I really like Thailand!

[villagefarang]

1 hour ago, amykat said:

Okay VF, but I put the things on the counter because I am tired of waiting in line and HOLDING them, so while I wait for jerky man to do his thing, I think I will just put my things there ...since I was next, and the counter is empty.  I have done this many times, and so far, nobody has attacked me. Those people who come in and start ordering don't have anything to put on the counter.  But see how you assumed that I was attempting to rush ahead of him?  Like you assumed I was a bad driver who made some mistakes and then tried to blast someone with my horn? 

 

I am not placing blame or making assumptions about blame because regardless of blame or intention, actions have consequences.  Your responses to my comments are, however, beginning to paint a picture as to why these things may be happening to you even though you may be completely in the right.  Your anticipation of bad things happening to you sounds a bit disconcerting to me.  Have you ever heard of the self-fulfilling prophecy?

[villagefarang]

I don't drink and never have.  I really like living in Thailand and have always found it an easy place to reside.  I liked living in Bangkok for 30 years and now I like living in Chiang Rai.  No baiting or bullshit from me, just my observations and opinions which may or may not be relevant to others.

[kannot]

11 hours ago, villagefarang said:

If you want to play the hypothetical blame game then sure the guy would be in the wrong but who ends up bloody and on the floor, and for what?  A few extra second at the 7/11 just isn’t worth a trip to the hospital or the police station, in my opinion.

 

In my opinion driving experience in more rigidly enforced rules-based countries is a real handicap to driving safely in Thailand, not a help.  Here you must depend more on yourself than on the rules if you want to stay safe.

not  according to the "Hells  Angels"

[Rimmer]

Some off topic bickering and flames have been removed

[joeyg]

On 9/24/2016 at 6:24 PM, amykat said:

Hi Berkshire,

Thank you for your nice post.  Let's just assume that I know how to drive pretty well.  I grew up in LA and spent the majority of my life driving at least 4 hours a day in that traffic.  I lived in NYC and drove there.  I lived in Paris, France and drove there.  I've lived in many other places with  deep snow and different climates and cultures, and here for nearly 12 years.  The majority of the world uses the horn, including surrounding Asian countries.  To an extreme amount.  It is a safety devise not a shaming devise. I used it as such.  I also ONLY gave a short beep and never give it a big slam here.  I try to not use it here.  As I have stated, I am well aware of the consequences, like the shooting which was on my mind when the crazy man was chasing me/ ramming me.  I also am not inclined to do things like flip people off and have never done such a thing in my life. 

 

On the other hand, let's say I was in 7/11 and waiting in line, and some guy walks in, and goes to the front and starts ordering what he wants in front of all others.  (Like often happens here.)  And I step in front and put my things on the counter, and then he punches me, and then starts kicking me in the head repeatedly.  And then I post this story here.  Would you guys be ignoring what he did and instead be telling me that I was too aggressive and because that never happened to you, you think I did something wrong?

I like your post.  Interestingly I also drove quite a bit in LA.  I lived in Studio City for a couple of years.  Years before in NYC where nobody was shy about leaning on their horns.  And Paris a little visiting relatives.  The craziest place however was in India quite a bit over the past couple of years.  Didn't drive except some scooters locally in West Bengal a little, much more dangerous than Thailand IMHO and I still won't drive here period.  In India we mostly hired cars and some of the drivers seemed to use there horns incessantly doing some of the most hair raising driving I've ever seen.  The cities were even worse.

 

There was never a hint in any of those places a person would be shot though.  At the same time here in Thailand while crossing the street it appeared that people on a few occasions actually sped up and were trying to run me down.  I have challenged them or made some other gesture and each time they slowed down like they wanted to get out of their car and "get into it." I won't do that again.

 

Now i'm crossing the street even more carefully.

 

I have learned there are some real "wack jobs" behind the wheel here.

 

"On the other hand, let's say I was in 7/11 and waiting in line, and some guy walks in, and goes to the front and starts ordering what he wants in front of all others.  (Like often happens here.)  And I step in front and put my things on the counter, and then he punches me, and then starts kicking me in the head repeatedly.  And then I post this story here.  Would you guys be ignoring what he did and instead be telling me that I was too aggressive and because that never happened to you, you think I did something wrong?"

 

No I don't think you're wrong.  You have to pick your battles though or possibly suffer the consequences.  In the end was it worth it?  That's the question.

 

I'll confess last year when I was in a small town in West Bengal I was 3rd in line behind two elderly woman at a small general store.  A young buffed guy came and cut in front of us all put his elbows on the counter and started ordering his stuff as is very typical in India.

 

The older woman complained to him a he just rudely blew them off.  I told him there a line here you may have heard of it we were here first.  I cursed me out in Bengali and turned back to the shop keeper.  I grabbed him by the back of the shirt, threw him on the ground kicked him in the head and spit on him.

 

He said he was going to call the police.  I said no I will.  I motioned to the police officer that had driven me to the shop.  Told him what happened and the two old women chimed in too.  The nice police officer beat him to a bloody pulp.  it could have worked out very differently but I knew what the outcome would be in this one so I blew off some steam.  Having become frustrated with some of the most low class rudest people in the world I had been around for months.

 

Now I would never pull a stunt like this in Thailand.  It worked out just fine in West Bengal though.  I do have other exciting India adventures...

 

Thailand you got too stay cool.

 

 

Edited September 26, 2016 by joeyg

[rijb]

Bullshit.

[joeyg]

Ok as long as I'm confessing.  When I arrived with my colleague at BKK from Kolkata we had the first/best space waiting for luggage.  Short version some Indian guy came and posted himself right in front of me.  I immediately pushed him to the side quite hard almost knocking hm over.

