Thailand To Change From Left To Right Hand Driving

[windosill]

April fool?

[gmac]

April Fool?

It could well be and one off the best once so far.

You must get caught out quite a lot. I read the title and that was enough! Nearly as believable as one of the UK papers and their spaghetti trees a few years back.

[agam]

So this means the Thais will need to install a right-to-left lane conversion interchange before motorists reach the existing left-to-right lane interchange at the Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge. Of course they could also just dismantle the left-to-right interchange altogether, but that's not how we do things in this country.

Seriously, I'm relieved to hear that the mods were deleting the give-away posts on the first few pages. Was beginning to have my doubts about the TV readership. But now having read 17 pages, I'm having doubts again. You guys really reeled in the gulls this year.

Hey, did you know the word "gullible" is not found in any dictionary?

[kingstonkid]

Hey this is right up there with paving a road and then realizing u need to put new sewers in. The Thai government just had a bunch of people buy brand new cars that will lat at least 10 years with the steering wheel on what will be the wrong side. So now they are going to change. Would this not have been a better thing to do last year and this year give people the incentive to buy new cars?

oops for got land of

I think I will buy a motorcycle that way I can drive in the middle lol

[indieke]

[mike speakman]

well thai visa has just stated that a few tourists get on a bike drive on the wrong side of the road force of habbit but they cause an accident .so what do you know will happen when the millions of drivers in thailand get in there car or on there bike in january 2014/2557 drive away as normal in there right hand drive car that they may have paid millions of baht for and they run into an oncomming car as they forgot to drive on the right hand side its very hard to change when you have been driving on the left for 40 years so i say no to this change there are plenty of accidents in thailand without causing ( millions more ) also many people cannot aford to change there cars or convert them so NO LEAVE US AS WE ARE.

[bigbamboo]

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.

I thought Italy usually change sides during wars not between them!

[Tomtomtom69]

Why would Thailand change the side of the road they are driving on? This proposal would cost billions of dollars in ad campaigns, accidents due to being used to drive on the left, changing infrastructure to accommodate this shift i.e. changing signs from one side of the road to the other, painting works, police enforcement of the new rules etc. etc. Who would fund this ridiculous proposal?

Who cares that Laos, Cambodia and Myanmar drive on the right (Myanmar having previously driven on the left too and changed to the right to become "more international" back in 1970) because how many of these foreign registered vehicles do you see in Thailand anyways? Near the border, a lot, particularly Lao registered cars, but Myanmar registered cars, most of which are right hand drive even today, are not permitted to travel further than about 10km from the border. Cambodian cars are also quite rare in Thailand. What about Malaysia? They don't want to change and if this proposal comes into effect, this will inconvenience them. Since Malaysian cars are by far the most plentiful source of foreign registered cars in Thailand, sticking to the left is what Thailand should do for the Malaysians.

As for road travel to China - currently only a handful of Chinese cars enter Thailand now and they rarely make it further than Chiang Mai or Chiang Rai and I still don't see a lot coming even in 2020, more than now, yes, but still not enough to justify this move...like we're supposed to spend BILLIONS to cater more easily for the 3 Chinese cars that enter Thailand each day from Laos. The argument that it will make travel to China easier is also unjustified - I have yet to see a single Thai vehicle in China (I have seen pictures of Thai caravan tours though, but these tours come about twice a year) so unless China eases up on it's restrictions on foreign registered vehicles entering it's territory (currently Lao cars can enter Sipsongbanna, but need special permission just to go to Kunming) this is all nonsense. Also, I have yet to see a single Chinese truck driving in Thailand - they never make it this far. The current system of unloading at the Chinese-Lao border will continue for now, unless the two governments strike an agreement on cross-border truck transport, which hasn't happened yet.

