I Drive With Revenge In Mind

[Jordanian]

Some posters who CAN READ AFTER ALL shouldn't necessarily be allowed to post.

[richard_smith237]

The Op makes valid points but comes across as a bit of a nut... I suspect he doesn't really drive as he suggests, he'd be in an accident all too often if he did.

What the Op has done is take his experiences on the Thai Roads; which I must add mirror many of mine along with the frustrations, he (the Op) has taken these experiences and stepped the response up a level - I suspect Internet Bravado is all we are reading here...

I too get frustrated on the roads here, there are extremes of mindlessness which sometimes make the blood boil... Yet one of the greatest aspects of driving in Thailand is the lack of Road Rage... its very very rare...

If only Thailand could mirror some of the 'on road' common sense of places such as the UK and maintain the chilled nature in which potential conflicts are so frequently avoided.

Edited June 4, 2014 by richard_smith237

[montereyjp]

The OP is totally wacked out.. I have also been driving in Thailand for about 6 years and I have two pieces of advice.

1. Relax. .. Make sure you leave yourself plenty of time to get where you need to be on time...

2. Defensive driving as one is taught when taking a motorcycle driving course. I always assume the other drivers are going to do something stupid so just prepare to react accordingly and try to give yourself plenty of room to do so...

[movsrus]

I have a friend who lives in Chiang Mai and carries a length of chain on his motorcycle. When he gets cut off in traffic or someone acts like a fool, he will drive up next to their car and wrap the windshield of bonnet of the car with the chain then do a runner and be gone. His motorcycle doesn't have a license (hasn't for as long as I have known him) and has never had trouble with someone pulling a gun or trying to follow him.

Sometimes I think the farangs need to provide a lesson to the Thai idiots who drive in this country.

[Andre0720]

2 wrongs don't make a right

I was wrong to think that I was wrong....

[Andre0720]

The strangest thing about driving in Thailand, is that most Thai drivers have no reaction whatsoever when confronted with bad driving...., or parking, or cars stopping in the middle of a busy lane to go buy something, or whatever stupid things they do with a vehicle....

Just last week, a motorbike tried to stretch the green light too much, you know, when it has turned red for 5 seconds already, hit another motorbike going through on the green light. Both motorbikes fell.

The two ladies driving just picked-up their motorbikes, very calmly. No problems. Just a normal accident for them I suppose.

[somchai32]

I read this and laughed my tits off.

[Gandtee]

Sarcasm is not completely dead on TV it seems. But the understanding of it seems a mite lacking.

[Emster23]

Seems to me that as long as you can pay a bribe to get a license and not demonstrate you can actually drive a vehicle with even minimum of skill (this includes intercity buses), or pay a bribe because you didn't get a license in the first place and be allowed to continue on your merry way, as long as moving violations and drunk driving are not dealt with firmly, as long as any piece of junk is allowed on the highway regardless of potential danger to driver or others, there will be far more accidents and deaths than countries such as UK where they do take these issues seriously. Stands to reason.

The death rate is much higher than reported also. You have to die at the scene to be counted, unlike countries that count up three months after the accident per international standards.

[Jordanian]

Yes, it's always the locals paying bribes.

It's never <deleted> foreigners over here on a jolly that get themselves in trouble by driving drunk on motorbikes. Yes, it's the whole corrupt Thai cop thing that makes foreigners plow themselves into trees and rocks. It's all their fault that falangs have eight Changs in the sun and head home on their bikes oblivious to how their might be just as many other pissheads coming in the other direction.

Grow up.

[smotherb]

(the second highest in the world and easy to see why)

Link please as I have read this on TV before but no one has ever substantiated it with facts.

Well, why don't you just google "world traffic fatalities"

and if you believe Wikipedia, just google it.

However, if you want a more viable site try:

http://www.worldlifeexpectancy.com/cause-of-death/road-traffic-accidents/by-country/

[maximillian]

You forgot - when you want to turn left, overtake the car in front then slam on the brakes to turn left.

Neeranam, just wanted to suggest the same.

You can turn left or right. Important is to slam the brakes like an idiot. Best to do it without using an indicator.

My favourite is to overtake in slow motion. Make them behind me go nuts. Another one: when I turn into another road at the right i cut the corner, driving at the extreme right side right, just to frighten the oncoming scooters. Real fun.

Same when driving on a winding road, whether there is a double line or not I'll straighten "my road" going to the right side of the road whenever I like. Going over cambers, I usually

use the wrong side of the road. Gives you a nice surge of adrenaline. I could go on and on. It's so much fun driving in Thailand. My slogan: I couldn't care less.

