Is Bangkok Traffic the Worst in the World?

Orlando Barton

 

 

Newcomers to The Big Mango are usually overwhelmed their first time in a vehicle. Cars, buses, tuk-tuks, songtaews and literally millions of motorbikes buzzing around like angry bees. I’d need all my fingers and toes to count the number of expats and visitors I’ve heard say, “I could never drive here”.

 

I used to be the same way. Bangkok did seem like one big chaotic beehive. For the first 3 years I never sat behind the wheel of a vehicle in Thailand. Then one day, as I was being chauffeured about by my first Thai girlfriend, I marveled at her ability to navigate this metallic mayhem. There she sat, barely able to see over the wheel of her hulking Mercedes Benz, talking on the phone, adjusting the air conditioner, tuning the radio and fluffing up her Doraemon collection on the dash. She sensed me watching and my amazement. “The secret” she said, “Never go too fast, never make a sudden move and never ever come to a complete stop”. For the next 20 minutes I watched her adhere to this short list of absolute axioms to perfection. As it turns out, that’s all you really need to know.

 

Now I’ve driven all over Thailand and half of Malaysia. The most treacherous place I found was in Phuket with its wicked mountain roads full of idiot tourists on big fat motorcycles. The most frustrating is unpredictable Pattaya with its never ending construction projects, double-decker Chinese tour buses and road-raging Russians at the wheel.

 

Full story: http://www.inspirepattaya.com/lifestyle/bangkok-traffic-worst-world/

 

 

-- © Copyright Inspire Pattaya 2017-03-19

 

 

Nope. I can assure you Lagos is far worse.

Has anyone here visited Jakarta? Wicked bad traffic.

Got it! Knew it already! Not a big deal. Nothing´s gonna change! Next topic!

triple tap

triple post

Another 'uninspiring' article from 'Inspire'  - looking forward to next weeks blockbuster titled 'is it hot in Thailand?'

42 minutes ago, phartley58 said:

Nope. I can assure you Lagos is far worse.

I can back you up on that. Totally unbelievable how they drive there and so few traffic lights. Which the ones they have don't work anyway, and the ones that do work nobody obeys.

Bangkok is like a childrens playground. Ho Chi Min, Jakarta, most big cities India and most big cities in China....just to mention a few. 

Bangkok is like a childrens playground. Ho Chi Min, Jakarta, most big cities India and most big cities in China....just to mention a few that have made me sweat a lot more than BKK.

Driving into  Los Angeles in the morning is far worse. And if there is an accident, forget about going to work.

 

I've seen stop and go traffic for 25 miles.

 

Many people commute  2 hours away from downtown one way!

 

 Insanity in my opinion.

Bangkok is pretty bad but compared to Mexico City, São Paulo, Lagos and many others it ain't nothing !!

Double post....... doh !

Try Paris, especially around the Arc de Triomph.  Huge roundabout with multiple lanes and right of way given to traffic joining the mayhem. 

3 hours ago, phartley58 said:

Nope. I can assure you Lagos is far worse.

They world survey as of the year 2016 has Mexico City,Bangkok,Jakarta,and Chongqing China as the worst traffic in the world. Driving here from the early 1970s I can say that until a few years ago (after the floods and cheap car sales) Bangkok had a lot worst traffic in the early 1980s.Sukumvit was two way traffic with only three lanes,sometimes only two.

5 hours ago, phartley58 said:

Nope. I can assure you Lagos is far worse.

 

Driving in Lagos is easy.  The secret there is DON'T!

 

Was so much easier sitting in the car, curtains drawn being escorted and followed by pick-ups full of armed security.  Although, if push come to shove, not so hopeful that the weaponry would be pointed in the direction of the threat.

 

Saigon driving, whilst slower, is far worse than Bangkok.  Most new arrivals can't even negotiate crossing the road by foot, let alone drive.

5 hours ago, phartley58 said:

Nope. I can assure you Lagos is far worse.

And Lahore Pakistan.with the camel carts, donkey carts, bullock carts, people carts, maniacal drivers and bits of road between the potholes. While staying there I was pretty sure my driver was legally blind.

 

 

And in Dubai the roads are in good condition but the drivers take the view that cars are meant to be driven at 100 mph regardless and whatever happens is in God's hands.

 

 

 

5 hours ago, phartley58 said:

Nope. I can assure you Lagos is far worse.

 

Double post and receiving page error messages.

5 hours ago, phartley58 said:

Nope. I can assure you Lagos is far worse.

 

Now . . . TRIPLE POST!!!

 

When I made the original posting, the page refreshed with the message below.  Refreshing the page, again, results in a duplicate post.

 

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9 minutes ago, Suradit69 said:

And Lahore Pakistan.with the camel carts, donkey carts, bullock carts, people carts, maniacal drivers and bits of road between the potholes. While staying there I was pretty sure my driver was legally blind.

 

 

And in Dubai the roads are in good condition but the drivers take the view that cars are meant to be driven at 100 mph regardless and whatever happens is in God's hands.

 

 

 

 

Not to mention, in Dubai, many drivers seem to believe that a car retains higher resale value if they don't use the indicators/trafficators.

Brilliant article. Now where are my smelling salts?

48 minutes ago, Stray said:

Not to mention, in Dubai, many drivers seem to believe that a car retains higher resale value if they don't use the indicators/trafficators.

When telling a taxi driver your destination anywhere in the UAE, the response was always the standard "InShaAllah," but it was always a reminder to me that I was embarking on a life-threatening exercise.

2 hours ago, Stray said:

 

5 hours ago, HHTel said:

Try Paris, especially around the Arc de Triomph.  Huge roundabout with multiple lanes and right of way given to traffic joining the mayhem. 

 

Very true....nose to tail and they are all beeping there horns....so so annoying.....

9 hours ago, Ramen087 said:

Has anyone here visited Jakarta? Wicked bad traffic.

Lived there three years, no sane foreigner drives in Jakarta, you hire a driver because you have to fight for every inch, and miraculously, they never have accidents.

I'm surprised no one's mentioned Manila. Faster to walk sometimes. 

Nope Lagos Nigeria.

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21 hours ago, phartley58 said:

Nope. I can assure you Lagos is far worse.

Many places in Africa or Middle East and India compete quite well.

Delhi is the worst ... with Jakarta a close second.

45 minutes ago, steven100 said:

Delhi is the worst ... with Jakarta a close second.

ever been to Cairo?