Thailand ranks the world’s third in highest road fatalities

[Old Man River]

I wonder how many of these fatalities occur during the police's "it isn't going to happen this year" campaigns.

[BuaBS]

Again about Thais being bad drivers.

I've been here 6 years and about 100K km in a pickup.
When I drive around , I smile , because this is still the land of the FREE.
I see overloaded trucks , 1 "adult" + 3 or 4 children on a motorbike, pickups full of people, no helmets , driving on the wrong side ,no lights, right of way for the biggest,....you've got to love it!
The traffic rules in Thailand are a suggestion, a guideline for safe driving , but they are not followed by Thais and some farang.
When it says 40 km before a curve , nobody drives 40, more like 60 or 70.
Yellow lines , even doubles are a guideline , not a must.
Thais are FREE to interpred traffic rules , as it should be.
In the US or Euroland , driving is repression, everywhere camera's , fines enormous. You go 5 k over a speed limit and it's 100 euro , you do something wrong and you pay dearly, to 1000's of dollars or euro's.
Traffic rules there are completely ridiculas . In my country you have to stop if you only see a cyclist or a pedestrian go to a roadcrossing ! So maybe 10 cars and trucks or more , stop for 1 pedestrian that wants to cross ! Consumption and pollution is the highest going from standstil to drive. What a waste of energy and time. In my country every effort is made to annoy and restrict cars. In Thailand cars , trucks , busses are kings.
About accidents : Natural selection . Rather Thai freedom with accidents than the repression/police state like the west.
And so what if you have to pay a couple of hundred B under the table to Thai police. Rather pay them than robbed by western corrupt governments for 100's of euro's for parking wrong or crossing some line.
About left driving : I am a native right driver ,but I much rather drive left like the Thai. I have no problem switching when I go back to euroland. So don't change anything for the asean opening of borders.
And of course : the thaivisa slogan : if you don't like the way Thais drive , don't drive here and go back to safe policestate UK , USSA or the socialist countries of europe. Go back to camera's on every corner, police helicopters and drones and enormous fines.

Oh and thank you Thailand for the cheap diesel and low roadtax !Thank you Thailand for tinted windows and changing your car with lights,...
At least here you can still afford a car and not get squeezed like a lemon by those
bankruped social secrurity states.
Thais the worst? BS ! Go see in Manilla , Dhaka, Mumbay , Jakarta, Phlom penn ...
I don't like to drive in Bangkok, but even less in Rome , Cairo , Madrid or even Paris.
Driving at night is no problem too , just be more careful and drive slower.

[Tboy928]

1. No license necessary for anyone riding scooters. Even elementary students can ride them

2. No traffic violation enforcement. Poor police enforcement = bad driving habits.

If we have them take a teoretical test over the traffic rules ,like same as Europe , it would be 1 out of 50 000 with licence here. Complete madness as it is now. 3 sec rule,whats that , bumper to bumper in 80 to 90 driving ,it must go wrong.. Resting time for truck and bus drivers,,whats that..

[Tboy928]

Again about Thais being bad drivers.

I've been here 6 years and about 100K km in a pickup.

When I drive around , I smile , because this is still the land of the FREE.

I see overloaded trucks , 1 "adult" + 3 or 4 children on a motorbike, pickups full of people, no helmets , driving on the wrong side ,no lights, right of way for the biggest,....you've got to love it!

The traffic rules in Thailand are a suggestion, a guideline for safe driving , but they are not followed by Thais and some farang.

When it says 40 km before a curve , nobody drives 40, more like 60 or 70.

Yellow lines , even doubles are a guideline , not a must.

Thais are FREE to interpred traffic rules , as it should be.

In the US or Euroland , driving is repression, everywhere camera's , fines enormous. You go 5 k over a speed limit and it's 100 euro , you do something wrong and you pay dearly, to 1000's of dollars or euro's.

