My wife's brother's driving is driving me 'round the bend

[RikDao]

"Then, let’s see, why don’t we turn in front of a 10-year-old girl on a scooter when it’s her right-of-way?"

She can't have right of way when when she's too young to be legally riding a motocy.

Can't tell. You being facetious? I hope so.

[laolover88]

You just have to work on these principles

1. Nobody knows how to drive

2. They have not had cars very long

3. They are not interested in you or anyone else

4. Me first

5. Traffic lights? What are they?

6. Priorite a droit?? Priorite a moi

7. I am Thai (and all that implies)

8. U turns without lights!!!

8. If you think that someone is going to do something stupid..assume they will

I have said elsewhere that my Thai wife refuses to let the children go in any bus, taxi, Songthaew, Samlor Motocy taxi EVER

She has a UK driving licence and having experienced UK roads is speechless at the stupidity of her co -citizens

[StreetCowboy]

I like driving round the bend - unless we're talking plumbing...

[dao16]

As others have said, welcome to Thailand.....fingers crossed, I have never been in an accident here, but I do try to limit my driving as much as possible and also avoid crazy times, like when people are picking up their kids from school. Of course, any time I go out, it is still a dangerous outing. Get your own transport. Expect everyone to drive like you brother-in-law or worse at every moment and you should be ok.

[Andre0720]

Shhhh. Be quiet.

If he were to learn to shift gears properly,

He would become an even worse menace on the roads...

[bender92]

Three months in Thailand and you already have a Thai wife? Good luck.

[David48]

Maybe the OP is not used to travelling in a Diesel powered truck.

Credit

Ignore the Eco-Boost curve ... but it was the best I could find for Petrol vs Diesel.

The milk truck I used to drive ... fully loaded, we used to take off in 2^nd gear as first gear was too low a ratio. The gf's father, in his Diesel Pick-Up drives the same.

I take on-broard, agree with the use on engine breaking down hills ... but, just remember this ... you're getting a free ride in another's truck and it's most likely not the smartest to be a 'Back-Seat' driver ... even though you've admitted you're too big to fit in the back and are forced to sit in the front.

.

[Joe Mamma]

Get your drivers license asap, as all you need is your old current one from back home. I re-trained the whole family of how not to drive! Now they don't piss me off as a passenger so i won't take over the wheel.

By the way, statistically, the road is where most people get hurt/killed here,beware.

[arthurwait]

Breaking news ! Thais don't learn to drive as all the test (which many don't bother with) involves driving round in a circle and guessing a multiple choice theory test.

Is the pick up a diesel ?

[longstebe]

Three months in Thailand and you already have a Thai wife? Good luck.

What the <deleted> has that got to do with anything.

Sent from my GT-I9505 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[David48]

Three months in Thailand and you already have a Thai wife? Good luck.

What the <deleted> has that got to do with anything.

... for a big guy he's a fast mover?

.

[A. BOOZER]

Without any intended offence (spelt the correct English way, with a 'c'), Most Americans and Thais have some common areas when it comes to driving. Lack of comprehension of manual gearboxes, rubberknecking and tailgating.

Are there any other glaring similarities that I have missed?

[recycler]

You are a stupid farang and you don't know shit about driving, it was invented here in Thailand!

That's why some of them manage to make black smoke to appear from a brand new car.... red plates still on it!

Now you also know that you should never buy a second hand car in Thailand!

[samjaidee]

Please note: I'm not English, OK, so that's why I put that little apostrophe next to "round" in the title, OK?

Being English, this has really annoyed me. So much so, that I've forgotten what the thread was about.

Thanks, Woolamooloo.

Regardless of nationality, I can't imagine why anyone would want to use an apostrophe on the word round in the title.

If you wanted to use the word around then why didn't you just use the a key rather than the apostrophe key?

Interesting!

[bushman1666]

Welcome to Thailand. This is why most Thais drive autos. Remember, these people have gone from buffalo carts to 3 litre turbo trucks on one generation without the merest hint of a driving lesson in between. Good luck, maybe get yourself a motorbike.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[RikDao]

Without any intended offence (spelt the correct English way, with a 'c'), Most Americans and Thais have some common areas when it comes to driving. Lack of comprehension of manual gearboxes, rubberknecking and tailgating.

Are there any other glaring similarities that I have missed?

LOL, and touche'. I like that one: "Without any intended offence." I'm gonna start using that.

