Do Thai's have a death wish?

[Rod Wallop]

The simplest answer to any question about the difference in Thai behaviour to ours is because they are stupid, and as you can see, a few simpletons have already made an appearance, making exactly that comment. Nothing new there.

How many years is it since road safety campaigns started in the west? My guess is 50 or more. Why did the respective governments introduce these campaigns? Because everyone was stupid, right? They were introduced because, like people the world over, most westerners had a 'it won't happen to me' attitude. Thais have the same attitude and just like Westerners back then, they have their superstitions/religious beliefs to protect them. Does anyone remember St. christopher, or lucky rabbit's feet?

Whereas we have had the benefit of 50 years of road safety campaigns I would say that the very few road safety campaigns here started only a few years ago. Consequently, Thais have the same attitude to road safety now, as we did before the campaigns. And despite the constant reminders of road safety back home, plenty of people living here, when given the chance, choose to ignore those words of advice and drive without helmets or seat-belts and possibly broken lights.

How many people back home would not wear a seatbelt or helmet if they knew for sure that they could get away with it, or if they hadn't had 50 years of constant reminders of the dangers? Plenty, possibly most, I would say. Most Westerners views on road safety have been shaped by the 50 years of reminders and it would be fair to assume that in the absence of those reminders we would probably be acting no differently to present-day Thais. If we were all so clever and so worried about dying, especially without the benefit of believing in rebirth, we should have always been so safety-minded and wouldn't have needed a government to spell out the dangers in the first place!

So, I hate to dissapoint so many people but it may well be that Thais are not as stupid as you think. They are at a different stage of development and are on average less educated or informed as we are on these matters but that is not the same as being stupid.

I will give some advice to those that live here and spend most of their days getting angry and frustrated because the locals don't do things the way that you do, and I know there are plenty of them on this forum. It's not that difficult really, and I still do it occasionally, even after all these years. Are you ready? Are you sitting comfortably?

Here is my advice, my theory, what I made up, what I figured out, by myself, just me, and no-one else. ........

If you don't understand why someone is behaving differently to how you would behave, then instead of jumping to the conclusion that they must be stupid, consider first that it may just be that they are different. If you discount the 'stupid' theory completely and look for an alternative explanation, the likelihood of you understanding people is greatly enhanced. The likelihood of you realising that they are not much different to anyone else in the world is also increased.

After a while of using this technique you'll soon discover that life is a lot less stressful, that you understand people a bit better and before you know it, you'll find that you no longer start sentences with the words "these people ..... " or say that Thais are Pathetic, stupid, idiotic, crazy, mind-blowing, empty-headed, miscreants,. All of which popped up in this topic. You may even find yourself not needing to go onto forums to ask daft questions!

One more thing..... Comparing them to chickens and deer doesn't help.

No, I wear a seat belt, even in the back of the car in Thailand because I want to be safe. Not because I have to.

[ukrules]

The simplest answer to any question about the difference in Thai behaviour to ours is because they are stupid, and as you can see, a few simpletons have already made an appearance, making exactly that comment. Nothing new there.

How many years is it since road safety campaigns started in the west? My guess is 50 or more. Why did the respective governments introduce these campaigns? Because everyone was stupid, right? They were introduced because, like people the world over, most westerners had a 'it won't happen to me' attitude. Thais have the same attitude and just like Westerners back then, they have their superstitions/religious beliefs to protect them. Does anyone remember St. christopher, or lucky rabbit's feet?

Whereas we have had the benefit of 50 years of road safety campaigns I would say that the very few road safety campaigns here started only a few years ago. Consequently, Thais have the same attitude to road safety now, as we did before the campaigns. And despite the constant reminders of road safety back home, plenty of people living here, when given the chance, choose to ignore those words of advice and drive without helmets or seat-belts and possibly broken lights.

How many people back home would not wear a seatbelt or helmet if they knew for sure that they could get away with it, or if they hadn't had 50 years of constant reminders of the dangers? Plenty, possibly most, I would say. Most Westerners views on road safety have been shaped by the 50 years of reminders and it would be fair to assume that in the absence of those reminders we would probably be acting no differently to present-day Thais. If we were all so clever and so worried about dying, especially without the benefit of believing in rebirth, we should have always been so safety-minded and wouldn't have needed a government to spell out the dangers in the first place!

So, I hate to dissapoint so many people but it may well be that Thais are not as stupid as you think. They are at a different stage of development and are on average less educated or informed as we are on these matters but that is not the same as being stupid.

