Another hair raising experience on Thai roads

[thaibeachlovers]

Riding from Lamphun to C M had a car in MY lane coming at me, presumable because he wanted to turn right, but couldn't be bothered to wait till I'd gone by, after all, he is bigger than me. Other than that, the usual collection of m'bike riders cutting in without warning, passing too close on my left etc etc etc.

You don't have to be insane to drive in Thailand, but it seems that there are a lot of insane people doing so, like the woman holding a child on her lap and riding with one hand, and the person that overtook me ( I was riding at a safe speed for the conditions ) with 2 small children on the back. She was wearing a crash helmet- they were not!

[inzman]

Just another day on Thai roads. Mayhem and madness.

[thailandforumaddict]

Drive a benz or bmw, it's a lot safer, people are so scare to have problems...

[CharlieH]

MOVED to Motor cycles

[Happy Grumpy]

The emotional regression that Thai culture demands upon its servants results in some nasty venting. On the roads, when they are pretty much a blank face among strangers, is where they can vent and let out their aggression and frustrations, they can also bully, force people to move for them and act in all sorts of ways that gives them an extra inch or two, that they cannot do in their daily life and society.

Quite ugly, isn't it.

My sig might help you understand it a bit better.

Edited May 15, 2015 by Happy Grumpy

[seedy]

one abusive post removed - and in very bad taste

[WhamBam]

Drive a JCB.

[Happy Grumpy]

like the woman holding a child on her lap and riding with one hand, and the person that overtook me

One of those pulled out in front of me in my car. Almost smashed up the two of them. She looked at me with daggars, like how dare I almost kill her child.

I point at her child then make gestures amounting to why the h3ll do you have a child on a scooter, then shakes head in disbelief, then point that she nor her child have helmets, more gestures and shakes of the head.

If there wasn't metal and glass between us, she would have ripped my face off, then pulled out my still beating heart and eaten it.

Odd how they don't like their retarded behaviour, that would have them locked up and children taken away, in any normal country, being pointed out to them.

It's really one thing that holds this country back, perhaps if people were made accountable for their<DELETED>behaviour, and then lost face, they might stop doing it, but hey, it's fun to observe, eh.

Edited May 16, 2015 by CharlieH

[seajae]

there was a head on here the other day when a car drove the wrong way up a 3 lane divided road then tried to drive across the front of the oncoming cars and expected them all to slam on the brakes. Have to wonder what mental capacity these idiots have not to drive the correct way and do a u turn like they are meant to and all to save maybe a couple of minutes at most but then they also double park blocking the road so they can walk into the shop when there is a car park a few meters along the road, walking the extra 15' would probably make them sweat.

[StreetCowboy]

Drive a JCB.

I'd hate to commute in a JCB. Every time someone forgot to get out of your way, I can just see who would get the blame, The thing is that when your top speed is 20 mph, you do't have time to wait for people to clear out the way... but will the police listen? The insurance companies? Oh no, it's always the JCB driver that gets the blame for selfish car drivers that clog up the roads with their traffic jams. When was the last time you saw a queue of JCBs?

SC

Edit: Funnily enough, people coming the other way seem keener to get out of the way of a JCB than those travelling in the same direction, so if you do find yourself in the frustrating predicament of commuting to work in a JCB, you're probably better driving on the right, with the motorcycles

Edited May 15, 2015 by StreetCowboy

[Jdiddy]

Yeah i dunno, i really enjoy motorcycling around these parts, no way near the amount of rules and regulations as there is at home, lots of funny sights like girls done up on a scooter holding umbrellas out in front of them blocking their forward vision in a futile attempt to avoid getting their hair messed up

[konying]

Just drive offensively and aggressively, then they think you insane and let you go first

[ronthai]

Get used to it AND anticipate it when driving a car or bike.

I have been driving in Thailand for almost 12 years, never an accident.

Now I got to find me some real wood to knock on, to get rid of the jinx

[vogie]

Well you aint going to change them, I think its better to say nothing and just get on with it.

[dotpoom]

I don't think there would be enough space on the Internet if we all decided to share our bad driving (and pedestrian) experiences in Thailand

[stephenterry]

Practice defensive driving, buy 1st class insurance, and pray.

Oh, and another thing, make sure your licence plates come from the same place you're living, because the locals will take great delight in doing everything possible to send you back to your own patch. In CM, my Chonburi plates seem to antagonise others, I've been cut up several times, had scratches and bumps when parked etc. etc.

[Fullstop]

Did someone just wake up from a 30 year coma?

