What's the skill in riding a motorbike in Thailand?

[dagobert]

I got one bloke a couple of years ago "he pulled out from the left", no lights, dident look to the right.

T boned my bike just below the tank on an angle scissored the bikes together,

He had flip flops on, the rear left foot peg on my bike went from his heal to his toes

and riped his foot to pieces. He was 48 lost his foot.

[scubascuba3]

I got one bloke a couple of years ago "he pulled out from the left", no lights, dident look to the right.

T boned my bike just below the tank on an angle scissored the bikes together,

He had flip flops on, the rear left foot peg on my bike went from his heal to his toes

and riped his foot to pieces. He was 48 lost his foot.

You need to factor in alcohol, there is a lot of heavy drinking at night. I'd only ride during the day I think

[dagobert]

I got one bloke a couple of years ago "he pulled out from the left", no lights, dident look to the right.

T boned my bike just below the tank on an angle scissored the bikes together,

He had flip flops on, the rear left foot peg on my bike went from his heal to his toes

and riped his foot to pieces. He was 48 lost his foot.

You need to factor in alcohol, there is a lot of heavy drinking at night. I'd only ride during the day I think

No you need to factor in "idiots" that have no right legaly to be on the road.

[dreaming]

Expect the unexpected. Ride in a straight line. Do not swerve through the traffic. Don't ride at night.

Have fun. It's a blast riding bikes in thailand. Way more fun than at home

[Shurup]

Agree with most of what have been said, except the "ride slow" part. When riding out in a country, being slow is like signing your death sentence (unless you're staying on the left on the shoulder together with the rest of the scooters). I never ride slow, this way I don't need to worry about idiots coming up behind me and I can concentrate on all the potholes and dogs and the idiots in the front.

[Wong!]

Riding in Bangkok is not the same as riding in Isaan, the rural north or Chiang Mai city.

I enjoyed riding in Isaan, but commuting to work in CM has me questioning my sanity. The people up here are the most selfish and stupid I have encountered in my 13 years of living in Thailand. I will be selling my CB500F in a couple of months time.

The final straw came a couple of weeks ago when a retard swung across the road on an underpowered scooter into the side of me on the Super Highway. I was on the horn, but he did the usual Thai thing of "if I don't look, it can't be there", and bounced off me at about 80kph. All I heard was plastic and metal scraping down the road.

I'm much happier for the noodle-brained idiots to bounce off my truck than my bike.

[aitch52]

Then of course you have the idiots who've run out of petrol and are being pushed along by their mate on his motorbike to the nearest pump or Mom and Pop shop. Seen a couple of them come to grief, always give them a wide berth.

[alanr1610]

I had two young Thai guys on a pretty new Honda wave change lane without looking the other day. Unfortunately I was where they wanted to go and we connected. We both stayed on and pulled over where I naturally asked if they were OK as I hit them with quite a thump. The cheeky shit's point to the shattered rear offside tail faring and lights and demanded 2000 baht.

Once I stopped laughing I inspected my V-Strom for damage. I am delighted to report that the quality Givi crash bars I fitted are bullet proof. Not even a mark in the powder coating!

As you can imagine I gave them some friendly advice on road sense and why the bike came fitted with buttons and shinny reflective things on the handle bars and left.....

Unfortunately this maneuver is quite common and even when you blare your horn they quite often continue on their suicide mission without even a twitch. TIT.

[Gweiloman]

I had two young Thai guys on a pretty new Honda wave change lane without looking the other day. Unfortunately I was where they wanted to go and we connected. We both stayed on and pulled over where I naturally asked if they were OK as I hit them with quite a thump. The cheeky shit's point to the shattered rear offside tail faring and lights and demanded 2000 baht.

Once I stopped laughing I inspected my V-Strom for damage. I am delighted to report that the quality Givi crash bars I fitted are bullet proof. Not even a mark in the powder coating!

As you can imagine I gave them some friendly advice on road sense and why the bike came fitted with buttons and shinny reflective things on the handle bars and left.....