I will give some advice to those that live here and spend most of their days getting angry and frustrated because the locals don't do things the way that you do, and I know there are plenty of them on this forum. It's not that difficult really, and I still do it occasionally, even after all these years. Are you ready? Are you sitting comfortably?

Here is my advice, my theory, what I made up, what I figured out, by myself, just me, and no-one else. ........

If you don't understand why someone is behaving differently to how you would behave, then instead of jumping to the conclusion that they must be stupid, consider first that it may just be that they are different. If you discount the 'stupid' theory completely and look for an alternative explanation, the likelihood of you understanding people is greatly enhanced. The likelihood of you realising that they are not much different to anyone else in the world is also increased.

After a while of using this technique you'll soon discover that life is a lot less stressful, that you understand people a bit better and before you know it, you'll find that you no longer start sentences with the words "these people ..... " or say that Thais are Pathetic, stupid, idiotic, crazy, mind-blowing, empty-headed, miscreants,. All of which popped up in this topic. You may even find yourself not needing to go onto forums to ask daft questions!

One more thing..... Comparing them to chickens and deer doesn't help.

No, I wear a seat belt, even in the back of the car in Thailand because I want to be safe. Not because I have to.

Once my girlfriend pointed out a woman on a bike which had no lights (this was at night), no registration plate, the driver wore no helmet and she was speaking on the phone while driving it.

I don't think this womain could have done any more wrong if she tried, she's probably dead by now as this was a couple of years ago.

[sharktooth]

The lights are on, but there's nobody in.

[spidermike007]

The simplest answer to any question about the difference in Thai behaviour to ours is because they are stupid, and as you can see, a few simpletons have already made an appearance, making exactly that comment. Nothing new there.

How many years is it since road safety campaigns started in the west? My guess is 50 or more. Why did the respective governments introduce these campaigns? Because everyone was stupid, right? They were introduced because, like people the world over, most westerners had a 'it won't happen to me' attitude. Thais have the same attitude and just like Westerners back then, they have their superstitions/religious beliefs to protect them. Does anyone remember St. christopher, or lucky rabbit's feet?

Whereas we have had the benefit of 50 years of road safety campaigns I would say that the very few road safety campaigns here started only a few years ago. Consequently, Thais have the same attitude to road safety now, as we did before the campaigns. And despite the constant reminders of road safety back home, plenty of people living here, when given the chance, choose to ignore those words of advice and drive without helmets or seat-belts and possibly broken lights.

How many people back home would not wear a seatbelt or helmet if they knew for sure that they could get away with it, or if they hadn't had 50 years of constant reminders of the dangers? Plenty, possibly most, I would say. Most Westerners views on road safety have been shaped by the 50 years of reminders and it would be fair to assume that in the absence of those reminders we would probably be acting no differently to present-day Thais. If we were all so clever and so worried about dying, especially without the benefit of believing in rebirth, we should have always been so safety-minded and wouldn't have needed a government to spell out the dangers in the first place!

So, I hate to dissapoint so many people but it may well be that Thais are not as stupid as you think. They are at a different stage of development and are on average less educated or informed as we are on these matters but that is not the same as being stupid.

I will give some advice to those that live here and spend most of their days getting angry and frustrated because the locals don't do things the way that you do, and I know there are plenty of them on this forum. It's not that difficult really, and I still do it occasionally, even after all these years. Are you ready? Are you sitting comfortably?

Here is my advice, my theory, what I made up, what I figured out, by myself, just me, and no-one else. ........

If you don't understand why someone is behaving differently to how you would behave, then instead of jumping to the conclusion that they must be stupid, consider first that it may just be that they are different. If you discount the 'stupid' theory completely and look for an alternative explanation, the likelihood of you understanding people is greatly enhanced. The likelihood of you realising that they are not much different to anyone else in the world is also increased.

After a while of using this technique you'll soon discover that life is a lot less stressful, that you understand people a bit better and before you know it, you'll find that you no longer start sentences with the words "these people ..... " or say that Thais are Pathetic, stupid, idiotic, crazy, mind-blowing, empty-headed, miscreants,. All of which popped up in this topic. You may even find yourself not needing to go onto forums to ask daft questions!

One more thing..... Comparing them to chickens and deer doesn't help.

Very good points. Well taken. Same with trash. In the US, people used to dump trash out the windows of their cars. After they started imposing $1,000 fines, this behavior stopped. There is so little in the way of traffic safety enforcement, by the toy police here. When was the last time you saw someone get a speeding ticket, or get cited for reckless driving? Give them another 10, 20, or 30 years. They will get it eventually.

