to pay out. Remember again this is the 1st April. APRIL FOOL EVERYONE.

[NoshowJones]

This will really mess up the motorbikes drivers! Now they won't know which side of the road to drive on to break the law!

They don't know anyway.

[WildChilli]

What date is today?

Also why worry, a significant number of local drivers seem to be trying to master right-hand driving without the added cost of a refit.

Mmm..next April 1st centre lanes will be reserved mobile users and tourists?

Lol it's gota be a April 1st joke I'm surprised no one else figured it out before your post

Page 1 I was pissing my self laughing

Edited April 1, 2013 by WildChilli

[Polanskiman]

Source of Article... None
Date of Publication....Absent

April's Fool... All the way!

[Hugh Jarse]

"However busses, trucks and taxis will be exempted as they are driven by professional drivers who can handle their vehicle safely."

That is one of the better jokes in the article!!!

Its Also April (Fools day) 1st!!

[arminbkk]

Well, they are very optimistic.

Easy switch, no accidents etc.

Actually I saw a pickup truck doing just that this morning: driving on the right-handside,

with highway police looking on.

Guess he was practising.

Must betrue then.

[drl02]

In 5 years the cost of conversion will be more than the vehicle is worth. Can't just cut off the steering wheel from one side and glue it on the other.

[Yvon]

"Is this an April Fool's joke?"

Of course not as I read today on the internet that the UK will also make the change. Everything you read on the internet is 100% fact.

Yeh right!!

or as the Dutch say:

1 april, kikker in je bil......

[Gsxrnz]

Well done to all those members quickly realised this was an April Fool's hoax but kept the joke going. Many thanks also to all the serious posters who either don't know about April 1st, or were simply taken in by the OP and had a bit of a rant. Made great reading!!

However, the irony is that on any other day an announcement such as this from a quasi government organisation would be more than believable.

[sfbandung]

I only ploughed through 5 pages of replies and unless there is a vast amount of sarcasm out there more than half the replies are actually taking it seriously.

Fair dinkum. Next you'll be believing that the gorgeous woman in the ad for the dating site is really single and just waiting for you to whisk her away ...

[Suradit69]

This is bloody brilliant !!!!! The government finally came to their senses and realized the car rebate program was a mistake by putting too many cars on crowded roads. This switch would be a brilliant recovery to remove a lot of the cars from the roads.

I'm sure the bars will be alive today with all the high IQ expats demonstrating their intellectual superiority while citing this report.

I think it's called shooting yourself in the foot.

Edited April 1, 2013 by Suradit69

[Tatsujin]

Not a very funny April Fools . . .

[DavoTheGun]

Hasn't anybody noticed today's date?????

[tamidalg]

It is the 1st of april. No more jokes to report?

[kiniyow]

Population Control plain and simple

[WhizBang]

The best April Fool jokes are subtle. This one is not (subtle, that is).