Chinese Holiday Drivers

[Kwasaki]

During these Chinese new year holidays the number of motors coming through the village was quite a sight.

It seemed to me in China they do not have restriction like here.

Jeeps of all sorts & sizes.

Mazda LWB SUV of sorts, never seen one like it here.

Audi 8 's.

BM 3 's, 5 's & 7 series.

Merc S 's & SUV.

VW all sorts and sizes.

Land Rovers many late top of range and many other types.

Land Cruisers, loads of em in convoy.

Lexus SUV 's.

And trucks like they have in USA ( big ).

Soooo ! poor these Chinese.

[cumgranosalum]

China has the largest "middle class" numerically speaking, in the world...what do you expect?

Also Thailand has a prohibitive protectionist tax regime on imported cars which leads to the very small variety of vehicles on the roads here.

China has allowed many manufacturers to set up in their country the majority of BMW's business is now in China where they produce cars specially adapted for the market.....I would imagine the same applies to Merc and VW/Audi.

It is however a great shame that China hasn't liberalised their laws on allowing Thai cars to be driven into China.

[Tomtomtom69]

Well there will reportedly be new restrictions for Chinese and other foreign registered (non-ASEAN) vehicles driving to Thailand soon, after concerns the large numbers of Chinese vehicles are causing all sorts of problems for Thai drivers and road users. Accidents are common. It is also outrageous (not merely a shame) that the Chinese can restrict the Thais from driving to China while Chinese get virtually free entrance to Thailand.

The articles I have read, published in Thai only since Feb 12 seem to indicate the following will soon occur:

1) Advance permission will be required for foreign registered cars to travel to Thailand. Permission must be sought via the Land Transport Department;

2) Travel itineraries need to be submitted;

3) Insurance is compulsory and needs to be purchased;

4) A sticker, plate or other identifier will need to be attached to every foreign registered car during their stay in Thailand;

5) Driver's licences need to be shown;

6) The authorized period of stay and other additional restrictions will be announced later.

I think the honeymoon period for Chinese drivers taking advantage of lax customs controls in Thailand may soon be over.

[Kwasaki]

Whow !! I was just taking a light hearted approach on many different visiting cars seen.

Interesting info in previous posts though.

[cumgranosalum]

Well there will reportedly be new restrictions for Chinese and other foreign registered (non-ASEAN) vehicles driving to Thailand soon, after concerns the large numbers of Chinese vehicles are causing all sorts of problems for Thai drivers and road users. Accidents are common. It is also outrageous (not merely a shame) that the Chinese can restrict the Thais from driving to China while Chinese get virtually free entrance to Thailand.

The articles I have read, published in Thai only since Feb 12 seem to indicate the following will soon occur:

1) Advance permission will be required for foreign registered cars to travel to Thailand. Permission must be sought via the Land Transport Department;

2) Travel itineraries need to be submitted;

3) Insurance is compulsory and needs to be purchased;

4) A sticker, plate or other identifier will need to be attached to every foreign registered car during their stay in Thailand;

5) Driver's licences need to be shown;

6) The authorized period of stay and other additional restrictions will be announced later.

I think the honeymoon period for Chinese drivers taking advantage of lax customs controls in Thailand may soon be over.

Interesting - but isn't Thailand signed up to the various treaties concerning visiting vehicles? - 1, 2, and 6 maybe resisted?

though it might lead to a easing of restrictions of cars going into China.

[Ace of Pop]

Whow !! I was just taking a light hearted approach on many different visiting cars seen.

Interesting info in previous posts though.

Yes, it makes one feel like having a break.

[cumgranosalum]

"concerns the large numbers of Chinese vehicles are causing all sorts of problems for Thai drivers and road users. Accidents are common'

I've heard this before....but I haven't read a single report in the EL media that actually backs this up.

I'm sure the general standard of driving in China is pretty poor, but one would expect that those who venture forth into lands unknown might actually be in the better driver categories.

I've seen a lot of Chinese vehicles in my travels around Laos ... Much more than Thailand...

I definitely get the impression that the accusations are not actually based on a scientific analysis so much as confirmation bias.

[Tomtomtom69]

"concerns the large numbers of Chinese vehicles are causing all sorts of problems for Thai drivers and road users. Accidents are common'

I've heard this before....but I haven't read a single report in the EL media that actually backs this up.

I'm sure the general standard of driving in China is pretty poor, but one would expect that those who venture forth into lands unknown might actually be in the better driver categories.

I've seen a lot of Chinese vehicles in my travels around Laos ... Much more than Thailand...

I definitely get the impression that the accusations are not actually based on a scientific analysis so much as confirmation bias.