Traffic rules there are completely ridiculas . In my country you have to stop if you only see a cyclist or a pedestrian go to a roadcrossing ! So maybe 10 cars and trucks or more , stop for 1 pedestrian that wants to cross ! Consumption and pollution is the highest going from standstil to drive. What a waste of energy and time. In my country every effort is made to annoy and restrict cars. In Thailand cars , trucks , busses are kings.

About accidents : Natural selection . Rather Thai freedom with accidents than the repression/police state like the west.

And so what if you have to pay a couple of hundred B under the table to Thai police. Rather pay them than robbed by western corrupt governments for 100's of euro's for parking wrong or crossing some line.

About left driving : I am a native right driver ,but I much rather drive left like the Thai. I have no problem switching when I go back to euroland. So don't change anything for the asean opening of borders.

And of course : the thaivisa slogan : if you don't like the way Thais drive , don't drive here and go back to safe policestate UK , USSA or the socialist countries of europe. Go back to camera's on every corner, police helicopters and drones and enormous fines.

Oh and thank you Thailand for the cheap diesel and low roadtax !Thank you Thailand for tinted windows and changing your car with lights,...

At least here you can still afford a car and not get squeezed like a lemon by those

bankruped social secrurity states.

Thais the worst? BS ! Go see in Manilla , Dhaka, Mumbay , Jakarta, Phlom penn ...

I don't like to drive in Bangkok, but even less in Rome , Cairo , Madrid or even Paris.

Driving at night is no problem too , just be more careful and drive slower.

The day you hit a Idiot, that comes against you with no light , then i think you rethink ,the got to love it ..

[friendphil]

The penalty appears to be 2,000 baht for smoking in areas that are posted no smoking. The penalty for not wearing a helmet: 200 baht.

Is 200 baht a serious hit for something much more hazardous and potentially deadly? Or is it easy tea money for the police?

Wanna cut traffic fatalities? Thailand better get serious. I don't think there is the consciousness or the desire to do so.

[Fullstop]

According to Australian road safety expert, the best way to reduce road fatalities and loss should be done through encouraging the people to be aware of traffic rules, stringent enforcement of traffic laws.

Which is exactly what I said on another thread. They just seem too bloody thick to understand it. The police especially need a good hard boot up the backside too.

Never gonna happen.

I'll just continue to assume I'm surrounded by road retards at all times ... and hopefully survive.

[3SoiDogNight]

I blame the car tax.

As a result, people buy little motorbikes which aren't safe. Far too often I've seen families of 4 piled on to a motorbike. That is very dangerous. They should be in a car instead. Much higher chance of surviving an accident than on a motorbike.

That said, no new laws!

Keep the laws (or lack there of) the way it is and repeal the car tax. Go to a free market economy with autos so poorer people can afford them and not ride these dangerous motorbikes.

[chrisrazz]

I was going in to town last week and passed the cone boys setting up a checkpoint. On the way back I was stopped, showed my NSW Drivers license, had a bit of a chat and was on my way, and felt good about it afterwards. I think blaming the BIB is a little unfair, they are not equipped to deal with driving offences, traffic cops are trained as such in most forces. They are not equipped either. The only realistic management tool at their disposal is the checkpoint and they only seem to operate when the local force needs some cash. If they were in place 24/7, those without licenses would soon see the economy of getting a license, then what would the BIB do for that cash.

Years ago, I got a ticket for riding a motorbike with no helmet. I asked the police officer how I could return home with no helmet. He took me to the pollice station and wrote a ticket gave me the freedom to continue to ride without a helmet for 5 days!!!! I did try to explain the analogy that the introduction of helmets in the first world war resulted in a huge increase in head injuries and that sometimes death is better than a head injury. That was early days for compulsory helmets, though, I think it could still be the case you can 'get out of jail free' if actually given an official ticket.

I have noticed HGV weigh stations being built, and the odd speed radar but nothing else. I really don't wish for the mushrooming growth of cameras as they are nothing more than revenue raising excersises.