[sehervomstein]

He Men, you are playing Russian Roulette Thai styl. You could end up with a Bullet in your head. I had that kind of action 10 years back myself, even installed a huge compressor horn in to the Car so whenever a senseless Driver mostly the womans come out of the Soi they never look if the lane is free just drive in to the Traffic. When I honked that horn they where staying all over on the breaks totally schocked. So a Thai Friend when he was going with me to Maptaphut and I honked it for Baboon Drivers, he let me know not to do this if the wrong guy he will kill you. So I have taken that seriously.

All you need to understand here in Thailand are the fact that 99% of the Drivers know how to move a car but having no glue how to drive which are 2 total different actions. I am happy with the higher demand now to get a driving licenze, but one thing is for sure only the Russsians are more terrible drivers than they Thais. And I have driven Cars in 26 different Countries including a vew in Africa.

Now when I come to Thailand and been driving I just relax and concentrated for getting home safe and sound. Just drive and take anybody around you in as an complete idiot and you will drive safe. I did so for 48 years.

[NowImEasy]

Ye shall reap what ye shall sow.

But Thailand is the best country in the world to live. The whole world!

[wilcopops]

(the second highest in the world and easy to see why)

Link please as I have read this on TV before but no one has ever substantiated it with facts.

Well, why don't you just google "world traffic fatalities"

and if you believe Wikipedia, just google it.

However, if you want a more viable site try:

http://www.worldlifeexpectancy.com/cause-of-death/road-traffic-accidents/by-country/

These stats can certainly be found, I've referenced some in my post...i think, but there are 3 problems.

1 is the way they are complied - for example who gathers the figures, how they are gathered and who submits the figures...

2 is what they relate to - e.g - deaths only, per 100.000, not related to cars numbers country size, road conditions health series etc

3 how they are interpreted. Many of the concussions are subject or irrational - like "thais are bad drivers" as if there is some genetic reason for this - it simply doesn't follow.

they give a general idea but need a pinch of salt now and then.

Edited June 4, 2014 by wilcopops

[wilcopops]

Seems to me that as long as you can pay a bribe to get a license and not demonstrate you can actually drive a vehicle with even minimum of skill (this includes intercity buses), or pay a bribe because you didn't get a license in the first place and be allowed to continue on your merry way, as long as moving violations and drunk driving are not dealt with firmly, as long as any piece of junk is allowed on the highway regardless of potential danger to driver or others, there will be far more accidents and deaths than countries such as UK where they do take these issues seriously. Stands to reason.

The death rate is much higher than reported also. You have to die at the scene to be counted, unlike countries that count up three months after the accident per international standards.

again simply blaming drivers isn't really approaching the whole problem....in fact it is misleading - drivers all over the world have the sae preponderance for stupidity - so what's the difference in Thailand?

[Anon999]

If you can't beat them you couldn't be a very good driver. Most of them drive on instinct, they're highly predictable. Particularly the aggressive drivers who just put their foot down and try to push as far forward as they can. With a bit of timing and keen observation, one can calmly negotiate their way through traffic and come ahead of the most aggressive Thai drivers.

It's fun watching them get angrier and angrier as they're constantly on full throttle on braking hard in their new BMW or Hilux and yet they can't seem keep up with my 18 year old Audi A6 as I appear to be driving calmly, leaving safe gaps, using blinkers and making no sudden maneuvers.

Had one driving back from BKK a while ago, in a Jeep. Used every lane and the hard shoulder using max revs, made little progress, except the result was he blew his engine comprehensively.

[Anon999]

Seems to me that as long as you can pay a bribe to get a license and not demonstrate you can actually drive a vehicle with even minimum of skill (this includes intercity buses), or pay a bribe because you didn't get a license in the first place and be allowed to continue on your merry way, as long as moving violations and drunk driving are not dealt with firmly, as long as any piece of junk is allowed on the highway regardless of potential danger to driver or others, there will be far more accidents and deaths than countries such as UK where they do take these issues seriously. Stands to reason.

The death rate is much higher than reported also. You have to die at the scene to be counted, unlike countries that count up three months after the accident per international standards.

again simply blaming drivers isn't really approaching the whole problem....in fact it is misleading - drivers all over the world have the sae preponderance for stupidity - so what's the difference in Thailand?

The differences in Thailand are numerous. No proper driving tests.

