Do you use your car/truck as much as your bike/scooter?

[mania]

Just curious about your 2 wheel versus 4 wheel usage here in Thailand

Edited August 17, 2013 by mania

[GotR1GHT]

Well also depends where you live.In Pattaya traffic i would take 2 wheel any day over 4 wheel. I really enjoy driving bike in Thailand,much more than i did back home.Much better weather is a part of that too.

[uptheos]

During my years here, I've lost count of the people that feel the need to say, "i brought the bike today, it's easier". A couple of guys that I used to see out a lot, seemed to find it easier for quite a few years. I don't understand why they just couldn't say "I don't have a car", there's no shame whatsoever in that.

[dogpoo]

I use my bikes far more than the car, in fact the car sits idle most of the time, car is advertised to sell because I prefer the bikes!

[RubberSideDown]

I use the bike probably 75% of the time- the truck is for Tesco runs and really crappy weather (or for when I have to bring the wife somewhere).

Edited August 17, 2013 by RubberSideDown

[KRS1]

Haven't owned a car or a full time girlfriend in 8 years.

Being single is awesome.

[dogpoo]

Haven't owned a car or a full time girlfriend in 8 years.

Being single is awesome.

Mate you are a very clever person, keep it up!!

[ib1b4]

Haven't owned a car or a full time girlfriend in 8 years.

Being single is awesome.

Mate you are a very clever person, keep it up!!

I am sure he does on a regular basis. whooo.

[KRS1]

Women always ruin the fun...too many tasty things out there for one woman to spoil

[tingtong]

out in the countryside...

bike to do all the local errands, most days send the kid to school, etc...

now that he is bigger it stopped to function as the "family vehicle", rather tight fit for 3 of us on that scooter.

the pickup to do shopping, go to town, visit the family...whenever much to carry or farther to go ( or when it is raining hard to get the kid)...

distance wise, i think it is 60-40 scooter vs. pickup?

[market trader]

All you people that seem to prefer riding a bike here as compared to a car obviously place no value on your life. When riding do you ever look at all those paint marks on the roads and wonder what they are?

Edited August 17, 2013 by market trader

[lovetotravel]

I've got too many friends who are either not with us any more, or who will forever deal with their injuries due to bike accidents. Just not worth the risk. Sure, in the short term you save a few minutes on your commute, but for many, that is far outweighed by issues over the long run.

Best of luck to all.

[Cyclist]

All you people that seem to prefer riding a bike here as compared to a car obviously place no value on your life. When riding do you ever look at all those paint marks on the roads and wonder what they are?

The only reason bikes are unsafe here is because of too many idiots are driving cars/pick ups that endanger the live of bikes. Do away with the cars/pick ups and it would be much safer to ride a bike here. And a lot less congestion too. By the way, 9 years here on both motorcycle and bicycle and not one single accident.

[JonnyF]

The 2 posters above me are absolutely right. Nobody ever dies in pickup trucks, vans, buses or cars in Thailand!!

Back to reality, I am ashamed to say 75% of my mileage is in a car, mainly because my office and the factory are 45kms apart and it's much quicker on the highway which my bikes cannot access. I very rarely use my car at the weekends though, 2-3 hours a day in that thing during the week is enough to drive me nuts so riding my bike at the weekend is like therapy.

[dogpoo]

All you people that seem to prefer riding a bike here as compared to a car obviously place no value on your life. When riding do you ever look at all those paint marks on the roads and wonder what they are?

Paint marks?? are you referring to the lane dividing paint marks? What a strange post!!

[dave_boo]

Every km I 'drive' is on a bike. If we need to go to the city for shopping or whatever I'll sleep in the passenger seat as it's easier than listening to the bitching that I'm going to fast.

[BSJ]

I need a pick-up to carry loads up country and loads from Bangkok to Pattaya but I only got one pick-up.

[BSJ]

All you people that seem to prefer riding a bike here as compared to a car obviously place no value on your life. When riding do you ever look at all those paint marks on the roads and wonder what they are?

Paint marks?? are you referring to the lane dividing paint marks? What a strange post!!

Maybe he's referring to the white paint the cops use at the scene of an altercation???

[lovetotravel]

All you people that seem to prefer riding a bike here as compared to a car obviously place no value on your life. When riding do you ever look at all those paint marks on the roads and wonder what they are?

The only reason bikes are unsafe here is because of too many idiots are driving cars/pick ups that endanger the live of bikes. Do away with the cars/pick ups and it would be much safer to ride a bike here. And a lot less congestion too. By the way, 9 years here on both motorcycle and bicycle and not one single accident.

The car drivers are indeed crazy. But so are the bike drivers. No helmets, speeding, passing on the left, on the right, down the middle. Many of my friends who have been in bike accidents were actually hit by other bike riders.

You're lucky you've not had an accident. I seem them all the time.

[dogpoo]

All you people that seem to prefer riding a bike here as compared to a car obviously place no value on your life. When riding do you ever look at all those paint marks on the roads and wonder what they are?

Paint marks?? are you referring to the lane dividing paint marks? What a strange post!!

Maybe he's referring to the white paint the cops use at the scene of an altercation???

