SURVEY: Are instances of Road Rage increasing in Thailand?

[Scott]

Over the past while, there have been a number of articles depicting instances of road rage.   In your opinion, do you think the instances of road rage are increasing?

 

Please feel free to leave a comment.

[Credo]

Road rage does seem to be more frequent than it did in the past.   When I first came to Thailand, it was not uncommon to see the wealthy doing as they wanted on the road (including running down motorcycles that happen to be in their way).   There were not many complaints.   

 

Years ago, the traffic was horrible and I was always amazed at the patience of people who could sit for hours in traffic and not lose it.   

 

  Over the years, vehicles have moved down to the lower classes and roads are back to being very crowded.   Social media also highlights many of the incidents.  

[Toknarok]

       Of course it's increasing. More and more vehicles on the overcrowded roads coupled with the appalling driving standards it's bound to increase. Ubiquitous mobile 'phones recording everything bring it to our attention.

[LennyW]

Social media reporting and the use of dash cams has certainly increased but the instances of violence are probably less, i remember driving here in the mid-90's and everyone always said dont honk the horn you will probably get shot!!

[fruitman]

Yes but also trafficjam is much worse now, and many more idiots on the road who can't drive AT ALL. And the police does nothing, absolutely nothing.

[Bluespunk]

"Are instances of Road Rage increasing in Thailand?"

 

No, just the reporting of them.

[monkey4u]

1 hour ago, fruitman said:

Yes but also trafficjam is much worse now, and many more idiots on the road who can't drive AT ALL. And the police does nothing, absolutely nothing.

To uphold the law you need to know and understand the rules

Here the police only seem to know " you speed, 200 baht "  

[jerojero]

No. Just more instances of reporting, thanks to those neat little cameras in smartphones. ...and 40,000,000 in use Thailand.

[Docno]

I didn't vote because I only have about 6 years' driving experience in Thailand, and not a lot during that time either. But I have to say that when I first started driving in Thailand, I was surprised how patient most Thai drivers are... I see people doing crazy things at times, but no-one honks at them, gives them the "Canadian salute" (middle finger), etc etc. I've spent a lot of time driving in Canada and Singapore. Thais seem the most patient but most insane in the moves they pull; Canadians seem more aggressive (more easily pissed off); and Singaporeans more inconsiderate (they will speed up and block you when you indicate an intention to change lanes).  

[trogers]

The anger has built up due to all those Bt500 fines. Try reducing it to Bt50, and you would see more smiles everywhere...

[mr_lob]

a few years back I gave someone a little hoot because he was going round a blind corner at 5km/h holding everyone else up. He followed me all the way back to my house and went ballistic.
Lucky he didn't have a gun - would probably have used it. It was probably only my 6ft2in height compared to his 5 ft nothing that stopped me getting a smack. Called all my staff and my wife c**ts and said he was a big cheese. Called his mate up in the orbortor - he just came down and laughed.

They are all big kids babies.

Land of smiles my posterior.

[NoshowJones]

I live in Central Thailand, and have both ridden and driven to Bangkok, and through all the busiest parts several times, and I am convinced that drivers and riders in Bangkok are much safer than upcountry, ie Nakhon Sawan, Petchabun and Roi Et, In these cities, the driving and riding have always been disgraceful, while the several times I have driven and ridden through Bangkok, I have never encountered any road rage, or any bad driving or riding. I wonder why that is. A western car dealer in Bangkok who I know personally, told me the driving, riding and road rage has improved tremendously there in recent years.

[catinthehat]

In the past few days there was a major police roadblock in the news where the number one offense charged was for NO DRIVERS LICENSE. This  coupled with the millions of new drivers (many thanks to Yingluk's "first car" program) have brought many more instances in view of the lenses of all of the smartphone and CCTV cameras.

[Prbkk]

2 hours ago, fruitman said:

Yes but also trafficjam is much worse now, and many more idiots on the road who can't drive AT ALL. And the police does nothing, absolutely nothing.

 

Actually the traffic is not as bad now as it was in the 80s and 90s: it could easily take a couple of hours to get across town and longer in the wet. Same to and from the airport. Still frustrating today but things are quicker, IMO

[yellowboat]

Thais, by nature, are very patient people.  Don't think that something as common as bad traffic would set them off.  Must be other things at play.

[Grubster]

1 hour ago, Docno said:

I didn't vote because I only have about 6 years' driving experience in Thailand, and not a lot during that time either. But I have to say that when I first started driving in Thailand, I was surprised how patient most Thai drivers are... I see people doing crazy things at times, but no-one honks at them, gives them the "Canadian salute" (middle finger), etc etc. I've spent a lot of time driving in Canada and Singapore. Thais seem the most patient but most insane in the moves they pull; Canadians seem more aggressive (more easily pissed off); and Singaporeans more inconsiderate (they will speed up and block you when you indicate an intention to change lanes).  

 The reason they don't blow the horn here is that Thais do not take it well, they may attack you for blowing your horn. I find that a nice thing as in many countries all you can hear is horns. Flip them the bird at your own risk.

[Grubster]

I think more traffic, more risk, more stress = more road rage.

