Tourists Please Assume Nothing When You Cross The Street

[NCC1701A]

A message to tourists coming to Thailand.

I come from the USA but live in Thailand now. Sometimes I get a little freaked out by what I see here, so I thought I would just take a minute to say something. You are not in Kansas any more.

I am in Hua Hin and I see many tourists happy and distracted on their vacation trying to cross the main highway in town. Sometimes they have their young children in tow, they run out in a cross walk or at a corner thinking that traffic will stop for them. It may or may not. This is typical for all of Thailand.

In the USA pedestrians almost always have the right of way in legally crossing the street.

Traffic laws are enforced and for the most part obeyed.

In the USA you can cross the street in a crosswalk and traffic must stop for you.

Cars must stop until you exit the cross walk.

Sometimes I see tourists assuming that just because a light has turned green or they are in a "cross walk" they they can step into the street without looking. In all directions. And that traffic will stop for them.

If you do it in Thailand you will be placing your life in danger.

please assume nothing here...

Thank you, I feel better now.

[MrJohnson]

You go t it all wrong! when crossing the road, please assume the following;t

The cars will not stop

As a pedestrian in Thailand you have less rights than a stray soi dog

Cars will run you down regardless of whether you are a child, an adult or an adult with a child in tow.

This is one of the least pedestrian-friendly countries in the world.

Good luck out there

[Emster23]

Also wish to add "do not assume on one way streets all traffic will be going with the traffic" Look both ways, then look again. Do not assume that if you are on sidewalk, it means vehicles will be in street. Many see sidewalk as "extra lane for motorbikes".

[Estrada]

Since Thailand is the land of all possibilities where 6 way traffic is the norm. even for a one way street, you should observe the Thai pedestrian crossing safety code: Look Left.. Look Right.., Look Left Again.. Look Up... Look Down... Look Behind... Give up... Head for the nearest footbridge. Remember the only reason the white lines are painted on the zebra crossing is so that your body shows up easily against the white background, so they can drive around you and not damage their vehicles.

[garyinhuahin]

Good advice, OP. Ignore the wiseacres. Although looking both ways is pretty much mandatory

[kurnell]

Dude, you don't even have the right of way on the footpath

[ggt]

Actually...tourist should assume they could be run over from the front...from both sides (left & right) and even from behind...as I once was while crossing the street in BKK...A-hole motorcycle driver just ran up the back of my leg...because he could...made his day...

[James2020]

On one of my early visits to Thailand, I was navigating my way across a 4 lane street, Ekamai. I made it across two lanes and was standing on the center line, as I have seen many Thais do, with traffic whizzing by, less than a foot from my face and backside. Needless to say, I was very uncomfortable. I saw a break in traffic (coming from my left) and started across the remaining two lanes. Just then a motorbike thought he would make up some time, and opened up on the vacant stretch. I had only entered the first lane about 3 feet, and thought it was best to stop until the mororbike passed. But as I stood there, I couldn't figure out why it was coming straight at me. I stood frozen as it never braked and went behind me, brushing my shirt with its handlebar. I heard the little girl passenger screaming as it went by. With beads of sweat on my forehead, I scooted to the other side, and swore to never again try to cross that road. It was later explained to me that the motorbike driver probably assumed that I would keep moving forward, as the other pedistrians do, and by aiming at me, I would be comfortably ahead of him by the time he passed behind me. I had no idea of the unwritten rules.

The most dangerous thing a tourist does in Thailand is cross the street. Now I always wait for an old woman with a cane or a bunch of school kids, and stay as close as I can while they cross ahead of me.

[Keesters]

After pushing the button at one of Pattaya's pedestrian controlled panda crossings do not expect it to work. None do, they are all broken or have been switched off. A totally corrupt local administration that spent millions in installing these state if the art crossings only to never use them.

[Pib]

In Thailand since vehicles are bigger, heavier and faster than humans, vehicles have the right of way....it's basic Thai physics.

[SiSePuede419]

"After pushing the button at one of Pattaya's pedestrian controlled panda crossings do not expect it to work."

Same in NYC and most cities in America. It's only there as a "placebo" to give you a feeling of power & control.

If those buttons actually worked in pedestrian-dense Midtown Manhattan, cars would never get a green light...

