Car Driving the wrong way up a one way street - who cares?

[David48]

Have been driving here a while now, but, up to now, on an International Permit.

This week I got my Thai Drivers and Bike license.

I used to be a Motorcycle Courier in London ... so have seen a bit of traffic.

That job also prepares you well of the 'unexpected'.

Where I live at the Farm it is near the Big Canal which drains the Airport (Swampy).

It's 2 lanes one way ... Canal ... 2 lanes the other way ... there are not many cosss-overs.

Driving up the road, around the corner comes 2 'double trucks', the wrong way to my left, and a pick-up truck the wrong way to my right.

I straddle both lanes so the the white line is down my bonnet.

No panic ... motored on.

Mind you ... that 'blind corner' <deleted> scares me. Particularly if there is no escape route for you, the driver.

[David48]

When in Rome, do as the Romans do. Thai driving has NEVER irritated me; I simply took up their habits and blend right in. Those that don't like the driving here should simply not drive here. It's really quite simple concept.

I agree.

Probably the one thing that does peeve me a bit is when there are two or three lanes on a busy road and the far right becomes a 'U-Tern' lane and there are maybe 10 or 20 cars lined up, waiting their turn to swing around, the impatient Thai Driver decides to head up the middle lane and block it waiting for the U-Turn opportunity ... thus choking down the forward moving traffic.

Even the Thai gf comments on this as a poor Thai driving habit ... but she's driven in Australia ...

.

[lucjoker]

On the roads Thai's just seem to do whatever they feel like,

whenever I am turning into a one way road,I look both ways,

and sometimes above !,you just don't know which way they

are coming at you.

I had a VERY near miss joining a dual carriageway,just

looking right,road clear ,pulling out, and out the corner

of my eye something blue flashes past,going the wrong

way an old lady and kid on motor bike, must of missed

them by a couple of inches, it shook me up,so now extra

careful.

Really you have to be a mind reader on the roads here

as a lot of drivers don't seem to have a clue what they

are doing,indicate (if at all) when they get TO the turn,

how many motor bikes have you seen right hand light

flashing only for them to turn left !

regards Worgeordie

i drive 10 years around in pick-up (and motorcycles).

Never had an accident.

But i could have killed at least 1000 thais in accidents where i was not to blame.

By anticipating their stupid road behaviour,(1 miljon examples) i saved their lives,non of them will ever realize that it was not buda ,but me.

So , when are they start burning candles for me ?

[seabear]

Positive attitude. Very good!

I didn't come to Thailand to get angry all the time. (Can give you ulcers, I heard)

Sometimes I put up my fake smile and wave at them.

Then I pray for them to be born with more brain in their next life. (No, I don't do that. That was a lie.)

[drdoom6996]

I have posted this 3 times now. It applies that drives on a street, road or dirt track.

