Driving in Thailand - perception versus reality...

[scotbeve]

I have been here 33 years never really had a problem with driving. all I can say is one does get tuned into the local driving.

[bermondburi]

all you people moaning about Thailand should try driving in Saudi . It takes it to another level . Every time you are on the road here things make you flinch to OMFG ! Never saw anyone do a 720 turn in a car outside a shop for fun in 10+ years in Thailand . Seen it here and the rest !

[bermondburi]

Driving in thailand is a ckusterfrack.

Roads are terrible. Drivers are generally uneducated and self absorbed. Another huge problem is the lack of a quality extensive rail shipping network in Thailand whose lack forces far too high a number of heavy vehicles onto poorly built and maintained Thai roads.

What the heck does ckusterfrack mean???

Google = answer is something to do with Star Wars so no idea

ckusterfrack = clusterf *ck

I have said it before and I am saying it again. I have driven a car or scooter in more than 60 countries world wide and while I am sure there are

worse drivers I have not seen them yet. My brother assures me they are worse in Vietnam but I have not been there yet so I will defer to him.

He tells me he has spent many an afternoon having a few beers at a bar at a light controlled intersection and enjoyed the show.

Driving is dangerous in Thailand, make no mistake. Signals may mean the person is turning, maybe not. No signal may mean the person is going

straight but he may turn or change lanes as well. Baht busses will stop in the lane to discharge or pick up passengers even when there is a lane

available for them to pull over to. They will pull out without signalling or into scooter traffic as you will pay the bigger penalty if you don't brake hard.

You will see scooters driving the wrong way on one way streets and against traffic on the wrong side of the street on two way streets.

Do not be quick as a pedestrian to walk on a green light as motor vehicle ofter continue for 4-5 seconds through the red light. Pedestrians ofter

look the wrong way when crossing the street as they are from the Americas or mainland Europe. Many don't look at all as they are drunk or assume

they have the right of way on the roads. Similarly when driving when the light turns green check to see if it is clear. Thais are the worst red light

runners in the world I am sure if their were red light cameras and Thais paid their tickets the amount would triple the amount the government looses

in the rice pledging scam. All this said I drive a scooter here. I try to drive with aggressive confidence but I am careful not to stop on the yellow

lights so as not to be hit from behind by cars or other scooters going through on the red light.

As I said in another post , try Saudi !!

[Forethat]

I have seen very few accidents in Bangkok. When you get OUTSIDE Bangkok, on the other hand...

I wish I could same the same. I've witnessed many accidents in Bangkok and almost entirely involved motorbikes.

Two wheels are more susceptible and no two ways about it.

Oh sorry, I was not clear that I meant accidents as in "the victim splashed all over the street as a squashed big mac"...

Last statistics I heard was 20 per day have accidents just on motorbikes, in BKK.

That's almost 8000 per year.

About one per day is a fatality.

In Bangkok alone? Dang...

[thaibeachlovers]

all you people moaning about Thailand should try driving in Saudi . It takes it to another level . Every time you are on the road here things make you flinch to OMFG ! Never saw anyone do a 720 turn in a car outside a shop for fun in 10+ years in Thailand . Seen it here and the rest !

When I was in Saudi the biggest complaint from expat women was that they couldn't drive. I always said that I could, but nothing would ever get me behind the wheel there.

[alien mike]

I agree that it is certainly not relaxing.

The way I drive is to imagine every other driver on the road is going to make a potentially dangerous manoeuvre and to use your imagination as to what that manoeuvre is going to involve and then plan accordingly. That way instead of experiencing a nasty surprise when someone does something stupid you experienced a pleasant surprise momentarily when they don’t and then it's on to the next one and so on and so on. I drive to survive

for example, have you ever noticed how many motorists come rushing up to the T-junction as if they're not expecting to slow down or stop because of vehicles travelling from their right? It's like they are almost surprised that they have to stop

I think the opposite in that when I'm approaching T-junction I fully expect to slow down or need to stop and if there is nothing coming from my right I am pleasantly surprised.

I guess it's just lack of driver training in this country. What do you expect when their driving test is no more than driving a vehicle round an area no bigger than a mini golf course

I think that the rush to the "T" or the rush to wherever is about bluffing the other drivers into yielding...the pedestrians employ the same strategy,.. with non-lethal results **/

Edited November 17, 2013 by alien mike

[telldem]

I let my wife do the driving. Everybody drives on the wrong side of the road here.

[ericnoodeeka]

been driving here for more than 5 years. from sakon to bkk, to cha-am to krabi, to samui, to ubon, to loei, to petchabun, really all over thailand.

its all about ur perception i think.drive defensively, dont get angry and i think u be ok.i have been so far, and i have put 100,000 plus km on my car.

i think go with the flow and u will be fine.just my bit.maybee im wrong but it works for me.

[ericnoodeeka]

been driving here for more than 5 years. from sakon to bkk, to cha-am to krabi, to samui, to ubon, to loei, to petchabun, really all over thailand.

its all about ur perception i think.drive defensively, dont get angry and i think u be ok.i have been so far, and i have put 100,000 plus km on my car.

i think go with the flow and u will be fine.just my bit.maybee im wrong but it works for me.

when i first drove here i used to get annoyed. now i've learned to just smile and let it go. they really dont know when they not obey the road rules because

they never learned them.

so u really cant get angry about smthing they dont know about.

[maake55555]

The reality is driving in Pattaya or any other place is hazardous to your health.

