Driving the Thai way

[i claudius]

Driving the Thai way?. "ME FIRST" that's the Thai way

[mikiea]

I drive the Thai way now, before I drove like a British driver, now god help anybody that gets in my way. I don't give way, I don't say thank you, I squeeze in at the last moment and I honk my horn. I don't worry about Thais and my few verbal altercations have went my way. Som nam na

yea that will work for you until someone snatches you outta your Toyota and slaps you into tomorrow .................

[Janner1]

The Thai Highway Code ( yes there is one ) is almost identical to the British one it is just that the Thais disregard everything in it and do it their way.

Cut up everyone , cut across in front of everyone , and the first to fill any small hole that developers is the winner

We all know it as Thainess

[William C F Pierce]

The complaints about Thai. There is a big difference between car drivers and motorbikes that zip in and out across all three lanes without thinking. That is why they are the bulk of bad driving accidents. Not motorists. But on the other hand there are occasionally some really bad drivers, especially Thai women drivers. I hired a car at the airport in Chiang Mai and leaving the airport slowing down for the speed bumps. A Thai woman driver behind me put her foot down and drove straight into the back of me. The day I left another woman Thai driver pulled straight out of a side turning in front of me on my bicycle. The result was I hit her wing leaving a nice tyre mark down the side of her white car. Yes I see some very stupid near misses and when I look to see who is driving, it is always a Thai woman driver. But as long as you just use your wing mirrors and indicator lights in plenty of time in driving, it is far more relaxing than in western countries. Between 16:00 and 18:00 they do seem to have adopted the western rush hour, where traffic will crawl at a snail pace.

[nuananddon]

A word to the wise, "If he is in that big of a hurry, it's best if he is ahead of you instead of behind you". In one of the other posts it was mentioned that they drive their cars like they drive their motorbikes, they would rather speed up and try to maneuver through or around a problem instead of braking and waiting to see what developes.

[thailand49]

Not the first thread and won't be the last thread on this subject.

[pomchop]

I drive the Thai way now, before I drove like a British driver, now god help anybody that gets in my way. I don't give way, I don't say thank you, I squeeze in at the last moment and I honk my horn. I don't worry about Thais and my few verbal altercations have went my way. Som nam na

yea that will work for you until someone snatches you outta your Toyota and slaps you into tomorrow .................

Or you run across some yaba thai guy who is high and having a bad day and has a baseball bat or a gun that he is anxious to try out on a falang....

[1FinickyOne]

The root of the issue begins with children driving motorbikes. I don't think they get more than 5 minutes of instruction but they do get a ton of bad habits, not regard for lanes, always assuming they can enter a road by staying left and not looking…

And too many pay the price for this in hwy fatalities..

[DavisH]

Driving the "THAI Way" means too much speed + DELETED and ability.

THAT = THAINESS on the roads...which is why Thailand is officially the second worst country in the world for deaths per capita.

UNOFFICIALLY...that is, using the actual statistics, THAI drivers are by far THE WORST in the World.

Let's be careful out there...or buy an armour plated vehicle!

You can't judge driving quality by the number of road deaths - 80% of fatalities here are due to accidents involving motorbikes, so they skew the results when comparing to a western country.

I've done over 300K kms driving a sedan in Thailand and have not had many issues and have never had an accident. Once you adapt to the way people drive, there should be no major problems. You learn to expect the unexpected and adjust accordingly.

[Sutty]

The root of the issue begins with children driving motorbikes. I don't think they get more than 5 minutes of instruction but they do get a ton of bad habits, not regard for lanes, always assuming they can enter a road by staying left and not looking

And too many pay the price for this in hwy fatalities..

Same as any inner city in UK kids on motor bikes no regard for safety but kids will be kids I was on motor bikes from aged 10 onwards no helmets then (not law).

[Vipercatcher]

When I first met my Thai. wife, (bless her little cotton socks!) she drove a small Toyota sedan, manual. As I understand, she never 'got' her Thai. drivers license, she 'bought' it! Her driving prowess was best described in Australian vernacular as, "Couldn't drive a greasy stick up a dogs arse"! Her driving made me sick 'literally'! Now here in Aus. she drives my automatic geared car to work and back ok! Except for one night, despite many warnings re same, she came into collision with a "Bang-aroo" Result, dent in bonnet/hood, and a "Bangaroo" with a head ache me thinks!

[Fairynuff]

Never met a single cop at Nongkhai...

Surely they can't ALL be married

[farangmick]

I do some voluntary English teaching in local schools, and used to struggle to find things to talk about. Recently I decided to stick to one subject, road safety, whilst dressing it up and trying to make it interesting. Obviously dead basic stuff that I've always taken for granted. Tufty Club/Green Cross Code level for younger kids, not slicing the corner on a right turn for the older ones, and so on. I'm probably pissing into the wind, but one or two might benefit one day.

[Berkshire]

I much prefer farangs driving the Thai way than farangs insisting to drive "their way".

Also don't get why farangs must always complain about the way one drives in Thailand.