Touch wood, I've been driving in LOS for 17 years with no accidents, not even a bump. You need eyes, not only in the back of your head, but all around, you need to learn to read the 'body language' of your fellow drivers, you need to anticipate the worst possibility in advance. I almost never allow myself to be driven by a Thai, certainly not one who hasn't been taught to drive by me. There is a business opportunity here for a defensive driving school, that's for sure.

I'll be the first Thai apologist and say that considering the standard of driving there appears relatively few fatalities.

[eurozhongguo]

The statistics may well put Thailand in third place which puts them above China, the reality though is that Thai roads are child's play compared with Chinese ones. Has anyone ever seen a Chinese driver give way? I lived in china for several years and giving way there is considered a case of 'losing face'. Crashing seems ok though. I would not drive in china, but I happily do so in Thailand. Need we say more!

[I knew this would happen]

Again about Thais being bad drivers.

I've been here 6 years and about 100K km in a pickup.

When I drive around , I smile , because this is still the land of the FREE.

I see overloaded trucks , 1 "adult" + 3 or 4 children on a motorbike, pickups full of people, no helmets , driving on the wrong side ,no lights, right of way for the biggest,....you've got to love it!

The traffic rules in Thailand are a suggestion, a guideline for safe driving , but they are not followed by Thais and some farang.

When it says 40 km before a curve , nobody drives 40, more like 60 or 70.

Yellow lines , even doubles are a guideline , not a must.

Thais are FREE to interpred traffic rules , as it should be.

In the US or Euroland , driving is repression, everywhere camera's , fines enormous. You go 5 k over a speed limit and it's 100 euro , you do something wrong and you pay dearly, to 1000's of dollars or euro's.

Traffic rules there are completely ridiculas . In my country you have to stop if you only see a cyclist or a pedestrian go to a roadcrossing ! So maybe 10 cars and trucks or more , stop for 1 pedestrian that wants to cross ! Consumption and pollution is the highest going from standstil to drive. What a waste of energy and time. In my country every effort is made to annoy and restrict cars. In Thailand cars , trucks , busses are kings.

About accidents : Natural selection . Rather Thai freedom with accidents than the repression/police state like the west.

And so what if you have to pay a couple of hundred B under the table to Thai police. Rather pay them than robbed by western corrupt governments for 100's of euro's for parking wrong or crossing some line.

About left driving : I am a native right driver ,but I much rather drive left like the Thai. I have no problem switching when I go back to euroland. So don't change anything for the asean opening of borders.

And of course : the thaivisa slogan : if you don't like the way Thais drive , don't drive here and go back to safe policestate UK , USSA or the socialist countries of europe. Go back to camera's on every corner, police helicopters and drones and enormous fines.

Oh and thank you Thailand for the cheap diesel and low roadtax !Thank you Thailand for tinted windows and changing your car with lights,...

At least here you can still afford a car and not get squeezed like a lemon by those

bankruped social secrurity states.

Thais the worst? BS ! Go see in Manilla , Dhaka, Mumbay , Jakarta, Phlom penn ...

I don't like to drive in Bangkok, but even less in Rome , Cairo , Madrid or even Paris.

Driving at night is no problem too , just be more careful and drive slower.

Noone said we have to establish some police state were you will get shot when you ignore a red light. But some improvments would do good, whats happening on Thai roads is a mess. Saying that other places are worse is ok, but doesn´t help us here. Can´t there be the best of both worlds, like fusion food. Everthing more relaxed but still a little more law and order?

People die everyday and it could be avoided so easily. I saw enough accidents here already and i really don´t want that some crazy motosai driver gets killed by ME cause he felt like it was ok to drive like a lunatic. It nearly happend twice to me that a motorcycle hit me, in both situations i was driving slow, careful and didn´t do anything wrong. And even in the unlikely event that the driver of the car won´t get any part of the blame for an accident with a motorcycle, i would feel terrible when i know i just killed someone. So please think about your statement once more. It´s not just about pleasant or unpleasant to drive here, their behavior can backfire on YOU What would you do or say in such a case then?