THERE are two things about Thailand that are totally incomprehensible to westerners: Buddhism and road rules. The two are inextricably linked, and by understanding one, you gain insight into the other. Western religions are burdened with the concept of opposites such as good and evil, heaven and hell, and light and dark. Buddhism recognizes the inherent one-ness of all things and sees these supposed opposites as facets of the unity and totality of existence. To follow the way of the Thai driver, you too must cast off these illusions of duality, such as the duality of two traffic lanes moving in opposite directions. The Thai driver sees both lanes as part of the one road, and both directions as an expression of the eternal flow of all things. When you have grasped this concept, you will then understand why Thais so naturally swerve into oncoming traffic to overtake, and why they are completely serene as they travel along a busy road the wrong way. It is because there is no wrong way, only ‘The Way’. It’s the same with traffic lights. To the enlightened Buddhist driver, red and green are not different colours, but simply different ways of seeing the same traffic light. Unlearn such deceptive Western notions as ‘right of way’ and your inner eye will open, which is the only way to proceed through an intersection in Thailand. In Thailand, existence is not seen as a linear progression from birth to death, but rather as an endless cycle of life, death and rebirth. As one’s soul gains experience and enlightenment from each lifetime, that soul is reincarnated into yet another lifetime until Nirvana is achieved and he, or she, escapes from this eternal cycle into a state of perpetual bliss.You never die, because life is a mere Honda Dream. Instead, you simply pass into another life for another chance to attain the wisdom necessary for enlightenment. You should also never fear death, even when careening along a twisty Phuket highway at 200km an hour with a bottomless chasm yawning right next to the road. This life will end when it is time, and no matter how often you check your mirrors, a pick-up truck can come screaming up from behind and make that time now. Accept this as inevitable, and you will be free to follow the way of the Thai driver, overtaking on blind corners and driving in the rain at breakneck speeds without a helmet. Those who wish to spend a little longer in this lifetime should be especially careful when driving past Buddhist temples, because those drivers coming out have probably just made merit and may be looking for reincarnation while the getting is good. Be like the water, which is the essence of all life and, as such, has many lessons to teach us. Water can fit into any container and seep through even the smallest crack, and so too can the Thai driver. He can maneuverer into any space between two speeding vehicles, no matter how small or inconvenient it may be, or at what speed he is travelling. When confronted by an obstacle, water does not stop, but flows around the obstacle, never losing momentum. So, too must you. When someone along life’s highway has stopped in the middle of the road to smell the roses, or pick up some fried chicken, you must flow around the obstacle, never stopping your harmonious movement. Patience is also necessary when leaving a car park and turning across an oncoming lane of vehicles. You must slowly edge onto the road, keeping an eye out for even the tiniest cracks in the teeming traffic. What is the sound of one horn honking? As you travel the road to enlightenment, you will ponder this repeatedly, because it is a sound you will hear quite a bit. The answer is childishly simple. It depends on how many times it honks. One honk indicate that someone is overtaking or coming through, while a series of several honks is meant as a warning to anyone stupid enough to get in the way. There is also the puzzle of the turn signal. A blinking left indicator can mean the driver is about to make a left turn, or it can mean he is about to make a right turn or no turn at all. Understanding intractable questions like these is the secret to mastering the way of the Thai road.

I have been here for 26 years. It will not change.

[jacko45k]

I believe he is permitted to do so if it is clear to do so.

Well that was the answer for a question when obtaining a Thai driving licence!

When you stop noticing or mentioning these incidents, you have acclimatised!

[rosst]

Yes, I think I am with the OP, interestingly enough I am happy enough riding my motorcycle in Isaan, but no way in the wide world would I ride a motorbike in Australia. In fact even bicycle only on the cycleways.

[Fatshark]

Just be 200% focussed on your own driving, always check mirrors L+R, watch your speed and hope for the best but prepared for the worst.
TIT!!!

[seajae]

dropping the daughter at school the other day and a guy with his gf behind himm on his motor bike rode between my car and the one parked on the side of the road but could only get level with the front mudguard as there wasnt enough room for him. When I drove off when the traffic moved he gave me a filthy look and waved his hands because there was only a few inches between him and my moving car, do you think someone should tell these idiots that they are the ones that try to go where they cannot fit and they are responsible for it not us and that they do not get right of way because they are there. Unfortunately they suffer from impatience, they just pull out into the traffic without looking making you hit the brakes, come out of side streets and block all the traffic so they can go the opposite direction, do not understand what righ od way means or indicators. Driving in Thailand is like driving dodgem cars, its everyman for himself. maybe if they produced a road law book and made every driver read it instead of just letting them all make up their own rules on the run, still have not been able to find a road rules book anywhere in Thailand/on the internet/ wife doesnt even know if they have one and she has her licence(admittedly it was bought like nearly everyone elses and she has never been taught to ride/drive or passed a test ans its a lifetime licence )

Edited September 15, 2013 by seajae

[Chiengmaijoe]

dropping the daughter at school the other day and a guy with his gf behind himm on his motor bike rode between my car and the one parked on the side of the road but could only get level with the front mudguard as there wasnt enough room for him. When I drove off when the traffic moved he gave me a filthy look and waved his hands because there was only a few inches between him and my moving car, do you think someone should tell these idiots that they are the ones that try to go where they cannot fit and they are responsible for it not us and that they do not get right of way because they are there. Unfortunately they suffer from impatience, they just pull out into the traffic without looking making you hit the brakes, come out of side streets and block all the traffic so they can go the opposite direction, do not understand what righ od way means or indicators. Driving in Thailand is like driving dodgem cars, its everyman for himself. maybe if they produced a road law book and made every driver read it instead of just letting them all make up their own rules on the run, still have not been able to find a road rules book anywhere in Thailand/on the internet/ wife doesnt even know if they have one and she has her licence(admittedly it was bought like nearly everyone elses and she has never been taught to ride/drive or passed a test ans its a lifetime licence )

The likelihood of everyone changing soon is not that high. It would probably be easier for you to accept that it is what it is and for you to adapt.

