Thai Drivers Do the Darnedest Things

[bdenner]

Now mia noi wants me to get some special bath soap. I'll just force my way into the free flowing traffic and drive at 5 kmh until I find a place ---- there it is! Why do I need to park in that spot 20 metres down the road when I can double park right here at 7-Eleven? These fools behind me won't mind waiting a few more minutes, I'm stuffing their day anyway!

[Si Thea01]

Bloody motorcyclists.

7.30am, yes 7.30am, last Tuesday, my wife in her new Toyota driving along route 201 through Na Klang, main road between Loei and Udon Thani. Very heavy traffic. so travelling at 20 kilometres hour, motorcyclist sees space between her and truck in front, oops, what space, takes out right hand side of her car. Luckily for him, only minor injuries, wife ok.. And you will never guess, of course you can he's drunk, has no tax sticker and no license. Police attend, say, No worry, he's drunk every day, I tell wife to pay tax. Luckily, we have full insurance, as these pair of darlings, (husband and wife) have absolutely nothing

Edited March 4, 2015 by Si Thea01

[1BADDAT]

Perhaps you should have titled your post "Drivers (including US drivers) Do the Darnedest Things". None of your observations are particularly specific to Thailand.

None of them are specific to Thailand? No way some of these could be applied to the US. Drivers all over the world do stupid things, but the occurrences of them and the behavior are very different in different parts of the world.

Here is the list from the OP:

'I've waited long enough, I'm entitled to pull out now.' - OK...maybe in the US

'I'm sorry, but my time is more important than yours, let me invent a new lane here because I am special.' - No way this applies to the US. If you try to invent a new lane, someone ahead will block you.

'Let me throw my door out into traffic, there's almost no chance there's a motorcyclist driving by that I could kill.' - Hardly any motorcyclists there, and lanes wide enough that even if you did open your door, probably wouldn't block anything.

'Oh you made a bad decision to pull out, I'm gonna flash my lights at you instead of slowing down.' - Americans don't flash lights, they honk.

'That old lady crossing the road better hurry up, cause my Mia Noi is waiting and I don't want to be late.' - this is probably the only time Americans are actually courteous almost all the time.

'Let me see how close I can drive to your bumper.' - Applies any where people drive aggressively, so pretty much anywhere in the world.

'You can't see me behind these tinted windows, so I'm gonna drive like a complete maniac.' - Tinting the front windows is illegal in almost all US states.

'Sure this area is heavily congested and chaotic, but if I slow down, I decrease my fuel efficiency. I'm saving the environment, bro!' - Toyota Prius drivers, America...you win this one.

'That U-turn is far away, I'm just gonna drive down the wrong side of the road.' - Detroit is the only city in the US where I have seen U-turn lanes. Never once in my 20 years of driving in the US have I seen someone driving the wrong way down a divided road or highway (Or backing up down a freeway because they missed a turn).

'Sure I've got a entire Burmese city in the back of my truck, but I need to see if I can get this thing on two wheels.'- Rarely see anyone in the back of a truck, especially Burmese

There's gotta be a bunch I'm missing, have at it.

I can't be bothered to answer your entire post line by line but let's just say generalized rubbish, especially your post about inventing new lanes, they do it all the time here in the states and it's one of my biggest pet peeves, I try to block as often as possible as it ends up slowing down the entire line with everyone having to merge in the end anyway and those behind never making any progress, but I find myself oddly in agreement with Geez for a change.

My favorite anywhere too is entering the highway too slowly and the person behind, myself for example, essentially becomes the bumper of slow person ahead as you merge on, to any drivers behind who may not be paying attention, they're going to hit you and not the damn turtle in front of you who'll just keep going never knowing or caring that you got hit because of them. So when I encounter those type of drivers I accelerate as quickly as possibly into another lane around them or the same lane and pass them essentially switching positions, som-nom-na, learn to drive and merge properly.

Are you from England? So how long have you driven in America? What part of the country or city do they invent new lanes? I totally agree during construction merging that they wait until the very end to merge, but I never see anyone drive outside the lines there.