Anyway, jus tint your windows to 200% black and change your indictor to some red flashlights, each to his own

[Harleys]

Best we can hope in this instance is, that the numbers will increase DRAMATICALLY over the next few years. Let nature do the work and Thai clean up themselves.

Let's look at it from the bright side. The higher the death toll, the faster all the idiots will disappear. Law and order? who tickled me ... ah - Thai law and order

[Bkungbank]

If you road crossing in Hong Kong the car will never stop for you , you have to beat the speed but in Thailand drivers are polite this should be praise the only problems are long holidays mix with alcohol like Songkran, New Year the accidents rates are high beating the date line to start work and too tired on the road.

[penwithcris]

Ten members of my wife's family drive cars regularly but not one of them holds a driving licence. They have never, to my knowledge been asked for documents including insurance certificates by the police

I, on the other hand, hold both a UK and Thai driving licence and always drive very correctly, never drinking and driving and always adhering to speed limits.

But it is me that the Thai police continually stop and demand a fine for some non existent driving offence. I always put just 200 baht in my pockets and plead poverty wherever I travel. It usually works

Is it the Buddhist religion that makes Thais so unconcerned about deaths on the road?

I saw a young Thai motorcyclist lying dead in the road in Pattaya - very upsetting to me- but when i looked for reaction from passing Thais they just shrugged their shoulders, smiled and said 'no problem - back tomorrow'

[edwinchester]

Again about Thais being bad drivers.

I've been here 6 years and about 100K km in a pickup.

When I drive around , I smile , because this is still the land of the FREE.

I see overloaded trucks , 1 "adult" + 3 or 4 children on a motorbike, pickups full of people, no helmets , driving on the wrong side ,no lights, right of way for the biggest,....you've got to love it!

The traffic rules in Thailand are a suggestion, a guideline for safe driving , but they are not followed by Thais and some farang.

When it says 40 km before a curve , nobody drives 40, more like 60 or 70.

Yellow lines , even doubles are a guideline , not a must.

Thais are FREE to interpred traffic rules , as it should be.

In the US or Euroland , driving is repression, everywhere camera's , fines enormous. You go 5 k over a speed limit and it's 100 euro , you do something wrong and you pay dearly, to 1000's of dollars or euro's.

Traffic rules there are completely ridiculas . In my country you have to stop if you only see a cyclist or a pedestrian go to a roadcrossing ! So maybe 10 cars and trucks or more , stop for 1 pedestrian that wants to cross ! Consumption and pollution is the highest going from standstil to drive. What a waste of energy and time. In my country every effort is made to annoy and restrict cars. In Thailand cars , trucks , busses are kings.

About accidents : Natural selection . Rather Thai freedom with accidents than the repression/police state like the west.

And so what if you have to pay a couple of hundred B under the table to Thai police. Rather pay them than robbed by western corrupt governments for 100's of euro's for parking wrong or crossing some line.

About left driving : I am a native right driver ,but I much rather drive left like the Thai. I have no problem switching when I go back to euroland. So don't change anything for the asean opening of borders.

And of course : the thaivisa slogan : if you don't like the way Thais drive , don't drive here and go back to safe policestate UK , USSA or the socialist countries of europe. Go back to camera's on every corner, police helicopters and drones and enormous fines.

Oh and thank you Thailand for the cheap diesel and low roadtax !Thank you Thailand for tinted windows and changing your car with lights,...

At least here you can still afford a car and not get squeezed like a lemon by those

bankruped social secrurity states.

Thais the worst? BS ! Go see in Manilla , Dhaka, Mumbay , Jakarta, Phlom penn ...

I don't like to drive in Bangkok, but even less in Rome , Cairo , Madrid or even Paris.

Driving at night is no problem too , just be more careful and drive slower.

Yeah, certainly free. Free of responsibility for other people they share the road with.

Can you please tell my Thai mother in law how nice the freedom to drive as one wishes is. Her eldest son was killed by a drunk driver who escaped punishment by buying off the police.

