In the land of jai yen, why do so many tailgaters?

[rosco14]

Why do so many Thai drivers employ the dangerous practice of tailgating, puting other road users at risk? Driving last night in Udon Thani I had a pick up truck sitting so close to me I feared contact between the two vehicles. On a single lane busy road with a car in front of me, I touched the brakes lightly but no affect. I put my hand out my window gesturing to slow down, but still no affect. The car pulled up beside me at the roundabout and then I was shocked by two things. Firstly the Thai swore profanities to me In English and secondly both driver and passenger were policeman. Mmmm I thought this was supposed to be the land of smiles.

[Asheron]

"Jai yen" is just a charade and a bad joke. I thought arabs in Sweden had bad temper but thais match them quite often.

[KhunBENQ]

Welcome to the real worldThailand.

Thailand streets reveal the character behind the facade.

Doing any gestures or notable "measure" puts your life to danger.

Be happy you survived unharmed.

Police!!!

They go armed even when off-duty/plaincloth (legally allowed).

100%: they had arms "on board".

Next time: set indicators left, slow down and find a place on the curbs to stop.

Edited July 24, 2015 by KhunBENQ

[Hornyskunk]

IMHO, Thai drivers are dangerous because they would rather rely on trinkets and buddhas for good luck than their brains.

[kaorop]

rose color glasses dont take long to fade once one travels the roads

and whoa be told if you show any displeasure at their near life threatening actions

my reaction is try to be passive aggressive

[Berkshire]

Ah geez, not another whining/whinging thread about Thai drivers. Is it that time of the month?

[Thai at Heart]

Because Jai yen and graeng jai are myths

[slipperylobster]

Ah geez, not another whining/whinging thread about Thai drivers. Is it that time of the month?

7 days before payday...then he should be fine.

[richard_smith237]

A similar thing happened to me....

At night, I was being blinded by the main beam of the car behind.

I'd had enough, indicated and pulled to the side of the road.

The car then pulled directly behind me then turned on their Police lights...

This was in the UK... The police accepted my complaint that their lights were too bright and they were driving too close.

My point here is to outline; as someone else surely will, that there are idiots on the road everywhere..... Yes, we get that... But here in Thailand idiotic drivers are on on another level and we see these examples at a frequency far greater than in many of our home countries.

When driving it's eyes everywhere...

[kannot]

I find the handbrake is a nice surprise, and NO i dont care.

[NickJ]

They were never taught better. They believe they are safe encased in there car. Most have no clue what a safe stoping distance is or what happens when you bump another car going 120kmph...

.........and the monks blessing are there for protection.

[i claudius]

IMHO, Thai drivers are dangerous because they would rather rely on trinkets and buddhas for good luck than their brains.

Brains? As far as most of them are concerned,the wheel is still going around but the hampsters dead

[Gecko123]

They were never taught better. They believe they are safe encased in there car. Most have no clue what a safe stoping distance is or what happens when you bump another car going 120kmph...

.........and the monks blessing are there for protection.

It is true that you encounter far more aggressive behavior on Thailand's roads than you do in day to day life, which mystifies me as well.

The worst offenders seem to be young men who think they are immortal. If you've ridden around on a Honda Wave motorbike all your life, and suddenly upgrade to a car/truck, it must feel like you're in a Bradley tank.

I agree the solution is better driver's education.

Edited July 24, 2015 by Gecko123

[Brit_Doggie]

Hmm unusual i have to say bikers are tailgaters here but not cars or not as often as i have seen from my home country.

[Assurancetourix]

Hmm unusual i have to say bikers are tailgaters here but not cars or not as often as i have seen from my home country.

If cars and buses and trucks and ...were not tailgaters there would be less tragic accidents here ;

For about 68 millions inhabitants there are less than 1.000 schools for learning how to drive and how to behave on the roads ( the most important )

How many meters between these two trucks ?

Or behind these vehicles ?

Safety distances ?

Braking distances ?

They don't know because they never learnt about .

[WarpSpeed]

Ah geez, not another whining/whinging thread about Thai drivers. Is it that time of the month?

Yep and one sided at that, no idea how badly the OP was driving?? More likely the way I've seen most farang drive and heard them talk or seen their posts here, he was more likely the culprit.

[Neeranam]

Did you ever think they may be chasing a criminal and you were in the way?