[USNret]

On one of my early visits to Thailand, I was navigating my way across a 4 lane street, Ekamai. I made it across two lanes and was standing on the center line, as I have seen many Thais do, with traffic whizzing by, less than a foot from my face and backside. Needless to say, I was very uncomfortable. I saw a break in traffic (coming from my left) and started across the remaining two lanes. Just then a motorbike thought he would make up some time, and opened up on the vacant stretch. I had only entered the first lane about 3 feet, and thought it was best to stop until the mororbike passed. But as I stood there, I couldn't figure out why it was coming straight at me. I stood frozen as it never braked and went behind me, brushing my shirt with its handlebar. I heard the little girl passenger screaming as it went by. With beads of sweat on my forehead, I scooted to the other side, and swore to never again try to cross that road. It was later explained to me that the motorbike driver probably assumed that I would keep moving forward, as the other pedistrians do, and by aiming at me, I would be comfortably ahead of him by the time he passed behind me. I had no idea of the unwritten rules.

The most dangerous thing a tourist does in Thailand is cross the street. Now I always wait for an old woman with a cane or a bunch of school kids, and stay as close as I can while they cross ahead of me.

Yep, it was completely your fault. Once you started to cross, you should have maintained course & speed. All sundry bikes, tricycles, tuk-tuks, baht busses, etc. will calculate the 2 cm clearance needed to avoid hitting you, and drive accordingly. If you stop, you throw off their calculations. I am being a little facetious, but not much. "If you hadn't come to Thailand, there would have been no accident. Guilty!!"

[steveyinasia]

At least they are not as bad as Philippine drivers who will actually honk their horn at you to get off the crossing as they approach.

[lucifer666]

"After pushing the button at one of Pattaya's pedestrian controlled panda crossings do not expect it to work."

Same in NYC and most cities in America. It's only there as a "placebo" to give you a feeling of power & control.

If those buttons actually worked in pedestrian-dense Midtown Manhattan, cars would never get a green light...

Back in my Uni days, we were given tthe circuit diagram of what is called ( in the UK) a Pelican crossing. It's a fact, that at certain (busy) times of the day, a timer circuit kicks in and pressing the button only lights up the console ( It absolutely does bugger all else). So, yes, i can confirm that placebo.

[Suradit69]

You are not in Kansas any more.

Well if Kansas City is anything to go by there seems to be a whole industry surrounding suing for pedestrian accidents. "At Schmitt Mulhern, LLC our pedestrian accident attorneys ..."

I get a little freaked out by what I see here

I guess getting out into the big bad world is quite eye-opening. The problem isn't so much what you see here, but what you were blind to back in Farang Utopia : "Where seldom is heard a discouraging word, And the sky is not cloudy all day," but adults have to be reminded to be careful crossing the street.

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[Blackfish64]

The truth about walking in Thailand, biking in Thailand, motorbiking in Thailand, motor carring in Thailand, is that there are no rules. It's that simple. They do whatever they want, when they want. Expect anything. ANYTHING. That being said, here's a couple of tips you must follow in order to survive travel in Thailand: First, you drive defensively. You walk defensively, bike defensively, motorbike defensively, drive your car defensively, do everything defensively. Protect yourself first, all the time, every time. They do not care about themselves, nor do they care about you. The end.

This is the land of narcissists, egotists, and abusers. Get it through your head. The sooner you get it through your head the better off you're going to be.

For pedestrians, as I've already mentioned, forget about the rules. Walk at your own risk. And when you do, whether you obey the rules or not, you must obey or disobey defensively. A little trick to help you get through a crosswalk... Simply make sure the drivers see you, and when they do, before you pass by them wai to them. They respect that. once you wai to them, and have their full attention, you are less likely to have any problems.

But for the most part they don't follow any rules, so you should never expect them to. Expect them to do something really stupid, and they usually do.

[A1Str8]

You go t it all wrong! when crossing the road, please assume the following;t

The cars will not stop

As a pedestrian in Thailand you have less rights than a stray soi dog

Cars will run you down regardless of whether you are a child, an adult or an adult with a child in tow.

This is one of the least pedestrian-friendly countries in the world.

Good luck out there

Then it's not him who gets it all wrong.

[craigt3365]

"After pushing the button at one of Pattaya's pedestrian controlled panda crossings do not expect it to work."

Same in NYC and most cities in America. It's only there as a "placebo" to give you a feeling of power & control.

If those buttons actually worked in pedestrian-dense Midtown Manhattan, cars would never get a green light...

Having lived in NYC for many years, the ped crossings tend to be timed with the lights (though you might have to push the button to get the green walk light). A few are on demand, most are automatic, and all vehicles must yield to pedestrians crossing at the lights. In every state in the US, the pedestrian has the right of way in designated crossings. Some states even give rights to pedestrians if they are not in a designated crosswalk. Penalties are quite severe in some states.