Sent from my GT-I9003 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[steveyinasia]

Drove to and from BKK/Chiang Mai a couple of times, never doing it again……instead of a relaxing drive you need to keep your attention at 100% full time. I arrive in CM exhausted. The same trip from Melbourne to Sydney I can do in a breeze.Although drivers in the cities are generally bad, in the country they are purely suicidal.

[a99az]

Well done! Now with just a little effort it could make first place. Another Hub.

[realfunster]

Again about Thais being bad drivers.

I've been here 6 years and about 100K km in a pickup.

When I drive around , I smile , because this is still the land of the FREE.

I see overloaded trucks , 1 "adult" + 3 or 4 children on a motorbike, pickups full of people, no helmets , driving on the wrong side ,no lights, right of way for the biggest,....you've got to love it!

The traffic rules in Thailand are a suggestion, a guideline for safe driving , but they are not followed by Thais and some farang.

When it says 40 km before a curve , nobody drives 40, more like 60 or 70.

Yellow lines , even doubles are a guideline , not a must.

Thais are FREE to interpred traffic rules , as it should be.

In the US or Euroland , driving is repression, everywhere camera's , fines enormous. You go 5 k over a speed limit and it's 100 euro , you do something wrong and you pay dearly, to 1000's of dollars or euro's.

Traffic rules there are completely ridiculas . In my country you have to stop if you only see a cyclist or a pedestrian go to a roadcrossing ! So maybe 10 cars and trucks or more , stop for 1 pedestrian that wants to cross ! Consumption and pollution is the highest going from standstil to drive. What a waste of energy and time. In my country every effort is made to annoy and restrict cars. In Thailand cars , trucks , busses are kings.

About accidents : Natural selection . Rather Thai freedom with accidents than the repression/police state like the west.

And so what if you have to pay a couple of hundred B under the table to Thai police. Rather pay them than robbed by western corrupt governments for 100's of euro's for parking wrong or crossing some line.

About left driving : I am a native right driver ,but I much rather drive left like the Thai. I have no problem switching when I go back to euroland. So don't change anything for the asean opening of borders.

And of course : the thaivisa slogan : if you don't like the way Thais drive , don't drive here and go back to safe policestate UK , USSA or the socialist countries of europe. Go back to camera's on every corner, police helicopters and drones and enormous fines.

Oh and thank you Thailand for the cheap diesel and low roadtax !Thank you Thailand for tinted windows and changing your car with lights,...

At least here you can still afford a car and not get squeezed like a lemon by those

bankruped social secrurity states.

Thais the worst? BS ! Go see in Manilla , Dhaka, Mumbay , Jakarta, Phlom penn ...

I don't like to drive in Bangkok, but even less in Rome , Cairo , Madrid or even Paris.

Driving at night is no problem too , just be more careful and drive slower.

What utter <deleted>, you should know better after 6 years in-country.

Your attitude reminds me of a newbie resort owner I met in Hua Hin a while back.

He thought it was fantastic and liberating (FREE in your words- too much FOX news ?) that his son and mates, who arrived at the bar, got stopped for being drunk on motorbikes and got off with a 200 baht fine.

Strangely, he couldn't give me a sensible answer when I inquired as to how he would feel if a similarly drunk car-driver had mowed down his son.

There is a balance to be had, your post highlights the most severe Western approach with that of Thailand. Somewhere in the middle would be a distinct improvement.

At the end of the day, there can be no serious defence or justification for current Thai road safety and behaviour- 3rd worst in the world- should be a national embarrassment and definitely of real concern to those who live here.

As for your other comments about accidents being 'natural selection'- I am sure the RTP would welcome your assistance in delivering this message to the families of the deceased and it would also give you the chance to see close-up the consequences to a family unit when a parent and bread-earner is lost

[jackr]

Third?

[bimmerbob]

The police need to do their job to enforce the laws, so are many things in Thailand!

