Many Thai drivers/riders become aggressive when you overtake them. Why?

[englansi]

HG, unless we know the answer you believe to be correct and recite it verbatim, any other opinion, or lets be honest here - cumulatively several decades of observation - delivered politely at first, will be greeted with...

I'll do it for you; i catch fish on a series of single hooks on a line at sea. Or if you prefer; I live under a bridge in Scandinavia.

There.

And so, adieu.

[wantan]

@Happy Grumpy:

I already wrote down my opinion to your question. You want to comment?

@Hili:

Death wishes? Maybe i have overlooked something, but i cannot see that anybody wishes you any harm. You posted a video and people make comments about it. You should have known before that not everyone will agree about your riding style.

Edited April 24, 2015 by wantan

[Happy Grumpy]

@Happy Grumpy:

I already wrote down my opinion to your question. You want to comment?

"And if there are such idiots in the cars, chances are there are similar idiots on bikes.

Why?

- manness

- face

- and often frustration"

Interesting, thanks. You may well be onto something.

@Hili:

Death wishes? Maybe i have overlooked something, but i cannot see that anybody wishes you any harm. You posted a video and peoples make comments about it. You should have known before that not everyone will agree with your opinion about "the only safe riding style for big bikes in Bangkok".

I agree, I have not seen where anybody wishes anybody else harm! But posts have been deleted that I did not see, so perhaps there, but I hope not.

What I have seen is somebody getting angry because their opinions were not agreed with, then post a video of them riding poorly, unable to take criticism thus gets angrier, storms off saying that they're not coming back.

Is Hili Thai?

Edited April 24, 2015 by Happy Grumpy

[jdinasia]

What's with all the trolls and their fake anger?

You ask a simple question as to why many Thai drivers/riders act a certain way, and the trolls go nuts.

Most of us don't have the issues you claim to experience regularly.

Let's not forget the question....

Why it happens, not if.

Just flicking through the first 5 pages there are 18 different posters that mention it happening. There really is no if about it. Questioning if is just trolling. Or as another poster pointed out - they just don't realize it's happening - as I didn't for a few years until Thais explained the meaning of it.

Keep dreaming. It may be happening to you. It doesn't happen to most of us.

[balo]

Stop the Thai bashing and close the thread.

[Happy Grumpy]

What's with all the trolls and their fake anger?

You ask a simple question as to why many Thai drivers/riders act a certain way, and the trolls go nuts.

Most of us don't have the issues you claim to experience regularly.

Let's not forget the question....

Why it happens, not if.

Just flicking through the first 5 pages there are 18 different posters that mention it happening. There really is no if about it. Questioning if is just trolling. Or as another poster pointed out - they just don't realize it's happening - as I didn't for a few years until Thais explained the meaning of it.

Keep dreaming. It may be happening to you. It doesn't happen to most of us.

Try being informed, instead of just opinionated.

[wantan]

Yep, maybe the best to close this thread. A pity, but not the first time.

Imo there are agressive drivers/riders, but like this a discussion isnt possible.

[johnsell50]

The real truth, yes there are aggressive bike riders here, both Thai and foreigner, just as in any other country in the world. Why do we see it more here? How many bikes do you see on the roads here? More bikes, more aggressive drivers. And the more traffic, the shorter the tempers. And to answer one of the interesting questions, I have ridden everything from the Honda 305, to Kawi 750's to sportsters to full dress hogs. I don't ride here because way too may crazies, both Thai and foreign, the same reason I quit riding in America.

I have also seen no death wishes for anyone here, just comments that some of the more aggressive riding styles have a much greater chance of leading to it than sensible driving. I agree with the earlier poster who said maybe the adrenaline would be better outed in less traffic. I am sure you can get lots of thrills sideways on a nice twisty road. I know I used to.

[Fookhaht]

Its interesting to read so many death wishes in a biker forum. Thought somehow we all share the same passion; but i don't even know how many here even riding.

When i will die while riding i will be happy cause i died doing what i love.

Think thats one of my last post here. Bye "bikers"!

What is unconscionable, is that, in the process of fulfilling his death wish, he'll probably wipe out someone else too, who may not be so willing to enter the great beyond.

Narcissism at its worst.

Edited April 25, 2015 by Fookhaht

[KamalaRider]

Thailand is a Me - First Society, you haven't been on a one vehicle Soi with a 7/11, and people park the car and go shopping, blocking the whole Soi , Welcome To Thainess...

I have seen this, and it reminds me of parts of Brooklyn!

And parts of the Bronx!

And many, many other places in lower New York state! 5555.

Unfortunately, selfish, inconsiderate people aren't confined to one country or one location!

If it was Sweden, most probably they would have a nice hefty parking ticket when they got back out from 7/11. The high fines sorta clears the problem.