Unfortunately this maneuver is quite common and even when you blare your horn they quite often continue on their suicide mission without even a twitch. TIT.

I am always extra cautious when overtaking other bikes because I have seen all too often how they change lanes without checking their mirrors or doing a lifesaver.

One of my friends rode into the back of a fisherman exactly the same way. We were riding in staggered formation, he was on the outside of the lane and I was on the inside. The fisherman on a Honda wave (iirc) decided to make a right turn (he later said that he saw us as we had driving lights on the bikes as well but he underestimated our speed - we were doing about 80-90 kmh). I think my friend got distracted for a bit and when he saw the other bike, the brake lights came on but it was too late.

Everything happened in slow motion - the Versys crashing into the back of the wave, my friend flying over the top of his bike, the fish from the fisherman's side basket flying into the air and raining back down to earth. Fortunately, no serious injuries - my friend had 3 broken bones in his hand and a broken clavicle, the fisherman, a broken ankle. Insurance covered everything including repairs to the bikes.

As a result of seeing this happen right in front of my eyes and seeing various videos on YouTube, I now ride very slowly through towns, villages and moobans, paying special attention where there are traffic signs for intersections. The only times I open up is on highways, on those stretches with no U turns or junctions and no other motorists within striking distance in front of me.

[brfsa2]

For thailand there is also the skills of dealing with the corrupt police!

Today I was in Rama 9, driving on the left becaus I knew they were there.

The traffic police man stopped me, usually I never stop for them, but today I wanted to stop so that tomorrow they wont try again on me.

So I stopped, he asked for my license, I said in thai "whats the problem?", because no way im handling my licentse to thos bstrds.

he tried to pull that trick on me about riding on the right lane, I shouted to him and said it was not true and he has any prooff otherwise (in Thai)

Any guess what he told me?

"Why dont you go ride bike in your country? this is not your country, get out."

then I just left.

I'm gonna buy a go pro just record this kind of behavior and upload to youtube.

Edited August 31, 2014 by brfsa2

[Gweiloman]

For thailand there is also the skills of dealing with the corrupt police!

Today I was in Rama 9, driving on the left becaus I knew they were there.

The traffic police man stopped me, usually I never stop for them, but today I wanted to stop so that tomorrow they wont try again on me.

So I stopped, he asked for my license, I said in thai "whats the problem?", because no way im handling my licentse to thos bstrds.

he tried to pull that trick on me about riding on the right lane, I shouted to him and said it was not true and he has any prooff otherwise (in Thai)

Any guess what he told me?

"Why dont you go ride bike in your country? this is not your country, get out."

then I just left.

I'm gonna buy a go pro just record this kind of behavior and upload to youtube.

Maybe shouting at him was the wrong move? I normally smile at them and say, mai chai, pom kee tee sai krub.

[Shurup]

Oh no, yelling is never an acceptable behaviour.

[Wong!]

Oh no, yelling is never an acceptable behaviour.

Agreed. When I used to stop for the theives in brown I would just sit there and ignore them until they got bored and sent me on my way.

[alanr1610]

I had two young Thai guys on a pretty new Honda wave change lane without looking the other day. Unfortunately I was where they wanted to go and we connected. We both stayed on and pulled over where I naturally asked if they were OK as I hit them with quite a thump. The cheeky shit's point to the shattered rear offside tail faring and lights and demanded 2000 baht.

Once I stopped laughing I inspected my V-Strom for damage. I am delighted to report that the quality Givi crash bars I fitted are bullet proof. Not even a mark in the powder coating!

As you can imagine I gave them some friendly advice on road sense and why the bike came fitted with buttons and shinny reflective things on the handle bars and left.....

Unfortunately this maneuver is quite common and even when you blare your horn they quite often continue on their suicide mission without even a twitch. TIT.

So what happened to the fish???? By the way I was riding in open countryside with no U turns and at moderate speed. Mind you no fish were involved!

I am always extra cautious when overtaking other bikes because I have seen all too often how they change lanes without checking their mirrors or doing a lifesaver.