Lack of road markings and proper road signs, no lane sense, U turns on arterial dual carriageways, ignoring traffic lights, driving the wrong way on a dual carriageway on both hard shoulders, entering a 'main' road without looking, driving without lights, ad infinitum! Bad road construction, causing potholed inside lanes so buses drive in the overtaking lanes and refuse to move. Road works with no real warning, forcing traffic onto the other side of a dual carriageway with no lane control, cones.

[LawrenceN]

You have now become part of the problem and not part of the solution. You don't sound old enough or mature enough to have a drivers license. I suggest an alternative form of transportation or get a driver. You will probably live longer.

I took the OP as a satirical list of pet peeves. I can relate and laughed out loud. By "satirical" I mean I doubt he actually drives that way. I'm annoyed by the things he listed, though he left out the one where, on a three-lane (each way) highway, people take all day to turn left from the middle lane. I agree with the use of the words selfish and inconsiderate, as if no one else needs to get anywhere. I can't understand why people don't shift left before that left turn, unless they're trying to get rear-ended.

[DamienG]

Recipe for DISASTER. You don't have to drive like all the other idiots out there, if you do, you will also be classed as another idiot on the road or even worse another statistic. If you abide by the road rules and don't worry about what everyone else is doing on the roads you should get to your destination safely. DON'T BE A STATISTIC.

[MaxYakov]

Blah blah blah.

I hope that was only a copy and paste, as not many posters will bother reading somethinmg this long.

Stolen from here.

http://www.fodors.com/community/asia/self-driving-in-thailand-perception-and-reality.cfm

It appears as though wilcopops lightly edited it for emphasis and posted it in its entirety.

Credit should have been given to the original* author and site: Deeral @ www.fudors.com

If wilcopops operates any vehicle on any road in any country, let's hope that he is better at observing road rules, common sense and common courtesy than he has with his posting, as enlightening as it may be.

* = Unless an earlier, alternate version can be cited

Edited June 5, 2014 by MaxYakov

[socksy01]

One of these days you are going to annoy someone who's carrying a firearm. Good luck with that.

That's if your'e not killed in a collision before then. You don't reaklly want to get yourself involved in road rage here as per the above post.

[wilcopops]

Blah blah blah.

I hope that was only a copy and paste, as not many posters will bother reading somethinmg this long.

Stolen from here.

http://www.fodors.com/community/asia/self-driving-in-thailand-perception-and-reality.cfm

It appears as though wilcopops lightly edited it for emphasis and posted it in its entirety.

Credit should have been given to the original* author and site: Deeral @ www.fudors.com

If wilcopops operates any vehicle on any road in any country, let's hope that he is better at observing road rules, common sense and common courtesy than he has with his posting, as enlightening as it may be.

* = Unless an earlier, alternate version can be cited

like so many posters on this thread, rather than think critically it seems the norm is to make wild assumptions and use them to bolster up preconceived notions.

[wilcopops]

Seems to me that as long as you can pay a bribe to get a license and not demonstrate you can actually drive a vehicle with even minimum of skill (this includes intercity buses), or pay a bribe because you didn't get a license in the first place and be allowed to continue on your merry way, as long as moving violations and drunk driving are not dealt with firmly, as long as any piece of junk is allowed on the highway regardless of potential danger to driver or others, there will be far more accidents and deaths than countries such as UK where they do take these issues seriously. Stands to reason.

The death rate is much higher than reported also. You have to die at the scene to be counted, unlike countries that count up three months after the accident per international standards.

again simply blaming drivers isn't really approaching the whole problem....in fact it is misleading - drivers all over the world have the sae preponderance for stupidity - so what's the difference in Thailand?

The differences in Thailand are numerous. No proper driving tests.

Lack of road markings and proper road signs, no lane sense, U turns on arterial dual carriageways, ignoring traffic lights, driving the wrong way on a dual carriageway on both hard shoulders, entering a 'main' road without looking, driving without lights, ad infinitum! Bad road construction, causing potholed inside lanes so buses drive in the overtaking lanes and refuse to move. Road works with no real warning, forcing traffic onto the other side of a dual carriageway with no lane control, cones.

US - had no proper driving tests for decades - most US drivers on this post took a test that to many Europeans would seem risible - there are many people posting on this thread who started driving long before serious testing came into force......what's their excuse?

[Camilo Diaz]

I hate when they change lands on curves .... but still I always try to drive as good as possible, and try to make it easy for others too.

[wilcopops]

You my "hate" it but you can anticipate it...those who don't or become indignant are just as bad as those who do it.