I do OK with a stick shift, as my grandma taught me how to drive on the farm when I was 12, in an old Dodge truck. I don't tailgate, and rubber(k)neck only now and then. But I'm only one American, obviously. In general, you're probably right.

And I don't want to get offensive about spelling, but there are more Americans in the world than English, so I think we'll just have to do it the American way from now on, OK? I'm sure you understand.

[Keesters]

Remember, these people have gone from buffalo carts to 3 litre turbo trucks on one generation without the merest hint of a driving lesson in between.

Sums up Thai driving perfectly.

[misterphil]

Welcome to Thailand.

You have 2 options here.

1. Refuse to get in the car with him.

2. Drive yourself.

Believe me, and everyone else here on TV you will not change him. Dont even try, you are waisting your time.

[lucifer666]

It sounds like he's a pretty normal Thai driver to me. Wait until you have stayed here awhile, i guarantee, you will begin to think that his driving isn't so bad after all

[huwgo]

Dude, many people here will tell you 'welcome to Thailand'... 'it is what it is'... 'get used to it' etc etc

DON'T GET USED TO IT

If/when he crashes... you'll regret not pushing harder. Saying nothing will save his face for sure, but you know the right thing to do already. Keep at it.

[PaullyW]

Please note: I'm not English, OK, so that's why I put that little apostrophe next to "round" in the title, OK?

Being English, this has really annoyed me. So much so, that I've forgotten what the thread was about.

Thanks, Woolamooloo.

Regardless of nationality, I can't imagine why anyone would want to use an apostrophe on the word round in the title.

If you wanted to use the word around then why didn't you just use the a key rather than the apostrophe key?

Interesting!

It's written that way because it's pronounced that way.

'round' (1 syllable) here

vs

'around' (2 syllables) here

It represents a style of speaking.

Edited December 2, 2013 by PaullyW

[WitawatWatawit]

Way back then ... stopped at a beer bar for a drink. Lass picks up my keys - "What?" - "car keys" - "you have car?" - "yes" - "you can drive?" - "yes". Thought about that for a moment and called the mamasan over. I said, ask her what she means by "you can drive?". Bit of talk, and mamasan says the lass didn't think farangs knew how to drive, only Thais knew how to. Some time later a friend said a Thai bar girl swore blind that cars were invented in Thailand. (but clearly, driving skills weren't). True tales of yore.

[Anon999]

Please note: I'm not English, OK, so that's why I put that little apostrophe next to "round" in the title, OK?

Being English, this has really annoyed me. So much so, that I've forgotten what the thread was about.

Why he says he's not English, having stated he comes from Texas I've no idea. However, he should be a lot more at home with Thai driving as the deaths/100,000 in the States are over 3 times greater than in the UK.

[A. BOOZER]

If you are considering driving in Thailand some tips about travelling on the roads here.

1. Never indicate - this will give away your next move. A real Thai driver never uses them.

2. Under no circumstance should you leave a safe distance between you and the car in front of you, this space will be filled by at least 2 taxis and a mini bus, putting you in an even more dangerous situation.

3. The faster you drive through a red light, the smaller the chance you have of getting hit.

4. Never, ever come to a complete stop at a stop sign. No one expects it and it will only result in you being rear-ended.

5. Braking is to be done as hard and late as possible to ensure that your ABS kicks in, giving you a nice, relaxing foot massage as the brake pedal pulsates. For those of you without ABS, it's a chance to stretch your legs.

6. Never pass on the right when you can pass on the left. It's a good way to check if the people entering the highway are awake.

7. Speed limits are arbitrary figures, given only as a guideline. They are especially not applicable in Thailand during rush hour. That's why it's called 'rush hour'

8. Just because you're in the right lane and have no room to speed up or move over doesn't mean that a Thai driver flashing his lights behind you doesn't think he can go faster if he is in your spot.

9. Always slow down and rubberneck when you see an accident or even someone changing a tire. Never stop to help - you might be mugged.

10. Learn to swerve abruptly. Thailand is the home of the high-speed slalom driving thanks to the government, They put big holes in key locations to test drivers' reflexes and keeps them on their toes.

11. Always honk your horn at cars that don't move the instant the light turns green. This prevents birds from building nests on top of the traffic light and from leaving droppings on your car.

12. Remember that the goal of every Thai driver is to get there first, by whatever means necessary.

13. On average, at least four cars can go through an intersection after the light has turned red. It's people not adhering to this basic principle that causes the big traffic jams during rush hour.