I love driving here - so much freedom compared to the UK. Many don't and are moaning old gits who should stop moaning about things and be grateful they have another day in a beautiful tropical cheap country.

[thailandforumaddict]

People who are so nice in daily life and not able to tell fuxx to anyone are just monkeys behind the wheel because this is the only place where they can revenge all their KRENG JAI.

[WarpSpeed]

People who are so nice in daily life and not able to tell fuxx to anyone are just monkeys behind the wheel because this is the only place where they can revenge all their KRENG JAI.

And no where else is this more evident then on western roads. The one thing for certain I miss since being back is the driving freedom I had there and the lack of police presence impeding the traffic flow stopping people for simple infractions everywhere, where here it is constantly on my mind as is the road rage and driver idiocy more then I EVER experienced while there.

[GanDoonToonPet]

I've ridden a simple Mio around the whole of Bangkok for the last 5 years, having lived in Rangsit, Bang Bua Thong & Pinklau. IME car drivers are very considerate & motorbike riders have always given me a polite, apologetic hand gesture upon realising that they've made a mistake.

Of course, there are extremes or outliers that the media like to portray as the norm.

[bearpolar]

rose color glasses dont take long to fade once one travels the roads

and whoa be told if you show any displeasure at their near life threatening actions

my reaction is try to be passive aggressive

I hope this time around i can get my gf to drive me around most of the time.. Driving will turn the nicest person(with a brain, because anyone dumb does not understand that people going slow or stupidly around are wasting minutes of your own lifetime) into a raging psychopath.

[richard_smith237]

I agree with you all, especially the last 5 or 6 posts....

I love driving in Thailand... I love that I don't need to worry about going 3 mph above the speed limit lest I incur a 3 point penally (*of 12)... my latest UK infraction had me charged at 35 mph in a 30 zone... OUCH !!!!.... (10% +2)....

Yes, I was p!is$ed off... so I came back to Thailand and gunned it !!!!... Well, no I didn't... I came back to Thailand and drove responsibly...

AND.... (in Capitals for emphasis of this point)... this is where I expect You, my fellow ThaiVisa friends to recognise the key word above.... (underlined for those who can't!)

We, as a community, web based or otherwise have a common ground... We are interested in the subject we are discussing, if we aren't we'd close this web page and move on... So, that out of the way..... back on topic....

......back in Thailand I Drive with the same level of consideration I have when driving in the UK... BUT... without the fear of traffic cams... But its different...

If I drive the same way in the UK that I drive here, I'd be in trouble... If I drive here the same way I drive in the UK I'd still be there trying to exit my soi...

I like not having to be worried of how I drive here... but that comes at the cost of sharing the roads with those who also enjoy not having to be worried of how they drive here...

I am very sure which is the better 'evil'..... the stats also show this...

So, when 'driving pleasure' is concerned I don't much care for it...... I also have an issue with indiscriminate stupidity and feel we need to make any attempt to avoid it at all costs... However, freedom means we have to remain tolerant of those who's standards fall short of our own...

In short... we have to be 'jai yen'... I just hope the tailgaters would back off.....

(Caveat: posted while drunk... !)....

[slipperylobster]

Say....

What about we just get all these forum posts translated...and put them on facebook?

Then we put TV stickers on our rear bumpers...something like.....

"Unless you're gay, then Get off my Arse"

...but then, unfortunately, they would be driving even closer.

[kannot]

I agree with you all, especially the last 5 or 6 posts....

I love driving in Thailand... I love that I don't need to worry about going 3 mph above the speed limit lest I incur a 3 point penally (*of 12)... my latest UK infraction had me charged at 35 mph in a 30 zone... OUCH !!!!.... (10% +2)....

Yes, I was p!is$ed off... so I came back to Thailand and gunned it !!!!... Well, no I didn't... I came back to Thailand and drove responsibly...

AND.... (in Capitals for emphasis of this point)... this is where I expect You, my fellow ThaiVisa friends to recognise the key word above.... (underlined for those who can't!)

We, as a community, web based or otherwise have a common ground... We are interested in the subject we are discussing, if we aren't we'd close this web page and move on... So, that out of the way..... back on topic....

......back in Thailand I Drive with the same level of consideration I have when driving in the UK... BUT... without the fear of traffic cams... But its different...

