Silly Season Is Here.

[Rooo]

Why do guys on steroids, with big arms & little heads, riding little scooters think they own the road?

Overtaking on the wrong side with their silly arms sticking out so much , with a little tiny girlfriend ( ) sitting on the back, thinking how cool they are.

Ok sorry you had to be there.

Silly season is here , beware.

[saweden]

Brace yourselves it is here indeed.

While having breakfast in former French Bakery today a Russian woman walks in with a naked child behind her. And I don't mean a baby, but a 5-6 year old. Nearly lost my appetite.

[robblok]

I agree roo those guys look funny on small scooters that is why i with my huge arms ride a big bike so I do look cool

But what is the right side for overtaking ? Here in BKK they go wherever they please (Thais) i try not to be on the inside (for my own safety)

[Opl]

Samui Parade.. I often thought that hotel staff sometimes must have the feeling to work in some human zoo: different varieties of tourists to observe, and among them, some bewildering species .

Edited December 17, 2013 by Opl

[robblok]

Samui Parade.. I often thought that hotel staff sometimes must have the feeling to work in some human zoo: different varieties of tourists to observe, and among them, some bewildering species .

I think hotel staff should not complain too much about that unless the guests are rude. In a way tourists are of course what feeds them as an expat who does not work in a tourist related job you can be annoyed all you want.

I always have to laugh a bit (without showing) when i see the guys in their wife beaters and fat guts clearly much to old responding to the hansum man calls whenever I go to tourist area's. I wonder how it is possible to store ones brains separate from the rest of the body on a holiday.

But my question still stands what is the right way to overtake ? inside or outside as far as I know from my Thai road tests you can overtake everywhere as long as the road has 3 lanes. Not sure on 2 lane roads but i always try to overtake on the outside lane to avoid getting cut of if the car decides to stop (and they often do)

[samuibeachcomber]

as far as i can tell thais and tourists here on Samui overtake on the inside and the outside,tourists should know better,but thais have never been taught.Tourists that come to thailand(for that read male single)demote their brain to the nether region and all common sense goes out the door.

Every day on the road in thailand is dangerous none more so than high season.good luck to all expats during this time.........keep safe.

[Tropicalevo]

But my question still stands what is the right way to overtake ? inside or outside as far as I know from my Thai road tests you can overtake everywhere as long as the road has 3 lanes. Not sure on 2 lane roads but i always try to overtake on the outside lane to avoid getting cut of if the car decides to stop (and they often do)

Good point Rob.

In developed countries, we are taught to always overtake on the outside. This is because all other drivers are taught to look on the outside. Everyone expects bikes to overtake cars on the outside.

In Thailand - there is no such expectation on behalf of the car drivers. So we have two three scenarios. The drivers that are poor and so they look everywhere for bikes, or they are rich and do not care if they wipe out a Thai family. (I forgot about buses, cement trucks and mini vans! All of whom do whatever they want to do but tend to be poor.)

Samui is a disasterous mix of the above. Locals and tourists. Some from developed countries where we believe that 'being in the right' is more important than assuming that everyone on wheels with an engine is trying to commit suicide.

I am with you. Your method of overtaking is still the best one. I too try to overtake on the outside - unless there is no choice. But then we get the bike lanes!!!

Oh what to do?

[robblok]

But my question still stands what is the right way to overtake ? inside or outside as far as I know from my Thai road tests you can overtake everywhere as long as the road has 3 lanes. Not sure on 2 lane roads but i always try to overtake on the outside lane to avoid getting cut of if the car decides to stop (and they often do)

Good point Rob.

In developed countries, we are taught to always overtake on the outside. This is because all other drivers are taught to look on the outside. Everyone expects bikes to overtake cars on the outside.

In Thailand - there is no such expectation on behalf of the car drivers. So we have two three scenarios. The drivers that are poor and so they look everywhere for bikes, or they are rich and do not care if they wipe out a Thai family. (I forgot about buses, cement trucks and mini vans! All of whom do whatever they want to do but tend to be poor.)

Samui is a disasterous mix of the above. Locals and tourists. Some from developed countries where we believe that 'being in the right' is more important than assuming that everyone on wheels with an engine is trying to commit suicide.

I am with you. Your method of overtaking is still the best one. I too try to overtake on the outside - unless there is no choice. But then we get the bike lanes!!!

Oh what to do?

My experience mostly comes from driving on my bike in BKK and there its dangerous to overtake on the inside if the vehicule you are overtaking is a bus (bound to cut you off to stop somewhere), minivan (same thing they cut everything off to take a passenger or get one out) and taxi (again same thing). So i stay on the outside preferably at the speed of traffic or a bit faster.