What could be really interesting would be a scheme akin to 'exchange students' whereby traffic police are sent abroad (say Oz) to learn and enforce; similarly Oz traffic cops go to Thailand to teach and enforce.

Also, a national database for road tax & insurance (like in the UK) along with the equivalent of vehicle road worthiness test that can be referred to through mobile cameras for validation.

Perhaps that's fantasy.....

[beowolf2012]

Years ago I asked 5 policemen on different occasions what the maximum speed limit on Thai highways is. None of them knew it. Nor did the staff of Avis know...

if it's in Bangkok highway max 80 km/t off couse drive

after how the traffic run.

Most car drivers drive 120 -140 km/t drive in two lanes

and many time police just stand and do nothing

[Ulic]

Lots of people on scooters being knocked down by crap drivers in cars, minivans, busses. Most of the deaths have to be

scooter drivers and people riding in the beds of pick-up trucks driven by drivers who have been over-served.

Ex-pats pick up a lot of bad driving habits here as well, so we are not innocent as much as we complain about Thai drivers.

Driving under the influence, going through lights 5-6 seconds after the light turns red, making a left on a red just following

the car in front without checking if there is traffic coming through, driving with cars whose windows a tinted so dark the drivers

(and pedestrians) of other vehicles cannot see the driver and are unsure in they have been seen (eye contact). While everyone

bitches ex-pat geriatric drivers are part of the problem as well. Just being honest.

[qdinthailand]

How many people have actually seen traffic police here actually doing their job? Not at the intersections directing traffic, or collecting tea money?

Let's be even more specific, is there a highway police in Thailand?

Start fining on the spot for violations by all these idiotic "motobike" drivers and the status-displaying car owners who can't fit their (overcompensating) SUVs in their soi....problem solved. Of course the government might not get elected again, but that's a different story.

Like most financially under-developed countries, there's not enough money available to buy police cruisers, fit them with radar, radios and other communication gear (computers now-days) to patrol the highways, and the gas that goes in them. The cops here all seem to use their own personal scooters/motorcycles to function (get to the checkpoints). Anyone know if they get reimbursed for that?

So the only way they have to enforce is via checkpoints, which limits what they violations they can spot. (paperwork, no helmets, mechanical deficiencies, illegals).

And in my opinion, the motorbikes aren't the problem - its the cars/trucks/suvs. Too many on crappy roads designed for cars, not for bikes. Them divided highways aren't for the scooters, but they sure do mess up the old (short and direct) way of getting home, which is why so many bikes ride against traffic. Hard as hell to get across the highway a lot of the times. Less cars, less accidents.

[kkerry]

 

Ten members of my wife's family drive cars regularly but not one of them holds a driving licence. They have never, to my knowledge been asked for documents including insurance certificates by the police

I, on the other hand, hold both a UK and Thai driving licence and always drive very correctly, never drinking and driving and always adhering to speed limits.

But it is me that the Thai police continually stop and demand a fine for some non existent driving offence. I always put just 200 baht in my pockets and plead poverty wherever I travel. It usually works

 

If you had just selected a darker tint for your windows you wouldn't be having this problem...

[Johpa]

Nothing like hearing from a real mom luang (can't be many of those left) who has probably never entered any vehicle that did not have a chauffeur. But the underlieing issues remain a corrupt constabulary, an untouchable class at the top, and a national crisis with alcoholism amongst the masses.

Chaiyo!

[Tchooptip]

Chinese are not bad as well, a little more 275.000 dead a year

[wilailuk]

Again about Thais being bad drivers.

I've been here 6 years and about 100K km in a pickup.

When I drive around , I smile , because this is still the land of the FREE.

I see overloaded trucks , 1 "adult" + 3 or 4 children on a motorbike, pickups full of people, no helmets , driving on the wrong side ,no lights, right of way for the biggest,....you've got to love it!

The traffic rules in Thailand are a suggestion, a guideline for safe driving , but they are not followed by Thais and some farang.