One of my friends rode into the back of a fisherman exactly the same way. We were riding in staggered formation, he was on the outside of the lane and I was on the inside. The fisherman on a Honda wave (iirc) decided to make a right turn (he later said that he saw us as we had driving lights on the bikes as well but he underestimated our speed - we were doing about 80-90 kmh). I think my friend got distracted for a bit and when he saw the other bike, the brake lights came on but it was too late.

Everything happened in slow motion - the Versys crashing into the back of the wave, my friend flying over the top of his bike, the fish from the fisherman's side basket flying into the air and raining back down to earth. Fortunately, no serious injuries - my friend had 3 broken bones in his hand and a broken clavicle, the fisherman, a broken ankle. Insurance covered everything including repairs to the bikes.

As a result of seeing this happen right in front of my eyes and seeing various videos on YouTube, I now ride very slowly through towns, villages and moobans, paying special attention where there are traffic signs for intersections. The only times I open up is on highways, on those stretches with no U turns or junctions and no other motorists within striking distance in front of me.

[ttakata]

Once I was going right in a slow and small rotary down in Samut Prakan.

All of a sudden I felt something on my right shoulder.

It was a Thai guy that somehow decided going straight through the rotary on the inner right side made sense.

We both slowed down and broke apart and continued on our way.

I visit some printing companies here and only 1 in 5 I have asked can read my fine print samples.

I don't have perfect vision but can often see better than professional print shop employees.

So I think a lot of people here ride with poor vision.

I recall seeing an old guy repeatedly fail the sight/reaction tests at one of the DLTs.

I was getting both licenses and passed both my tests while he was there at least an hour failing.

I'm sure sooner or later he got his license.

[DualSportBiker]

So true.

Market-time brings the threat level to max for me - it seems like everyone lives on the other side of the road from the market and has to pull straight out to turn right, or make a U-turn 50 yards passed the market... All done without looking of course!

I slow down significantly through markets up country and typically stand up to make myself as large as possible (stretch the legs while I'm at it..) I fear evening market-shoppers and stray dogs the most - they are the most likely cause of an incident IMHO.

I had two young Thai guys on a pretty new Honda wave change lane without looking the other day. Unfortunately I was where they wanted to go and we connected. We both stayed on and pulled over where I naturally asked if they were OK as I hit them with quite a thump. The cheeky shit's point to the shattered rear offside tail faring and lights and demanded 2000 baht.

Once I stopped laughing I inspected my V-Strom for damage. I am delighted to report that the quality Givi crash bars I fitted are bullet proof. Not even a mark in the powder coating!

As you can imagine I gave them some friendly advice on road sense and why the bike came fitted with buttons and shinny reflective things on the handle bars and left.....

Unfortunately this maneuver is quite common and even when you blare your horn they quite often continue on their suicide mission without even a twitch. TIT.

[igme]

I only learned how to ride a motorcycle when I am already in BKK (so my skill is just entry-level) but I have not been in a major accident.

Story #1

(on a bike) i was on a stop in the right-turn lane waiting for the cars in the opposite lane to give way when suddenly a guy on a scooter slammed at the front of my bike (he obviously intended to use the right-turn lane to go straight and did not see me even though my bike is orange (repsol colors) which i think is highly-visible)

Story #2

(in a car) there was a traffic jam and the lane i was in is stuck so I thought I'd take the lane to the left. Since the next lane is moving very slowly, the only thing I was able to do at that time is to on the signal lights and to turn the wheels left (not enough room to move yet). After being on that state for a while, a motorcycle hit my protruding wheel.

Story#3

(happened at least twice already) I rode those motorcycle taxi and the driver(s) reek of beer.

Lessons learned:

There seems to be quite a number of local riders doesn't seem (or are incapable at that moment) to pay attention to their surrounding. Unfortunately, this is not just limited to riders - I've seen bus and car drivers exhibit these characteristic.

I guess that we have to take them into account and be more defensive in riding/driving. But as long as you try to bring your wits with you, you should be fine

Edited September 16, 2014 by igme