Honestly, I think it's a case of the lights are on but no one is at home with the majority of them, and before anyone suggests I'm Thai bashing, I a not, just saying the way it is.  Yesterday, went to the local Big C, waited at the pedestrian crossing, no one stopped, however, when one car stopped on it to let out it's passengers, I decided to walk across.  The driver was looking straight at me and when I was almost in front of the vehicle he moved off, which caused me to jump back out of his way.

 

He stopped quite quickly when I hit his bonnet with my walking sticking but he said nothing and just stared directly at me as if to say, "how dare you stop me."  Even though I speak Thai, I said  nothing, just looked at him and shook my head but still no response.  That's what I mean by the lights are on but no one's home.

 

They seem to think these crossings are passenger drop off and pick up zones, that is in the shopping centres, whilst those outside are treated as pedestrian kill zones, even if they're controlled by traffic lights.  How to change their attitude I have no idea, it's just safer if we foreigners do not use them as we would back home, we'll live longer. 

Road safety and driving standards in this country is a complete joke and people will carry on dying every day, unfortunately...

 

I have never got my head around having perfectly good roundabouts and road junctions yet they are often blocked off and users made to carry out suicidal U-Turns in the face of fast oncoming traffic - absolute madness...?

A drunk Farang trying to cross the road in Pattaya.......steps out...whoosh! car screams past......steps out again.....whoosh.....a bike screams past.......this continues for 5 minutes......another Farang walks up and says " hey mate, there's a Zebra crossing down the road"....The drunk looks at him and says.......yes, you got it......." Well i hope he'sh 'avin better luck than me !!!"

Sorry, just wanted to adda little levity.....I am getting my coat now....

I'm pleased to report that when I gave way to a woman on a Zebra Crossing in Maenam today the driver of a waterpump pickup in the opposite lane was so surprized that he too stopped enabling her to cross safely at the first attempt.

 

This shouldn't be news but it damnwell is here! :)

"They are difficult for drivers to see as there are no lights and I don't think most Samui drivers respect them at all . "

 

In Samui why should drivers stop at most of these ?  My understanding is that (like the guys stopping traffic to give preference to hotel customers) most of these in Samui are not proper government crossings they are just illegally set up by resorts.  If that is the case they should be fined, forced to remove them and held liable for any accidents they cause.

 

'Crossing the road  ....  Grab a flag '

 

Too bad all the flags are on the other side !

 

 https://twitter.com/HolgerBiebrach/status/835738148898385920/photo/1

 

 

'Crossing the road  ....  Grab a flag '
 

Almost like the early days of motoring when a man with red flag was required to walk in front of every vehicle to warn everyone of it's approach.