I do enjoy driving here.

The nightmare is when I have to drive in a western country.

Also, had only one accident in 15 years of driving in Thailand... With a cow (she escaped without a scratch) (apparently).

Agree. I have no problems driving in Thailand and I drive every single day. I actually prefer driving here to the USA. These guys that constantly complain about the way Thais drive should just keep off the freakin roads. Problem solved!

[giddyup]

I much prefer farangs driving the Thai way than farangs insisting to drive "their way".

Also don't get why farangs must always complain about the way one drives in Thailand.

I do enjoy driving here.

The nightmare is when I have to drive in a western country.

Also, had only one accident in 15 years of driving in Thailand... With a cow (she escaped without a scratch) (apparently).

Agree. I have no problems driving in Thailand and I drive every single day. I actually prefer driving here to the USA. These guys that constantly complain about the way Thais drive should just keep off the freakin roads. Problem solved!

Nothing wrong with Thai driving, that's why they have the second highest number of fatalities in the world.

[augustwest]

Thais use their turn signals,a lot. They just don't get the fact that they are asking to go right or left,not using a signal as they are cutting you off. I lapse into allowing 2-3 car lengths between myself and the car ahead of me. Every time I do some a.. Hole will blow by me and jump in front of me. On a trip back from CR one risked his life and the life of oncoming cars to jump ahead of me. For the next 100k's that was as far as he got. Senseless.

[Tomtomtom69]

I drive the Thai way now, before I drove like a British driver, now god help anybody that gets in my way. I don't give way, I don't say thank you, I squeeze in at the last moment and I honk my horn. I don't worry about Thais and my few verbal altercations have went my way. Som nam na

I've never had any altercations, I just selfishly cut in traffic, I almost never get honked at (Thais rarely honk anyway) and I go through red lights.

Just yesterday I experienced the worst traffic ever in Bangkok. It was 5 times worse than usual for that time of day - and I thought everyone had already gone on holidays. Although I very rarely become impatient, when I have a deadline to meet, such as meeting friends, business acquaintances, going to work, making a flight etc. courtesy goes out the window. That happened yesterday as it just so happened I was running over an hour late for a meeting (luckily my friend was also about the same amount late).

So yesterday I initially tried to drive through a red light but noticed I wasn't going to make it, so had to reverse 2-3m. However, once all the other traffic had passed through, I noticed it was about time for my direction to be given it's turn, but the lights were still red. Of course when a policeman controls the lights as if we were still living in the 1950s when electronic sensors have been used in other countries since like decades ago, you begin to understand why it takes like 2 minutes before your direction is allowed to go. Anyway, I just bolted for it, presumably a few seconds later the rest of the vehicles behind me got the green light. Anyway, this is perfectly normal behavior and many drivers do this, since there are no red light cameras in Thailand there's nothing to worry about. And as the OP says, even if there were, it'd just be a 200 Baht fine or so. And given the system of sending fines to registered vehicle owner's addresses remains in its infancy, I wouldn't be worrying much about that either. I have never seen any fines arrive at my place despite speeding at 40-80km/h or more over the limit on the motorways where they supposedly have speed cameras (in reality I think it's just a hoax).

Then again, how can anyone trust Thai "speed limits" when they are almost never posted anyway. But just for some background info...how can it be that the speed limit on a major Bangkok surface road (city street) with lots of traffic is 80km/h (and when you consider that they normally give you 10% leeway that's 88km/h) an astonishingly high speed considering the number of U-turn bays, people crossing the roads, volume of traffic, yet on the elevated expressways it's also 80km/h? Yeah right, what kind of an idiot came up with these absurd limits? Far too high for city streets, yet far too low for expressways.

On the aforementioned road, the limit should be 50 or 60km/h and strictly enforced. On an expressway 120-130 is what it should be.

Not being an idiot, I generally drive at 50-60 on city streets, but whatever speed I can get up to on the expressway. No one ever does only 80km/h on the expressway, no one. It's too slow. But since it's not enforced anyway who cares anyway.

[padsist4]

Never met a single cop at Nongkhai...

There are loads of cops in nong khai you must be one of the drivers I hate drive with your eyes closed. We have a policeman neighbour

[seedy]

one troll flaming post removed

[Sutty]

All this about driving and how bad!!!!! Thais drive so do farangs diffrence is Thais grow up driving the way they do us farangs come over, drive like in our own country because we're far superior aren't we!!!!!!!. Then after we get cut up a few times we suddenly become raving lunatics honking horns (not a thai thing) giving the finger (not a thai thing) oh yes mouthing two little words which would only be deleted if I spelt them out. I just sit and laugh can usualy tell when a farang is driving. I like to sit two or three cars back and watch better than a good pint amusement factor 9. Am I ever wrong yes once or twice it was thai when I assumed farang but not often. Don't belive me!!! Try it and see

[giddyup]

All this about driving and how bad!!!!! Thais drive so do farangs diffrence is Thais grow up driving the way they do us farangs come over, drive like in our own country because we're far superior aren't we!!!!!!!. Then after we get cut up a few times we suddenly become raving lunatics honking horns (not a thai thing) giving the finger (not a thai thing) oh yes mouthing two little words which would only be deleted if I spelt them out. I just sit and laugh can usualy tell when a farang is driving. I like to sit two or three cars back and watch better than a good pint amusement factor 9. Am I ever wrong yes once or twice it was thai when I assumed farang but not often. Don't belive me!!! Try it and see

Never seen it yet. See plenty of Thai road rage on TV news every day though, attacking each other with knives, sticks or guns over the slightest perceived insult.