[Histavia]

The reality is driving in Pattaya or any other place is hazardous to your health.

 

 

How hazardous is down to YOU.

[wym]

Individuals driving private vehicles is a phenomenon the human species can't really afford anymore now more of us are going to be able to afford it.

Cultures that make this danger immediately obvious are doing us a favour, encouraging us to seek alternatives, design our lifestyle so cars become unnecessary.

Embrace the future now!

[ripper15]

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=251873104995011

 

Somebody forgot to tell this yokel that the bigger vehicle always wins. Notice the Che sticker on the p/u's tailgate. Red shirt? 

Edited February 24, 2014 by ripper15

[wym]

Now THAT's some crazy scary sh1t.

 

Don't mess with road rage Thai style. . .

 

[Showbags]

Nearly 2 accidents just today.....being aware is all good and proper....but expecting what an idiot is going to do is very tiring hour after hour.

[Skint]

Nearly 2 accidents just today.....being aware is all good and proper....but expecting what an idiot is going to do is very tiring hour after hour.

2 is a good day, I like the over taking on blind corners and over taking even tho there is no space and making everyone on the other side hammer the anchors all whilst doing no more than 120kmh.

[heist666]

reality

 

[Sayonarax]

Individuals driving private vehicles is a phenomenon the human species can't really afford anymore now more of us are going to be able to afford it.

Cultures that make this danger immediately obvious are doing us a favour, encouraging us to seek alternatives, design our lifestyle so cars become unnecessary.

Embrace the future now!

 

Like riding a bicycle in London? I love watching youtubes videos of silly cyclist.

 

There's been plenty of advancements in car safety.

 

# Adaptive cruise control

 

# Forward collision avoidance system

 

# Side-view assist

 

 

But there's no system to stop dumb asses driving pick up trucks like racing cars.

[funcat]

Wow...this is scary s&#t....you never know what is gonna hit ya....

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ugmxCQ3BExM&feature=youtu.be

[sirineou]

 

 

Driving in thailand is a ckusterfrack.

Roads are terrible. Drivers are generally uneducated and self absorbed. Another huge problem is the lack of a quality extensive rail shipping network in Thailand whose lack forces far too high a number of heavy vehicles onto poorly built and maintained Thai roads.

 

What the heck does ckusterfrack mean???
 

 

Google = answer is something to do with Star Wars    so no idea

 

it is misspelled It suppose to say "ClusterFrack".  Remove the "r" in Frack, and replace the "a" with a "u" and you got the actual work, which means a cluster of bad things that can happen.

[Ace of Pop]

Nearside empty and the Dumb wats in the Outside lane, servers him right.

[Woodsie888]

Nearside empty and the Dumb wats in the Outside lane, servers him right.

The normal abysmally slow reaction times by driver's here well demonstrated too.

The dust cloud on the opposite side of the road at about 11 seconds or so was a very obvious and he kept on plodding along in the right lane oblivious to what was about to happen.

[funcat]

Well,the Ford survived...and the guy on the stretcher is not covered,so maybe(hopfully) he survived this 'flight'....

[Showbags]

I tapped a guys arse today...not in the JT way....really some idiots out there.

 

Got it on video.

[thaibeachlovers]

Well, in 2 months I've nearly been in 3 accidents in New Zealand caused by just plain bad driving on the other drivers part. In 2 of the near accidents I was almost killed. That beats a year of driving in Thailand without any actual incidents involving potential death.

[wilcopops]

 

"“Have you ever noticed that anybody driving slower than you is an idiot, and anyone going faster than you is a maniac?”

[wilcopops]

 

Individuals driving private vehicles is a phenomenon the human species can't really afford anymore now more of us are going to be able to afford it.

Cultures that make this danger immediately obvious are doing us a favour, encouraging us to seek alternatives, design our lifestyle so cars become unnecessary.

Embrace the future now!

 

Like riding a bicycle in London? I love watching youtubes videos of silly cyclist.

 

There's been plenty of advancements in car safety.

 

# Adaptive cruise control

 

# Forward collision avoidance system

 

# Side-view assist

 

 

But there's no system to stop dumb asses driving pick up trucks like racing cars.

 

 

 

...as if.....

[BaldPlumber]

One thing I have noticed about Thai drivers, usually in a car or pickup: if you're going to pull out in front of an oncoming vehicle, causing it to have to brake or change lane, always make your manouver as sloooowly as possible to cause the maximum amount of inconvenience and danger to every other road user in the area.

I'm pretty sure this must be in the thaiway code.

[impulse]

Well, in 2 months I've nearly been in 3 accidents in New Zealand caused by just plain bad driving on the other drivers part. In 2 of the near accidents I was almost killed. That beats a year of driving in Thailand without any actual incidents involving potential death.

 

If I practice NZ driving habits in Thailand, I'll be a hazard (and I'll never get anywhere).

 

If I take Thai driving habits to NZ, I'll be a hazard (though I'll probably make excellent time up until the crash- or more likely, until the cops stop me).

Edited March 1, 2014 by impulse

[Showbags]

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

 

One thing I have noticed about Thai drivers, usually in a car or pickup: if you're going to pull out in front of an oncoming vehicle, causing it to have to brake or change lane, always make your manouver as sloooowly as possible to cause the maximum amount of inconvenience and danger to every other road user in the area.

I'm pretty sure this must be in the thaiway code.

 

 

Don't ya love the ones that look...see you coming...wait till you are closer...then do it anyway !!