I have driven on Samui long ago and Koh Chang (think similar) just drive with your brain turned on and expect people to do crazy things and make sure you got an escape route. I am not a high speed driver even though i drive a big bike (and scooter) but i like to go as fast as most of the traffic so I don't have to many coming up from behind passing me and cutting me off (believe me this happens for some reason they want to overtake you even though they need to stop a bit later)

[PoorSucker]

My experience mostly comes from driving on my bike in BKK and there its dangerous to overtake on the inside if the vehicule you are overtaking is a bus (bound to cut you off to stop somewhere), minivan (same thing they cut everything off to take a passenger or get one out) and taxi (again same thing). So i stay on the outside preferably at the speed of traffic or a bit faster.

I have driven on Samui long ago and Koh Chang (think similar) just drive with your brain turned on and expect people to do crazy things and make sure you got an escape route. I am not a high speed driver even though i drive a big bike (and scooter) but i like to go as fast as most of the traffic so I don't have to many coming up from behind passing me and cutting me off (believe me this happens for some reason they want to overtake you even though they need to stop a bit later)

Actually on a bike you are not allowed to overtake a car.

Does not matter if you have 30cc or 1000 cc.

You can undertake a car if it's waiting to pull right.

I just pretend all car are turning right.

[Tropicalevo]

Actually on a bike you are not allowed to overtake a car.

Does not matter if you have 30cc or 1000 cc.

You can undertake a car if it's waiting to pull right.

I just pretend all car are turning right.

I learn something new every day here. It's great!

Thank you PS

[robblok]

My experience mostly comes from driving on my bike in BKK and there its dangerous to overtake on the inside if the vehicule you are overtaking is a bus (bound to cut you off to stop somewhere), minivan (same thing they cut everything off to take a passenger or get one out) and taxi (again same thing). So i stay on the outside preferably at the speed of traffic or a bit faster.

I have driven on Samui long ago and Koh Chang (think similar) just drive with your brain turned on and expect people to do crazy things and make sure you got an escape route. I am not a high speed driver even though i drive a big bike (and scooter) but i like to go as fast as most of the traffic so I don't have to many coming up from behind passing me and cutting me off (believe me this happens for some reason they want to overtake you even though they need to stop a bit later)

Actually on a bike you are not allowed to overtake a car.

Does not matter if you have 30cc or 1000 cc.

You can undertake a car if it's waiting to pull right.

I just pretend all car are turning right.

Actually that is not correct, you can even go on an other lane to overtake even though your supposed to stay left lane. At least that is what i read in the traffic laws. But I am not going to bet my life on it.

[PoorSucker]

You can undertake a car if it's waiting to pull right.

I just pretend all car are turning right.

Actually that is not correct, you can even go on an other lane to overtake even though your supposed to stay left lane. At least that is what i read in the traffic laws. But I am not going to bet my life on it.

There are no double lanes on Samui, except one place where there's an overtaking lane at a hill.

If a car is turning right you can undertake it.

I just pretend all cars are turning right.

[samuibeachcomber]

turning right is a nightmare here,indicator on,pulling to the centre of the road ready to turn right and idiots,thai and farang overtake you on the outside,how dumb is that,same goes for turning left,people will still try and overtake you on the inside.do these people have brains?

[WitawatWatawit]

Every year comes the headline "The silly season is here". And every year comes the answer, "but how do you notice?" I'll refrain.

As far as I'm aware, you can legally overtake on the right on a motorbike providing you have your right indicator flashing - same as when you move into the 2nd (or outside) lane before turning right. The important point is, will the pickup thundering down upon you notice it. Or do the cops care! They always have an excuse - they pinged me once, though I had my indicator on, for moving into the right lane (to turn right) way too soon. Go figure.

[robblok]

Every year comes the headline "The silly season is here". And every year comes the answer, "but how do you notice?" I'll refrain.

As far as I'm aware, you can legally overtake on the right on a motorbike providing you have your right indicator flashing - same as when you move into the 2nd (or outside) lane before turning right. The important point is, will the pickup thundering down upon you notice it. Or do the cops care! They always have an excuse - they pinged me once, though I had my indicator on, for moving into the right lane (to turn right) way too soon. Go figure.

I know what you mean about the cops shaking down motorcycles. Happens here in BKK all the time.

I choose to pay them as staying on the most left lane is a sure way to get an accident (minivans / buses / taxis) all cutting you down

For the pickup .. mirrors and a bike that has some power so i can accelerate fast and get out of the way. I actually feel safer on my bigger bike as on my scooter because if needed i got some torque left to get the hell out of dodge.

And sorry if my answers are invalid because im not a Samui resident.