Thailand To Change From Left To Right Hand Driving

[vijer]

If you think traffic is bad now just wait until they switch sides. Drivers will be MORE confused. The stearing wheel is on the right so will add the to confusion. All the highway entrances and exits will have to be redesigned. What used to be a short commute may now be totally altered as the turns are in different places forcing you to develop new routes to get everywhere.

[scotbeve]

The last country to change was, I believe, Sweden in the late 60s.

Italy changed between the wars, and in typical Italian fashion, changed gradually. Cities with trams were allowed to continue driving on the left (Rome was one) provided they posted signs at the city limits.

Correct me I'm wrong, but I believe Japan changed sides in 1971.

[Rickster]

Without reading the whole thread

Has anyone realised what date it is ?????

No idea mate..........your Birthday perhaps.....

[Rammstein]

Another utterly retarded Thai government idea, the Thais have enough trouble driving as it is without throwing the added confusion of a driving side change into the mix,

perhaps this is the thai governments idea of population control lol, i can only imaging the chaos this is going to cause because as per usual it wont be thought out, and as for the car companies i cant imagine the amount of revenue this is going to cost them, i was just about to buy a new BMW that's now off the list and will sell my current car and use a bike, i wonder how little LMFAO a driving side change will be for a BMW 300k plus i would guess, car markets going to be quiet for a year or so i guess, at least we can sit back and watch the mayhem ensue should be fun,

can anyone honestly believe that all road signs traffic lights and roadwork changes are going to be complete by Jan 1 2014 to accommodate a driving side change LMFAO

and as for sat nav oh dear lol,

they talk about tourists perhaps they should be honest and say Russians as they seem to be bending over backwards for these painful penniless people who's only benefit to this country is cheap hotels and 7/11s for cheap booze, go into soi 9 police station any time of the day or night and its full of Russians locked up for stealing and being drunk at 1pm in the afternoon,

Russians drive on the right yeah ? Pattaya is like a Russian province these days it should be called Pattayapetrovsky make a nice name change to go with the driving side change

[expat888]

Nobody ever hear of a 1 April joke ??

this must be one

I believe last year on April fools day they (TV) did a alcohol price increase press release. I went out and bought 8 cases of beer. Of course, none of it went to waste.

[culicine]

What's the day today? 555

[mamypoko]

Thailand is already a left AND right hand driving country....choosing only one side is foolish

(side)

Edited April 1, 2013 by mamypoko

[JulietLima]

Good idea !

But should do it step by step:

Step 1: small cars change side, .... unchanged for heavies....

Step 2: complete the change

[Suradit69]

Without reading the whole thread

Has anyone realised what date it is ?????

Yes, many people did, but the moderators removed any posts making that obvious early on ... as they do every year.

[crusader79]

Fortunately Thailand's newly discovered gold reserves will fully finance the change

[Pacificperson]

The last country to change was, I believe, Sweden in the late 60s.

Italy changed between the wars, and in typical Italian fashion, changed gradually. Cities with trams were allowed to continue driving on the left (Rome was one) provided they posted signs at the city limits.

Samoa changed in 2009 from right to left side driving - to be into line with other South Pacific countries ;-P

But they still import used right-hand drive cars from Japan like all the other South Pacific countries.

[stefb1964]

I'd suggest that on the first Monday after the decision will be made, they should allow all cars and minivans to start driving on the "right" side of the road and if that is going well, they could allow all trucks to do the same as from Tuesday on, to finally urge the international traffic to do the same from Wednesday on...

Or are they planning to celebrate April's fools day just like the rest of the world ?

Edited April 1, 2013 by stefb1964

[Gary2164]

aprils fools

[chooka]

The last country to change was, I believe, Sweden in the late 60s.

Italy changed between the wars, and in typical Italian fashion, changed gradually. Cities with trams were allowed to continue driving on the left (Rome was one) provided they posted signs at the city limits.

Correct me I'm wrong, but I believe Japan changed sides in 1971.

And Australia still drives on the correct side.

[kotsak]

Happy Fool's day..

On other news.. http://www.google.com/intl/en/landing/nose/

[WildChilli]

Note to OP hope you don't mind me borrowing the joke for my wife's Fb all her Freinds are Thai lol

The start of my day was to write

that we have adopted 2 African kids today

[Rickster]

Another utterly retarded Thai government idea, the Thais have enough trouble driving as it is without throwing the added confusion of a driving side change into the mix,

perhaps this is the thai governments idea of population control lol, i can only imaging the chaos this is going to cause because as per usual it wont be thought out, and as for the car companies i cant imagine the amount of revenue this is going to cost them, i was just about to buy a new BMW that's now off the list and will sell my current car and use a bike, i wonder how little LMFAO a driving side change will be for a BMW 300k plus i would guess, car markets going to be quiet for a year or so i guess, at least we can sit back and watch the mayhem ensue should be fun,

can anyone honestly believe that all road signs traffic lights and roadwork changes are going to be complete by Jan 1 2014 to accommodate a driving side change LMFAO

and as for sat nav oh dear lol,

they talk about tourists perhaps they should be honest and say Russians as they seem to be bending over backwards for these painful penniless people who's only benefit to this country is cheap hotels and 7/11s for cheap booze, go into soi 9 police station any time of the day or night and its full of Russians locked up for stealing and being drunk at 1pm in the afternoon,

Russians drive on the right yeah ? Pattaya is like a Russian province these days it should be called Pattayapetrovsky make a nice name change to go with the driving side change

you gotta be kidding........