You haven't been reading the right media. There have been plenty of reports in the English language media about bad Chinese drivers in Thailand. However, since Thailand is a Thai speaking country the vast majority of such reports are in Thai.

[cumgranosalum]

"concerns the large numbers of Chinese vehicles are causing all sorts of problems for Thai drivers and road users. Accidents are common'

I've heard this before....but I haven't read a single report in the EL media that actually backs this up.

I'm sure the general standard of driving in China is pretty poor, but one would expect that those who venture forth into lands unknown might actually be in the better driver categories.

I've seen a lot of Chinese vehicles in my travels around Laos ... Much more than Thailand...

I definitely get the impression that the accusations are not actually based on a scientific analysis so much as confirmation bias.

You haven't been reading the right media. There have been plenty of reports in the English language media about bad Chinese drivers in Thailand. However, since Thailand is a Thai speaking country the vast majority of such reports are in Thai.

the "right" media - so i have to go purposely looking for it? Let's just put it down to typical media confirmation bias?

[Tomtomtom69]

Well there will reportedly be new restrictions for Chinese and other foreign registered (non-ASEAN) vehicles driving to Thailand soon, after concerns the large numbers of Chinese vehicles are causing all sorts of problems for Thai drivers and road users. Accidents are common. It is also outrageous (not merely a shame) that the Chinese can restrict the Thais from driving to China while Chinese get virtually free entrance to Thailand.

The articles I have read, published in Thai only since Feb 12 seem to indicate the following will soon occur:

1) Advance permission will be required for foreign registered cars to travel to Thailand. Permission must be sought via the Land Transport Department;

2) Travel itineraries need to be submitted;

3) Insurance is compulsory and needs to be purchased;

4) A sticker, plate or other identifier will need to be attached to every foreign registered car during their stay in Thailand;

5) Driver's licences need to be shown;

6) The authorized period of stay and other additional restrictions will be announced later.

I think the honeymoon period for Chinese drivers taking advantage of lax customs controls in Thailand may soon be over.

Interesting - but isn't Thailand signed up to the various treaties concerning visiting vehicles? - 1, 2, and 6 maybe resisted?

though it might lead to a easing of restrictions of cars going into China.

No it isn't.

For private vehicles:

There is an agreement with Laos.

There are semi-formal agreements with Malaysia and Singapore.

There are local agreements with Cambodia and Myanmar, but officially only for local traffic.

For trucks:

There is a formal agreement with Cambodia, on a quota basis.

There is a formal agreement with Vietnam, on a quota basis.

There is a formal agreement with Malaysia and Singapore for perishable goods but with a quota on the amount of tons of produce that can be transported.

For buses:

There is a formal agreement with Cambodia, on a quota basis.

There is a semi-formal agreement with Malaysia but only for buses travelling within the border regions. Malaysian buses can now officially no longer drive further than Hat Yai or Songkhla province.

There is NO agreement with China.

Thailand is under no obligation to allow the entry of Chinese or other third country private vehicles since China for example doesn't allow it either.

Of course this doesn't mean that Thailand (or even China) want to stop the entry of foreign registered vehicles altogether, rather, the new proposed restrictions will merely cut down on the number of foreign registered vehicles driving in Thailand (presumably non-ASEAN foreign) as it becomes more complicated to meet all the requirements.

[cumgranosalum]

THr fact is the same as Europe in the 70s/80s , there is going to be a exponential increase in the number of people taking their cars abroad - or at least WANTING to. Whether they are ASEAN or not ASEAN needs to have a single policy.

As with any new thing increased numbers equals increased noticeability and of course there are people who love to revert to racist/xenophobic reactions - "there come over here" - "causing accidents" - this is course is a totally distorted view. In many countries there are signs up for foreign motorists at least when they first cross the border and these are welcome, burt the main thing is to make sure these vehicles have insurance.

[Tomtomtom69]

THr fact is the same as Europe in the 70s/80s , there is going to be a exponential increase in the number of people taking their cars abroad - or at least WANTING to. Whether they are ASEAN or not ASEAN needs to have a single policy.

As with any new thing increased numbers equals increased noticeability and of course there are people who love to revert to racist/xenophobic reactions - "there come over here" - "causing accidents" - this is course is a totally distorted view. In many countries there are signs up for foreign motorists at least when they first cross the border and these are welcome, burt the main thing is to make sure these vehicles have insurance.

Well I dunno if it's racist (I highly doubt that is the intention) but countries like Vietnam and China are highly paranoid about foreign drivers coming in with their own cars and causing accidents, but incidentally they don't have a problem if said foreigners drive locally registered vehicles. Thailand has been easy going for decades but that is starting to change, and rightly so I think. There is enough bad driving going on locally that there doesn't need to be more danger coming from poorly trained foreign motorists, especially those driving cars with the steering wheel on the wrong side.