[LannaGuy]

The simplest answer to any question about the difference in Thai behaviour to ours is because they are stupid, and as you can see, a few simpletons have already made an appearance, making exactly that comment. Nothing new there.

How many years is it since road safety campaigns started in the west? My guess is 50 or more. Why did the respective governments introduce these campaigns? Because everyone was stupid, right? They were introduced because, like people the world over, most westerners had a 'it won't happen to me' attitude. Thais have the same attitude and just like Westerners back then, they have their superstitions/religious beliefs to protect them. Does anyone remember St. christopher, or lucky rabbit's feet?

Whereas we have had the benefit of 50 years of road safety campaigns I would say that the very few road safety campaigns here started only a few years ago. Consequently, Thais have the same attitude to road safety now, as we did before the campaigns. And despite the constant reminders of road safety back home, plenty of people living here, when given the chance, choose to ignore those words of advice and drive without helmets or seat-belts and possibly broken lights.

How many people back home would not wear a seatbelt or helmet if they knew for sure that they could get away with it, or if they hadn't had 50 years of constant reminders of the dangers? Plenty, possibly most, I would say. Most Westerners views on road safety have been shaped by the 50 years of reminders and it would be fair to assume that in the absence of those reminders we would probably be acting no differently to present-day Thais. If we were all so clever and so worried about dying, especially without the benefit of believing in rebirth, we should have always been so safety-minded and wouldn't have needed a government to spell out the dangers in the first place!

So, I hate to dissapoint so many people but it may well be that Thais are not as stupid as you think. They are at a different stage of development and are on average less educated or informed as we are on these matters but that is not the same as being stupid.

I will give some advice to those that live here and spend most of their days getting angry and frustrated because the locals don't do things the way that you do, and I know there are plenty of them on this forum. It's not that difficult really, and I still do it occasionally, even after all these years. Are you ready? Are you sitting comfortably?

Here is my advice, my theory, what I made up, what I figured out, by myself, just me, and no-one else. ........

If you don't understand why someone is behaving differently to how you would behave, then instead of jumping to the conclusion that they must be stupid, consider first that it may just be that they are different. If you discount the 'stupid' theory completely and look for an alternative explanation, the likelihood of you understanding people is greatly enhanced. The likelihood of you realising that they are not much different to anyone else in the world is also increased.

After a while of using this technique you'll soon discover that life is a lot less stressful, that you understand people a bit better and before you know it, you'll find that you no longer start sentences with the words "these people ..... " or say that Thais are Pathetic, stupid, idiotic, crazy, mind-blowing, empty-headed, miscreants,. All of which popped up in this topic. You may even find yourself not needing to go onto forums to ask daft questions!

One more thing..... Comparing them to chickens and deer doesn't help.

It's about self-responsibility not the Nanny State telling them what to do. I don't think Thais are necessarily stupid but they are irresponsible as a culture and that is, partly, from lack of education but more to do with Thai nationalism

[Langsuan Man]

Whether they have the lights on or not, hit them and you will be liable

The whole traffic code is based upon your ability to keep your vehicle under control do that you don't hit what is in front of you

And to those pundits that are going to chime in about their violating the law by not having lights, all I can say, is you had better have a dash cam to prove that they were not on because the claim will be that they are not working because you hit them

[mikebell]

With the arrival of dusk comes the disappearance of the police. They cannot check rear lights from the bar.

[andreandre]

The simplest answer to any question about the difference in Thai behaviour to ours is because they are stupid, and as you can see, a few simpletons have already made an appearance, making exactly that comment. Nothing new there.

How many years is it since road safety campaigns started in the west? My guess is 50 or more. Why did the respective governments introduce these campaigns? Because everyone was stupid, right? They were introduced because, like people the world over, most westerners had a 'it won't happen to me' attitude. Thais have the same attitude and just like Westerners back then, they have their superstitions/religious beliefs to protect them. Does anyone remember St. christopher, or lucky rabbit's feet?

Whereas we have had the benefit of 50 years of road safety campaigns I would say that the very few road safety campaigns here started only a few years ago. Consequently, Thais have the same attitude to road safety now, as we did before the campaigns. And despite the constant reminders of road safety back home, plenty of people living here, when given the chance, choose to ignore those words of advice and drive without helmets or seat-belts and possibly broken lights.