[MikeyIdea]

The correct answer is not possible. Bad journalism

 

The road rage is more visible with mobile phones taking video and recently also dash cams, the traffic in the rest of Thailand is worse today than it was 25 years ago but Bangkok is actually better with the fly overs

 

Useless survey

 

[MikeyIdea]

20 minutes ago, Grubster said:

 The reason they don't blow the horn here is that Thais do not take it well, they may attack you for blowing your horn. I find that a nice thing as in many countries all you can hear is horns. Flip them the bird at your own risk.

 

Nope, a short honk is not offensive,  a long one is rude

 

Thai's attacking you? Rubbish. Please tell me where you live to have Thai's attacking you for blowing your horn?

 

Edited November 20, 2016 by MikeyIdea

[Grubster]

7 minutes ago, MikeyIdea said:

 

Nope, a short honk is not offensive,  a long one is rude

 

Thai's attacking you? Rubbish. Please tell me where you live to have Thai's attacking you for blowing your horn?

 

In my book beeping your horn and Blowing your horn is two entirely different things. I Blew my horn at a guy cutting me off on the expressway near the Airport and he stopped right in front of me nearly causing a pile up behind me, he jumped out and ran back to my truck to see a 250 lb 6'3' man behind the wheel and ran back to his car and left. I'm sure had I been a woman I would have been slapped around a bit. So you are telling me that you haven't seen outrage at people blowing there horns, you either don't drive much or you live in the boonies.

[Deepinthailand]

Firstly are you talking about what has been written in the press and reported on here as the survey. Or first hand driving and seeing it survey.

If the first people will undoubtedly say yes due to the recent coverage on here it will stuck in the minds as they were high profile.

If we're talking about the second actual first hand experiance then for me No I have still to see what I would class as Road Rage ie cutting someone up beacuse they cut you up or aggressively overtaking beacuse they overtook you or someone getting out of the car and offering violence. I drive a lot and NO I can say road rage has not increased in my eyes. 

Edited November 20, 2016 by Deepinthailand

[MikeyIdea]

58 minutes ago, Grubster said:

In my book beeping your horn and Blowing your horn is two entirely different things. I Blew my horn at a guy cutting me off on the expressway near the Airport and he stopped right in front of me nearly causing a pile up behind me, he jumped out and ran back to my truck to see a 250 lb 6'3' man behind the wheel and ran back to his car and left. I'm sure had I been a woman I would have been slapped around a bit. So you are telling me that you haven't seen outrage at people blowing there horns, you either don't drive much or you live in the boonies.

 

You must use the Thai book living in Thailand, not your book

 

So, what you say is that you blew a long horn in Thailand and that is offensive and rude. You confirm that I am correct?

 

Since you question it. I have done some 400,000 km in Thailand the last 25 years, that's why I know a long horn is rude. What have you done?

 

 

Edited November 20, 2016 by MikeyIdea

[Grubster]

Just now, MikeyIdea said:

 

So, what you say is that you blew a long horn in Thailand and that is offensive. Correct?

Yes, but I didn't know how much until asking Thais after that incident. I won't do it again. beep beep for the dogs or just to let someone I don't think realizes I am there, that I am. They have no problem with that. In the US just pulling safely in front of another that may cause him to have to slow down a little may draw a ten second blast. If you really do something dangerous as this Thai did you can expect a blast every time. I'm saying if you do that here, do it at your own risk.

[Asiantravel]

I would also add in my opinion there has been a very sharp increase in speeding . Whether this is related to road rage i.e. frustration I don't know but some on the big motorcycles ride like maniacs in a place that I've never seen before and still without helmets.

 

[Lee4Life]

I was talking with some of our Thai friends a while back and they were completely shocked and in denial when I told them that in the ten years that we have been here I have noticed that the Thai people in general have become more impatient and in much more of a hurry. I don't blame them for not seeing it, things like that change slowly and if you don't have the chance to step back you don't even notice it....especially when your life changes along with it.

[Don Mega]

In my experience the incidents are less, On my work commute I used to easily stir up atleast 2 minivans a week and get into a good stoush with them (once I had to abandon going to work and we (me and the minivan) ended up in BKK before the guy gave up trying to run me off the road), these days its lucky to be 2 a month.

[nottocus]

It's the same with all these shocking videos of Thais smashing kids and the like. Nothing new. Just more mobiles/social media so more coverage.

[PremiumLane]

Of course they are, and I have no evidence at all to back this up! 

[thurien]

I've been in this country for almost 15 yrs now and saw all these changes to the worse; can be pinned to a couple of decisive factors for

 

increased car population:

 

recent government schemes (1st car buyers)

increased family incomes

lower interest rates

face reasons (family, friends, neighbours)

 

paired with road rage:

 

company demands higher mobility

time pressure on the job

family pushes car owner to make full use of given, new mobility

latest models much more powerful throughout than 15yrs ago

 

 

 

[Moonmoon]

Its thanks to the internet, cctv video cams, handphone cams, dashboard cam, n social media that at all these ugly behaviour that did happen b4 in the past r being uploaded for all to see.

F

Its no wonder a certain PM n his government is scared of it n tries to censor n push forth the single gateway in LOS

 

Its not so hard to come to the realities of this social problem. 

 

Set up better more proper schools and instill proper traditional virtous and patience Thai values with the right defensive driving skills to any learning to drive.

 

For those who are already driving, back to school again for u.

Edited November 20, 2016 by Moonmoon