[KamalaRider]

I think it must be added that NO Farang ever does anything that could be seen as dangerous on the roads, Farangs in Fortuners and huge Pick ups are shy, laid back folk, with excellent road manners, who never ever break the speed limit, never ever drink and drive, if only the Thai's could be more like us white folk, the world would be a better place.

Hang on a minute, perhaps they are like us...........

http://www.statisticbrain.com/driving-citation-statistics/

http://www.statisticbrain.com/number-of-dui-arrests-per-state/

I think you have a HUGE lapsus in your logic.

In western countries you CAN get a speeding ticket when going 10mph/16km/h over the speed limit.

In Thailand you get one when the coppers need money even if you don't speed.

Even people who definitively drive way over speed limit and crash don't get a ticket, probably because Thai style thinking is "he crashed anyway and his car is bust, he don't need one".

[bramds]

The real truth, yes there are aggressive bike riders here, both Thai and foreigner, just as in any other country in the world. Why do we see it more here? How many bikes do you see on the roads here? More bikes, more aggressive drivers. And the more traffic, the shorter the tempers. And to answer one of the interesting questions, I have ridden everything from the Honda 305, to Kawi 750's to sportsters to full dress hogs. I don't ride here because way too may crazies, both Thai and foreign, the same reason I quit riding in America.

I have also seen no death wishes for anyone here, just comments that some of the more aggressive riding styles have a much greater chance of leading to it than sensible driving. I agree with the earlier poster who said maybe the adrenaline would be better outed in less traffic. I am sure you can get lots of thrills sideways on a nice twisty road. I know I used to.

So because you are too scared to get out on the roads here, we should all putter along on the left side not exceeding the pedestrians' speeds?

Try to live a little, dude. (DELETED)

Edited April 25, 2015 by seedy
troll / flaming

[KamalaRider]

Dear Mr Lang, you may have noticed a persistent and obdurate set of posters throughout TV on a variety of different threads that say they cope with the local conditions more or less problem free.

It may be that you are looking in the wrong direction for answers, wouldn't you conclude from that? That was my experience in the beginning anyway.

Of course the conditions are more hazardous here than in some other places. But that is emphatically not the deleted point is it? You can shout statistics until your glitter dries and your spangly jacket is unfashionable, it won't change the fact, by one iota, that you are the person ultimately responsible for yourself. A point consistently made by the many people who know this, adjust to the local conditions and enjoy riding/driving here.

As you would have gleaned, had you stayed focussed on this actual topic, the aggressive behaviour exhibited toward certain people here is not experienced at all by the majority of others who display a more considered attitude to the local people.

You also didn't seem to get the point made about trolls. I am beginning to see a pattern: people with tunnel vision and their unfortunate propensity for getting blown to smithereens by their own petards but yet keep on posting comments.

Many behaviours on the road here defy understanding or just simple survival sometimes from my European perspective, but that's up to me to compensate for, I'm the deleted outsider after all. If you can't cope with it and outwit the locals on the road without being confrontational, just stay in bed and complain to your mum quietly.

A lot of words to tell him what, if you keep to spoken English, maybe I would understand what you just said, but no, you had to equilibrate with your rather withered efforts of Oxford English.

But I must admit, at the end you fell down from your high horses and showed us your true origin when you referred to his "mum". Splendid old chap.

Edited April 25, 2015 by KamalaRider

[smedly]

Thais will do anything to get in front of me when I'm pottering around town on my big bike, they will try and overtake and squeeze into spaces that don't exist, at junctions they will do their best to move in front of me, I find myself constantly braking and having to steer away from a constant path and speed to avoid these idiots, sometimes I give the throttle a squirt just to remind them what they are dealing with but in the city I normally just let them have their immature childish antics, sometimes it is quite amusing, oh and falangs do exactly the same thing

[KamalaRider]

I truly don't understand why this thread has become a heated discussion.

Some people say it happens a lot, me included, then you have those riding with the helmet the wrong way, saying it never happens, then you have the Thais saying, "we are just as good or bad as any farang, and if you say anything else we come and get you".

The key point in Thailand riding a bike is EXPECT ANYTHING FROM ANYONE, ANYWHERE.

The rest to keep safe is just commons sense and experience.

[Happy Grumpy]

Some people say it happens a lot, me included, then you have those riding with the helmet the wrong way, saying it never happens

Classic.

Thanks.

[Shurup]

Thais will do anything to get in front of me when I'm pottering around town on my big bike, they will try and overtake and squeeze into spaces that don't exist, at junctions they will do their best to move in front of me, I find myself constantly braking and having to steer away from a constant path and speed to avoid these idiots, sometimes I give the throttle a squirt just to remind them what they are dealing with but in the city I normally just let them have their immature childish antics, sometimes it is quite amusing, oh and falangs do exactly the same thing

This Thai behavior has nothing to do with you, your bike or your riding style, it's just the way Thais ride and you, as well as many others take it personally became offended and then come here and complain.

