Pattaya tourists enter bike showroom - in their car

[tropo]

After living in France for several years I'd be hard pressed to say who were the better drivers, the French or the Thais.

Surely the roads are safer in France though. There's a lot of danger on the roads here OTHER than the drivers. Blind intersections, potholes, water (lack of drainage), sand, parked cars making streets one lane, no foot paths - forcing pedestrians to walk on the road, unmarked, nearly invisible speed humps etc.

Edited April 13, 2016 by tropo

[Blue Muton]

If having reflexes was a requirement then few Thais would ever get a driving licence. They mostly seem to be entirely disconnected from what is happening around them. So in that respect this decrepit old Frenchman should feel right at home.

Clearly you haven't got a Thai driving licence or you would know that you have to pass a reaction test in order to get or renew one.

[Chalard]

Age doesn't come into it. Being French however..........pedals are on the wrong side of the car

Excellent observation, I think you're right. I've always said that being a Brit has it's advantages in that we have been raised on driving on the left. (Is Australia the same?).

I also think there is a difference between a long term resident and a two week holiday driver. Nowt to do with age, but over the years here you learn to drive with eyes in the back of your head so to speak and expect dogs etc to jump out in front of you, for example.

Hope the guy has insurance.

Australia as well as neighbouring countries like Indonesia, Malaysia & Singapore drive the same as here.

Years ago when I worked in South Korea, many times I got in the right hand side to drive somewhere. Then having to get out and walk around to the other side of the car to sit in the drivers seat. lol

[hobobo]

Age doesn't come into it. Being French however..........pedals are on the wrong side of the car

Pedals have the same configuration whichever side you drive on......clutch-brake-throttle.

My car only has two pedals - have I been ripped off?

[JHolmesJr]

Inspector Clouseau (retired) alive and well in pattaya....

[jacko45k]

Should such old TOURISTS be driving in Thailand ? Expat have experience , but tourists ?

Why, are you thinking they are particularly worse than the locals?

Well, if you READ the article, it does not seem like a stupid question, does it?

I did read it, and it still does. I asked why he felt this tourist should not be driving in Thailand.

Accidents happen to anyone at any time. And the only way a tourist can get experience, and the only way new Expats can get experience is to drive. Are you suggesting some age cut-off?

[rodcourt49]

Age doesn't come into it. Being French however..........pedals are on the wrong side of the car

..did he expect his wife to do the braking...she more than likely puts the brakes on everything else he does..

Edited April 14, 2016 by rodcourt49

[luckyman]

Should such old TOURISTS be driving in Thailand ? Expat have experience , but tourists ?

Why, are you thinking they are particularly worse than the locals?

Well, if you READ the article, it does not seem like a stupid question, does it?

I did read it, and it still does. I asked why he felt this tourist should not be driving in Thailand.

Accidents happen to anyone at any time. And the only way a tourist can get experience, and the only way new Expats can get experience is to drive. Are you suggesting some age cut-off?

Not a bad idea. Being that Thailand's roads are the second deadliest in the world.

[KittenKong]

If having reflexes was a requirement then few Thais would ever get a driving licence. They mostly seem to be entirely disconnected from what is happening around them. So in that respect this decrepit old Frenchman should feel right at home.

Clearly you haven't got a Thai driving licence or you would know that you have to pass a reaction test in order to get or renew one.

I do have a Thai driving licence and I did pass the test. The test is a joke, as are the driving skills of most Thai drivers. They have no idea at all what is going on around them.

[tropo]

Should such old TOURISTS be driving in Thailand ? Expat have experience , but tourists ?

Why, are you thinking they are particularly worse than the locals?

Well, if you READ the article, it does not seem like a stupid question, does it?

I did read it, and it still does. I asked why he felt this tourist should not be driving in Thailand.

Accidents happen to anyone at any time. And the only way a tourist can get experience, and the only way new Expats can get experience is to drive. Are you suggesting some age cut-off?

It wasn't a stupid question. No matter what you think of Thai drivers, they're a lot safer than a 70 year old French tourist who doesn't know the roads driving on the other side of the road than he is used to. It takes a lot of practice to change from right side driving to left, and Pattaya is not the place to practice... even if you're young.