ASEAN doesn't have a common policy on the entry of foreign registered vehicles and there is NO plan at this stage for one. I've searched long and hard and neither customs, the policy makers of the GMS CBTA agreement or anyone else with a stake here has any knowledge of any change in policy in line with AEC.

You might think ASEAN should have a single policy, but individual countries have their own industries to protect (for example, local bus and trucking industries) and their concerns about driving standards are valid. Foreign drivers who have been living in and trained to local standards are a lower risk than foreigners bringing in their cars for tourism purposes to countries where they are unfamiliar with the local road conditions, driving standards (and in this part of the world, the LHD vs RHD and drive on the left vs. drive on the right presents another added complication).

Indications are that Thailand and other neighboring countries are actually making it MORE difficult for foreign registered vehicles to come in, rather than easier. However, countries where formal agreements exist are following them and there is no plan to change that either. They are enforcing rules more closely though - paperwork needs to be in order, nationality stickers MUST be placed on the car. Previously, this was often ignored.

Realise that the AEC is NOT Europe and given the HUGE disparity in levels of development between member countries, which you don't have in Europe (just compare Laos, one of the least developed countries in the world with Singapore, one of the most developed) you can begin to appreciate how different driving in these two countries will be, not withstanding the fact that Singapore is just a city state of course.

Another issue is that increased numbers of foreign registered vehicles will also cause more traffic jams and pollution. I don't think that foreign registered vehicles should be encouraged in larger numbers given the major congestion problems and lack of road infrastructure that Thailand has. Foreign tourists are welcome, Chinese included. However, they can do what everyone else does and get on a plane. If they have a valid driver's licence, they can rent a car locally. Besides, Thailand drives on the left so having a RHD is far more ideal than driving LHD. It also leads to less confusion and fewer accidents.

Whether you like it or not, these are the facts. Fortunately of course, you are not a policy maker so you don't have any say in what the rules are.

[Kwasaki]

Good read I think, bit of subject but seeing as it has been mentioned.

No matter how many times you go to a country like England or Japan, it’s still a little shock to get off a plane and see people driving on the left side of the road. That is, if you’re from the roughly 75 percent of countries that drive on the right side of the road. Wrong in this case is relative, depending on where you’re from.

There are a lot of differences in how individual countries do things, of course. The metric system might be the biggest—the United States is largely on its own in measuring with feet and inches. Currencies and exchange rates are certainly country-specific as well, not to mention languages and customs. But all of those things go back hundreds of years. Automobiles arrived in the 20th century. Why couldn’t the world standardize one system for driving?

It’s harder than you might think. Despite the modern invention of the car, the side of the road on which we drive has a centuries-old history. The fact that most people are right-handed is the biggest factor contributing to which side of the road people initially chose. Ancient Romans drove chariots with the reins in their dominant right hands to allow them to whip a horse with their left. That way there was little risk of accidentally whipping a passing chariot. But if a warrior needed to do battle from a horse, he could attack a passing opponent on the right with his stronger hand.

For centuries, driving on a certain side of the road was mostly just a custom. There weren’t that many travelers and roads weren’t paved or marked to direct traffic, so it didn’t matter too much. But as more people started driving, some uniformity was needed. One of the biggest influencers of driving direction was Henry Ford, who designed his Model T with the driver on the left. That decision meant cars would have to drive on the road’s right, so that passengers in both the front and back seat could exit the car onto the curb.

Many countries eventually followed. Canada, Italy, and Spain changed to right-side driving in the 1920s. Most of Eastern Europe changed in the ’30s. Scandinavia waited until the 1960s, but its countries eventually changed to the right, too. Things got interesting in colonial countries, especially in Africa. France had long been a right-side country and Britain a left-side country, so their colonies usually followed suit. But when they became independent, many sought to normalize with their neighbors to make things easier. Today, most African countries drive on the right.

Driving on the left means sitting on the right. Photo by Spencer Millsap / NGM Staff

So why do close to 50 countries still drive on the left? The short answer might be stubbornness, which—we should be fair here—is part of the same reason the U.S. still sticks to measuring in inches and feet. But the more nuanced reason is momentum. Cities like London were designed to accommodate left handed driving, so switching would be no simple tweak. Changing the rules of the road is a very complex and expensive thing to do. And the more time that goes by, more cars on the road makes it even harder.

It’s certainly not a debilitating difference to foreign drivers. After a few minutes, your mind tends to adapt. But the most fascinating places to see the confusion might be at border crossings, where drivers are required to immediately change sides. British drivers who take their cars under the English Channel need to swap when they arrive in France. The same is true when crossing borders between China and Pakistan, as well as China and Hong Kong. Where possible, that seems like a good enough reason to cross a border on foot.