[Chiengmaijoe]

We need to remember be calm, I am not always ! ! ! , if we are involved in an accident we are the ones at fault, as one judge said if we were not here and on the road the accodent would not have happened QED

Nonsense. In 20-odd years of living here I've had a few accidents, one of which was serious, but no one over suggested it was my fault. The judge statement is just an urban myth.

[Chiengmaijoe]

1st thing i check on buying a mbike--be sure the horn works--i use it all the time---it is the most important part on my mbike...

If you are using the horn to give a little toot to let drivers know you're there, that's okay, but to give a blast on the horn in anger can be very dangerous. Unlike most Asians, Thais hardly ever use the horn, and as such they view it as extremely rude and offensive when somebody does, especially a long blast. It could lead to a serious confrontation, or even death ( I'm not exaggerating, as some people here know) so be warned.

[Halion]

Op - "one way" in Thailand means the way that you happen to be going.

Sometimes, expediency is the best alternative and Thais seem to accept and adapt to this. I used to think that the driver reversing 300m because he missed an exit or U-turn to avoid driving 2 klm to the next U-turn were lunatics. And while I'm not saying it's a particularly safe thing to do, when confronted with a similar situation, I chose to do it.

Expediency and adaptability - two things we have lost in the west due to the proliferation of the Nanny State, and the taking away of personal self responsibility over the last 40 years or so.

Expediency and adaptability are most certainly valued , however, reversing down major roads, highways or one way streets to suit your personal convienience leaves a lot to be desired.

Driving in this country is a rather dangerous undertaking for a variety of reasons. Thai's in general have little conception or regard for traffic regs or common sense for that mater and these traits makes conceptual driving very difficult as you can never be sure of what to expect and that is a given. Some of the things that happen are so far removed from anything we could possibly anticipate that they are beyond any form of comprehension even for the generic local drivers.

After driving in this country for 20 years, both cars and motor bikes, and I whole heartedly agree with your statement regarding adaptability as a necessary prerequsite for driving in Thailand, however, I do not think that a maxim of expediency brings anything possitive to Thai driving behaviours, in fact it may constitue a major root cause.

Over the years I have come to be less judgemental and more acceptant of the conditions that exist based on the premise that they are most unlikely to change in the foreseeable future. I have an ongoing personal battle to avoid slipping into the myriad of bad driving habits that surround me on a daily basis ,owing to what I perceive as the personal expediency of other drivers.

Evaluation of consequence is the precursor of expedient action and this is not a function that is taught,practised or even valued on the Thai roads. God only knows the temptation to follow suit owing to the abysmal road systems, however, should I find myself in the wrong place,then I consider that to be nobody'd fault but my own and refuse to redress the problem by making the most expedient decision on a personal basis, should it circumvent both traffic regulations and most of all, common sense.

[masuk]

Yesterday, in Chiang Mai, I was waiting at the traffic lights, when a motor bike two or three cars in front suddenly lurched over and the driver was thrown onto the footpath. He wasn't hurt, and he certainly gave the driver of the car which rammed him an earful!

[Bagwan]

A moment that I treasure was when a Thai with lady seated behind him riding pillion turned left out of a soi right in front of me. I gave him the works on the horn and he moved over to the left, rode alongside me and then proceed to scream and shout at me. My wife laughed at him and I gave him the finger. He was so engrossed in venting his anger at me that he drove into the back of a parked lorry. We laughed all the way home.