Go to California. If a pedestrian even starts towards the crosswalk, cars will stop. Well...most will! LOL. The fines are draconian and heavily enforced.

[curtklay]

In Thailand, pedestrians are nothing more than a target.

[masuk]

Since Thailand is the land of all possibilities where 6 way traffic is the norm. even for a one way street, you should observe the Thai pedestrian crossing safety code: Look Left.. Look Right.., Look Left Again.. Look Up... Look Down... Look Behind... Give up... Head for the nearest footbridge. Remember the only reason the white lines are painted on the zebra crossing is so that your body shows up easily against the white background, so they can drive around you and not damage their vehicles.

Are you SURE you've got that the right way 'round?

It is FAR, FAR SAFER, to look right, and see what might be coming down the left side of the road (they drive on the left here!).

Then check right, and finally, look right once more, before taking your life into your own hands and crossing the road.

Why on earth would you look right twice???? Unless you think you're still in Kansas!!

[masuk]

Since Thailand is the land of all possibilities where 6 way traffic is the norm. even for a one way street, you should observe the Thai pedestrian crossing safety code: Look Left.. Look Right.., Look Left Again.. Look Up... Look Down... Look Behind... Give up... Head for the nearest footbridge. Remember the only reason the white lines are painted on the zebra crossing is so that your body shows up easily against the white background, so they can drive around you and not damage their vehicles.

Are you SURE you've got that the right way 'round?

It is FAR, FAR SAFER, to look right, and see what might be coming down the left side of the road (they drive on the left here!).

Then check right, and finally, look right once more, before taking your life into your own hands and crossing the road.

Why on earth would you look right twice???? Unless you think you're still in Kansas!!

OOPS. That should read "why on earth would you look left twice" dooh

[Thaddeus]

Crossing the road, on foot............ boldly going where millions have gone before.

It's life Jim, but not as we know it.

[IMA_FARANG]

It happened to me the first time I came to Thailand.

As you say, as an American where traffic drives on the right, it's just a learned response to look right when crossing a street.

I had to unlearn that response in 1977 when I first came to Thailand.

I heard a squeal of brakes, and looked to my left to see a taxi there just stopping.

It was less than a foot away from me.

That incident taught me a lesson, and I became much more careful.

I have even seen motorcycles going against the stopped traffic at an intersection, weaving in and out through the halted traffic against the flow of traffic.

In Bangkok, or other Thai cities, there is no law.

Be careful, and learn to look twice in every direction before you move.

And remember, the elevated pedestrian crossover is your best friend.

Learn to use it.

[Tomtomtom69]

On one of my early visits to Thailand, I was navigating my way across a 4 lane street, Ekamai. I made it across two lanes and was standing on the center line, as I have seen many Thais do, with traffic whizzing by, less than a foot from my face and backside. Needless to say, I was very uncomfortable. I saw a break in traffic (coming from my left) and started across the remaining two lanes. Just then a motorbike thought he would make up some time, and opened up on the vacant stretch. I had only entered the first lane about 3 feet, and thought it was best to stop until the mororbike passed. But as I stood there, I couldn't figure out why it was coming straight at me. I stood frozen as it never braked and went behind me, brushing my shirt with its handlebar. I heard the little girl passenger screaming as it went by. With beads of sweat on my forehead, I scooted to the other side, and swore to never again try to cross that road. It was later explained to me that the motorbike driver probably assumed that I would keep moving forward, as the other pedistrians do, and by aiming at me, I would be comfortably ahead of him by the time he passed behind me. I had no idea of the unwritten rules.

The most dangerous thing a tourist does in Thailand is cross the street. Now I always wait for an old woman with a cane or a bunch of school kids, and stay as close as I can while they cross ahead of me.

Footbridges and the occasional underpass are everywhere in Thailand. Next time walk a few more meters down the road and cross over a footbridge. Particularly in that area there is zero reason to cross the road directly. Aren't there any footbridges on Ekkamai? Surely there would be some, somewhere.

[ToddinChonburi]

All I can say is I am glad we have the foot bridges here in Muang. You get back on the busy Soi in the morning and stand for 3 minutes trying to cross over to get to the walking park. No one will stop for you.

[ToddinChonburi]

You have to be very careful here on the sidewalks the motorbikes come shooting up behind you.

[JeremyBowskill]

I'm sure OP's intentions were good, but unfortunately not many visitors to Thailand read Thai Visa. It took me 4-5 years here before I had even heard of it.

