Passenger van services to be regulated by the Army: Thailand

[arthurwait]

How are those speed limiters working that were installed after the Chachoengsao accident

I was also going to ask, where are the speed radar traps? I see plenty of "warning" signs in Thai, but always laugh them off. Despite many claims there are now fixed speed radar traps (or speed cameras as they are known in Australia) I have only ever received one ticket this way and I suspect the camera might have been mobile rather than fixed (I believe it was on the southern outer ring road), which was sent to my address. As I generally do 20-40km/h over the speed limit on that road and other expressways, there can't be any fixed cameras because otherwise I would have received a lot more fines in the mail.

It's quite amazing how low a priority stopping speeders seems to be in Thailand. In Vietnam, the police set up radar traps all over the country at regular intervals. On any given road trip you're guaranteed to see at least a couple such traps. The Vietnamese police strike fear in the hearts of motorists over there. The Thai police merely strike up an attack of laughter. Consequently, I generally drive whatever speed seems to be reasonable for the conditions because 1) there's hardly any speed limit signs in Thailand anyway, so how is one supposed to know the speed limit and 2) speed limit signs, where they exist are contradictory (such as a 90km/h side on the left and a 120km/h on the right on the Bangkok-Chonburi motorway) and since there is almost no enforcement, chances are you'll never get caught anyway. So speed on I'd say, lol.

There's a camera now a few kilos from the Chonburi end of the elevated expressway heading south, the wife reckons it's a speed camera. I'm not so sure.

[kartman]

OK it's the 21st and very quiet, all vans & drivers checked/registered, stickers applied, No plates now correct blk on yellow or have the Army hit a bump in the road?

[chrisinth]

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Shouldn't they be governed as well? Say a max of 80kph?

I'll support that. In April, I was driving down to Koh Chang when on Route 36 (I think) I came up fast behind me. I was overtaking slower moving vehicles in the outside lane driving at about 90 - 100 km / hr (the same as the traffic ahead of me) when a Bangkok - Rayong van came up behind me fast blasting his horn and flashing his lights. I pulled over to the left as soon as it was safe to do so. Extremely dangerous driving!

How are those speed limiters working that were installed after the Chachoengsao accident alt=coffee1.gif width=32 height=24>

I was also going to ask, where are the speed radar traps? I see plenty of "warning" signs in Thai, but always laugh them off. Despite many claims there are now fixed speed radar traps (or speed cameras as they are known in Australia) I have only ever received one ticket this way and I suspect the camera might have been mobile rather than fixed (I believe it was on the southern outer ring road), which was sent to my address. As I generally do 20-40km/h over the speed limit on that road and other expressways, there can't be any fixed cameras because otherwise I would have received a lot more fines in the mail.

It's quite amazing how low a priority stopping speeders seems to be in Thailand. In Vietnam, the police set up radar traps all over the country at regular intervals. On any given road trip you're guaranteed to see at least a couple such traps. The Vietnamese police strike fear in the hearts of motorists over there. The Thai police merely strike up an attack of laughter. Consequently, I generally drive whatever speed seems to be reasonable for the conditions because 1) there's hardly any speed limit signs in Thailand anyway, so how is one supposed to know the speed limit and 2) speed limit signs, where they exist are contradictory (such as a 90km/h side on the left and a 120km/h on the right on the Bangkok-Chonburi motorway) and since there is almost no enforcement, chances are you'll never get caught anyway. So speed on I'd say, lol.

So you drive between 140 and 160 km / hour on Route 7? Remind me never to travel anywhere with you.

Alan

With reference to the A36/331/332, I feel your pain.

If any of the posters here have not travelled these roads, continue not doing so. These are scary, scary roads with the minivan antics, and the greater majority of the rest of the drivers.