For a short time I joined my father in law (I was the son he always wanted) in delivering Lambretta scooters to dealers around the UK. Once we were taking the show bikes to an exhibition in Birmingham and at that time the City Centre and Bullring were being redesigned. I was following and he turned into a street that was now designated one way - and we were going against the traffic flow. I sounded my horn and flashed my headlights and he stopped. Mr Plod came along and said 'This is a one way street" to which father in law said that he was only going one way. Mr.Plod then excelled himself by saying "Didn't you see the arrows?" Father in law who had a flip answer to everything relied, "Arrows? Arrrows? I didn't even see the bloody Indians." The cop cleared a path through the traffic for us and we were on our way. Cockney wit 10 Brum thicky 0.

[Ulic]

Having driven in over 60 countries world wide I maintain that Thai drivers are the worst in the world.

My brother maintains that Vietnam is worse. I have not been there yet so I had to give him the nod

that he may be correct.

[robblok]

When in Rome, do as the Romans do. Thai driving has NEVER irritated me; I simply took up their habits and blend right in. Those that don't like the driving here should simply not drive here. It's really quite simple concept.

I agree.

Probably the one thing that does peeve me a bit is when there are two or three lanes on a busy road and the far right becomes a 'U-Tern' lane and there are maybe 10 or 20 cars lined up, waiting their turn to swing around, the impatient Thai Driver decides to head up the middle lane and block it waiting for the U-Turn opportunity ... thus choking down the forward moving traffic.

Even the Thai gf comments on this as a poor Thai driving habit ... but she's driven in Australia ...

.

Quite simple also many Thais are annoyed by the drive style of their fellow countrymen. So it is not just us who think there is a large portion of idiots around. I have been in the car with many Thais that can drive and they do think the same as we do about the guys that drive cars like m/c the guys that go on the wrong side of the road in a blind turn.

So you can be all as annoyed as you want many Thais are too anyone thinking this is not true is speaking to the wrong Thais.

[maverick21]

I spent three weeks in Thailand last year, and drove a little over 2,000 miles during that time. Thai driving is... different, and took a while to get used to. As with driving in any country, you have the idiots - but I encountered fewer idiots than in any other country where I've driven. Mostly, I found that Thai driving was remarkably logical and sensible, once you become familiar with it and accept that "rules" simply don't exist.

As for Thai drivers being the worst in the world... well, you want to try Morocco. A muddy track that happens to be the main road between two towns, nearly 10,000 feet up in the Atlas mountains, only slightly wider than the vehicle with a drop of over a thousand feet on one side, covered in snow, and while I'm doing less than 10 mph with the wheels sliding almost over the edge every few minutes, and stopping to repair the edge of the track with rocks where it's collapsed and no longer wide enough for my 4x4, there's a Moroccan van behind me with the driver shouting at me to drive faster... You don't get that in Thailand....

[Gsxrnz]

We need to remember be calm, I am not always ! ! ! , if we are involved in an accident we are the ones at fault, as one judge said if we were not here and on the road the accodent would not have happened QED

Nonsense. In 20-odd years of living here I've had a few accidents, one of which was serious, but no one over suggested it was my fault. The judge statement is just an urban myth.

Agree. The "if you weren't here...." is urban legend. I've had two dings in the truck, one of them major and I actually thought it was my fault. Nobody hurt thank goodness. The police decided otherwise and fined the other driver. No tea money, no drama, a pleasant (given the circumstances) experience.

[Gsxrnz]

Op - "one way" in Thailand means the way that you happen to be going.

Sometimes, expediency is the best alternative and Thais seem to accept and adapt to this. I used to think that the driver reversing 300m because he missed an exit or U-turn to avoid driving 2 klm to the next U-turn were lunatics. And while I'm not saying it's a particularly safe thing to do, when confronted with a similar situation, I chose to do it.

Expediency and adaptability - two things we have lost in the west due to the proliferation of the Nanny State, and the taking away of personal self responsibility over the last 40 years or so.

Expediency and adaptability are most certainly valued , however, reversing down major roads, highways or one way streets to suit your personal convienience leaves a lot to be desired.

Driving in this country is a rather dangerous undertaking for a variety of reasons. Thai's in general have little conception or regard for traffic regs or common sense for that mater and these traits makes conceptual driving very difficult as you can never be sure of what to expect and that is a given. Some of the things that happen are so far removed from anything we could possibly anticipate that they are beyond any form of comprehension even for the generic local drivers.