When it says 40 km before a curve , nobody drives 40, more like 60 or 70.

Yellow lines , even doubles are a guideline , not a must.

Thais are FREE to interpred traffic rules , as it should be.

In the US or Euroland , driving is repression, everywhere camera's , fines enormous. You go 5 k over a speed limit and it's 100 euro , you do something wrong and you pay dearly, to 1000's of dollars or euro's.

Traffic rules there are completely ridiculas . In my country you have to stop if you only see a cyclist or a pedestrian go to a roadcrossing ! So maybe 10 cars and trucks or more , stop for 1 pedestrian that wants to cross ! Consumption and pollution is the highest going from standstil to drive. What a waste of energy and time. In my country every effort is made to annoy and restrict cars. In Thailand cars , trucks , busses are kings.

About accidents : Natural selection . Rather Thai freedom with accidents than the repression/police state like the west.

And so what if you have to pay a couple of hundred B under the table to Thai police. Rather pay them than robbed by western corrupt governments for 100's of euro's for parking wrong or crossing some line.

About left driving : I am a native right driver ,but I much rather drive left like the Thai. I have no problem switching when I go back to euroland. So don't change anything for the asean opening of borders.

And of course : the thaivisa slogan : if you don't like the way Thais drive , don't drive here and go back to safe policestate UK , USSA or the socialist countries of europe. Go back to camera's on every corner, police helicopters and drones and enormous fines.

Oh and thank you Thailand for the cheap diesel and low roadtax !Thank you Thailand for tinted windows and changing your car with lights,...

At least here you can still afford a car and not get squeezed like a lemon by those

bankruped social secrurity states.

Thais the worst? BS ! Go see in Manilla , Dhaka, Mumbay , Jakarta, Phlom penn ...

I don't like to drive in Bangkok, but even less in Rome , Cairo , Madrid or even Paris.

Driving at night is no problem too , just be more careful and drive slower.

Thank You, a refreshing post among all the typical PC crap from people born and raised in the "nanny states".

Don´t agree with everything, but most of it is OK.

Folks, you remember the first trip out here?

I remember Phuket in 1999, rented a Honda Dream, no helmet, dressed in shorts and flip-flops, off I went, what a feeling of freedom.

Young girl on the back on bike, no, not a farang, are you kidding me? Off to Rawai from Kata over the mountains, woohaaa..!

Had no accidents, I was aware, been driving bikes all my life, so I knew not to go crazy, but the feeling of freedom first time in LOS was amazing, and now we - when getting older - apparently get grumpy and want to change that "first love" experience?

Forget it, let them (the locals) do what they want, I won´t try to change anything - up to them - as long as I know how to survive here, then it´s not my karma.

[Travelman868]

I,ve been driving around the country for the last 5 weeks and its madness out there, someone just causally pulls out in front ,which causes the person behind to move over , more than likely coming up behind, are fast moving cars, which dont break as its probably too late anyway and with cars tailgating at high speed, with buses,bikes swerving i just try and putt along about 80 but as i,m looking out only came close twice to rear ending said swervers, the c@#ts. yesterday on a short drive of 57 k,s there and back I saw three rear enders, and one car in a ditch. Best to stick to driving slowly.

Are you sure you were driving in Thailand and not having a funny dream.

Driving standards are not particularly good however having driven thousands of miles over 4 years I have yet to come across your

experience. Thai drivers don't drive very fast on duel carriageways they tend to keep to around 100 to 110 kph. They DO keep to the

outside lane as the road is smoother there and that means they have to cross the inside lane when turning left. Of course everyone

knows that is the case and take care, most of the time.

While I would agree that the accident rate is far too high your comments make little sense to anyone with proper experience of driving

there.

[northernjohn]

Again about Thais being bad drivers.

I've been here 6 years and about 100K km in a pickup.

When I drive around , I smile , because this is still the land of the FREE.

I see overloaded trucks , 1 "adult" + 3 or 4 children on a motorbike, pickups full of people, no helmets , driving on the wrong side ,no lights, right of way for the biggest,....you've got to love it!