[Sutty]

All this about driving and how bad!!!!! Thais drive so do farangs diffrence is Thais grow up driving the way they do us farangs come over, drive like in our own country because we're far superior aren't we!!!!!!!. Then after we get cut up a few times we suddenly become raving lunatics honking horns (not a thai thing) giving the finger (not a thai thing) oh yes mouthing two little words which would only be deleted if I spelt them out. I just sit and laugh can usualy tell when a farang is driving. I like to sit two or three cars back and watch better than a good pint amusement factor 9. Am I ever wrong yes once or twice it was thai when I assumed farang but not often. Don't belive me!!! Try it and see

Never seen it yet. See plenty of Thai road rage on TV news every day though, attacking each other with knives, sticks or guns over the slightest perceived insult.

As you never seen Thais having a go at each other ever not even on the news

[giddyup]

All this about driving and how bad!!!!! Thais drive so do farangs diffrence is Thais grow up driving the way they do us farangs come over, drive like in our own country because we're far superior aren't we!!!!!!!. Then after we get cut up a few times we suddenly become raving lunatics honking horns (not a thai thing) giving the finger (not a thai thing) oh yes mouthing two little words which would only be deleted if I spelt them out. I just sit and laugh can usualy tell when a farang is driving. I like to sit two or three cars back and watch better than a good pint amusement factor 9. Am I ever wrong yes once or twice it was thai when I assumed farang but not often. Don't belive me!!! Try it and see

Never seen it yet. See plenty of Thai road rage on TV news every day though, attacking each other with knives, sticks or guns over the slightest perceived insult.

As you never seen Thais having a go at each other ever not even on the news

Sorry, don't understand your point.

[Sutty]

Was only replying to your post

[giddyup]

Was only replying to your post

I realise that but your meaning isn't clear.

[Sutty]

Was only replying to your post

I realise that but your meaning isn't clear.

No deep meaning I just haven't seen any road rage attacks on the road or news

[giddyup]

Was only replying to your post

I realise that but your meaning isn't clear.

No deep meaning I just haven't seen any road rage attacks on the road or news

You wouldn't if you're watching the BBC, but I watch Thai news in the morning and it's a rare day that doesn't contain footage of Thais attacking each other over a road rage incident. I saw three different ones on the news this morning and that's only the ones that get reported because someone gets it on a cell phone or a dash cam.

[Sutty]

Don't watch bbc never have done and too busy in mornings to watch TV will take your word on it

[Tomtomtom69]

Was only replying to your post

I realise that but your meaning isn't clear.

No deep meaning I just haven't seen any road rage attacks on the road or news

You wouldn't if you're watching the BBC, but I watch Thai news in the morning and it's a rare day that doesn't contain footage of Thais attacking each other over a road rage incident. I saw three different ones on the news this morning and that's only the ones that get reported because someone gets it on a cell phone or a dash cam.

Although I agree with you (I occasionally watch Thai news too) your average Thai doesn't easily get into a road rage incident. These incidents you are referring to generally involve truck drivers, sometimes pickup delivery drivers etc. and a LOT has to go wrong before a Thai will become upset. Merely cutting someone off, speeding past them, a motorcycle driving the wrong way down a Thai's lane does NOT cause them to go out and bash up said drivers or motorcyclists. In Australia, the US etc. if drivers drove the way they do here, yes, there would be numerous incidents.

Road rage, unless you become extremely agitated is NOT a concern for your average driver here in Thailand, whether you are a Thai, a foreigner, driving a Thai registered vehicle, or foreign registered.

[giddyup]

Although I agree with you (I occasionally watch Thai news too) your average Thai doesn't easily get into a road rage incident. These incidents you are referring to generally involve truck drivers, sometimes pickup delivery drivers etc. and a LOT has to go wrong before a Thai will become upset. Merely cutting someone off, speeding past them, a motorcycle driving the wrong way down a Thai's lane does NOT cause them to go out and bash up said drivers or motorcyclists. In Australia, the US etc. if drivers drove the way they do here, yes, there would be numerous incidents.

Road rage, unless you become extremely agitated is NOT a concern for your average driver here in Thailand, whether you are a Thai, a foreigner, driving a Thai registered vehicle, or foreign registered.

Beg to differ, most of these road rage incidents involve average motorists, and the reasons are mostly petty, certainly not worth fighting over. Some Thais do have short fuses, and it doesn't take much to set them off. I watch the Thai news mostly every morning with my Thai partner and she explains all that's going on.