How many people back home would not wear a seatbelt or helmet if they knew for sure that they could get away with it, or if they hadn't had 50 years of constant reminders of the dangers? Plenty, possibly most, I would say. Most Westerners views on road safety have been shaped by the 50 years of reminders and it would be fair to assume that in the absence of those reminders we would probably be acting no differently to present-day Thais. If we were all so clever and so worried about dying, especially without the benefit of believing in rebirth, we should have always been so safety-minded and wouldn't have needed a government to spell out the dangers in the first place!

So, I hate to dissapoint so many people but it may well be that Thais are not as stupid as you think. They are at a different stage of development and are on average less educated or informed as we are on these matters but that is not the same as being stupid.

I will give some advice to those that live here and spend most of their days getting angry and frustrated because the locals don't do things the way that you do, and I know there are plenty of them on this forum. It's not that difficult really, and I still do it occasionally, even after all these years. Are you ready? Are you sitting comfortably?

Here is my advice, my theory, what I made up, what I figured out, by myself, just me, and no-one else. ........

If you don't understand why someone is behaving differently to how you would behave, then instead of jumping to the conclusion that they must be stupid, consider first that it may just be that they are different. If you discount the 'stupid' theory completely and look for an alternative explanation, the likelihood of you understanding people is greatly enhanced. The likelihood of you realising that they are not much different to anyone else in the world is also increased.

After a while of using this technique you'll soon discover that life is a lot less stressful, that you understand people a bit better and before you know it, you'll find that you no longer start sentences with the words "these people ..... " or say that Thais are Pathetic, stupid, idiotic, crazy, mind-blowing, empty-headed, miscreants,. All of which popped up in this topic. You may even find yourself not needing to go onto forums to ask daft questions!

One more thing..... Comparing them to chickens and deer doesn't help.

Got to agree with you on this one 100%

[cloudhopper]

Anyone driving at night, in bad weather or around a major holiday in anything except a tank in Thailand has a death wish. At other times it's merely a huge risk.

[CNXBKKMAN]

The simplest answer to any question about the difference in Thai behaviour to ours is because they are stupid, and as you can see, a few simpletons have already made an appearance, making exactly that comment. Nothing new there.

How many years is it since road safety campaigns started in the west? My guess is 50 or more. Why did the respective governments introduce these campaigns? Because everyone was stupid, right? They were introduced because, like people the world over, most westerners had a 'it won't happen to me' attitude. Thais have the same attitude and just like Westerners back then, they have their superstitions/religious beliefs to protect them. Does anyone remember St. christopher, or lucky rabbit's feet?

Whereas we have had the benefit of 50 years of road safety campaigns I would say that the very few road safety campaigns here started only a few years ago. Consequently, Thais have the same attitude to road safety now, as we did before the campaigns. And despite the constant reminders of road safety back home, plenty of people living here, when given the chance, choose to ignore those words of advice and drive without helmets or seat-belts and possibly broken lights.

How many people back home would not wear a seatbelt or helmet if they knew for sure that they could get away with it, or if they hadn't had 50 years of constant reminders of the dangers? Plenty, possibly most, I would say. Most Westerners views on road safety have been shaped by the 50 years of reminders and it would be fair to assume that in the absence of those reminders we would probably be acting no differently to present-day Thais. If we were all so clever and so worried about dying, especially without the benefit of believing in rebirth, we should have always been so safety-minded and wouldn't have needed a government to spell out the dangers in the first place!

So, I hate to dissapoint so many people but it may well be that Thais are not as stupid as you think. They are at a different stage of development and are on average less educated or informed as we are on these matters but that is not the same as being stupid.

I will give some advice to those that live here and spend most of their days getting angry and frustrated because the locals don't do things the way that you do, and I know there are plenty of them on this forum. It's not that difficult really, and I still do it occasionally, even after all these years. Are you ready? Are you sitting comfortably?

Here is my advice, my theory, what I made up, what I figured out, by myself, just me, and no-one else. ........

If you don't understand why someone is behaving differently to how you would behave, then instead of jumping to the conclusion that they must be stupid, consider first that it may just be that they are different. If you discount the 'stupid' theory completely and look for an alternative explanation, the likelihood of you understanding people is greatly enhanced. The likelihood of you realising that they are not much different to anyone else in the world is also increased.

