Thais with driving licences

[oldsailor35]

Arriving at the round- about at Chaweng yesterday, there was a mini bus already on the round -about approaching from the right, the car in front of me planted his foot and "monstered" the mini bus to stop instead of giving way to him. I stopped to give way and the Ting Tong driver of a Toyota truck assumed that i was going to accelerate instead of giving way. He planted his foot and ran smack into the back of me, knocking me off my motorcy, luckily i was not injured. I left the bike laying on the road and went back to confront the Toyota driver ( foolish i know, but was shaken up) He said quote " you cause accident, why you stop, you faster than mini bus" Will they ever learn the rules of the road or even get some instruction ?

[limbos]

So how did it end?

[phetphet]

That roundabout makes me nervous. I stop at the "give way" lines on approach and the driver (Thai) already on the roundabout stops mid-way to let me out. Then once I am on there, I never know if the Thai approaching on the next entrance, expects me to stop mid-way and give way to him.

[Tropicalevo]

Glad that you were not injured oldsailor.

You were twice unlucky - last week, I went to Chaweng three times and each time there were a stack of BIBs at that roundabout pulling in all sorts of people. It wasn't a helmet check - they were even pulling in riders with helmets.

As others have posted - Thais (and some other nationalities) have absolutely no idea how to negotiate a roundabout. There used to be signs asking drivers to give way to traffic from the right - but they have since disappeared.

[steve187]

What are the rules on roundabout in Thailand?

In the Uk its plain for all to know, give way to traffic on the roundabout, but n Thailand there seems to be no set procedure, but from observation it seem to be the traffic on the roundabout gives way. Luckily there are not many roundabouts.

[Tropicalevo]

The rule is the same in Thailand, but most Thais do not know what these are.

Roundabouts on Samui are a recent thing and probably still not covered in the driving test. (That is even if the Thai drivers have taken a test. )

[oldsailor35]

So how did it end?

Nothing much happened after i opened his door and gave him a shaking, he just drove around my bike and took off.

[oldsailor35]

The rule is the same in Thailand, but most Thais do not know what these are.

Roundabouts on Samui are a recent thing and probably still not covered in the driving test. (That is even if the Thai drivers have taken a test. )

I am told that roundabouts are not yet included in the test. Consequently nobody knows how to use them. But the rule is give way to your right as that vehicle is already on the roundabout.

[oldsailor35]

From now on i will avoid the centre of the road, keeping strictly to either the extreme left or the extreme right according to which way i am going.

[steve187]

there are two mini roundabouts near me, no one knows how to give way for these roundabouts, therefore giving way to the right is not an option as no one else would know why you are stopping.

[Gonsalviz]

Thais and round abouts don't mix. Kind of like Thais and cars.

[Gonsalviz]

The rule is the same in Thailand, but most Thais do not know what these are.

Roundabouts on Samui are a recent thing and probably still not covered in the driving test. (That is even if the Thai drivers have taken a test. )

I am told that roundabouts are not yet included in the test. Consequently nobody knows how to use them. But the rule is give way to your right as that vehicle is already on the roundabout.

You actually think they will use them correctly when they arein the rule book?

Silly boy.

In Malaysia, they install traffic lights in them to control traffic. In Indonesia, the vehicles in the round about stop to allow more in.

[phetphet]

Other "rules of the road" oddities.

(1) The Chaweng to Choeng Mon road, and airport turn off.

it seems to me that the sensible thing to have done would have been to put a "Stop" or "Give Way" line only across the road for traffic approaching from the air[port at this junction.

Whoever did the road markings has put three "stop" lines on the t-junction. Now everyone stops, and stares at one another, until the first, biggest, or bravest makes the first move.

(2) At the other end of the airport road, at junction by SeaTran Pier. They have put a "Stop" line so far back from the junction, that if you actually stopped at it, you would never be able to see approaching traffic from either direction.

[longtom]

Let´s be realistic, even in european countries it took like 5 years until people got the rules of the roundabouts (when introduced 20/30 years ago).

So in a country where motocys drive routinely on the wrong side of the road etc.etc., and they don´t learn about roundabouts in driving tests (but learn what to do if a tank comes your way), no surprise really.

[Rooo]

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[wellred]

Maybe they need to plant a sniper on the roundabout and pick off a gone who fails to give way to vehicles approaching from the right.

I find it shocking that road safety is treated with such disregard. Shocking but also not surprising.

[evadgib]

A friend recently fitted electric zappers to keep his dogs in order. I wonder...

Edited November 20, 2014 by evadgib

[Amusements]

I hate this roundabout, it is lethal and it seems to be where arrogance rains supreme. There needs to be large cartoon instructions put up on all the approaches to it - For those who don't understand what give way to the right means.

I wonder how many accidents there have been on this roundabout? I have narrowly avoided being killed twice on it so far. I avoid it when possible.

[evadgib]

This morning I had parents & toddler on a motorcy try very hard to test my airbag by deliberately cutting across traffic @ the entrance to Makro instead of giving way.

[robsamui]

Glad that you were not injured oldsailor.

You were twice unlucky - last week, I went to Chaweng three times and each time there were a stack of BIBs at that roundabout pulling in all sorts of people. It wasn't a helmet check - they were even pulling in riders with helmets.

As others have posted - Thais (and some other nationalities) have absolutely no idea how to negotiate a roundabout. There used to be signs asking drivers to give way to traffic from the right - but they have since disappeared. Coming from Tesco to position A the road is marked STOP and GIVE WAY - but there is a separate bike lane which allows through-traffic.

1. People coming from Chaweng to position B have no road markings or instructions to stop or give way - anyway the other markings are in English, so it's guaranteed Thai people will ignore them anyway.

2. People coming from Central Festival to position C are rendered schizophrenic by the road being divided into two, one half with a white line meaning stop/give way and the other half of it, the traffic turning left, being unmarked.

3. Thai people do not know what the white line at the junction means.

This roundabout and the road markings were created by people who have never used a roundabout before, are unaware that there is any code of conduct attached, and just hoped it would work. Like many other things they have copied the appearance without understanding the ideas behind it.

Edited November 21, 2014 by robsamui