And as for tourists who come from right hand drive countries...how cares? How many of these tourists are road users in Thailand? Also, has anyone given any thought as to how many Aussies and Brits would be affected by this move, given that these 2 countries alone account for almost 2 million tourists or about 10% of all foreign visitors to Thailand? In any case, not many tourists drive themselves in Thailand since few backpackers have the resources to rent a car and drive themselves, while high end tourists may prefer to be driven around by a professional driver than attempt to drive themselves. Sure, many tourists ride scooters, although they usually stick to resort areas or Chiang Mai, but to base a decision like this on 0.001% of road users in Thailand is pure insanity. Thais have always been the main drivers in Thailand and this won't change in the future either unless Thailand becomes like Dubai and suddenly has like 70% foreigners living here. I don't see that happening either.

All in all, a stupid idea that should never see the light of day.

[Tomtomtom69]

OMG I just realized I wrote that long post for nothing. April Fool's!! What a gullible person I am.

[mikebell]

Can't believe the number of earnest posters who have been taken in on this day of all days.

[Falcon]

The majority of thai's can't drive well on either side of the road but as this is April 1st it would make sense

[agam]

I remember seeing the spaghetti tree harvest film many years ago on the old Jack Parr Show (before Johnny Carson took over). I did not know it was originally from UK, is that true? This would have been around 1960, Parr hosted until 1962.

[SteeleJoe]

I doubt it was the British and their Empah that had any influence on Siam, except for the fact that most imported cars to Siam were British..

You'd be mistaken I'm afraid.

Sent from my iPad using ThaiVisa ap

[bangkokheat]

so the on ramp on the freeway becomes the exit, and the exit now becomes the on ramp,,,,i never thought i would ever be tempted to go back into panel beating but this is way too good an opportunity to pass up, any investors out there?

[Gazza-ni]

Me thinks some people should remember what todays date is

[dominique355]

Guys! before you go overboard, check the date!

That's right! April 1, LOL

[unanimosity]

Given the fact that driving is currently dangerous, can you imagine what it will be like if this gets passed? When Im in Bangkok, Ill travel by boat and canal.

Look at the positive side, e.g., buying stock in publicly traded insurance companies because they are surely going to amp up premiums to offset the increased claims. Then when the people settle in and get back to normal the premiums will continue at the hight rate for greater ROI.

Edited April 1, 2013 by unanimosity

[cooked]

Well to start with, until people get used to driving on the right, I suggest that we only do it on even dates.

[Thai at Heart]

Given the fact that driving is currently dangerous, can you imagine what it will be like if this gets passed? When Im in Bangkok, Ill travel by boat and canal.

Look at the positive side, e.g., buying stock in publicly traded insurance companies because they are surely going to amp up premiums to offset the increased claims.

I think I would not take that as a good investment idea.

[geriatrickid]

april 1 = what day?

[Tonto21]

It's good to see the Thais have humor.......On the 1st of April!

[swerving]

Given the fact that driving is currently dangerous, can you imagine what it will be like if this gets passed? When Im in Bangkok, Ill travel by boat and canal.

I can't believe how many of you fell for this hook line and sinker. I feel sometimes that some articles are not read properly before a hurried reply is given.

A hint guys....today is April 1st.

[dontejo]

What about 1 April?

[Rorri]

And today's date, in Thailand is.....

[globaster]

April, 1. Nice joke with a long discussion.)))

[whiteman]

April fool

[nuananddon]

I have no idea how long it will take the Thais to get used to it, but before that happens there will be a lot of funerals from head on collisions,this is going to be very VERY VERY CONFUSING for a lot of these people. The wife and I come to Thailand for 5 months each for the past 12 years and I have been driving here all those years, I have been driving cars and trucks for 50 years in the States on the right side and have no problem switching to the left when we come here. IMHO I say keep it like it is and let the other people figure it out if they want to use Thailands highways. I also think that it may save lives.

[vickersvc10]

I think the date of this article is important: i.e. April First! Or I sincerely hope that's the case, but TIT.

[nuananddon]

GOT ME, I TOO DID NOT READ FAR ENOUGH AND FORGOT WHAT DAY IT IS, but you know the way things happen around here sometimes they do come up with some dandy proposals. I'll try to remember what day it is next year so I can be more ready. Who ever thought that one up desires a cold beer on me.

[Rajab Al Zarahni]

Let them get on with it. It will be a good learning experience for the Thai government and will help them appreciate that you can't instigate a change of this magnitude without a lot of forethought and a great deal of planning.