[WarpSpeed]

Nope, best if you keep up.. Traveling all over the country and even into Canada transporting my race car and equipment while traveling to races I've traveled more than most, also drove as part of my living as a repair tech. most of those years, I also traveled quite bit from the east coast to the west coast as a teenager with my family moving, we also traveled quite a bit in my youth, drove 10 years in Thailand. Better part of almost 40 years exclusive as a licensed driver, is that long enough? Forgot to mention I'm STILL driving here and see those examples daily and in some cases several times daily and I don't even drive as much these days.

Edited March 4, 2015 by WarpSpeed

[seedy]

Troll / flaming post removed.

8) You will not post disruptive or inflammatory messages, vulgarities, obscenities or profanities

[1BADDAT]

Nope, best if you keep up.. Traveling all over the country and even into Canada transporting my race car and equipment while traveling to races I've traveled more than most, also drove as part of my living as a repair tech. most of those years, I also traveled quite bit from the east coast to the west coast as a teenager with my family moving, we also traveled quite a bit in my youth, drove 10 years in Thailand. Better part of almost 40 years exclusive as a licensed driver, is that long enough? Forgot to mention I'm STILL driving here and see those examples daily and in some cases several times daily and I don't even drive as much these days.

Just asked where you have seen in the U.S. them invent lanes naming a city or area where that happens. Simple answer would suffice but you avoided that question completely. (DELETED)

[LarryBird]

Nope, best if you keep up.. Traveling all over the country and even into Canada transporting my race car and equipment while traveling to races I've traveled more than most, also drove as part of my living as a repair tech. most of those years, I also traveled quite bit from the east coast to the west coast as a teenager with my family moving, we also traveled quite a bit in my youth, drove 10 years in Thailand. Better part of almost 40 years exclusive as a licensed driver, is that long enough? Forgot to mention I'm STILL driving here and see those examples daily and in some cases several times daily and I don't even drive as much these days.

Just asked where you have seen in the U.S. them invent lanes naming a city or area where that happens. Simple answer would suffice but you avoided that question completely. (DELETED)

Same everywhere, bro! The insanely high death rate on the Thai roadways have nothing to do with the behavior of the drivers, it can all be attributed to bad luck! You could die on a rural road in South Carolina driving 25 mph, or you could die on the Super Highway cutting through the mountains, run over by a drunken idiot in a Toyota pickup driving with his eyes closed. Sure, it happens once every five years in South Carolina, and once every 5 hours in Thailand, but, it could still happen in either place, therefore, EVERYTHING IS EQUAL!!!

[lungbing]

'Red light? I'll slow down when I'm 2 meters away.'

And then go through on red anyway.

[aronp1]

Breakdown lane? No that's just another lane incase there are too many cars in the driving lanes. I'm going to get from one side of Bangkok to the other side in 10mins and nothing is going to slow me down! There is a reason why it is called a

"SideWALK". You should really pay attention to where I am going.

[WarpSpeed]

Nope, best if you keep up.. Traveling all over the country and even into Canada transporting my race car and equipment while traveling to races I've traveled more than most, also drove as part of my living as a repair tech. most of those years, I also traveled quite bit from the east coast to the west coast as a teenager with my family moving, we also traveled quite a bit in my youth, drove 10 years in Thailand. Better part of almost 40 years exclusive as a licensed driver, is that long enough? Forgot to mention I'm STILL driving here and see those examples daily and in some cases several times daily and I don't even drive as much these days.

Just asked where you have seen in the U.S. them invent lanes naming a city or area where that happens. Simple answer would suffice but you avoided that question completely. (DELETED)

Whats with the interrogatory and condescending tone? You didn't ask a simple question, I gave you as simple an answer as I could, what do you want dates and times? All of those places and points in between it happens regularly. There are bike paths that run along side the primary roads here where bikes are only supposed to ride but that's when the cars aren't making into a turn lane because they don't want to wait their turn and they come from 30 cars back in the line not just right up on the turn, so the drivers who do wait properly, end up getting pushed back unable to make their turns and it slows both lanes not to mention prevents a safe lane for the bikes it's intended for. Does that fall into the category of "making your own lane"? How do you block that? You move into the lane and now you're the one being a jerk. I always give them the evil eye and the stare down when passing but they already know they're a holes and don't give a rats backside. Got stuck in a line the other day when the driver in our lane was trying to make right turn but because of several other impatient and entitled a holes in the bike lane he couldn't and we couldn't get through the intersection.