[Myaimistrue]

The real truth, yes there are aggressive bike riders here, both Thai and foreigner, just as in any other country in the world. Why do we see it more here? How many bikes do you see on the roads here? More bikes, more aggressive drivers. And the more traffic, the shorter the tempers. And to answer one of the interesting questions, I have ridden everything from the Honda 305, to Kawi 750's to sportsters to full dress hogs. I don't ride here because way too may crazies, both Thai and foreign, the same reason I quit riding in America.

I have also seen no death wishes for anyone here, just comments that some of the more aggressive riding styles have a much greater chance of leading to it than sensible driving. I agree with the earlier poster who said maybe the adrenaline would be better outed in less traffic. I am sure you can get lots of thrills sideways on a nice twisty road. I know I used to.

So because you are too scared to get out on the roads here, we should all putter along on the left side not exceeding the pedestrians' speeds?

Try to live a little, dude.

I would argue that there are more aggressive riders here, and I admit to being one of them, because there is no fear of police intervention. Personally, and I know not every one will agree, I find my riding to be much more natural when I can ride how I want to without having to constantly scan for and worry about getting pulled over by the police. I love riding here and look forward to riding to and from work every day, but I don't wear my gear for fun and go around taking pictures of myself and bragging about how I ride, nor criticizing others for how they ride. I applaud anyone who gets out there and rides, on whatever and wherever, as there are plenty more who would never do it. If you get home safe without hurting anyone or anything, you've succeeded. But as the saying goes, "There are two types of riders: those who have gone done and those who are going down!"

[Myaimistrue]

Thais will do anything to get in front of me when I'm pottering around town on my big bike, they will try and overtake and squeeze into spaces that don't exist, at junctions they will do their best to move in front of me, I find myself constantly braking and having to steer away from a constant path and speed to avoid these idiots, sometimes I give the throttle a squirt just to remind them what they are dealing with but in the city I normally just let them have their immature childish antics, sometimes it is quite amusing, oh and falangs do exactly the same thing

This Thai behavior has nothing to do with you, your bike or your riding style, it's just the way Thais ride and you, as well as many others take it personally became offended and then come here and complain.

He called it amusing and the OP was just asking if others have seen it and why they think it occurs. So not sure who you are referring to, but I agree, it's all part of being here, and as I've said, one of my daily joys is riding here without fear of police intervention. That said, I don't look for reasons to ride, I only ride when I have to. I know the risk I am taking every time I mount up and pull out of my garage, but I love it. However, I prefer to ride my bicycle for recreation!

[smedly]

Thais will do anything to get in front of me when I'm pottering around town on my big bike, they will try and overtake and squeeze into spaces that don't exist, at junctions they will do their best to move in front of me, I find myself constantly braking and having to steer away from a constant path and speed to avoid these idiots, sometimes I give the throttle a squirt just to remind them what they are dealing with but in the city I normally just let them have their immature childish antics, sometimes it is quite amusing, oh and falangs do exactly the same thing

This Thai behavior has nothing to do with you, your bike or your riding style, it's just the way Thais ride and you, as well as many others take it personally became offended and then come here and complain.

sorry but I don't agree, a falang on a big bike in town is a target to get in front of by any dangerous means possible - note above that I also said falangs do it as well. three things I see here

1. Thais will try to outdo a falang no matter what - my country my road I am better attitude

2. additionally to the above if falang is on big bike they will try harder with increased risk and madness

3. additionally to the 2x above - falangs will also try to get in front of you but for maybe not quite the same reasons but similar

For me it is nothing more than immature childish rivalry that has no place on a public street in or on a vehicle

[mark131v]

'Thais will do anything to get in front of me when I'm pottering around town on my big bike'

'For me it is nothing more than immature childish rivalry that has no place on a public street in or on a vehicle'

Have you ever thought (I already know the answer to this!) that your 'pottering' about may have something to do with it as I really hate being stuck behind anybody who is 'pottering' especially on a main road, many have places to be and things to do so some old fart pottering can be really annoying and I want to be far away from them

'I give the throttle a squirt just to remind them what they are dealing with'

Do you feel better when you give it a squirt.....