The traffic rules in Thailand are a suggestion, a guideline for safe driving , but they are not followed by Thais and some farang.

When it says 40 km before a curve , nobody drives 40, more like 60 or 70.

Yellow lines , even doubles are a guideline , not a must.

Thais are FREE to interpred traffic rules , as it should be.

In the US or Euroland , driving is repression, everywhere camera's , fines enormous. You go 5 k over a speed limit and it's 100 euro , you do something wrong and you pay dearly, to 1000's of dollars or euro's.

Traffic rules there are completely ridiculas . In my country you have to stop if you only see a cyclist or a pedestrian go to a roadcrossing ! So maybe 10 cars and trucks or more , stop for 1 pedestrian that wants to cross ! Consumption and pollution is the highest going from standstil to drive. What a waste of energy and time. In my country every effort is made to annoy and restrict cars. In Thailand cars , trucks , busses are kings.

About accidents : Natural selection . Rather Thai freedom with accidents than the repression/police state like the west.

And so what if you have to pay a couple of hundred B under the table to Thai police. Rather pay them than robbed by western corrupt governments for 100's of euro's for parking wrong or crossing some line.

About left driving : I am a native right driver ,but I much rather drive left like the Thai. I have no problem switching when I go back to euroland. So don't change anything for the asean opening of borders.

And of course : the thaivisa slogan : if you don't like the way Thais drive , don't drive here and go back to safe policestate UK , USSA or the socialist countries of europe. Go back to camera's on every corner, police helicopters and drones and enormous fines.

Oh and thank you Thailand for the cheap diesel and low roadtax !Thank you Thailand for tinted windows and changing your car with lights,...

At least here you can still afford a car and not get squeezed like a lemon by those

bankruped social secrurity states.

Thais the worst? BS ! Go see in Manilla , Dhaka, Mumbay , Jakarta, Phlom penn ...

I don't like to drive in Bangkok, but even less in Rome , Cairo , Madrid or even Paris.

Driving at night is no problem too , just be more careful and drive slower.

Thank You, a refreshing post amidst all the typival PC crap from people born and raised in the "nanny states"!

Don´t agree with everything, but most of it is OK.

Folks, you remember the first trip out here?

I remember Phuket in 1999, rented a Honda Dream, no helmet, dressed in shorts and slippers, off I went, what a feeling of freedom!

Young girl on the back on bike, no, not a farang, are you kidding me? Off to Rawai from Kata, over the mountains, woohaaa..

Had no accidents, I was aware, been driving bikes all my life, so I knew not to go crazy, but the feeling of freedom first time in LOS was amazing, and now we - when getting older - apparently get grumpy and want to change that "first love" experience?

Forget it, let them (the locals) do what they want, I won´t try to change anything - "up to them" - as long as I know how to survive here, then it´s not my karma.

Count me in with both of you. i do not have a vehicle nor do I wish to have one.

I do how ever enjoy the freedom. In the nanny countries people are so afraid to die that they can not live.

As for all the deaths on the road it is not as bad as it looks when you consider how long it takes to get medical service on the site. I believe the first hour is the most critical. I recall about 5 or 6 years ago that they were going to try to get an emergency vehicle on site in less than an hour. Still hasn't happened and the traffic is getting worse. We had an older gentleman taking to the hospital with a stroke. The ambulance attendees where in no hurry. It was like time didn't matter.

What I am saying when I say it is not as bad as it looks is that all the other countries with a low death per 100,000 would definatly be higher if they had the same medical response time as we do here in Thailand.

In closing yes they are bad drivers and the laws are not enforced. But as I said there is more to it than that.

[bundoi]

Could we refer this to driver's subforum, preferably a 4 wheel drivers' forum. Bcs really and truly why should us paid up guys (and maybe a few ladies) share this space with the hoi polloi?

[wilailuk]

What´s the problem, bundoi, lets´go native all of us, yeahaaaa!