After a while of using this technique you'll soon discover that life is a lot less stressful, that you understand people a bit better and before you know it, you'll find that you no longer start sentences with the words "these people ..... " or say that Thais are Pathetic, stupid, idiotic, crazy, mind-blowing, empty-headed, miscreants,. All of which popped up in this topic. You may even find yourself not needing to go onto forums to ask daft questions!

One more thing..... Comparing them to chickens and deer doesn't help.

I think this thread is about the people who ride motorcycles with no lights in the dark possibly wearing dark clothing aswell. So it could be considered fair comment to label them as stupid. This is not the same as saying the whole population of Thailand is stupid. At the same time the black clad rider goes flying past with no lights on there are plenty of thai people with helmets, lights and driving safely, seat belts on etc.

[andreandre]

To me it's just part of life in Thailand..and let the locals go about their business as they see fit...but i often do just shake my head when i do see a bike approaching at night without headlight illumination and the only reason its not visible is because of all the goodies in the front basket obscuring the working light...a simple small rearrangement may let enough light through to serve as an indication of the bikes presence at least ,if not to light up the road ahead...but its very common and you just have top be aware at all times.

Edited March 31, 2015 by andreandre

[CNXBKKMAN]

The basket issue blocking the light. You could argue Honda has some blame in this. They must be aware of the problem yet they choose not design out the problem. Put the light in front of the basket? Second light on the basket? I have "blinding" bright LED lights on my bicycle which cost 500 baht. The price from the factory is probably super low like 1$. Honda have access to the latest super bright LED technology. Cost is minimal.

[bangmai]

The simplest answer to any question about the difference in Thai behaviour to ours is because they are stupid, and as you can see, a few simpletons have already made an appearance, making exactly that comment. Nothing new there.

How many years is it since road safety campaigns started in the west? My guess is 50 or more. Why did the respective governments introduce these campaigns? Because everyone was stupid, right? They were introduced because, like people the world over, most westerners had a 'it won't happen to me' attitude. Thais have the same attitude and just like Westerners back then, they have their superstitions/religious beliefs to protect them. Does anyone remember St. christopher, or lucky rabbit's feet?

Whereas we have had the benefit of 50 years of road safety campaigns I would say that the very few road safety campaigns here started only a few years ago. Consequently, Thais have the same attitude to road safety now, as we did before the campaigns. And despite the constant reminders of road safety back home, plenty of people living here, when given the chance, choose to ignore those words of advice and drive without helmets or seat-belts and possibly broken lights.

How many people back home would not wear a seatbelt or helmet if they knew for sure that they could get away with it, or if they hadn't had 50 years of constant reminders of the dangers? Plenty, possibly most, I would say. Most Westerners views on road safety have been shaped by the 50 years of reminders and it would be fair to assume that in the absence of those reminders we would probably be acting no differently to present-day Thais. If we were all so clever and so worried about dying, especially without the benefit of believing in rebirth, we should have always been so safety-minded and wouldn't have needed a government to spell out the dangers in the first place!

So, I hate to dissapoint so many people but it may well be that Thais are not as stupid as you think. They are at a different stage of development and are on average less educated or informed as we are on these matters but that is not the same as being stupid.

I will give some advice to those that live here and spend most of their days getting angry and frustrated because the locals don't do things the way that you do, and I know there are plenty of them on this forum. It's not that difficult really, and I still do it occasionally, even after all these years. Are you ready? Are you sitting comfortably?

Here is my advice, my theory, what I made up, what I figured out, by myself, just me, and no-one else. ........

If you don't understand why someone is behaving differently to how you would behave, then instead of jumping to the conclusion that they must be stupid, consider first that it may just be that they are different. If you discount the 'stupid' theory completely and look for an alternative explanation, the likelihood of you understanding people is greatly enhanced. The likelihood of you realising that they are not much different to anyone else in the world is also increased.

After a while of using this technique you'll soon discover that life is a lot less stressful, that you understand people a bit better and before you know it, you'll find that you no longer start sentences with the words "these people ..... " or say that Thais are Pathetic, stupid, idiotic, crazy, mind-blowing, empty-headed, miscreants,. All of which popped up in this topic. You may even find yourself not needing to go onto forums to ask daft questions!

One more thing..... Comparing them to chickens and deer doesn't help.

so they're not "stupid;" they are simply 50 years behind. Where would we be without the British to clear matters like this up for us?

[konisaan]

The simplest answer to any question about the difference in Thai behaviour to ours is because they are stupid, and as you can see, a few simpletons have already made an appearance, making exactly that comment. Nothing new there.