After driving in this country for 20 years, both cars and motor bikes, and I whole heartedly agree with your statement regarding adaptability as a necessary prerequsite for driving in Thailand, however, I do not think that a maxim of expediency brings anything possitive to Thai driving behaviours, in fact it may constitue a major root cause.

Over the years I have come to be less judgemental and more acceptant of the conditions that exist based on the premise that they are most unlikely to change in the foreseeable future. I have an ongoing personal battle to avoid slipping into the myriad of bad driving habits that surround me on a daily basis ,owing to what I perceive as the personal expediency of other drivers.

Evaluation of consequence is the precursor of expedient action and this is not a function that is taught,practised or even valued on the Thai roads. God only knows the temptation to follow suit owing to the abysmal road systems, however, should I find myself in the wrong place,then I consider that to be nobody'd fault but my own and refuse to redress the problem by making the most expedient decision on a personal basis, should it circumvent both traffic regulations and most of all, common sense.

A great post. I particularly like where you say "Evaluation of consequence is the precursor of expedient action and this is not a function that is taught,practised or even valued on the Thai roads."

I don't claim that all Thai driving habits are expedient or indeed safe, but my general observation is that many (not all) of the bizarre practices, while being contrary to our western driving style, are in fact evaluated for consequence and hence have become the local standard. I don't endorse poor or dangerous driving (subjectively), but one has to adapt in Thailand. It's impossible to drive like you're in our own country simply because it's a totally different environment.

I'm reminded of a former boss who is one of the world's worst drivers. Claimed to have driven for over 30 years and never had an accident. What he meant was, he'd never been in an accident that he considered was his fault. His wife recounted a dozen or more incidents where he'd been banged up, usually for driving too slow, not being aware of vehicles around him, and doing strange things like braking for green lights because they were going to change in 15 seconds. I had the misfortune to be a passenger on many occasion - nail biting stuff!

I think we (Falang in Thailand) compare Thai driving to our own country in two ways. One is objective and relates to the general practices, rules, enforcement etc. The other is very subjective - what sort of driver we ourselves are. Age doesn't make anybody a good driver, neither does driving time experience, distance travelled, lack of accidents, no tickets or demerit points, never being fined etc.

The subjectivity of one's own driving skills therefore is probably the crucial comparative. If, like me, you've track raced bikes and cars since the age of 20, and attended numerous track day training sessions designed to teach you to drive faster and safer, the perspective of Thai driving may be different from somebody who may be a relatively nervous or cautious driver.Or even worse, an aggressive driver that doesn't truly comprehend the physics and dynamics of driving/riding. I'm not implying that track racing is an essential aspect. I know many excellent untrained drivers that are "naturals".

For example - a driver that doesn't know the limits of his machine and/or his skill is a potential menace. Therefore, it is likely that this sort of driver is more likely to feel uncomfortable driving in Thailand. When was the last time you drove your car/bike at 160klm/h+ per hour and did an emergency brake, just to understand the feeling - or even 100klm/h? Do you really understand ABS, and have you experienced it in action? How fast can your vehicle actually go around a bend, irrespective of the speed limit? Do you understand the concept of apexing a bend, late apexing, do you adjust speed for negative/positive camber? Have you floored your gas pedal at different speeds just to see what capability your vehicle has if/when you need to use that power?

I was once a passenger in a car that was overtaking on a dual carriageway (the boss). He was so obsessed with not breaking the speed limit that he was oblivious to the oncoming traffic. I begged him to floor it and for three seconds he refused until I literally screamed in his ear. We avoided a head on by inches. His comment, "I didn't know the car could accelerate like that". Genius!

Anyway, assessing Thai driving is very subjective in my opinion and largely says what sort of driver we ourselves are.

[Paangjang]

I was driving down Chang moi the other day. As there is no signage, i wasn't even aware that the first on the right is a one way coming from Thapae road. No signs anywhere, no arows on the road... Anyway halfway up i was stopped by a policeman on a motorbike. He parked in the middle of the road so as i couldn't pass. I explained to him how i wasn't aware it was a 1 way and there were no signs etc. He eventually agreed and let me carry on in the wrong direction

Won't do it again but funny how relaxed the law enforcement is here sometimes.