[Ace of Pop]

The New Zealand Police are rather sensible in regard to Tourist Drivers.They simply pull the Offender over in their renter , and if they see fit,call a Taxi for them and thats it. Rental Co has to collect and sort out the situation. Asians and Chinese mainly.

[cumgranosalum]

" The same is true when crossing borders between China and Pakistan, as well as China and Hong Kong. Where possible, that seems like a good enough reason to cross a border on foot." and of course Thailand and Laos

[cumgranosalum]

Good read I think, bit of subject but seeing as it has been mentioned.

No matter how many times you go to a country like England or Japan, it’s still a little shock to get off a plane and see people driving on the left side of the road. That is, if you’re from the roughly 75 percent of countries that drive on the right side of the road. Wrong in this case is relative, depending on where you’re from.

There are a lot of differences in how individual countries do things, of course. The metric system might be the biggest—the United States is largely on its own in measuring with feet and inches. Currencies and exchange rates are certainly country-specific as well, not to mention languages and customs. But all of those things go back hundreds of years. Automobiles arrived in the 20th century. Why couldn’t the world standardize one system for driving?

It’s harder than you might think. Despite the modern invention of the car, the side of the road on which we drive has a centuries-old history. The fact that most people are right-handed is the biggest factor contributing to which side of the road people initially chose. Ancient Romans drove chariots with the reins in their dominant right hands to allow them to whip a horse with their left. That way there was little risk of accidentally whipping a passing chariot. But if a warrior needed to do battle from a horse, he could attack a passing opponent on the right with his stronger hand.

For centuries, driving on a certain side of the road was mostly just a custom. There weren’t that many travelers and roads weren’t paved or marked to direct traffic, so it didn’t matter too much. But as more people started driving, some uniformity was needed. One of the biggest influencers of driving direction was Henry Ford, who designed his Model T with the driver on the left. That decision meant cars would have to drive on the road’s right, so that passengers in both the front and back seat could exit the car onto the curb.

Many countries eventually followed. Canada, Italy, and Spain changed to right-side driving in the 1920s. Most of Eastern Europe changed in the ’30s. Scandinavia waited until the 1960s, but its countries eventually changed to the right, too. Things got interesting in colonial countries, especially in Africa. France had long been a right-side country and Britain a left-side country, so their colonies usually followed suit. But when they became independent, many sought to normalize with their neighbors to make things easier. Today, most African countries drive on the right.

Driving on the left means sitting on the right. Photo by Spencer Millsap / NGM Staff

So why do close to 50 countries still drive on the left? The short answer might be stubbornness, which—we should be fair here—is part of the same reason the U.S. still sticks to measuring in inches and feet. But the more nuanced reason is momentum. Cities like London were designed to accommodate left handed driving, so switching would be no simple tweak. Changing the rules of the road is a very complex and expensive thing to do. And the more time that goes by, more cars on the road makes it even harder.

It’s certainly not a debilitating difference to foreign drivers. After a few minutes, your mind tends to adapt. But the most fascinating places to see the confusion might be at border crossings, where drivers are required to immediately change sides. British drivers who take their cars under the English Channel need to swap when they arrive in France. The same is true when crossing borders between China and Pakistan, as well as China and Hong Kong. Where possible, that seems like a good enough reason to cross a border on foot.

...and all of this adds up to why Burma should change NOW to driving on the left.

[NanLaew]

"concerns the large numbers of Chinese vehicles are causing all sorts of problems for Thai drivers and road users. Accidents are common'

I've heard this before....but I haven't read a single report in the EL media that actually backs this up.

I'm sure the general standard of driving in China is pretty poor, but one would expect that those who venture forth into lands unknown might actually be in the better driver categories.

I've seen a lot of Chinese vehicles in my travels around Laos ... Much more than Thailand...

I definitely get the impression that the accusations are not actually based on a scientific analysis so much as confirmation bias.

I have seen quite a lot more 'blue plates' in Pattaya this year so the Chinese are getting more adventurous. Last year, just before CNY, Mrs NL and I were tootling around Chiang Mai/Rai and there was plenty of mini-convoys of 'blue plates' that weren't driving cautiously and more than a few had conspicuous dings and dents. I worked in China and held a Chinese HGV license for about 8 years, driving Kenworth 5th-wheel oilfield beds regularly. These buggers do not fear death and in that regard are comparable to Thai minibus drivers, including the one that threw a water bottle at me around 2 AM while doing around 100 kph on the Mitraparp north of Korat about 3 nights ago (all because I didn't pull over when he raced up my arse flashing his lights because the left lane was full of lorries).