If I drive the same way in the UK that I drive here, I'd be in trouble... If I drive here the same way I drive in the UK I'd still be there trying to exit my soi...

I like not having to be worried of how I drive here... but that comes at the cost of sharing the roads with those who also enjoy not having to be worried of how they drive here...

I am very sure which is the better 'evil'..... the stats also show this...

So, when 'driving pleasure' is concerned I don't much care for it...... I also have an issue with indiscriminate stupidity and feel we need to make any attempt to avoid it at all costs... However, freedom means we have to remain tolerant of those who's standards fall short of our own...

In short... we have to be 'jai yen'... I just hope the tailgaters would back off.....

(Caveat: posted while drunk... !)....

and I wonder how many of these " Thais are wonderful drivers and i feel so free folk" would be if their Wife/Mother/Father / child was ripped to pieces in an incident on the road by someones stupidity/laziness...shrug shoulders and carry on eh?

[kannot]

Say....

What about we just get all these forum posts translated...and put them on facebook?

Then we put TV stickers on our rear bumpers...something like.....

"Unless you're gay, then Get off my Arse"

...but then, unfortunately, they would be driving even closer.

Some of these tailgaters actually find it amusing to do this, Ive seen them laughing in their cabs.

[Jessi]

I agree with you all, especially the last 5 or 6 posts....

I love driving in Thailand... I love that I don't need to worry about going 3 mph above the speed limit lest I incur a 3 point penally (*of 12)... my latest UK infraction had me charged at 35 mph in a 30 zone... OUCH !!!!.... (10% +2)....

Yes, I was p!is$ed off... so I came back to Thailand and gunned it !!!!... Well, no I didn't... I came back to Thailand and drove responsibly...

AND.... (in Capitals for emphasis of this point)... this is where I expect You, my fellow ThaiVisa friends to recognise the key word above.... (underlined for those who can't!)

We, as a community, web based or otherwise have a common ground... We are interested in the subject we are discussing, if we aren't we'd close this web page and move on... So, that out of the way..... back on topic....

......back in Thailand I Drive with the same level of consideration I have when driving in the UK... BUT... without the fear of traffic cams... But its different...

If I drive the same way in the UK that I drive here, I'd be in trouble... If I drive here the same way I drive in the UK I'd still be there trying to exit my soi...

I like not having to be worried of how I drive here... but that comes at the cost of sharing the roads with those who also enjoy not having to be worried of how they drive here...

I am very sure which is the better 'evil'..... the stats also show this...

So, when 'driving pleasure' is concerned I don't much care for it...... I also have an issue with indiscriminate stupidity and feel we need to make any attempt to avoid it at all costs... However, freedom means we have to remain tolerant of those who's standards fall short of our own...

In short... we have to be 'jai yen'... I just hope the tailgaters would back off.....

(Caveat: posted while drunk... !)....

They have speed limits in Thailand?................Well I never.

[Jessi]

Say....

What about we just get all these forum posts translated...and put them on facebook?

Then we put TV stickers on our rear bumpers...something like.....

"Unless you're gay, then Get off my Arse"

...but then, unfortunately, they would be driving even closer.

Most likely be throwing kisses to you slippery.

[MAJIC]

What is a Tailgater? a prat that want's to shift the car in front off the road,so that he can command his rightful position as number 1 in front position!

sometimes they end up in the back of the car in front, do they learn the error of their ways?......doubtful.

[Berkshire]

People who are so nice in daily life and not able to tell fuxx to anyone are just monkeys behind the wheel because this is the only place where they can revenge all their KRENG JAI.

And no where else is this more evident then on western roads. The one thing for certain I miss since being back is the driving freedom I had there and the lack of police presence impeding the traffic flow stopping people for simple infractions everywhere, where here it is constantly on my mind as is the road rage and driver idiocy more then I EVER experienced while there.

So true, especially the road rage issue in the US. I posted this on another thread, but pretty relevant to this thread as well:

http://edition.cnn.com/videos/us/2015/07/17/biker-road-rage-moos-pkg-erin.cnn/video/playlists/wacky-world-of-jeanne-moos/

[Neeranam]

One advantage is that if you have any bumps or scratches on the back of your vehicle, brake suddenly and their insurance has to pay for the repair.