Edited March 4, 2015 by WarpSpeed

[1BADDAT]

Nope, best if you keep up.. Traveling all over the country and even into Canada transporting my race car and equipment while traveling to races I've traveled more than most, also drove as part of my living as a repair tech. most of those years, I also traveled quite bit from the east coast to the west coast as a teenager with my family moving, we also traveled quite a bit in my youth, drove 10 years in Thailand. Better part of almost 40 years exclusive as a licensed driver, is that long enough? Forgot to mention I'm STILL driving here and see those examples daily and in some cases several times daily and I don't even drive as much these days.

Just asked where you have seen in the U.S. them invent lanes naming a city or area where that happens. Simple answer would suffice but you avoided that question completely. (DELETED)

Whats with the interrogatory and condescending tone? You didn't ask a simple question, I gave you as simple an answer as I could, what do you want dates and times? All of those places and points in between it happens regularly. There are bike paths that run along side the primary roads here where bikes are only supposed to ride but that's when the cars aren't making into a turn lane because they don't want to wait their turn and they come from 30 cars back in the line not just right up on the turn, so the drivers who do wait properly, end up getting pushed back unable to make their turns and it slows both lanes not to mention prevents a safe lane for the bikes it's intended for. Does that fall into the category of "making your own lane"? How do you block that? You move into the lane and now you're the one being a jerk. I always give them the evil eye and the stare down when passing but they already know they're a holes and don't give a rats backside. Got stuck in a line the other day when the driver in our lane was trying to make right turn but because of several other impatient and entitled a holes in the bike lane he couldn't and we couldn't get through the intersection.

Ok...got it...bike lanes ALL over US and every point in between. Thanks.

[alfieconn]

Thai driver : I won't pull out yet because the car is 200 meters away and is going fairly fast, the car is now 50 meters away so time to pull out !

[2fishin2]

Its starting to rain all you cars behind me at the traffic light can wait until I get me 19baht plastic tarp on.....says the herd of Thai motorbike riders at a green light

[LarryBird]

Comparing Thai Driving to US Drivers is like comparing US Restaurant prices to Thai prices..

[IMHO]

Comparing Thai Driving to US Drivers is like comparing US Restaurant prices to Thai prices..

Actually, it would be more like comparing Thai table service to US table service. Same result though

[IMHO]

Its starting to rain all you cars behind me at the traffic light can wait until I get me 19baht plastic tarp on.....says the herd of Thai motorbike riders at a green light

Not a very good example mate. "Share the road" doesn't just mean make some space, it extends into having some empathy too

[seedy]

Posts Edited - Troll Posts Deleted.

Please post in a respectful, courteous manner.

Thank you

[1BADDAT]

Its starting to rain all you cars behind me at the traffic light can wait until I get me 19baht plastic tarp on.....says the herd of Thai motorbike riders at a green light

Not a very good example mate. "Share the road" doesn't just mean make some space, it extends into having some empathy too

So we should be empathetic to the people that go to the front of the line and then make us wait longer?

[2fishin2]

Its starting to rain all you cars behind me at the traffic light can wait until I get me 19baht plastic tarp on.....says the herd of Thai motorbike riders at a green light

Not a very good example mate. "Share the road" doesn't just mean make some space, it extends into having some empathy too

Tell me just how it is correct for thai motorbike riders to not proceed when there is a green light. Park their bikes in the middle of the road in an intersection and put on their ponchos all in the middle of a 4 lane highway in heavy traffic. How is that correct in any way shape or fashion? I have empathy, pull over off the side of road away from traffic and then put it on. Dont block traffic.

[1BADDAT]

Saw this in my way home in Rayong industrial area. It's a heavily traveled divided 4 lane highway with coach buses trucks cars and motorbikes everywhere.