[Ace of Pop]

Personally i only found it "odd"for about half an hour changing sides,that was due to no Auto but now i dont have a prob. Can see more of a prob for pedestrians crossing a road than driving on them. Recon some folk are a bit dim, or dont drive much anyway if they cant hack the change.

[Tomtomtom69]

Good read I think, bit of subject but seeing as it has been mentioned.

No matter how many times you go to a country like England or Japan, it’s still a little shock to get off a plane and see people driving on the left side of the road. That is, if you’re from the roughly 75 percent of countries that drive on the right side of the road. Wrong in this case is relative, depending on where you’re from.

There are a lot of differences in how individual countries do things, of course. The metric system might be the biggest—the United States is largely on its own in measuring with feet and inches. Currencies and exchange rates are certainly country-specific as well, not to mention languages and customs. But all of those things go back hundreds of years. Automobiles arrived in the 20th century. Why couldn’t the world standardize one system for driving?

It’s harder than you might think. Despite the modern invention of the car, the side of the road on which we drive has a centuries-old history. The fact that most people are right-handed is the biggest factor contributing to which side of the road people initially chose. Ancient Romans drove chariots with the reins in their dominant right hands to allow them to whip a horse with their left. That way there was little risk of accidentally whipping a passing chariot. But if a warrior needed to do battle from a horse, he could attack a passing opponent on the right with his stronger hand.

For centuries, driving on a certain side of the road was mostly just a custom. There weren’t that many travelers and roads weren’t paved or marked to direct traffic, so it didn’t matter too much. But as more people started driving, some uniformity was needed. One of the biggest influencers of driving direction was Henry Ford, who designed his Model T with the driver on the left. That decision meant cars would have to drive on the road’s right, so that passengers in both the front and back seat could exit the car onto the curb.

Many countries eventually followed. Canada, Italy, and Spain changed to right-side driving in the 1920s. Most of Eastern Europe changed in the ’30s. Scandinavia waited until the 1960s, but its countries eventually changed to the right, too. Things got interesting in colonial countries, especially in Africa. France had long been a right-side country and Britain a left-side country, so their colonies usually followed suit. But when they became independent, many sought to normalize with their neighbors to make things easier. Today, most African countries drive on the right.

Driving on the left means sitting on the right. Photo by Spencer Millsap / NGM Staff

So why do close to 50 countries still drive on the left? The short answer might be stubbornness, which—we should be fair here—is part of the same reason the U.S. still sticks to measuring in inches and feet. But the more nuanced reason is momentum. Cities like London were designed to accommodate left handed driving, so switching would be no simple tweak. Changing the rules of the road is a very complex and expensive thing to do. And the more time that goes by, more cars on the road makes it even harder.

It’s certainly not a debilitating difference to foreign drivers. After a few minutes, your mind tends to adapt. But the most fascinating places to see the confusion might be at border crossings, where drivers are required to immediately change sides. British drivers who take their cars under the English Channel need to swap when they arrive in France. The same is true when crossing borders between China and Pakistan, as well as China and Hong Kong. Where possible, that seems like a good enough reason to cross a border on foot.

Interesting analysis and you've raised some good points.

Best example in the world where switching between driving on the left and right needs to be made? Right here in Thailand!

3 out of 4 of Thailand's neighbors drive on the right. Unfortunately, the system for changing sides, which is done at the border, isn't necessary flawless. Between Thailand and Laos MOST though not all border crossings have clearly marked signs. One border crossing where there are NO signs and due to a hill between the two border posts, making it impossible to see what's coming up on the other side is the Huay Kon/Muang Ngern crossing in Thailand's Nan / Laos' Saiyabuli province. The actual switchover point should be halfway between the two countries in the no-man's land. However, in reality the only indicator of where you should switch is the short gap between the better paved and marked Thai built road and the Lao road, after which road signs are on the right. No actual arrows, signs etc. are in place there, for some unknown reason. On the other hand, the much newer Phu Doo crossing in Uttaradit clearly has arrows marked and signs in place. The switchover takes place on top of a steep hill, but with markings and signs it's a breeze.

On the other hand, between Cambodia and Thailand, where cross border traffic volume remains low (though it is expected to increase considerably in the future, especially if the two countries ever get around to signing an agreement that covers private motor vehicles crossing into each other's territory) it is a free for all. There are no markings, signs indicating that traffic needs to switch from one side to the other. Most vehicles switch wherever it's convenient or where they think they have crossed into Thai territory (or vice versa). I haven't seen any head-on collisions yet, but for safety's sake they really should address this. Of course it didn't seem to matter for the last couple of decades but it may start to matter soon.

