Intersections and Roundabouts

[CMKiwi]

Just a passing comment or observation; why is it that local drivers do not appear to know what to do at roundabouts? I have seen it so many times over the last few months. They approach the roundabout, get on the inside and then.....give way (Or Yield in American speak) to other cars that are waiting to enter the roundabout.

Got me completely stumped....if Im waiting for the way to clear and a vehicle on the roundabout stops, I wave them on. Imagine if all drivers gave way when negotiating driving through a roundabout!!!! Right bloody mess

Maybe they just havent been taught about these things???

I just shake my head in wonder sometimes

[worgeordie]

They have never been taught to drive in a responsible manner ,example niebours daughter,

one week driving around the moobahn, went for test and passed, she had never been on a

road with other traffic!!

Runabouts, I only know 2 in Chiang Mai, they are a mystery to Thai drivers, thats why they

have those very dangerous u-turns, imagine how many people are killed every year doing

a u-turn in Thailand.

regards Worgeordie

[MESmith]

"Maybe they just havent been taught about these anythings???"

[Mestizo]

To be honest, I'm confused by them as well. In all of the US, I think I've only encountered one roundabout (Georgetown, Delaware).

As they are not something I normally deal with, I would also not be familiar with your standard Euro/ Aussie driver's etiquette as applied to roundabouts. I'm guessing the Thai's are in the same boat, as I don't often see roundabouts in Thailand either.

-Mestizo

[AnotherOneAmerican]

He who dares wins (or gets flattened).

[maps424]

To be honest, I'm confused by them as well. In all of the US, I think I've only encountered one roundabout (Georgetown, Delaware).

As they are not something I normally deal with, I would also not be familiar with your standard Euro/ Aussie driver's etiquette as applied to roundabouts. I'm guessing the Thai's are in the same boat, as I don't often see roundabouts in Thailand either.

-Mestizo

Really??

Rules are:

1. wait until there is a break in the roundabout traffic before entering

2. once you're on it, keep goin till you're off it

I can't quite fathom how that is hard to understand - unless you are thai, then it appears to be hard to understand why you should LOOK before you come out of a soi onto a main road..

Buddhism (not the ridiculous Thai version, I mean real Buddhism), teaches you to not have any expectations, then you will remove all disappointment and unhappiness from your life - but it sure is tough to "expect" ALL of the crazy driving things Thai people will do that you will see in a single trip on the road

[naboo]

The Thai highway code says to give way to vehicles on the left at a roundabout. My belief is that this stems from someone forgetting to switch left to right when translating the American code when "writing" the Thai highway code.

Its destined for madness when the roundabout gets busy.

[paulmw]

I think you will find that the ones that have an Idea are using the French system, I.E you give way to traffic coming on to the roundabout. (But the French always have to be different to everybody else.)

The rest of us give way to traffic already on the roundabout.

Same as if you drive on the right you give way to traffic coming from the right.

Thai’s don’t care.

[hellodolly]

I think you will find that the ones that have an Idea are using the French system, I.E you give way to traffic coming on to the roundabout. (But the French always have to be different to everybody else.)

The rest of us give way to traffic already on the roundabout.

Same as if you drive on the right you give way to traffic coming from the right.

Thai’s don’t care.

It is pretty funny a thread like this.

All the scholars here explaining that it is some thing wrong with the Thais. There is only two roundabouts here in Chiang Mai and I would imagine not a whole lot of them in Thailand. They really never use them enough to live up to western standards.

The Funny part is as you have just stated even in the west they have different ideas on how they should be used.

I am familiar with using them in Seattle and Vancouver B C they are used the same in each country maybe. 50 states = 50 different codes.It has been a while since I was in either country a year and a half so maybe things have changed. Last time I was there they were only used in rural intersections kins of like a speed bump only more effective in slowing traffic down, Kelowna had one bigger than the one at the American consulate the biggest I had seen out side of Mexico

[narkeddiver]

It could be worse - it could be the 'magic' roundabout in Swindon

[Tywais]

The Thai highway code says to give way to vehicles on the left at a roundabout.

Nope, see this topic which you participated in - Roundabouts

[worgeordie]

The UK is the capital for roundabouts ,they really love them there, they even have small roundabouts,

that you have to navigate before you enter the main large one,but used right ,they are much safer than

the Thai fondness for U-turns ,there is a very dangerous u-turn just up past Meechoke Plaza,on way to

Town Hall, its on a bend, plus they have wisely planted Bougainvillea in center of the road, which gives

you a clear view of maybe 100 meters ,the speed at which oncoming cars are going, death could be seconds

away,and quite a few people have met their maker there,but nothing has changed.

regards Worgeordie

[bobl]

Coming from the UK roundabouts are pretty much second nature, but Thai roundabouts do seem to be different, where the cars entering have right of way over the cars already circling. A bit like driving in France where priorité à droite causes a few trouser changes before you get used to it (and makes French drivers a menace outside of France).

The rules in Thailand appear to be - if you're approaching a roundabout with a car on it and you stop, so will he. If you're approaching a roundabout as if you have right of way, so will the guy on the roundabout. In other words you can't win.

Edited June 18, 2013 by bobl

[hellodolly]

Coming from the UK roundabouts are pretty much second nature, but Thai roundabouts do seem to be different, where the cars entering have right of way over the cars already circling. A bit like driving in France where priorité à droite causes a few trouser changes before you get used to it (and makes French drivers a menace outside of France).

The rules in Thailand appear to be - if you're approaching a roundabout with a car on it and you stop, so will he. If you're approaching a roundabout as if you have right of way, so will the guy on the roundabout. In other words you can't win.

Seems like truer words were never spoken.

I walk a lot and get the same thing. I will time my crossing for the cars to pass me by and sure enough one will slow way down for me while the other lane stays at the same speed.

[Gsxrnz]

When I first lived here I thought roundabouts were the perfect solution to uncontrolled intersections in Thailand and wondered why I hadn't seen any around Pattaya/Jomtien. I just couldn't understand it as they're the obvious choice, even over some intersections that have traffic lights.

Then I happened across a city up north somewhere, (name escapes me), that had three reasonably large roundabouts in close proximity and I understood why roundabouts are unlikely to be used in Thailand. Mayhem - I think they were all 3 or 4 lane roundabouts and even though traffic was light, the totally illogical way in which they were being used drew traffic to a stand still.

I'm generally an advocate of adapting to the Thai way of driving to drive safely here (but don't really want to have that debate again, see other threads if you want to challenge that theory), but I believe that roundabouts will never be a solution unless there are are thousands of them so drivers become familiar with how to use them.....bit of a chicken and egg situation.