[smedly]

'Thais will do anything to get in front of me when I'm pottering around town on my big bike'

'For me it is nothing more than immature childish rivalry that has no place on a public street in or on a vehicle'

Have you ever thought (I already know the answer to this!) that your 'pottering' about may have something to do with it as I really hate being stuck behind anybody who is 'pottering' especially on a main road, many have places to be and things to do so some old fart pottering can be really annoying and I want to be far away from them

'I give the throttle a squirt just to remind them what they are dealing with'

Do you feel better when you give it a squirt.....

what a condescending pile of hogwash you just posted, pottering about meaning I'm not driving like a lunatic

For you information I am not any old fart, I am also certain I have more bike miles and experience in various countries than you will ever have - some 100,000km completed in Thailand alone, I ride a Superbike here that is capable of over 300kmph - I don't potter about - I ride safely and in the past I have ridden bikes connected to my job and have every advanced driving qualification you can attain in the UK and I am qualified to instruct

now run along and bother someone else

Edited April 25, 2015 by smedly

[Myaimistrue]

'Thais will do anything to get in front of me when I'm pottering around town on my big bike'

'For me it is nothing more than immature childish rivalry that has no place on a public street in or on a vehicle'

Have you ever thought (I already know the answer to this!) that your 'pottering' about may have something to do with it as I really hate being stuck behind anybody who is 'pottering' especially on a main road, many have places to be and things to do so some old fart pottering can be really annoying and I want to be far away from them

'I give the throttle a squirt just to remind them what they are dealing with'

Do you feel better when you give it a squirt.....

what a condescending pile of hogwash you just posted, pottering about meaning I'm not driving like a lunatic

For you information I am not any old fart, I am also certain I have more bike miles and experience in various countries than you will ever have - some 100,000km completed in Thailand alone, I ride a Superbike here that is capable of over 300kmph - I don't potter about - I ride safely and in the past I have ridden bikes connected to my job and have every advanced driving qualification you can attain in the UK and I am qualified to instruct

now run along and bother someone else

That's why I don't comment on, nor criticize other people's riding on forums; you just don't know who you are talking to!

[Shurup]

Thais will do anything to get in front of me when I'm pottering around town on my big bike

I ride a Superbike here that is capable of over 300kmph - I don't potter about -

Potter around is a synonym of a potter about. So you do or you don't??

[mark131v]

My apologies if you are not an old fart but I am sorry to tell you that is exactly how you come across to me, sound like a quintessential opinionated old know it all which I generally associate with bitter old farts

Pottering to me means aimlessly bimbling about and has nothing to do with not driving like an idiot, I see a lot of 'potterers' and have a deep dislike for them and try to get away from them

Still not told me if you get any pleasure out of giving your 300kmh superbike a squirt when you are pottering about and generally getting in the way...?

[mark131v]

You do sound like a potterer.....

English

Alternative forms[

putter around (US)

Verb

potter around (third-person singular simple present potters around, present participle pottering around, simple past and past participle pottered around)

1.(chiefly UK) To potter, to be gently active doing various things in an almost aimless manner. I like to relax pottering around the house doing this and that at the weekends.

Synonyms

potter about

Related terms

potter

Translations

to be gently active aimlessly — see putter around

Edited April 25, 2015 by seedy
font

[smedly]

You do sound like a potterer.....

English

Alternative forms[

putter around (US)

Verb

potter around (third-person singular simple present potters around, present participle pottering around, simple past and past participle pottered around)

1.(chiefly UK) To potter, to be gently active doing various things in an almost aimless manner. I like to relax pottering around the house doing this and that at the weekends.

Synonyms

potter about

Related terms

potter

Translations

to be gently active aimlessly — see putter around

I hope your road sense is better than your forum sense as I thought it was blatantly obvious our conversation had finished yet you are still going on trying to make a point that quite frankly only you seem to understand

move on we have nothing further to discuss

[seedy]

One Troll / Flaming post removed.

Back on Topic please

[johnsell50]

"So because you are too scared to get out on the roads here, we should all putter along on the left side not exceeding the pedestrians' speeds?

Try to live a little, dude. (DELETED)"

Yup, a very good example of the "I can't say anything constructive so lets just put someone with a little common sense down!" style of discussion. The person riding the bike in the video would be put in jail, probably have his license taken away indefinitely, and maybe lose his bike too in most 1st world societies. Why, because it is unsafe and endangers everyone else on the road. Why do people ride like that here, because they can get away with it most of the time. Is it legal, no! Is it safe, Hell no! And I lived more in the first 30 years of my life than you probably will in 130.

[mark131v]

johnsell50, you from the USA by any chance.....

There is a whole world out there that rides bikes and do so in a different and arguably better trained and safer way than in the US, why exactly do you believe he would be banned for filtering through traffic

I happen to believe that people pottering along or too scared to ride in traffic are actually as big danger to themselves and cause a lot of annoyance on the roads

''is it legal, no! Is it safe, Hell no! And I lived more in the first 30 years of my life than you probably will in 130''

(DELETED) such and so forth....

Edited April 25, 2015 by seedy
language