Confusing driving experience in Chanthaburi

[SantiSuk]

It's a notorious trick on the more isolated western stretches of Highway 24 in Isaan for a lone revenue collecting policemen to stand in the central reservation with field glasses spotting a sole car coming along in the right hand 'fast lane'.

Have been stopped twice (but not in the last 4 years. Once I paid cos my wife was with me and she would have paid if I didn't (only 100 baht did the trick though). The other time I was alone and told him 'yoo tang sai pen thanon kee' (the left hand side is (DELETED) quality). He laughed at my mangled Thai and let me go.

Just cos you aint been stopped in 15 years don't mean (DELETED), JDinAsia!

Edited March 23, 2015 by seedy
language

[Fookhaht]

They want money, and they get angry when you don't seem understand.

Fortunately, it's a numbers game for them, and every car that goes by while you're playing your chin-music is lost revenue.

"...trying to write the ticket..." That's rich.

Even if they want money, they can only get it when someone violated some rule, right?

[kaorop]

Not saying its right but most of the right hand side lanes are bloody terrible to drive on, I often find myself in the left hand lane.

??? Where?

That is the complete opposite to what i find, as the trucks break up the left lanes badly.

I now drive 90% in the right hand lanes (obviously dual carriageway),

my recent trip down south confirmed, 500ks 4 days running.

It was either do 40, 60, 30, 80, 70, 20 kmh following trucks, bouncing along the countless holes and torn up road, mixing it up all the time trying to get out into the right lane to pass the trucks, no thanks.

Or sit on 100-120kmh in the right lane, let the 140+ks maniacs pass on the left, just often having to slam on the brakes as a truck doing 42 kmh wants to pass a truck doing 40 kmh.

Is there pleasant driving trip anywhere in Thailand?

[mogandave]

They want money, and they get angry when you don't seem understand.

Fortunately, it's a numbers game for them, and every car that goes by while you're playing your chin-music is lost revenue.

"...trying to write the ticket..." That's rich.

Even if they want money, they can only get it when someone violated some rule, right?

ImageUploadedByThaivisa Connect1426555401.668968.jpg

That is not correct. They get it when someone gives it to them regardless of whether a rule has been broken.

A lot of people just and over cash as soon as they're pulled over.

Again, it's a numbers game.

[mogandave]

It's a notorious trick on the more isolated western stretches of Highway 24 in Isaan for a lone revenue collecting policemen to stand in the central reservation with field glasses spotting a sole car coming along in the right hand 'fast lane'.

Have been stopped twice (but not in the last 4 years. Once I paid cos my wife was with me and she would have paid if I didn't (only 100 baht did the trick though). The other time I was alone and told him 'yoo tang sai pen thanon kee' (the left hand side is $hite quality). He laughed at my mangled Thai and let me go.

Just cos you aint been stopped in 15 years don't mean $hite, JDinAsia!

To be clear, I never said I ain't been stopped, I said I ain't gotten a ticket for it.

Apparently you ain't got one neither, but that don't mean (DELETED) either.

Nothing means anything to anyone 'cept what they think.

Edited March 23, 2015 by seedy
language

[longstebe]

Not saying its right but most of the right hand side lanes are bloody terrible to drive on, I often find myself in the left hand lane.

??? Where?

That is the complete opposite to what i find, as the trucks break up the left lanes badly.

I now drive 90% in the right hand lanes (obviously dual carriageway),

my recent trip down south confirmed, 500ks 4 days running.

It was either do 40, 60, 30, 80, 70, 20 kmh following trucks, bouncing along the countless holes and torn up road, mixing it up all the time trying to get out into the right lane to pass the trucks, no thanks.

Or sit on 100-120kmh in the right lane, let the 140+ks maniacs pass on the left, just often having to slam on the brakes as a truck doing 42 kmh wants to pass a truck doing 40 kmh.

Is there pleasant driving trip anywhere in Thailand?

Ha ha sorry mate, you're right, I meant the other way around.