Between Thailand and Myanmar, there are only 4 crossings where vehicles are allowed to cross (as far as I'm aware) of which I know 2 have road markings and signs (Mae Sot/Myawady and Mae Sai/Tachilek). I'm not sure what Phu Nam Ron/Htee Khee is like as I haven't been there, but presumably as a new crossing, it's similar. The Three Pagodas Pass has no markings, but the left lane is blocked when entering Myanmar from the Thai side (right lane when crossing into Thailand) so presumably that causes drivers to remember. However, with that border crossing not really being officially open and traffic volume extremely small, it's not a big deal either way.

BTW a little correction in your post. Most southern and eastern African countries drive on the LEFT. Two more African countries (Burundi and Rwanda) which both currently drive on the RIGHT may soon switch to the LEFT as they are part of a customs and economic union with other left driving African countries and have poor relations with some of their right driving neighbors.

In Scandinavia, only Sweden switched from driving on the left to the right, but all their cars were already LHD and being completely surrounded by other left hand traffic countries this made sense. It made less sense for an island like Iceland to do the same, given that I believe most of their cars were RHD. All other Scandinavian countries already drove on the right to begin with.

Also another interesting anecdote: While a lot more countries have switched from driving on the left to the right, for whatever reasons, all of them did so prior to the mid-1970s. Since then, the only countries that have switched sides have been from RIGHT to LEFT. These countries/territories include: East Timor (in 1975? I think) when it was absorbed into Indonesia. Since independence from Indo in 1999 it has retained the custom of driving on the left and in fact it would be absurd not to mention expensive and pointless to switch back again. Okinawa switched back to left hand traffic as in the rest of Japan due to a rule that in one country, only one side of the road driving is allowed. Finally, Samoa in 2009 I think it was switched to the left in order to allow Samoan expats based in left-hand driving Aus and NZ to bring their cars over more easily.

[Tomtomtom69]

The New Zealand Police are rather sensible in regard to Tourist Drivers.They simply pull the Offender over in their renter , and if they see fit,call a Taxi for them and thats it. Rental Co has to collect and sort out the situation. Asians and Chinese mainly.

I have heard of both the police and vigilante members of the public taking away the keys of bad drivers in NZ. The vast majority tend to be Chinese tourist drivers driving rental cars. So not Chinese international students or immigrant Chinese (who tend to be pretty decent drivers due to having gone through the local licensing system and used to driving RHD), but Chinese tourists from the mainland visiting NZ for a short period. Some of the offences include: parking in dangerous locations to take pictures thus obscuring traffic and driving into the oncoming lane. Some of the same things that Chinese drivers do in Thailand. Sure, many of NZ's roads can be bendy, but a good driver knows how to stay within their own lane.

If anyone has read today's Bangkok Post (29th of Feb edition) the front page story on the print edition and one of the major stories on the online edition was the story about Chinese drivers bringing their own cars into Thailand, the traffic woes, bad driving and lack of tourism income from drivers bringing their own vehicles concerns as well as the LTD decision to impose more requirements to bring foreign registered vehicles into Thailand in future. A sort of tit for tat given what the Chinese impose on the Thais, although the Thai requirements will still be far less than the Chinese requirements for foreign registered vehicles. Even so, it's a step in the right direction I think.

As it's against forum policy to link Bangkok Post articles here, I'm unable to post a link to that story. However, just go to their website and you'll see what it's about. I knew the English language media would eventually follow up on this story, given how Thai language media (including social media) has been abuzz with this topic over the last couple of weeks.

[Tomtomtom69]

Personally i only found it "odd"for about half an hour changing sides,that was due to no Auto but now i dont have a prob. Can see more of a prob for pedestrians crossing a road than driving on them. Recon some folk are a bit dim, or dont drive much anyway if they cant hack the change.

Exactly. It really doesn't take much to adjust. Just keep more space with the vehicle in front before overtaking, although to be honest, passing/overtaking really shouldn't be the main priority when driving.

[Tomtomtom69]

Well there will reportedly be new restrictions for Chinese and other foreign registered (non-ASEAN) vehicles driving to Thailand soon, after concerns the large numbers of Chinese vehicles are causing all sorts of problems for Thai drivers and road users. Accidents are common. It is also outrageous (not merely a shame) that the Chinese can restrict the Thais from driving to China while Chinese get virtually free entrance to Thailand.

The articles I have read, published in Thai only since Feb 12 seem to indicate the following will soon occur:

1) Advance permission will be required for foreign registered cars to travel to Thailand. Permission must be sought via the Land Transport Department;

2) Travel itineraries need to be submitted;

3) Insurance is compulsory and needs to be purchased;

4) A sticker, plate or other identifier will need to be attached to every foreign registered car during their stay in Thailand;

5) Driver's licences need to be shown;

6) The authorized period of stay and other additional restrictions will be announced later.

