Sick With Driving At Night In Thailand

[baba]

Again, it happened to me tonight....

Driving home from Rayong to Pattaya on the 36 motorway I almost hit a stranded lorry on the right lane, just parking there without any emergency light or anything. I was travelling at about 100 km/h and saw that f**** truck at the last moment.

I enjoy driving very much but I now decided to avoid the overland roads after darkness sets in.

Besides many drunken guys on the road I am simply sick with the lack of awareness of Thai drivers. So in future I will leave my work in time, or take a driver, although I doubt that he could manage those situations better than myself.

Kind of puzzled.

Baba

[pigtail]

I am new to the site.

baba's point is well taken and fully understand his feeling of being sick of the lack of awareness of some repeat some Thai Drivers.

Be fair to the rest, please.

[penzman]

What? You did not see the tree branch poking out of a bucket? It usually sits about 5 meters behind the truck, with the speed limit at 90, that should have given everyone a good 700 milliseconds to react.

[Neeranam]

I hate it too - the best thing to do is avoid it, it's very dangerous upcountry.

[tigerbeer]

if i can drive beyond sunset in chiangmai, i can drive anywhere else in thailand through the night.

[toptuan]

I live upcountry and about a year ago I gave up night driving for exactly the same reasons. I have had more close calls at night (motorcycles without lights, invisible unlit vendor carts putting down the road, heck I almost took out a monk who was crossing a dark highway). After a while, the law of averages will catch up to you, is my outlook. I'm sure a farang who's killed a Thai pedestrian or motorcyclist gets all kinds of breaks in LOS!

Have you seen the driver's license manual from the Dept. of Motor Vehicles, recently issued to all driver's license applicants in Isaan? A couple of excerpts...

What's the meaning of the painted line in the middle of the highway?

• Absolutely nothing!
  

On a two lane highway, how many directions of traffic are allowed?

• Infinite
  

What's the universal traffic law all Thai drivers are required to obey?

• Never, never slow down, for any reason whatsoever.
  Just learn how to careen around it, jump it, or bulldoze through it without losing momentum. It takes too much petrol to get back up to speed, and that would be in contradition to Thailand's energy-savings policies.
  

What is the primary rule in overtaking (passing) other motorists?

• Wait until at least two other motorists start overtaking, too, then jump into the fray. It adds to the excitement.
  

How many passengers are allowed on a motorbike?

• See answer to second question.
  

Has anyone else heard about any other words of wisdom from the manual?

Edited May 30, 2006 by toptuan

[rcm]

Driving in Thailand is actually by far the worst i have seen so far. No place in Africa, US,South America, Europe or Asia is driving any worse then here in Thailand (actually i was pleasantly surprised seeing the driving in Penang during my last Visa Trip). I am getting quite often upset about this and with all the bad driving .... you still get stopped from a corrupt Police Man who just felt like stopping a shiny face and needs to have 1-200 THB for his weekend pissup .

And when you think this is all bad already . Thai's think they are very good drivers too. My wife thought the same until i took her overseas...then she knew how good driving looked like.

Regarding trucks i rather have them parked on the side of the road than actually moving cause they all won their licence in the lottery.

Having made my Motorbike licence here (i had only the drivers licence for Cars) in Thailand i know already that even when the licence is passed it is a freaking joke.

rcm

[Khutan]

I drive upcountry at night regularly and the things you see on the road is hair raising.

The most common one are the narrow bridges where there is a double line and no road shoulder to speak of. The Busses seem to enjoy over-taking there regardless of oncoming traffic.

Then you see some poor soul meeting their end, and generally the remark is "He have bad luck", nothing to do with a lack of road respect.

[Thaipwriter]

What? You did not see the tree branch poking out of a bucket?

A bucket? That's luxury that is, most of them branches are just lobbed on the ground.

[Thaipwriter]

Be fair to the rest, please.

You mean the ones that are dead already? RIP

[Netfan]

Has anyone else heard about any other words of wisdom from the manual?

When you see brakelights applied on the car in front of you you should:

A. Slow down

B. Do nothing

C. Speed up

Correct answer: C

1/2 credit: B

0 credit: A

[Neeranam]

Driving in Thailand is actually by far the worst i have seen so far. No place in Africa, US,South America, Europe or Asia is driving any worse then here in Thailand (actually i was pleasantly surprised seeing the driving in Penang during my last Visa Trip). I am getting quite often upset about this and with all the bad driving .... you still get stopped from a corrupt Police Man who just felt like stopping a shiny face and needs to have 1-200 THB for his weekend pissup .