As a left hand driver (Australia), I remember an experience I had in the US - I was nearly run over crossing the road - I looked the wrong bloody way. It takes a while to overcome instincts learned from childhood. In Pattaya how often do you see tourists coming at you on the wrong side? How often do you see them looking the wrong way when they cross the road? I see it all the time... and I understand it.

I switch over between left and right driving quite often (right side in Philippines) and sometimes I just instinctively end up on the wrong side of the road - and that's with a lot of experience of otherside driving. It most often happens when you just pull out onto the road - you have to think carefully about where you are.

Edited April 14, 2016 by tropo

[luckyman]

Should such old TOURISTS be driving in Thailand ? Expat have experience , but tourists ?

Why, are you thinking they are particularly worse than the locals?

Well, if you READ the article, it does not seem like a stupid question, does it?

I did read it, and it still does. I asked why he felt this tourist should not be driving in Thailand.
Accidents happen to anyone at any time. And the only way a tourist can get experience, and the only way new Expats can get experience is to drive. Are you suggesting some age cut-off?

It wasn't a stupid question. No matter what you think of Thai drivers, they're a lot safer than a 70 year old French tourist who doesn't know the roads driving on the other side of the road than he is used to. It takes a lot of practice to change from right side driving to left, and Pattaya is not the place to practice... even if you're young.

As a left hand driver (Australia), I remember an experience I had in the US - I was nearly run over crossing the road - I looked the wrong bloody way. It takes a while to overcome instincts learned from childhood. In Pattaya how often do you see tourists coming at you on the wrong side? How often do you see them looking the wrong way when they cross the road? I see it all the time... and I understand it.

I switch over between left and right driving quite often (right side in Philippines) and sometimes I just instinctively end up on the wrong side of the road - and that's with a lot of experience of otherside driving. It most often happens when you just pull out onto the road - you have to think carefully about where you are.

Thanks for a point well made, fully agreed. I know several Thais that live in a small town and drive own car there but when in Pattaya take public transport or motorbike taxis only. Better safe than sorry !

[dotpoom]

Should such old TOURISTS be driving in Thailand ? Expat have experience , but tourists ?

Why, are you thinking they are particularly worse than the locals?

Exactly....if one hits the accelerator instead of the brake by accident, it has nothing got to do with whether you are a tourist or a local.

[jacko45k]

Well, if you READ the article, it does not seem like a stupid question, does it?

I did read it, and it still does. I asked why he felt this tourist should not be driving in Thailand.

Accidents happen to anyone at any time. And the only way a tourist can get experience, and the only way new Expats can get experience is to drive. Are you suggesting some age cut-off?

It wasn't a stupid question. No matter what you think of Thai drivers, they're a lot safer than a 70 year old French tourist who doesn't know the roads driving on the other side of the road than he is used to. It takes a lot of practice to change from right side driving to left, and Pattaya is not the place to practice... even if you're young.

As a left hand driver (Australia), I remember an experience I had in the US - I was nearly run over crossing the road - I looked the wrong bloody way. It takes a while to overcome instincts learned from childhood. In Pattaya how often do you see tourists coming at you on the wrong side? How often do you see them looking the wrong way when they cross the road? I see it all the time... and I understand it.

I switch over between left and right driving quite often (right side in Philippines) and sometimes I just instinctively end up on the wrong side of the road - and that's with a lot of experience of otherside driving. It most often happens when you just pull out onto the road - you have to think carefully about where you are.

Thanks for a point well made, fully agreed. I know several Thais that live in a small town and drive own car there but when in Pattaya take public transport or motorbike taxis only. Better safe than sorry !

True of many Cities with traffic problems, New York and London.

I used to switch from left to right very frequently too..... here in Thailand I am still unsure which side they are using.

[tropo]

True of many Cities with traffic problems, New York and London.

I used to switch from left to right very frequently too..... here in Thailand I am still unsure which side they are using.

Which makes the right side drivers even more confused.