[hgv driver]

DRIVING IN THAILAND………. It is hoped that this definitive list will be soon be adopted as the official driving code of Thailand, in the absence of any other such known publication, so that all drivers on the road will act in strict accordance with it. 1. The Mercedes Benz always has right of way.

2. The more wheels you have, the more right of way you have. (Except when Rule #1 applies.)

3. Anything with two wheels or less does not count as a vehicle and should be disregarded completely. Even if it’s a 1800 cc Harley Davidson the size of the average Thai house.

4. If you need to turn off, then turn off. If that means a right-angled swerve across three lanes on two wheels so you don’t miss your turn, please go ahead. We’ll just fit in with your plan. No need to indicate your intention.

5. If in the process of executing that turn, you cause three motorcyclists and a tuk tuk to end up in the ditch, add 5 points.

6. Indicators should only be used in the following fashion. If someone is behind you and wanting to overtake, put on your right indicator. This means either a/ it is clear and safe to overtake now or b/ don’t overtake now a bus is coming over the blind rise at a speed approaching 130km/h. It will soon become apparent which meaning was intended.

7. Do have as many Buddhist amulets on the dashboard as possible. If you’re involved in a fatal accident, never mind — there’s always another life, and another …

8. Traffic jams can be frustrating, so, as soon as you get any open space at all, get your vehicle to its highest possible top speed. As a guideline the rpm counter should be kept in the red zone in event of any open road.

9. When joining a busy main road from a small side soi, proceed directly into the intersection without stopping – or even pausing – for other traffic. This selfishly indulgent act of stopping and checking will only cause confusion for those behind you, with the possible result of them rear-ending you.

10. When on a motorcycle, do not wear a helmet, and ride as fast as the bike will possibly go while using cars, buses, elephants, and chickens as slalom course markers. Irrespective of traffic conditions, possible dangers lurking around the corner, and pedestrians foolishly crossing the road at a marked pedestrian crossing, maintain this speed (once again, the red zone on your rpm gauge is a reliable indicator). After all, in the event of some other idiot doing the wrong thing, you want to be killed outright, not maimed.

11. On the subject of pedestrian crossings, these are known to farangs as ‘zebra crossings’. There are no zebras in Thailand. Ignore. Proceed as usual.

12. Do not wear a seat-belt. This will delay you when you stop at 7-11 to buy more beer for the drive, resulting in late arrival for the party. This is not acceptable to your thirsty friends.

13. In the event you become completely, utterly, motherlessly drunk when drinking with your friends do not — repeat: DO NOT! — leave your vehicle there and attempt to walk home. In your drunken state you might be tempted to actually use a pedestrian crossing on foot, without observing the golden rule of crossing any road in Thailand: look Right, look Left, look Up then look Down before you cross. The buggers will get you from anywhere!

14. Red lights. This is merely an optical illusion – all traffic lights in Thailand consist of three different shades of green. What you think is red is actually just dark green. Proceed as usual.

A note to remember do not walk on the path unless you are desperate if you should decide to do so then be prepared for a speeding moped heading towards you carrying his wife, girlfriend and two kids and probably a dog and shopping hanging from the bars at such a speed he will not be able to avoid you at this point jump into the road the survival rates are about equal. Ron.

[IMA_FARANG]

In Thailand it's not even safe to wait an intersection with a Red stop light until you get the Green to cross.

As proof, my Thai girlfriends father.

He was waiting at a light when a Thai motorcycle rider tried to jump a Red light.

Realizing he couldn't make it through the intersection before the light changed against him he dumped his bike.

The rider less bike continued across the intersection into my Thai girlfriend's father who happened to be standing there.

The bike broke his leg, and her father spent time in hospital until his broken leg healed enough for him to go home.

He lived another 7 years, but walked with a limp until the day he died.

Motorcyclist was never found, he apparently just ran away. No registration or license for the bike.

Just another Thai traffic accident story.

[californiabeachboy]

Just a quick story here.

I live in the US, but on my first visit to Chiang Mai I was staying in Chang Puak area. About 500 meters North of the Chang Puak gate there is a pedestrian crossing for Chang Puak Road with red/green lights. But it is for pedestrians - there is no cross vehicular traffic.

When the light for me turned green, being a rookie, I started to cross. About half way I realized I was in trouble. Some of the cars stopped, but none of the motorcycles. One of them almost hit me, but then he nodded his head in apology. They knew that since there was no vehicular cross-traffic, they had the upper hand.

At first it was a bit interesting, exotic culture and all.

But after trying to cross many times it became annoying.

That is when I realized - I am a short term visitor to Thailand, not the place for me to live.

Cheers.