How many years is it since road safety campaigns started in the west? My guess is 50 or more. Why did the respective governments introduce these campaigns? Because everyone was stupid, right? They were introduced because, like people the world over, most westerners had a 'it won't happen to me' attitude. Thais have the same attitude and just like Westerners back then, they have their superstitions/religious beliefs to protect them. Does anyone remember St. christopher, or lucky rabbit's feet?

Whereas we have had the benefit of 50 years of road safety campaigns I would say that the very few road safety campaigns here started only a few years ago. Consequently, Thais have the same attitude to road safety now, as we did before the campaigns. And despite the constant reminders of road safety back home, plenty of people living here, when given the chance, choose to ignore those words of advice and drive without helmets or seat-belts and possibly broken lights.

How many people back home would not wear a seatbelt or helmet if they knew for sure that they could get away with it, or if they hadn't had 50 years of constant reminders of the dangers? Plenty, possibly most, I would say. Most Westerners views on road safety have been shaped by the 50 years of reminders and it would be fair to assume that in the absence of those reminders we would probably be acting no differently to present-day Thais. If we were all so clever and so worried about dying, especially without the benefit of believing in rebirth, we should have always been so safety-minded and wouldn't have needed a government to spell out the dangers in the first place!

So, I hate to dissapoint so many people but it may well be that Thais are not as stupid as you think. They are at a different stage of development and are on average less educated or informed as we are on these matters but that is not the same as being stupid.

I will give some advice to those that live here and spend most of their days getting angry and frustrated because the locals don't do things the way that you do, and I know there are plenty of them on this forum. It's not that difficult really, and I still do it occasionally, even after all these years. Are you ready? Are you sitting comfortably?

Here is my advice, my theory, what I made up, what I figured out, by myself, just me, and no-one else. ........

If you don't understand why someone is behaving differently to how you would behave, then instead of jumping to the conclusion that they must be stupid, consider first that it may just be that they are different. If you discount the 'stupid' theory completely and look for an alternative explanation, the likelihood of you understanding people is greatly enhanced. The likelihood of you realising that they are not much different to anyone else in the world is also increased.

After a while of using this technique you'll soon discover that life is a lot less stressful, that you understand people a bit better and before you know it, you'll find that you no longer start sentences with the words "these people ..... " or say that Thais are Pathetic, stupid, idiotic, crazy, mind-blowing, empty-headed, miscreants,. All of which popped up in this topic. You may even find yourself not needing to go onto forums to ask daft questions!

One more thing..... Comparing them to chickens and deer doesn't help.

I would say that road safety campaigns have had little or nothing to do with why I turn my headlights on or why I wear a helmet. The reason I wear a helmet (for example) is that I have thought about what would happen if I came off my bike at any speed above 10 mile an hour and my head came in contact with the road.

So my reason for wearing a helmet is the result of a thought process and visualization of something I can imagine but haven't yet experienced.

I don't see a lack of intelligence in Thailand. What I do see is a lack of is thinking. More specifically action-consequence type thinking. I don't know whether this is the result of the education system, parenting, Buddhism (living in the moment), a genetic predisposition, or whether a culture of thinking hasn't caught on in Thailand as fast as it has in other places.

[Throatwobbler]

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

The simplest answer to any question about the difference in Thai behaviour to ours is because they are stupid, and as you can see, a few simpletons have already made an appearance, making exactly that comment. Nothing new there.

How many years is it since road safety campaigns started in the west? My guess is 50 or more. Why did the respective governments introduce these campaigns? Because everyone was stupid, right? They were introduced because, like people the world over, most westerners had a 'it won't happen to me' attitude. Thais have the same attitude and just like Westerners back then, they have their superstitions/religious beliefs to protect them. Does anyone remember St. christopher, or lucky rabbit's feet?

Whereas we have had the benefit of 50 years of road safety campaigns I would say that the very few road safety campaigns here started only a few years ago. Consequently, Thais have the same attitude to road safety now, as we did before the campaigns. And despite the constant reminders of road safety back home, plenty of people living here, when given the chance, choose to ignore those words of advice and drive without helmets or seat-belts and possibly broken lights.

How many people back home would not wear a seatbelt or helmet if they knew for sure that they could get away with it, or if they hadn't had 50 years of constant reminders of the dangers? Plenty, possibly most, I would say. Most Westerners views on road safety have been shaped by the 50 years of reminders and it would be fair to assume that in the absence of those reminders we would probably be acting no differently to present-day Thais. If we were all so clever and so worried about dying, especially without the benefit of believing in rebirth, we should have always been so safety-minded and wouldn't have needed a government to spell out the dangers in the first place!