[JAS21]

It is illegal to drive in the right hand lane of a dual carrigeway ... unless you are overtaking or turning right shortly and have your right side indicator flashing.

one could try driving with that indicator flashing all the time ... if stopped say ... I'M TURNING RIGHT assp.

The BIB often stand around a right hand bend waiting for you.

Thi rule was just about the first thing that my wife warned me about.

[NoshowJones]

They want money, and they get angry when you don't seem understand.

Fortunately, it's a numbers game for them, and every car that goes by while you're playing your chin-music is lost revenue.

"...trying to write the ticket..." That's rich.

Even if they want money, they can only get it when someone violated some rule, right?

Wrong, they can make something up for some tea money, if they want about 300 Bt, they will say you need to go to the police station to pay it, as they know you will be glad to give them 300 Bt there and then to avoid the hassle.

[mogandave]

They want money, and they get angry when you don't seem understand.

Fortunately, it's a numbers game for them, and every car that goes by while you're playing your chin-music is lost revenue.

"...trying to write the ticket..." That's rich.

Even if they want money, they can only get it when someone violated some rule, right?

Wrong, they can make something up for some tea money, if they want about 300 Bt, they will say you need to go to the police station to pay it, as they know you will be glad to give them 300 Bt there and then to avoid the hassle.

300? Yikes!

[NoshowJones]

Not saying its right but most of the right hand side lanes are bloody terrible to drive on, I often find myself in the left hand lane.

Do you not mean that the left hand lanes are terrible to drive on because of the damage caused by overloaded trucks?

[longstebe]

Not saying its right but most of the right hand side lanes are bloody terrible to drive on, I often find myself in the left hand lane.

Do you not mean that the left hand lanes are terrible to drive on because of the damage caused by overloaded trucks?

See post #36.

[Rooo]

Moved to Motoring Forum.

[Tomtomtom69]

So you were in the overtaking lane to begin with?

Yes, you can say that. But the two lanes appeared to be quite equal. And many cars stayed on the right-hand lane for quite some time.

The passing lane is for ...... (wait for it).....

Passing.

Funny that, because it's been about 11 years since I last heard of anyone getting caught for driving in the fast lane or not keeping left unless passing (overtaking). I thought the police gave up on enforcing that rule years ago. But it does seem that only the easternmost provinces even care about it, as it was all those years ago that a friend briefly driving my car from Chantaburi to Rayong was pulled over and fined 100 Baht. Whereas I've never ever been even pulled over for this "offence" and until the left lanes stop being in such poor condition I don't think this will change much.

That could be because on major trunk routes like Bangkok-Nong Khai and Bangkok-Chiang Mai / Bangkok-Mae Sai (via Lampang) the left lanes are pretty much too damaged so everyone keeps right (except most trucks). Exceptions are Bang Pa-in to Nakorn Sawan, which is in mostly excellent condition (except some of the left most lanes) and has 3-4 lanes plus a generous shoulder in each direction but even on that road, fast traffic, even if not overtaking per se, keeps to the right most lane, which is what I do.

And no one in their right mind would constantly try to keep left on the horrible Nakorn Sawan to Kampaeng Phet sector as it's completely broken due to heavy trucks.

Further north, with less traffic and better condition of the road keeping left becomes more realistic but nobody enforces it either way.

Bang Pa-in to Nakorn Ratchasima is similar - generally 2-3 lanes plus a frontage road with 2 lanes on both sides (Bang Pa-in to Saraburi is 3 lanes + 2 frontage road lanes in each direction), reasonably good condition. Nakorn Ratchasima to Khon Kaen, which is down to only 2 lanes in each direction for the most part can be pretty terrible in places in the left lane, plus traffic can be reasonably heavy so you keep right most of the time even if not passing/overtaking. Of course if you were travelling too slowly, you'd move briefly to the left lane to allow other vehicles to pass before moving back to the right. It's what everyone seems to do.

Khon Kaen to Udon Thani varies, you can keep left sometimes, right other times depending on the stretch.

Udon Thani to Nong Khai is usually pretty good so keeping left unless passing/overtaking is fine.