[Kananga]

Those of you who think this is some sort of joke only need to look at the other ingenious policies such as buying rice for billions of dollars and storing it in warehouses to realise that this is most probably a real piece of news. With Myanmar using a similar scheme several years ago it would seem that Thailand is following the practice of other nations that have implemented this change successfully. With Thailand's strong auto industry and recent issues with floods and political unrest it makes perfect sense to being the driving in line with the countries Thailand produce cars on behalf of. They are just bowing to international pressure and cutting the costs of having to produce two types of the same car. On top of that when the borders open in 2015 there will be less accidents with Myanmar as everyone will be used to driving ont he same side by then. Makes perfect sense to me.

[memkuk]

Amazing to see how many people don't realize that today is the 1st of April.

[chooka]

Good idea !

But should do it step by step:

Step 1: small cars change side, .... unchanged for heavies....

Step 2: complete the change

in case people have not noticed, people drive/ride on what ever side of the road they feel like now in Thailand. I would love a satang for all the vehicles and bikes I have encountered comming towards me on the wrong side (left) of the road simply flashing thier headlights or maybe these are confused Americans

Edited April 1, 2013 by chooka

[Sirius1935]

Not a very clever April Fools Joke this one.

Apart from the errors in the piece, there are already five out of ten Asean countries driving on the left.

The population of those Asean countries that drive on the left totals 340 million while those that drive on the right number only 250 million.

So, much more likely that the five counties that drive on the right would change to driving on the left.

Not that anyone would notice the change had taken place.

By the way Indonesia changed from driving on the right to the left during the Stamford Raffles administration.

[Secondmouse]

The funniest part was the people who came on and spoiled the joke, thinking they were the first to realise. You know who you are. I wonder why people felt the need to spoil it.........sleuth of the year award?

How have they spoilt it ?....people are still taking it seriously and posting.....

[taninthai]

Lol i see the mods are enjoying themselves today ,I see my post from page 2 removed must not spoil the game ,10 pages already......lol

[Suradit69]

If you think traffic is bad now just wait until they switch sides. Drivers will be MORE confused. The stearing wheel is on the right so will add the to confusion. All the highway entrances and exits will have to be redesigned. What used to be a short commute may now be totally altered as the turns are in different places forcing you to develop new routes to get everywhere.

"Drivers will be MORE confused."

Someone's certainly confused, but it's not Thai drivers.

[Mampara]

I have noticed in previous years that they always seem to come up with these insane ideas a couple of weeks before Songkran.

I can only think that irt must be something to do with this particular time of year??

It must be the heat

[phiah]

OMG

[Kitbaikitmah]

The most distrubing aspect of this article is the initial test and measure of your cultural adaptation to thailand and the mental doubt that 'can' follow whilst weighing your local ex:periance against logical critical thinking.

April 1st same same but different in LOS.

Anybody want to go partners on a right-hand-drive motorcycle refit shop - must speak thai and able to relocate rapidly and frequently - amazing earnings potential.

Edited April 1, 2013 by Kitbaikitmah

[Equalizer]

For all of you saying this is a good idea and makes sense
must have lived here for toooo long. It is going to be a logistical nightmare,
especially for a country full of people who need a calculator for their 2 times
table. Every sign, every car, every road will need amending. This will cost
billions of dollars to implement safely. Also, know you are wrong, there are no
statistics that say driving on the right is any safer than driving on the left.
Only people who are used to driving on the right will find it safer to drive on
the right and hey guess what the whole driving population of this country is
not used to driving on the right. NO BRAINER. I am actually a little shocked so
many people on here are saying this is a good idea, just goes to show how many
none Thais have thought about this in depth. The death toll will shoot through
the roof, insurance premiums will increase tenfold. Laying down laws forbidding
car owners from selling their cars is dictatorial at best. To end I will say I have
never come across such a pathetic, insane, ludicrous idea in my life. Dumbo
springs to mind.

[hansnoi]

After the official pres oonference the government official told a very special envoy of ThaiVisa (off the record) that a try out period as of today, 1st april 2013 already has been implemented.

,,Drivers of lorries and other heavy vehicles have been instructed to drive on the right side of the road. All other traffic remains on the wrong side of the road", he said. Other government sources explained to ThaiVisa that this surprise experiment serves the smooth introduction of the very new right hand drive system on the 1st of april 2014.

,,On this historic date there will be a few accidents, but not mak mak since the experiment got the majority of smaller cars and vehicles out of action", one of them said with a sadistic smile on his face.

[ratcatcher]

The last country to change was, I believe, Sweden in the late 60s.

Italy changed between the wars, and in typical Italian fashion, changed gradually. Cities with trams were allowed to continue driving on the left (Rome was one) provided they posted signs at the city limits.

Correct me I'm wrong, but I believe Japan changed sides in 1971.

Very well sb, I will,. Japanese drive on the left , hence the plentiful supply of Toyota Corollas as Bangkok taxis.

"Cars drive on the left side of the road and have the driver's seat and steering wheel on their right side. The legal minimum age for driving is 18 years. Road signs and rules follow international standards, and most signs on major roads are in Japanese and English. Drinking and driving is strictly prohibited."

http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2022.html