 

I said we're in Thailand not India this is a queue you may have heard of it.  he was shocked as his other 6 buddies were walking up.  I probably can't say what I told him here however he and his buddies were all mortified.  I said now what do you want to do about it.  they did nothing of course.

 

If they had half a brain they would have called airport security.  Anyway after 6 months in India I really had had it.

 

Glad to be back home in Thailand...

[joeyg]

On 9/24/2016 at 6:01 PM, Berkshire said:

 

Amy, I get what VF is trying to say.  Firstly, I can understand that being a woman may be different.  More the reason to be a bit defensive and docile. 

 

VF's point is honking your horn to avoid an accident is perfectly ok.  Just yesterday, I was cruising along in my lane when another car was slowly creeping into my lane.  I could tell he couldn't see me.  So I gave him a long, sustained horn.  He finally heard and went back into his lane.  No harm, no foul.  Now if the close-call has already passed and you're just honking at the guy to show him your displeasure, or to teach him a lesson, or even to warn him for the future...not the same thing.  That's all.

I don't drive here.  In a bhat bus, crossing the street or any time I'm on the road I by default assume everyone is drunk or on drugs, especially on the weekends. Or they are on their mobile phones or distracted in some other way.  I do like it here but the roads scare the s$$t out of me.

[joeyg]

On 9/24/2016 at 6:25 PM, nemrut said:

 

Honking is considered offensive and an act of aggression in Thailand.  Whenever i hear someone honk and look to see who it is, almost always it's a farang.  Honking i is what starts many road rage incidents in places like the US.

 

Now in Vietnam, honk as much as you like and no one will take offense.

InterestingThailand didn't even make top ten.  

 

"It's official: Britain is the worst country in the world for road rage"

 

 

Aggressive gestures   Verbal agression    Blocked in the road

Great Britain       76%53%73%

France                  73%44%42%

CzechRepublic    70%40%72%

Germany              43%47%62%

India                     52%44%59%

Belgium                60%32%48%

Italy                       48%37%44%

US                          52%32%44%

Australia               52%34%40%

Luxembourg         70%19%34%

 

http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/car-news/consumer-news/89561/its-official-britain-is-the-worst-country-in-the-world-for-road-rage

[amykat]

I'm sure Thailand doesn't keep any type of numbers that would put it in a survey such as the one above.

 

On another note ...Joeyg, I enjoyed your comments about India. I also traveled around India for 3 months, alone, a few years ago. I really LOVE India, but it is exhausting in many ways. The horns drive you insane, the mobs at every  service counter ...who also would reach over my head as a way to bypass me  ...those Indians are tall, unlike Thais.

 

One good things about these other places  ...like Bali where I used to spend a few months every year ...you can have  a little conflict  ...you can get angry, they can get angry, people can yell a little, you don't have to worry much about an immediate physical attack ...people can handle a loud voice ..especially in India... that alone feels like such a relief after a long time in Thailand!

[Berkshire]

1 hour ago, joeyg said:

I don't drive here.  In a bhat bus, crossing the street or any time I'm on the road I by default assume everyone is drunk or on drugs, especially on the weekends. Or they are on their mobile phones or distracted in some other way.  I do like it here but the roads scare the s$$t out of me.

 

So you've never driven in Thailand?  It's not nearly as bad as some people say, but it does take a little getting used to.  I drive every single day and I don't even think about it.  It's as normal as walking.  But I drive a car.  A lot of folks ride motorcycles and think nothing of it.  I'd be a little wary as one wrong move can cost you big.  

[nausea]

Yeah, Thailand does it for me. not perfect, but then where is. 

[Laza 45]

6 hours ago, joeyg said:

Ok as long as I'm confessing.  When I arrived with my colleague at BKK from Kolkata we had the first/best space waiting for luggage.  Short version some Indian guy came and posted himself right in front of me.  I immediately pushed him to the side quite hard almost knocking hm over.

 

I said we're in Thailand not India this is a queue you may have heard of it.  he was shocked as his other 6 buddies were walking up.  I probably can't say what I told him here however he and his buddies were all mortified.  I said now what do you want to do about it.  they did nothing of course.

 

If they had half a brain they would have called airport security.  Anyway after 6 months in India I really had had it.

 

Glad to be back home in Thailand...

...you have come across Thais that know how to queue.. amazing...

 

[joeyg]

4 hours ago, Laza 45 said:

...you have come across Thais that know how to queue.. amazing...

 

Most it seems these days.  Few in India.

[amykat]

I didn't want to derail this thread totally ...but since nobody is really writing on it anymore ...

 

Several days ago, I was on a FB group for expats in CM, and came across a reporter for CM City Life who is doing an article called "Road Rage in Chiang Mai."  He is looking for people to share their experiences.    An interesting discussion followed with a small number of people insisting that there is no road rage because it hasn't happened to them. Where is the logic??  I haven't been murdered but I know that other people are sometimes murdered.  Then there were the people with actual video evidence!

 

Another small point- I have been asking only Thai friends of mine, "do you use your horn" and the answer I have received has been YES, every time so far.  I ask in the question in general ... and then also describe a situation where a car or motorbike is drifting into you and you have nowhere to go, what do you do?  They beep the horn.

[joeyg]

On 9/26/2016 at 2:48 PM, Berkshire said:

 

So you've never driven in Thailand?  It's not nearly as bad as some people say, but it does take a little getting used to.  I drive every single day and I don't even think about it.  It's as normal as walking.  But I drive a car.  A lot of folks ride motorcycles and think nothing of it.  I'd be a little wary as one wrong move can cost you big.  

Actually I have driven friends cars and trucks in BKK and Samut Prakan.  no thanks.  Puttering around the village on a scooter up in Yasothan and Khon Kaen was great.  Being around other vehicles freaks me out.  I just figure everybody's high...