So, I hate to dissapoint so many people but it may well be that Thais are not as stupid as you think. They are at a different stage of development and are on average less educated or informed as we are on these matters but that is not the same as being stupid.

I will give some advice to those that live here and spend most of their days getting angry and frustrated because the locals don't do things the way that you do, and I know there are plenty of them on this forum. It's not that difficult really, and I still do it occasionally, even after all these years. Are you ready? Are you sitting comfortably?

Here is my advice, my theory, what I made up, what I figured out, by myself, just me, and no-one else. ........

If you don't understand why someone is behaving differently to how you would behave, then instead of jumping to the conclusion that they must be stupid, consider first that it may just be that they are different. If you discount the 'stupid' theory completely and look for an alternative explanation, the likelihood of you understanding people is greatly enhanced. The likelihood of you realising that they are not much different to anyone else in the world is also increased.

After a while of using this technique you'll soon discover that life is a lot less stressful, that you understand people a bit better and before you know it, you'll find that you no longer start sentences with the words "these people ..... " or say that Thais are Pathetic, stupid, idiotic, crazy, mind-blowing, empty-headed, miscreants,. All of which popped up in this topic. You may even find yourself not needing to go onto forums to ask daft questions!

One more thing..... Comparing them to chickens and deer doesn't help.

I would say that road safety campaigns have had little or nothing to do with why I turn my headlights on or why I wear a helmet. The reason I wear a helmet (for example) is that I have thought about what would happen if I came off my bike at any speed above 10 mile an hour and my head came in contact with the road.

So my reason for wearing a helmet is the result of a thought process and visualization of something I can imagine but haven't yet experienced.

I don't see a lack of intelligence in Thailand. What I do see is a lack of is thinking. More specifically action-consequence type thinking. I don't know whether this is the result of the education system, parenting, Buddhism (living in the moment), a genetic predisposition, or whether a culture of thinking hasn't caught on in Thailand as fast as it has in other places.

Road safety campaigns had a huge difference where most of us are from. It may not to have done to you personally in which case kudos to you. However to say that the road safety campaigns made no difference is forgetting the huge road casualties before these campaigns.

[Throatwobbler]

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The simplest answer to any question about the difference in Thai behaviour to ours is because they are stupid, and as you can see, a few simpletons have already made an appearance, making exactly that comment. Nothing new there.

How many years is it since road safety campaigns started in the west? My guess is 50 or more. Why did the respective governments introduce these campaigns? Because everyone was stupid, right? They were introduced because, like people the world over, most westerners had a 'it won't happen to me' attitude. Thais have the same attitude and just like Westerners back then, they have their superstitions/religious beliefs to protect them. Does anyone remember St. christopher, or lucky rabbit's feet?

Whereas we have had the benefit of 50 years of road safety campaigns I would say that the very few road safety campaigns here started only a few years ago. Consequently, Thais have the same attitude to road safety now, as we did before the campaigns. And despite the constant reminders of road safety back home, plenty of people living here, when given the chance, choose to ignore those words of advice and drive without helmets or seat-belts and possibly broken lights.

How many people back home would not wear a seatbelt or helmet if they knew for sure that they could get away with it, or if they hadn't had 50 years of constant reminders of the dangers? Plenty, possibly most, I would say. Most Westerners views on road safety have been shaped by the 50 years of reminders and it would be fair to assume that in the absence of those reminders we would probably be acting no differently to present-day Thais. If we were all so clever and so worried about dying, especially without the benefit of believing in rebirth, we should have always been so safety-minded and wouldn't have needed a government to spell out the dangers in the first place!

So, I hate to dissapoint so many people but it may well be that Thais are not as stupid as you think. They are at a different stage of development and are on average less educated or informed as we are on these matters but that is not the same as being stupid.

I will give some advice to those that live here and spend most of their days getting angry and frustrated because the locals don't do things the way that you do, and I know there are plenty of them on this forum. It's not that difficult really, and I still do it occasionally, even after all these years. Are you ready? Are you sitting comfortably?

Here is my advice, my theory, what I made up, what I figured out, by myself, just me, and no-one else. ........

If you don't understand why someone is behaving differently to how you would behave, then instead of jumping to the conclusion that they must be stupid, consider first that it may just be that they are different. If you discount the 'stupid' theory completely and look for an alternative explanation, the likelihood of you understanding people is greatly enhanced. The likelihood of you realising that they are not much different to anyone else in the world is also increased.