[phantomfiddler]

In the driving test, at least in the Pattaya area, there is a question on when it is OK to drive down a oneway street in the opposite direction, and the correct answer is NOT "never" ! It is "when you think it is safe to do so". Makes a lot of sense to me

[uptheos]

A lot of soi's don't have a do not turn right or left sign on to the main road. It's OK if you know the street, but errors are often caused by the lack of signs.

[ajarnmarc]

All you can do is SYH, and move on.

Learn to adapt, or it will be you,

that lives a short life;

due mostly from frustration that you can't make a difference.

My son was recently run down by a motorcycle going the wrong way,

and my son who's only 6 years old, was trying to cross the street.

I thought he had already crossed the street ahead of me,

so it was my mistake as a protecter to not be by his side.

When the police arrived, they indicated such.

No worries about the guy from Burma...no request for I.D. from the driver,

or warning.

Just put his energy on warning me to stay by my childs side at all times.

Not an easy feat with a young child, but we all try our best.

The end result or conclusion is:

it's always our fault when something happens to them or by them,

even if they aren't thai. Just as long as they aren't from the west.

So most of the Westerners decide to take out their frustrations on others,

that are still trying to learn Thailand and adapt.

Knowing they won't get any respect from the Thai's.

It seems to make them feel better to yell,

holler at other foreigners.

For these types, I say piss off.

We aren't here to correct anything,

just to live peacefully in our own space,

and enjoy our time we have,

with our family.

[dunque]

What's with 'Roundabouts'--surely the principle is easy enough to grasp?? I realize that the Thais can't accept the common rule that the driver already on the roundabout has priority--but, surely, going round the same clockwise direction isn't that hard to do? I approach every side road leading onto the roundabout ahead of me 'assuming' that Somchai will just charge out.

You do know that roundabout priority rules are not the same globally don't you. Maybe this is where the confusion arises - or maybe you met a European on

your roundabout?

[Estrada]

Well I told him "You're going the wrong way, this is a one way street". He said "But, I'm only going one way. what's the problem?".

I've been here 30 years, Thailand is a country where there are 6 ways for traffic to travel on a one way street. Thais think "One Way = My Way", that is why when you cross the road you should look left, right, up, down, behind, and in front again, before attempting to cross the road.

[Kananga]

Op - "one way" in Thailand means the way that you happen to be going.

Sometimes, expediency is the best alternative and Thais seem to accept and adapt to this. I used to think that the driver reversing 300m because he missed an exit or U-turn to avoid driving 2 klm to the next U-turn were lunatics. And while I'm not saying it's a particularly safe thing to do, when confronted with a similar situation, I chose to do it.

Expediency and adaptability - two things we have lost in the west due to the proliferation of the Nanny State, and the taking away of personal self responsibility over the last 40 years or so.

Expediency and adaptability are most certainly valued , however, reversing down major roads, highways or one way streets to suit your personal convienience leaves a lot to be desired.

Driving in this country is a rather dangerous undertaking for a variety of reasons. Thai's in general have little conception or regard for traffic regs or common sense for that mater and these traits makes conceptual driving very difficult as you can never be sure of what to expect and that is a given. Some of the things that happen are so far removed from anything we could possibly anticipate that they are beyond any form of comprehension even for the generic local drivers.

After driving in this country for 20 years, both cars and motor bikes, and I whole heartedly agree with your statement regarding adaptability as a necessary prerequsite for driving in Thailand, however, I do not think that a maxim of expediency brings anything possitive to Thai driving behaviours, in fact it may constitue a major root cause.

Over the years I have come to be less judgemental and more acceptant of the conditions that exist based on the premise that they are most unlikely to change in the foreseeable future. I have an ongoing personal battle to avoid slipping into the myriad of bad driving habits that surround me on a daily basis ,owing to what I perceive as the personal expediency of other drivers.