And when you think this is all bad already . Thai's think they are very good drivers too. My wife thought the same until i took her overseas...then she knew how good driving looked like.

Regarding trucks i rather have them parked on the side of the road than actually moving cause they all won their licence in the lottery.

Having made my Motorbike licence here (i had only the drivers licence for Cars) in Thailand i know already that even when the licence is passed it is a freaking joke.

rcm jap.gif

Ever been to India?

[Mr Ling Noi]

I do love the way that you can be driving down the road at night and almost have a huge accident when you ask the guy what the hel_l he was thinking? He blames you, despite the fact that you are driving on the correct side of the road, with your lights on, at less then a sensible speed, wearing a helmet, not plastered out of your mind with a registered motorcycle going through a green light and HE is driving opposite to you on the wrong side of the road with no lights no warning, almost 100miles (or so it seems) an hour, wife, and 3 children onboard no helmets, straight through a red light, Drunk as hel_l on something, on a bike that is held together with sticky tape and hasn't been registered in 30yrs, And you are the one that is in the wrong, figure it out, when you do I will pay for that info.

Luv Thailand but common sence in life and death could be used a little more here

Ling Noi

Edited May 30, 2006 by Mr Ling Noi

[jimmi]

NO,NO

You guys have it all wrong or you just haven't learned the secret to night driving. The secret is, you get the proper Buddha and put it on the dashboard. Then you relax and have fun driving. After all, What could POSSIBLY happen with the proper Buddha!!?

I learned that from one Thai friends years ago. (The one I don't ride with anymore )

[rcm]

Driving in Thailand is actually by far the worst i have seen so far. No place in Africa, US,South America, Europe or Asia is driving any worse then here in Thailand (actually i was pleasantly surprised seeing the driving in Penang during my last Visa Trip). I am getting quite often upset about this and with all the bad driving .... you still get stopped from a corrupt Police Man who just felt like stopping a shiny face and needs to have 1-200 THB for his weekend pissup .

And when you think this is all bad already . Thai's think they are very good drivers too. My wife thought the same until i took her overseas...then she knew how good driving looked like.

Regarding trucks i rather have them parked on the side of the road than actually moving cause they all won their licence in the lottery.

Having made my Motorbike licence here (i had only the drivers licence for Cars) in Thailand i know already that even when the licence is passed it is a freaking joke.

rcm jap.gif

Ever been to India?

Yes, have been to India and sri lanka as well...driving here still is worse by the drivers...in India road conditions and some of the cars driven are somewhat less desirable....best driving Indians i found in South Africa though...

rcm

rcm

[penzman]

Went to Korat and back this week, I was doing 120 in the left lane but both lanes were packed ahead, no way to go any faster than the flowing traffic, still the guy behind me insisted on swirving right and left even though there was a huge tanker on my right also blocking his way. He must have switched lanes 10 times and then I lost sight of him in the rear view mirror, I guess he got a call

Next time you see an ambulance with the lights and siren on, see how most drivers just don't even try to move over, yes, even if there is room to do so. I once saw a person on board getting her chest pumped for about 15 minutes while we waited at a red light...

In 3 years, I've seen more covered bodies lying on the road or slouched in badly wrecked vehicles than I've seen in 25 years in Canada.

Policemen mostly stand on corners and never patrol the roads to catch you when commiting infractions, drivers here never look over their shoulder as it would be very unusual to be pulled over.

Don't blame the drivers but blame the governments for allowing this craziness to go on, craziness that goes unpunished and spreads like a virus.

[KhunMarco]

I think is a sort of undercover birth control

[penzman]

You mean natural selection?

[Tywais]

Next time you see an ambulance with the lights and siren on, see how most drivers just don't even try to move over, yes, even if there is room to do so. I once saw a person on board getting her chest pumped for about 15 minutes while we waited at a red light...

I've never figured that one out either. The odd thing here in Chiangmai is that the ambulances have their flashing lights on but I don't ever remember them using the sirens, what's with that? If perchance I see them in my mirrors, can't hear them of course, I do move over and occasionaly a Thai driver will also.