I think the honeymoon period for Chinese drivers taking advantage of lax customs controls in Thailand may soon be over.

Interesting - but isn't Thailand signed up to the various treaties concerning visiting vehicles? - 1, 2, and 6 maybe resisted?

though it might lead to a easing of restrictions of cars going into China.

No it isn't.

For private vehicles:

There is an agreement with Laos.

There are semi-formal agreements with Malaysia and Singapore.

There are local agreements with Cambodia and Myanmar, but officially only for local traffic.

For trucks:

There is a formal agreement with Cambodia, on a quota basis.

There is a formal agreement with Vietnam, on a quota basis.

There is a formal agreement with Malaysia and Singapore for perishable goods but with a quota on the amount of tons of produce that can be transported.

For buses:

There is a formal agreement with Cambodia, on a quota basis.

There is a semi-formal agreement with Malaysia but only for buses travelling within the border regions. Malaysian buses can now officially no longer drive further than Hat Yai or Songkhla province.

There is NO agreement with China.

Thailand is under no obligation to allow the entry of Chinese or other third country private vehicles since China for example doesn't allow it either.

Of course this doesn't mean that Thailand (or even China) want to stop the entry of foreign registered vehicles altogether, rather, the new proposed restrictions will merely cut down on the number of foreign registered vehicles driving in Thailand (presumably non-ASEAN foreign) as it becomes more complicated to meet all the requirements.

Sorry I forgot to add that Thailand and Laos obviously also have an agreement for commercial vehicles i.e. trucks and buses. Laos is also the only country with which Thailand has concluded an agreement for all vehicle types WITHOUT a quota. Therefore, unlimited numbers of Thai trucks and buses can enter Laos and vice versa. In practice, most buses crossing the border operate on set routes and with alternate day Thai/Lao registrations, while the trucking industry heavily favours Thai trucks, which are seen all over Laos, whereas Lao registered LHD trucks never drive all the way to Bangkok. Whether or not Thai trucking operators or the Thai logistics industry blocks them/they switch trailers/their fleet is too small I don't know, but 100% of all trucks seen in Bangkok and other points a certain distance from the border are Thai registered. Lao registered trucks generally only travel within Isarn, usually not even beyond Udon Thani or Kalasin if coming across the second friendship bridge.

[Tomtomtom69]

@Kwasaki,

I should add that after years of living in Australia and then visiting Thailand when I was younger, the first time I arrived back in Switzerland where part of my family is from I received a shock when it came to right hand driving. Wanting to sit in the front passenger seat, I instinctively went over to what in Switzerland is the driver's seat. It took me a little while to get used to this arrangement.

So don't assume it's a "shock" to see left hand traffic because clearly you are biased. It's just as "shocking" for those used to the left to experience right hand traffic.

However, this "shock" wears off very quickly. Even if you're American, if you've been to Japan, England, even Thailand a few times making the switch is no big deal anymore. If you can't get used to it after a few days at most (and especially if you're a regular visitor to these countries), something must be seriously wrong with you as most of us can easily adapt to such basic things.

[cumgranosalum]

Well there will reportedly be new restrictions for Chinese and other foreign registered (non-ASEAN) vehicles driving to Thailand soon, after concerns the large numbers of Chinese vehicles are causing all sorts of problems for Thai drivers and road users. Accidents are common. It is also outrageous (not merely a shame) that the Chinese can restrict the Thais from driving to China while Chinese get virtually free entrance to Thailand.

The articles I have read, published in Thai only since Feb 12 seem to indicate the following will soon occur:

1) Advance permission will be required for foreign registered cars to travel to Thailand. Permission must be sought via the Land Transport Department;

2) Travel itineraries need to be submitted;

3) Insurance is compulsory and needs to be purchased;

4) A sticker, plate or other identifier will need to be attached to every foreign registered car during their stay in Thailand;

5) Driver's licences need to be shown;

6) The authorized period of stay and other additional restrictions will be announced later.

I think the honeymoon period for Chinese drivers taking advantage of lax customs controls in Thailand may soon be over.

Interesting - but isn't Thailand signed up to the various treaties concerning visiting vehicles? - 1, 2, and 6 maybe resisted?

though it might lead to a easing of restrictions of cars going into China.

No it isn't.

For private vehicles:

There is an agreement with Laos.

There are semi-formal agreements with Malaysia and Singapore.

There are local agreements with Cambodia and Myanmar, but officially only for local traffic.

For trucks:

There is a formal agreement with Cambodia, on a quota basis.

There is a formal agreement with Vietnam, on a quota basis.

There is a formal agreement with Malaysia and Singapore for perishable goods but with a quota on the amount of tons of produce that can be transported.

For buses:

There is a formal agreement with Cambodia, on a quota basis.