Evaluation of consequence is the precursor of expedient action and this is not a function that is taught,practised or even valued on the Thai roads. God only knows the temptation to follow suit owing to the abysmal road systems, however, should I find myself in the wrong place,then I consider that to be nobody'd fault but my own and refuse to redress the problem by making the most expedient decision on a personal basis, should it circumvent both traffic regulations and most of all, common sense.

A great post. I particularly like where you say "Evaluation of consequence is the precursor of expedient action and this is not a function that is taught,practised or even valued on the Thai roads."

I don't claim that all Thai driving habits are expedient or indeed safe, but my general observation is that many (not all) of the bizarre practices, while being contrary to our western driving style, are in fact evaluated for consequence and hence have become the local standard. I don't endorse poor or dangerous driving (subjectively), but one has to adapt in Thailand. It's impossible to drive like you're in our own country simply because it's a totally different environment.

I'm reminded of a former boss who is one of the world's worst drivers. Claimed to have driven for over 30 years and never had an accident. What he meant was, he'd never been in an accident that he considered was his fault. His wife recounted a dozen or more incidents where he'd been banged up, usually for driving too slow, not being aware of vehicles around him, and doing strange things like braking for green lights because they were going to change in 15 seconds. I had the misfortune to be a passenger on many occasion - nail biting stuff!

I think we (Falang in Thailand) compare Thai driving to our own country in two ways. One is objective and relates to the general practices, rules, enforcement etc. The other is very subjective - what sort of driver we ourselves are. Age doesn't make anybody a good driver, neither does driving time experience, distance travelled, lack of accidents, no tickets or demerit points, never being fined etc.

The subjectivity of one's own driving skills therefore is probably the crucial comparative. If, like me, you've track raced bikes and cars since the age of 20, and attended numerous track day training sessions designed to teach you to drive faster and safer, the perspective of Thai driving may be different from somebody who may be a relatively nervous or cautious driver.Or even worse, an aggressive driver that doesn't truly comprehend the physics and dynamics of driving/riding. I'm not implying that track racing is an essential aspect. I know many excellent untrained drivers that are "naturals".

For example - a driver that doesn't know the limits of his machine and/or his skill is a potential menace. Therefore, it is likely that this sort of driver is more likely to feel uncomfortable driving in Thailand. When was the last time you drove your car/bike at 160klm/h+ per hour and did an emergency brake, just to understand the feeling - or even 100klm/h? Do you really understand ABS, and have you experienced it in action? How fast can your vehicle actually go around a bend, irrespective of the speed limit? Do you understand the concept of apexing a bend, late apexing, do you adjust speed for negative/positive camber? Have you floored your gas pedal at different speeds just to see what capability your vehicle has if/when you need to use that power?

I was once a passenger in a car that was overtaking on a dual carriageway (the boss). He was so obsessed with not breaking the speed limit that he was oblivious to the oncoming traffic. I begged him to floor it and for three seconds he refused until I literally screamed in his ear. We avoided a head on by inches. His comment, "I didn't know the car could accelerate like that". Genius!

Anyway, assessing Thai driving is very subjective in my opinion and largely says what sort of driver we ourselves are.

If you want to remove the subjectivity on Thai driving standards just look at the number of road deaths per capita and compare it to a developed nation. Any developed nation.

[zxray]

That was me going the wrong way, evidently I have been here to long also!

[Ticketmaster]

Op - "one way" in Thailand means the way that you happen to be going.

Sometimes, expediency is the best alternative and Thais seem to accept and adapt to this. I used to think that the driver reversing 300m because he missed an exit or U-turn to avoid driving 2 klm to the next U-turn were lunatics. And while I'm not saying it's a particularly safe thing to do, when confronted with a similar situation, I chose to do it.

Expediency and adaptability - two things we have lost in the west due to the proliferation of the Nanny State, and the taking away of personal self responsibility over the last 40 years or so.

Expediency and adaptability? Reversing down highways when people are driving towards you at 120KMH? Surely you mean putting the lives of oneself and others at risk to save a few minutes that dont matter because as this is Thailand most people are probably late anyway. You yourself admit that its not a safe thing to do. As for the nanny state comment. You think its better to have 5 times as many people die on the roads than a Western country and an inept, corrupt police force than a safe driving environment just so you can reverse down highways into incoming traffic?