After a while of using this technique you'll soon discover that life is a lot less stressful, that you understand people a bit better and before you know it, you'll find that you no longer start sentences with the words "these people ..... " or say that Thais are Pathetic, stupid, idiotic, crazy, mind-blowing, empty-headed, miscreants,. All of which popped up in this topic. You may even find yourself not needing to go onto forums to ask daft questions!

One more thing..... Comparing them to chickens and deer doesn't help.

It's about self-responsibility not the Nanny State telling them what to do. I don't think Thais are necessarily stupid but they are irresponsible as a culture and that is, partly, from lack of education but more to do with Thai nationalism

Edited March 31, 2015 by Throatwobbler

[Throatwobbler]

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

The simplest answer to any question about the difference in Thai behaviour to ours is because they are stupid, and as you can see, a few simpletons have already made an appearance, making exactly that comment. Nothing new there.

How many years is it since road safety campaigns started in the west? My guess is 50 or more. Why did the respective governments introduce these campaigns? Because everyone was stupid, right? They were introduced because, like people the world over, most westerners had a 'it won't happen to me' attitude. Thais have the same attitude and just like Westerners back then, they have their superstitions/religious beliefs to protect them. Does anyone remember St. christopher, or lucky rabbit's feet?

Whereas we have had the benefit of 50 years of road safety campaigns I would say that the very few road safety campaigns here started only a few years ago. Consequently, Thais have the same attitude to road safety now, as we did before the campaigns. And despite the constant reminders of road safety back home, plenty of people living here, when given the chance, choose to ignore those words of advice and drive without helmets or seat-belts and possibly broken lights.

How many people back home would not wear a seatbelt or helmet if they knew for sure that they could get away with it, or if they hadn't had 50 years of constant reminders of the dangers? Plenty, possibly most, I would say. Most Westerners views on road safety have been shaped by the 50 years of reminders and it would be fair to assume that in the absence of those reminders we would probably be acting no differently to present-day Thais. If we were all so clever and so worried about dying, especially without the benefit of believing in rebirth, we should have always been so safety-minded and wouldn't have needed a government to spell out the dangers in the first place!

So, I hate to dissapoint so many people but it may well be that Thais are not as stupid as you think. They are at a different stage of development and are on average less educated or informed as we are on these matters but that is not the same as being stupid.

I will give some advice to those that live here and spend most of their days getting angry and frustrated because the locals don't do things the way that you do, and I know there are plenty of them on this forum. It's not that difficult really, and I still do it occasionally, even after all these years. Are you ready? Are you sitting comfortably?

Here is my advice, my theory, what I made up, what I figured out, by myself, just me, and no-one else. ........

If you don't understand why someone is behaving differently to how you would behave, then instead of jumping to the conclusion that they must be stupid, consider first that it may just be that they are different. If you discount the 'stupid' theory completely and look for an alternative explanation, the likelihood of you understanding people is greatly enhanced. The likelihood of you realising that they are not much different to anyone else in the world is also increased.

After a while of using this technique you'll soon discover that life is a lot less stressful, that you understand people a bit better and before you know it, you'll find that you no longer start sentences with the words "these people ..... " or say that Thais are Pathetic, stupid, idiotic, crazy, mind-blowing, empty-headed, miscreants,. All of which popped up in this topic. You may even find yourself not needing to go onto forums to ask daft questions!

One more thing..... Comparing them to chickens and deer doesn't help.

It's about self-responsibility not the Nanny State telling them what to do. I don't think Thais are necessarily stupid but they are irresponsible as a culture and that is, partly, from lack of education but more to do with Thai nationalism

I take it you are from the West. I think you don't have any idea about road casualties before safety campaigns in the West. Your comment about self responsibility shows a lack of awareness about the situation in the West before the road campaigns started. I have seen more irresponsibility among farangs riding bikes here. There are huge numbers riding with no helmets often with their kids on the bike with them. Calling Thais irresponsible as a culture is a nice pigeon hole you want to keep them in while feeling smugly superior about yourself.

Edited March 31, 2015 by Throatwobbler

[Papayabokbok]

As Devils Advocate....Id say the dark lights-clothing-night

is to avoid the po-po....5-0---cops...as im betting the

darkened figure on his ghost bike has been drinking..

Harder to spot---stop---chase and get a tag no....

Just my 2 baht on why....laying low and outta sight...(burp)