Are Thais learning good road manners at last?

Image: JS100

 

Sanook.com reported an "impressive" event on the roads of Bangkok yesterday.

Drivers actually let an ambulance through.

The video of the seminal event was viewed by 300,000 people.

It was posted on Facebook on the JS100 Radio page with the tagline: "15.03. What an impressive clip. Other road users making a path for an ambulance down the middle. Doing good for others in distress".

The clip was taken from the elevated Baromratchachonanee Road outbound.

Earlier in the year there were a swathe of cases of Thai drivers blocking emergency vehicles. In one case a woman died after an ambulance was obliged to wait by the roadside to sort out an insurance claim after a minor scrape with a pick-up.

 

Source: Sanook

 

 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2017-02-12

 

Headline should read: "Drivers actually let an ambulance through".

Are Thais learning good road manners at last?

As the good friends in China say, "A thousand mile journey begins with a single step"

30 minutes ago, rooster59 said:

Drivers actually let an ambulance through.

 

How many tried to chase it?

No

I watched some chuck a load of rubbish out of the windows  yesterday.....does that count? numerous others  pulled out infront of me without  looking, does that count?

 

In defense of Thai drivers it must be said that I have seen much, much

worse drivers in other parts of the world, inconsiderate,  bullies and often

road rage exhibited on many of those country's roads,

The rule of the thumb is, if you drive calmly, politely and correctly, give way

to others when ever needed, you'll have a happy driving experience too.... 

“Are Thais learning good road manners…?”

 

This is a major problem...the distinction between "Manners" and "Traffic Codes".

Traffic laws are in place to promote safety through standard operation of motor vehicles, and predictable behavior. Manners on the other hand are up to the individual. So, stopping in the middle of a street and giving up the right of way to a driver coming in from a side street might seem like good manners. However, it can lead to a motor crash if the person coming from the side street thinks that every driver will give up his right of way to him. These haphazard driving "customs" are compounded when people use the same protocol driving motor vehicles that can go over 100 km. per hour, as they did driving an ox an cart.

Are Thais learning good road manners  

Whoever wrote that headline must be on something.

2 minutes ago, colinneil said:

Are Thais learning good road manners  

Whoever wrote that headline must be on something.

Advisors recommend Thai Beverage!

Wow... " Drivers actually let an ambulance through. "

 

Commending the mundane and what should be done naturally... 

 

Next we might see "Thais respecting queues" as a headline.

 

Why do I bother with the click bait titles here....

Over the past 10 years here in thailand 6 months of each year. I have noticed thais are for the most part friendly kind people.with a few thiefs in the mix.

But as drivers they are the worst i have experienced.

Put this country behind the wheel of any vehicle and its every man for himself.

Minivans, pickups and buses are the main mo fos.

 

Short answer... No. Duh!

I find Thai driving standards very much Province related,therefore if you live in Phuket for example it's not unreasonable to say it's awful.


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1 hour ago, ezzra said:

 

In defense of Thai drivers it must be said that I have seen much, much

worse drivers in other parts of the world, inconsiderate,  bullies and often

road rage exhibited on many of those country's roads,

The rule of the thumb is, if you drive calmly, politely and correctly, give way

to others when ever needed, you'll have a happy driving experience too.... 

 Saudi Arabia and Egypt are worse drivers than here in Thailand but as the headline is about good road manners, I believe the countries I mentioned have better manners than Thai drivers. I like the give way to others and calmly but having people sit on your bumper beeping, not signaling so you don't know where they are going, make driving less than pleasurable IMHO. Basically Thais in general when they get behind a wheel, they forget the Thai calmness and goodwill and become demons, who have no regard for anyone else on the road in the front. behind or to either side .

1 hour ago, Ace of Pop said:

I find Thai driving standards very much Province related,therefore if you live in Phuket for example it's not unreasonable to say it's awful.


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Chiang Mai also, a very large % of drivers totally focused on:

 

- I have to be first, regardless...

 

- I have to drive very fast, regardless...

 

or both.

2 hours ago, ezzra said:

In defense of Thai drivers it must be said that I have seen much, much

worse drivers in other parts of the world,

Yes, did a motorbike holiday in Indonesia. Was glad to make it back onto Thai roads in one piece, and now I'm afraid of nothing anymore...

1 hour ago, Laughing Gravy said:

 Saudi Arabia and Egypt are worse drivers than here in Thailand but as the headline is about good road manners, I believe the countries I mentioned have better manners than Thai drivers. I like the give way to others and calmly but having people sit on your bumper beeping, not signaling so you don't know where they are going, make driving less than pleasurable IMHO. Basically Thais in general when they get behind a wheel, they forget the Thai calmness and goodwill and become demons, who have no regard for anyone else on the road in the front. behind or to either side .

 

India also. Several times on projects in India I refused to get into the company car with 2 specific drivers, they were simply crazy.

 

They all seemed to have one thought - 'I have a VIP in my car so I have to go very fast, and never mind going down the wrong side of the road at speed and playing chicken with oncoming cars and trucks.

 

After refusing to get into 2 cars what resulted was threatening hand movements when I encountered these guys in the company buildings, never mind. 

Just now, Ralf61 said:

Yes, did a motorbike holiday in Indonesia. Was glad to make it back onto Thai roads in one piece, and now I'm afraid of nothing anymore...

Upcounty Philippines the same.

This does happen sometimes, but it's rare. Last time I saw people yield for an ambulance was last Thursday (could actually have been this one), in 20/1 cases there's an <deleted> who won't budge.

Possibly when they go another country where road rules are obeyed.............................................

They do not even know the meaning of the word, it's me, me, me first.

Don't foreget there areAmbulance Pickups that abuse the privilege by blasting through for Fun . Locals know them and won't move ,at first I though that was Rubbish , but it's not The Hi Way Cops nab them now.[emoji600]


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on Friday afternoon while coming back from BKK on the way to Mit Pracha on xpressway an ambulance with all lights on was trying to get through ..many drivers pulled over to center or left lane to let it through but for one D/H driver in a silver Honda that would not budge one bit ...ambulance tailgated till there was an opening and away it went but that Honda still kept in the R/H lane and sat on 80kph while all other cars were zooming past ...(don't have to be stupid to be an idiot)

Answer to original question ------------------------------------NO.

3 hours ago, ezzra said:

The rule of the thumb is, if you drive calmly, politely and correctly, give way

to others when ever needed, you'll have a happy driving experience too.... 

If you give way to Thai drivers you'll be there all day.

At least in thailand they let you in and merge over.

 

Drive in america and good luck with that.

This story is akin to the 'taxi driver returns xxx,xxx baht to passenger, left in his cab'. stories.

A poor attempt to deflect publicity away from the numerous BAD motoring stories.  

2 hours ago, Ace of Pop said:

I find Thai driving standards very much Province related,therefore if you live in Phuket for example it's not unreasonable to say it's awful.


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Good observation but to answer the OP's question based on my 10 hour drive from Pattaya to Udon yesterday, the answer is generally no. From that experience, the traffic moving from south to north was pretty acceptable and when considering I only had to make rude comments about one solitary u-turner, the same can be said for those heading north to south. However, the undeniably rudest words (and hand signs) were reserved for the absolute twerps that seemed to be headed east-west and vice versa.

23 minutes ago, USPatriot said:

Drive in america and good luck with that.

Yes, the 610 loop in Houston is a bit like that unfortunately.