You were right the first time. They are lunatics (I prefer the term cretinous moron). That hasn't changed. You've just become one too.

Darwin in full effect.

This is typical thinking for a citizen of a nanny state. If you look at the driving statistics, most of the Thai stats are by youthful motorcycle riders. When you factor those out and look at the stats for four wheeled vehicles, they are not much worst than most countries of the west. But it is different here -- adapt or die -- or leave.

[Ticketmaster]

I have posted this 3 times now. It applies that drives on a street, road or dirt track.

THERE are two things about Thailand that are totally incomprehensible to westerners: Buddhism and road rules. The two are inextricably linked, and by understanding one, you gain insight into the other. Western religions are burdened with the concept of opposites such as good and evil, heaven and hell, and light and dark. Buddhism recognizes the inherent one-ness of all things and sees these supposed opposites as facets of the unity and totality of existence. To follow the way of the Thai driver, you too must cast off these illusions of duality, such as the duality of two traffic lanes moving in opposite directions. The Thai driver sees both lanes as part of the one road, and both directions as an expression of the eternal flow of all things. When you have grasped this concept, you will then understand why Thais so naturally swerve into oncoming traffic to overtake, and why they are completely serene as they travel along a busy road the wrong way. It is because there is no wrong way, only ‘The Way’. It’s the same with traffic lights. To the enlightened Buddhist driver, red and green are not different colours, but simply different ways of seeing the same traffic light. Unlearn such deceptive Western notions as ‘right of way’ and your inner eye will open, which is the only way to proceed through an intersection in Thailand. In Thailand, existence is not seen as a linear progression from birth to death, but rather as an endless cycle of life, death and rebirth. As one’s soul gains experience and enlightenment from each lifetime, that soul is reincarnated into yet another lifetime until Nirvana is achieved and he, or she, escapes from this eternal cycle into a state of perpetual bliss.You never die, because life is a mere Honda Dream. Instead, you simply pass into another life for another chance to attain the wisdom necessary for enlightenment. You should also never fear death, even when careening along a twisty Phuket highway at 200km an hour with a bottomless chasm yawning right next to the road. This life will end when it is time, and no matter how often you check your mirrors, a pick-up truck can come screaming up from behind and make that time now. Accept this as inevitable, and you will be free to follow the way of the Thai driver, overtaking on blind corners and driving in the rain at breakneck speeds without a helmet. Those who wish to spend a little longer in this lifetime should be especially careful when driving past Buddhist temples, because those drivers coming out have probably just made merit and may be looking for reincarnation while the getting is good. Be like the water, which is the essence of all life and, as such, has many lessons to teach us. Water can fit into any container and seep through even the smallest crack, and so too can the Thai driver. He can maneuverer into any space between two speeding vehicles, no matter how small or inconvenient it may be, or at what speed he is travelling. When confronted by an obstacle, water does not stop, but flows around the obstacle, never losing momentum. So, too must you. When someone along life’s highway has stopped in the middle of the road to smell the roses, or pick up some fried chicken, you must flow around the obstacle, never stopping your harmonious movement. Patience is also necessary when leaving a car park and turning across an oncoming lane of vehicles. You must slowly edge onto the road, keeping an eye out for even the tiniest cracks in the teeming traffic. What is the sound of one horn honking? As you travel the road to enlightenment, you will ponder this repeatedly, because it is a sound you will hear quite a bit. The answer is childishly simple. It depends on how many times it honks. One honk indicate that someone is overtaking or coming through, while a series of several honks is meant as a warning to anyone stupid enough to get in the way. There is also the puzzle of the turn signal. A blinking left indicator can mean the driver is about to make a left turn, or it can mean he is about to make a right turn or no turn at all. Understanding intractable questions like these is the secret to mastering the way of the Thai road.

I have been here for 26 years. It will not change.

Gimme a break! There is no Buddhism in Thailand. They call it that (they have to call it something), but what 95% of the people practice has nothing to do with the teachings of Siddhartha.

What you are talking about has much more to do with Asian culture (including atheistic Vietnam) in general that any specific religion.