[quandow]

[angiolo]

Every day on the road, with or without a bike . Lots of panics .My wife protects my bike with some string on the handle bars.. Has worked so faaaar

[Fullstop]

Every day on the road, with or without a bike . Lots of panics .My wife protects my bike with some string on the handle bars.. Has worked so faaaar

I read of an incident somewhere of a Monk putting magic string around the steering column of a new car. A few days later the driver was making a left hand turn ... the string got tangled and jammed up ... the steering wheel got jammed ... and the car crashed into a wall.

I'd sue the Monk...

[maswov]

Hair raising?? That standard driving procedure here.

[Johnny S]

Just remember to give the wife a big kiss before going to the mayhem on the road - dont know if you see her Again with this insane behaviour from certain folks

[thaibeachlovers]

Just remember to give the wife a big kiss before going to the mayhem on the road - dont know if you see her Again with this insane behaviour from certain folks

Whenever I drive here I don't know if I'll make it back again. Part of the adventure that is Thailand.

However, it can be enjoyable on a m'bike in C M cutting ahead of all the cars in those long jams.

However, I was almost wiped out when turning onto the right hand exit of the elevated road as it goes past Central Airport when a maniac passed me on the right and then cut in front of me to go straight ahead towards the airport. Missed me by an inch, and I wasn't hanging about speed wise. Guess he couldn't wait the extra couple of seconds to let me turn right and go straight ahead BEHIND me, as he should have.

[stephenterry]

Just remember to give the wife a big kiss before going to the mayhem on the road - dont know if you see her Again with this insane behaviour from certain folks

Whenever I drive here I don't know if I'll make it back again. Part of the adventure that is Thailand.

However, it can be enjoyable on a m'bike in C M cutting ahead of all the cars in those long jams.

However, I was almost wiped out when turning onto the right hand exit of the elevated road as it goes past Central Airport when a maniac passed me on the right and then cut in front of me to go straight ahead towards the airport. Missed me by an inch, and I wasn't hanging about speed wise. Guess he couldn't wait the extra couple of seconds to let me turn right and go straight ahead BEHIND me, as he should have.

Well as I presume you were wearing a helmet, he knew you weren't Thai and therefore of no consequence. Yes, I know, but sometimes a bit of bantering eases the idiocy of it all.

[kevc]

Not only Thais ride bikes with one hand, seen a Farang idiot riding on Sukhumvit Road after he was leaving a bar with his baby in one hand and steering with the other.

[thaibeachlovers]

Not only Thais ride bikes with one hand, seen a Farang idiot riding on Sukhumvit Road after he was leaving a bar with his baby in one hand and steering with the other.

Probably wants to prove his Thainess .

[NoshowJones]

The emotional regression that Thai culture demands upon its servants results in some nasty venting. On the roads, when they are pretty much a blank face among strangers, is where they can vent and let out their aggression and frustrations, they can also bully, force people to move for them and act in all sorts of ways that gives them an extra inch or two, that they cannot do in their daily life and society.

Quite ugly, isn't it.

My sig might help you understand it a bit better.

I'm surprised you didn't tell him "if you don't like it go home", you must be in a happy mood today Grumpy.

[NoshowJones]

Not only Thais ride bikes with one hand, seen a Farang idiot riding on Sukhumvit Road after he was leaving a bar with his baby in one hand and steering with the other.

I once saw a woman riding her bike and holding a baby in one arm, feeding it with a milk bottle, and steering with the other hand.

[goreme]

The emotional regression that Thai culture demands upon its servants results in some nasty venting. On the roads, when they are pretty much a blank face among strangers, is where they can vent and let out their aggression and frustrations, they can also bully, force people to move for them and act in all sorts of ways that gives them an extra inch or two, that they cannot do in their daily life and society.

Quite ugly, isn't it.

...and this is unique to Thailand compared to many countries in the west...how? Is that why there is a fraction of road rage incidents in Thailand compared to US/UK/Australia and many parts of EU, not to mention lack of aggressive honking.

Quite ugly isnt it...behavior of farangs from rich countries projecting their own poor behavior and incivility on a developing country.

[andrewrooney]

The emotional regression that Thai culture demands upon its servants results in some nasty venting. On the roads, when they are pretty much a blank face among strangers, is where they can vent and let out their aggression and frustrations, they can also bully, force people to move for them and act in all sorts of ways that gives them an extra inch or two, that they cannot do in their daily life and society.

Quite ugly, isn't it.

...and this is unique to Thailand compared to many countries in the west...how? Is that why there is a fraction of road rage incidents in Thailand compared to US/UK/Australia and many parts of EU, not to mention lack of aggressive honking.

Quite ugly isnt it...behavior of farangs from rich countries projecting their own poor behavior and incivility on a developing country.

Agreed. You see way more road rage in the US than you ever see here. Mr. Grumpy seems to have some issues with Thai people that he needs to 'vent' himself.