14. The reason that many Thais travel at 95 MPH is simply because their car won't do 100 MPH.

15. Never wear a motorcycle helmet on the head. That is what the basket in front is for.

16. No vehicle of any type can be overloaded.

17. Do not tie down loads of steel or anything else, that's what the people sitting on top of it are for.

18. I have blown my horn or flashed my lights so I have right of way no matter what.

19. When you park your motor bike, always park it as close as possible to another one, even though there are no other bikes in the parking area.

Edited December 2, 2013 by Tywais
Corrected font

[hellodolly]

You have come from a country in the west that is literally a couple hundred years ahead of Thailand in many areas.

Don't let any shiny malls and their thin veneer of modernity fool you. They ('educated' and uneducated alike) are generally (not all but most in my many years here) as backward and unsophisticated as anywhere else in the world.

If you approach all interactions with Thais from this perspective, you'll always be prepared for the their general lack of sense.

You approach all interactions with Thais with an air of superiority.

How good of you.

Is that the way you were treated where you come from so you came here to do it to other people?

OP I don't have those problems with the wife's daughter and son in law. It is all in town driving and I also have to sit in the front and watch the craziness. Fortunately we never get up to speeds that would be serious accidents. I realize that all accidents have the potential but we never can get up to a high speed where we go,

[hellodolly]

If you are considering driving in Thailand some tips about travelling on the roads here.

1. Never indicate - this will give away your next move. A real Thai driver never uses them.

2. Under no circumstance should you leave a safe distance between you and the car in front of you, this space will be filled by at least 2 taxis and a mini bus, putting you in an even more dangerous situation.

3. The faster you drive through a red light, the smaller the chance you have of getting hit.

4. Never, ever come to a complete stop at a stop sign. No one expects it and it will only result in you being rear-ended.

5. Braking is to be done as hard and late as possible to ensure that your ABS kicks in, giving you a nice, relaxing foot massage as the brake pedal pulsates. For those of you without ABS, it's a chance to stretch your legs.

6. Never pass on the right when you can pass on the left. It's a good way to check if the people entering the highway are awake.

7. Speed limits are arbitrary figures, given only as a guideline. They are especially not applicable in Thailand during rush hour. That's why it's called 'rush hour'

8. Just because you're in the right lane and have no room to speed up or move over doesn't mean that a Thai driver flashing his lights behind you doesn't think he can go faster if he is in your spot.

9. Always slow down and rubberneck when you see an accident or even someone changing a tire. Never stop to help - you might be mugged.

10. Learn to swerve abruptly. Thailand is the home of the high-speed slalom driving thanks to the government, They put big holes in key locations to test drivers' reflexes and keeps them on their toes.

11. Always honk your horn at cars that don't move the instant the light turns green. This prevents birds from building nests on top of the traffic light and from leaving droppings on your car.

12. Remember that the goal of every Thai driver is to get there first, by whatever means necessary.

13. On average, at least four cars can go through an intersection after the light has turned red. It's people not adhering to this basic principle that causes the big traffic jams during rush hour.

14. The reason that many Thais travel at 95 MPH is simply because their car won't do 100 MPH.

15. Never wear a motorcycle helmet on the head. That is what the basket in front is for.

16. No vehicle of any type can be overloaded.

17. Do not tie down loads of steel or anything else, that's what the people sitting on top of it are for.

18. I have blown my horn or flashed my lights so I have right of way no matter what.

19. When you park your motor bike, always park it as close as possible to another one, even though there are no other bikes in the parking area.

I take exception with number 12 that applies only to motor bikes. Some of the cars are so slow I think they don't care if they ever get there.

Also I think number 9 is a world wide occurrence.

Other than that great post. Nice to start the day with a little bit of reality humor.

[hellodolly]

Get your drivers license asap, as all you need is your old current one from back home. I re-trained the whole family of how not to drive! Now they don't piss me off as a passenger so i won't take over the wheel.

By the way, statistically, the road is where most people get hurt/killed here,beware.

Do you not need an international one as well?

[biggles45]

Thailand has one of the highest road tolls in the world for its. population....and now you know why. !!

[Andyfez]

Yeah, they all drive like it's a tractor..........

[Toscano]

I taught my wife to drive , initially on the local secondary school playing field , before venturing onto country roads .

My wife passed her test first time , very easy in Thailand . My wife complains that I drive too fast , but I'm very experienced and formerly live in Italy . Now that I'm getting older I get tired on a long day out , my wife has suddenly offered to drive to the local city and back , an hour each way .

She complains that I don't make any comment . I tell her that she is driving beautifully , very smooth just like me and just as fast .