Two people on a motorbike doing 15 km/hr pushing another motorbike (presumably out of gas maybe?) with their foot extended out to link them together. Not that extraordinary for thailand but this is one of the most dangerous roads to try and do this maneuver.

Edited March 6, 2015 by 1BADDAT

[Don Mega]

Performing a U-Turn.

Keep sneaking out into the oncoming traffic until you force them to stop..... then complete the U-turn and proceed to drive at 3km/h as you attempt to merge left across 4 lanes of traffic in morning peak hour.

Edited March 6, 2015 by Don Mega

[WarpSpeed]

Nope, best if you keep up.. Traveling all over the country and even into Canada transporting my race car and equipment while traveling to races I've traveled more than most, also drove as part of my living as a repair tech. most of those years, I also traveled quite bit from the east coast to the west coast as a teenager with my family moving, we also traveled quite a bit in my youth, drove 10 years in Thailand. Better part of almost 40 years exclusive as a licensed driver, is that long enough? Forgot to mention I'm STILL driving here and see those examples daily and in some cases several times daily and I don't even drive as much these days.

Just asked where you have seen in the U.S. them invent lanes naming a city or area where that happens. Simple answer would suffice but you avoided that question completely. (DELETED)

Whats with the interrogatory and condescending tone? You didn't ask a simple question, I gave you as simple an answer as I could, what do you want dates and times? All of those places and points in between it happens regularly. There are bike paths that run along side the primary roads here where bikes are only supposed to ride but that's when the cars aren't making into a turn lane because they don't want to wait their turn and they come from 30 cars back in the line not just right up on the turn, so the drivers who do wait properly, end up getting pushed back unable to make their turns and it slows both lanes not to mention prevents a safe lane for the bikes it's intended for. Does that fall into the category of "making your own lane"? How do you block that? You move into the lane and now you're the one being a jerk. I always give them the evil eye and the stare down when passing but they already know they're a holes and don't give a rats backside. Got stuck in a line the other day when the driver in our lane was trying to make right turn but because of several other impatient and entitled a holes in the bike lane he couldn't and we couldn't get through the intersection.

Ok...got it...bike lanes ALL over US and every point in between. Thanks.

Of course like your first post which was a generalized post regarding ALL drivers in Thailand this one was also in that same vein as it too is snide nonsense and that's how I'll just treat all your posts from now on, I'll respond and then let you make a fool of yourself from there..

Edited March 6, 2015 by WarpSpeed

[bikerlou47]

These white headlights are boring let me change them to red! Ill put white lights for the rear!

[bikerlou47]

I don't need to put my headlights on I can see where I'm going!

[bikerlou47]

Why is that big motorcycle not driving on the shoulder let me speed up and force him over!

[bikerlou47]

I have two feet let me keep one on the brake while I am driving!

[bikerlou47]

The engine must be hot after my drive I better open the hood! And while I 'm at it I'll lift the wipers off the windshield!

[bikerlou47]

When does 2 equal 7?

2 lane road is really 7 lanes!

Two shoulders where traffic can go each way-4

The regular lanes-2

Now you might be asking where is number 7?

The invisible lane that's right down the center!

[IMHO]

@1BADDAT, @2fishin2

Really, this is the mentality you drive around in Thailand with?

So there's a bunch of motorsai sitting at the front of the red light queue, it starts raining. You're not satisfied unless they all get soaking wet - including all the mothers and children, while you sit in your nice & dry car, for the sake of a few seconds? These are people too - just one's not as fortunate as you, to be able to afford a car.

I wish you luck in our country - I think you need all you can get.

Actually, no, I wish you can learn that what sits on a motorsai are actual people, and that the road isn't yours alone, and that green doesn't mean "go" it means "proceed when safe" etc etc.

Edited March 6, 2015 by IMHO

[IMHO]

Performing a U-Turn.

Keep sneaking out into the oncoming traffic until you force them to stop..... then complete the U-turn and proceed to drive at 3km/h as you attempt to merge left across 4 lanes of traffic in morning peak hour.

Look around you next time this happens and see what the Thai drivers around you do. Then just copy that.

Or, drive yourself insane being the only fishing swimming against the current