Maybe, I have driven many thousands of Kms here, I have never seen paint marks left by the police!!

[Briggsy]

I don't have a car. If I had kids, I would have a car. I don't have kids.

If I need a car I rent one from one of the better rental agencies. I usually have about 10 - 20 rental days per year.

[mania]

All you people that seem to prefer riding a bike here as compared to a car obviously place no value on your life. When riding do you ever look at all those paint marks on the roads and wonder what they are?

I do not think it is that.

This is after all the bike forum.

Bikes are in your mind too dangerous to risk riding .....fair enough.

But I do not think those that choose to ride place no value on their life as you say.

They value the quality & length of their life & this is something they enjoy & perhaps feel adds to that quality.

Is there risk? Yes there is risk everywhere in life.

Not all painted lines you see are for bike accidents. If you are on the road in anything period there is risk.

You do not get to choose which in the end will be the one that affects you or not.

Prepare/avoid all you like but it is not always your choice.

We could endlessly debate that risk & which is greater but in the end that is not the point for most

You prefer to not ride a bike & that is fine & your choice. It does not mean you value your life more than those who do.

It means you have made a choice based on your tolerance of risk in that one regard

I guess if we want to value life beyond quality of life none of us would live in Thailand would we?

Where the air quality during burn months might be said to prove we do not value our lives.

Where so many things would be deemed unhealthy/unsafe to those

who live in the Western countries.

Yet here we are

Good Luck & enjoy in what ever form you choose.

[JonnyF]

All you people that seem to prefer riding a bike here as compared to a car obviously place no value on your life. When riding do you ever look at all those paint marks on the roads and wonder what they are?

Paint marks?? are you referring to the lane dividing paint marks? What a strange post!!

Maybe he's referring to the white paint the cops use at the scene of an altercation???

Maybe, I have driven many thousands of Kms here, I have never seen paint marks left by the police!!

I see it a lot. The police spray the outline of the car, bike, body etc onto the road before removing it. Surprised you've never seen it.

[mania]

I see it a lot. The police spray the outline of the car, bike, body etc onto the road before removing it. Surprised you've never seen it.

I have seen them & funny but the place I see them the most?

Big C parking lots

Of course it could be because your moving slow & notice or it could be

a good reason to not shop there?

[Beardog]

Absolutely no need for me to buy a car or truck here(No kids). The only time I would need a truck is 4-5 times in a year when I am building another house. I can buy 3 -4 used cars or trucks in the States where I could use one for the price I have to pay out here. I would rather buy a Dodge Viper to put My Rx8 -R3 motor in to race in the states than to buy a shitty Honda that goes for 700,000 baht. That & I feel 100% safer in the Pattaya area on a bike. Bikes rule out here a car would just incumber my ability to jump on the throttle to get away from the fools bouncing off the bikes. Way more bikes than cars in Pattaya. If it had bad weather like Oregon in the winter, it might be an entire different answer. Still though in Pattaya it to me is a real deficit to have to drive an auto in Pattaya area.

[ll2]

99 percent motorbike, 1 percent car to go meetings or business visits in bangkok or upcountry and mostly i get a driver. i can use a company pool of cars ranging from luxury cars to vans to vios and actually getting a slight pressure from my boss like how come a managing director uses bikes but not cars! hard for me to explain but they accepted me this way.

my daily life, commute, tours, loves, cries, all on bikes for a quarter century. never bought a car in my life - apart from a nearly free vw beetle 1961 which i used for 3 months rarely and sold it.

hate cages and their plastic smell, poor handling, always feel like a caged animal in a car.

i place a lot of value in my life that is why i use a motorbike always! it brings quality to my life like lots of fun, a fast independent mind, good reflexes and i feel like i am living! besides, save around 2 hours everyday means 50 hours per month, just from my commute! means i save around 25 days a year and add those days to my life, you cagers lose them on the roads man! life is short and time is the most important thing for me, more than money.

[RPCVguy]

I don't have, don't want a 4 wheel vehicle. If needed (rarely), I'll hire a driver who has one, attach a 2-wheel trailer cart - or take a bus to the city. My latest motorcycle and bike are each nearly 2 years old. The motorcycle has only 10% more Km on it than the bicycle. I'm not advocating bicycling in the cities or as used by many tourists out on the main highways, but for rural communities they are great. Similarly, we use the motorcycle for between towns and for going to events where arriving cool and crisp is preferred.

Edited August 18, 2013 by RPCVguy

[tingtongfarang]

i have 2 motorbikes and a car but would never get the idea to drive the car around bkk, car is only used for fishing trips or makro to stock the fridge.

[Spoonman]

Iam about 99% car /1% bike, have little desire to commute to work on the bike but t is nice to get out and un-wind on a Sunday Arvo..

[Neilly]

Paint marks?? are you referring to the lane dividing paint marks? What a strange post!!

Maybe he's referring to the white paint the cops use at the scene of an altercation???

Maybe, I have driven many thousands of Kms here, I have never seen paint marks left by the police!!

Come to Samui...the island is covered with them

Only time the truck gets used is to take daughter to school in the morning and shopping trips