There is a semi-formal agreement with Malaysia but only for buses travelling within the border regions. Malaysian buses can now officially no longer drive further than Hat Yai or Songkhla province.

There is NO agreement with China.

Thailand is under no obligation to allow the entry of Chinese or other third country private vehicles since China for example doesn't allow it either.

Of course this doesn't mean that Thailand (or even China) want to stop the entry of foreign registered vehicles altogether, rather, the new proposed restrictions will merely cut down on the number of foreign registered vehicles driving in Thailand (presumably non-ASEAN foreign) as it becomes more complicated to meet all the requirements.

Sorry I forgot to add that Thailand and Laos obviously also have an agreement for commercial vehicles i.e. trucks and buses. Laos is also the only country with which Thailand has concluded an agreement for all vehicle types WITHOUT a quota. Therefore, unlimited numbers of Thai trucks and buses can enter Laos and vice versa. In practice, most buses crossing the border operate on set routes and with alternate day Thai/Lao registrations, while the trucking industry heavily favours Thai trucks, which are seen all over Laos, whereas Lao registered LHD trucks never drive all the way to Bangkok. Whether or not Thai trucking operators or the Thai logistics industry blocks them/they switch trailers/their fleet is too small I don't know, but 100% of all trucks seen in Bangkok and other points a certain distance from the border are Thai registered. Lao registered trucks generally only travel within Isarn, usually not even beyond Udon Thani or Kalasin if coming across the second friendship bridge.

I've owned 2 LHD vehicles in UK and spent years driving borth LHD and RHD on both sides of the road (in the appropriate country. I f you live in UK driving on ther right around Europe is second nature - there are no significant problems.

as thfor the reasons given about Chinese drivers - pure poppy-cock.

[cumgranosalum]

The New Zealand Police are rather sensible in regard to Tourist Drivers.They simply pull the Offender over in their renter , and if they see fit,call a Taxi for them and thats it. Rental Co has to collect and sort out the situation. Asians and Chinese mainly.

I think it's fairly obvious that Kiwi police are following a racist policy there. As are the BK post et al with their complaints about Chinese drivers in Thailand - talk about the pot calling the kettel black - they wouldn't know a bad driver if one ran them over.

[Ace of Pop]

Absolute noncence,the Police there are too easy if anything.

[cumgranosalum]

The Police are completely ineffective - they don't seem to understand anything about road safety and certainlty can't be relied on to give an accurate, scientific appraisal of what is going on.....of course there are more Chinese involved in incidents - especially in the North - a few years back there weren't any Chinese cars at all.

What is happening is an influx of FOREIGN drivers and the authorities are reacting to it in a particularly ignorant way.

inUk or anywhere in Europe you will notice not just foreign cars but a huge amount of foreign vehicles on ALL roads......Eastern Europe, and the West........no-one raises an eyebrow - it's called TRADE.

to suggest that Chinese cars don't bring in money just shows the paucity of thinking by the authorities.

In the end they had better just get used to it - if ASEAN is going to work one should expect to see heavy goods vehicles from ALL ASEAN countries and of course3 China as China is a major trading partner.

What people fail to realise about China is that the west part of that huge country is effectively land-locked - they NEED to have access to the roads of Laos,Thailand and Burma not just for trade in those countries but also for access to the potential deep-water ports in burma....why do you think they keep building all these roads? Altruism is certainly not a big part of Chinese foreign policy.

foreign vehicles - get used to them and stop being such moaning minnies.

[Kwasaki]

@Kwasaki,

I should add that after years of living in Australia and then visiting Thailand when I was younger, the first time I arrived back in Switzerland where part of my family is from I received a shock when it came to right hand driving. Wanting to sit in the front passenger seat, I instinctively went over to what in Switzerland is the driver's seat. It took me a little while to get used to this arrangement.

So don't assume it's a "shock" to see left hand traffic because clearly you are biased. It's just as "shocking" for those used to the left to experience right hand traffic.

However, this "shock" wears off very quickly. Even if you're American, if you've been to Japan, England, even Thailand a few times making the switch is no big deal anymore. If you can't get used to it after a few days at most (and especially if you're a regular visitor to these countries), something must be seriously wrong with you as most of us can easily adapt to such basic things.

Well have ridden motorbikes and driven cars since I was 14yr never thought much about having to drive on the right-side of the road in the company car with RHD, just put me stickers on the headlights which I noticed no Chinese car drivers in Thailand went about doing.

When working in countries abroad for any length of time mostly right-handed road side I had no problem driving a LHD car.

No bother at all with motorbikes or getting off the bike left or right side, maybe it's just down to my IQ. .

[Ace of Pop]

[emoji481][emoji481][emoji819]️[emoji3]

[seedy]

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