[Galong]

Policemen mostly stand on corners and never patrol the roads to catch you when commiting infractions, drivers here never look over their shoulder as it would be very unusual to be pulled over.

Don't blame the drivers but blame the governments for allowing this craziness to go on, craziness that goes unpunished and spreads like a virus.

Well said and very accurate.

The thing that pissses me off the most is that if I'm in an accident with a motorbike, I'm going to pay. It doesn't matter if the motorbike driver is under-age, doesn't have a drivers' licence, has more than two passengers and is actually at fault.

The police are doing their best to keep Thailand in the Third World category in my view. The country can't advance until the police start enforcing laws. Starting with traffic control would be a good place to start.

[tigerbeer]

half of the time, id wonder how many of those 30 year old, driving at 100mph "rescue trucks" crash themselves in the rush to get business from the hospitals.

and all of u got it wrong, the problem is that we are all driving while they are flying "high" on the roads.

[samran]

You mean natural selection?

I'd be a fantastic form of natural selection if innocent people didn't end up getting killed as well.

I was driving once down on that elevated express way that takes you part of the way to Pattaya. I saw a BMW driven by a 25yo hi-so hoon whip by going at least 180km/h.

A couple km's further on I saw the aftermath where he had lost control, hit the centre barrier and then somehow fliped the car. My only thought then and now was "serves you right".

[KhunMarco]

You mean natural selection?

Whoops missed your post.

Nope I meant a birth control in disguise by the gov....oh never mind , 1 bad joke.

[penzman]

You mean natural selection?

I'd be a fantastic form of natural selection if innocent people didn't end up getting killed as well.

Of course I was refering to crazy drivers, not the poor victims of their utmost selfishness when driving.

I always get a good laugh when I pull to a red light and the car behind me decides he just can't resist moving to the other lane which is one car shorter, not realizing that the poultry truck in front of him will slow him down even more.

My wife thought it was pretty funny when I said that this "I have to be in front and can't stand another car in front of me" behaviour

reminded me of this...

[scotsman]

Policemen mostly stand on corners and never patrol the roads to catch you when commiting infractions, drivers here never look over their shoulder as it would be very unusual to be pulled over.

Don't blame the drivers but blame the governments for allowing this craziness to go on, craziness that goes unpunished and spreads like a virus.

Well said and very accurate.

The thing that pissses me off the most is that if I'm in an accident with a motorbike, I'm going to pay. It doesn't matter if the motorbike driver is under-age, doesn't have a drivers' licence, has more than two passengers and is actually at fault.

The police are doing their best to keep Thailand in the Third World category in my view. The country can't advance until the police start enforcing laws. Starting with traffic control would be a good place to start.

If I have a accident with a motorbike and the driver is under-age and doesn"t have a licence or you know its there fault then I would never pay I would just get my insurance on the phone and let them sort it out

[EVO]

just to get back on topic, i have a couple of typical examples that we all see all the time.

1) While driving from Bangkok to Ko Chang recently for a long weekend soujourn it started to rain slightly. I told my 9 year old daughter to watch out as she will start to see accisents. sure enough, within the next 5km we passed a lorry that had headed (serenely it seemed) into the central grass embankment, a family sedan that had headed (not so serenely) into the central embankment and was lying on its roof, and the ubiquitous fender bender where a guy hadnt managed to stop and drove into the back of the guy in front.

2) While driving to BKK from Hua Hin a couple of years ago in the mid-evening, i passed a u-turn in the Petkasem Rd. (somewhere around the Petchaburi area) with an abvously fatal motorcyle accident unfolding. Only 10 or 12 km furhter up the road i passed a sedan which had very very recently (read, within the last few mins) headed into the trees in the centre of the road and burst into flames.

On that day i promised myself i would never drive after dark in this country again, and ive (almost) managed it.

Its truly amazing how dumb people can be when it comes to common sense and self preservation.

[thankuverybig]

i think most thai men generally dont have just the one when drinking.most of the whiskey bottle is usually drained.

i think its a good idea to keep off the roads of a night in thailand when theres national celebrations going on.especially if your on a motorbike.

new years eve i saw two guys on a stationary motorbike parked in a wide road get deliberately ploughed through by a 4x4.the 2 guys were obviously not in good shape afterwards.