[boltondd]

Reminds me of the time I was driving up the mountain to Doi Suthep. The driver in front was all over the road. Luckily there were no buses coming down or he would have been toast.

[kylsq0Ln]

Yes, there is a definite shortage of mountains in Ang Thong, and though the roads were narrow (not many cities where I was) there was not a lot of traffic.

It's not the I don't believe you. I've had my share of scary times in the countryside in China and meeting aggressive logging trucks in Malaysia wasn't a picnic either... It's more that I was pleasently surprised that I didn't have any scary moments in Thailand, though we did spend a lot of time on the wrong side of the road, as I noted in this blog: http://www.thai-blogs.com/index.php?...&pb=1#comments

[sessoorale]

What would you guys have done in that situation?

Well, if I'm you, I'll have done the same as you.... just close my eyes and pray I reach my destination safe and sound or stop at the first nearest station.
This is for bus, mini vans, song theaw, etc...
But if in a Taxi, you can always ask the taxi driver to slow down or stop if you feel uncomfortable....

[DownloadMan]

Well next time anyone comes to Thailand, go from Don Muang across the road and down a little to North Terminal,Take a taxi for that short trip,, take either a Blue VIP, but better tell them that you do not want a VIP and take an orange local to Chiang Mai or Chiang Rai, then ride the same color bus back to BKK, then post your thoughts on the trip and what you saw.

The only time I have ever been bothered sitting in a vehicle in Thailand, is the taxi from the airport. Once upon the toll road, most of them seem intent on dropping the engine out of the taxi (due to high speed and engine strain). You will find this experience nothing to do with living here

[DownloadMan]

here is a site that gives deaths and stats on cars and things but was really written about lack of EMT care pre hospital.

http://www.google.co.th/search?hl=en...thailand&meta=

[JoesBro]

I seem to remember reading somewhere that the Thai driving test does not even take place on a public road -is this true?

[DownloadMan]

I've been driving in Thailand for about 2 years now....
I don't think the problem is "driving skill".... I'll say most Thai can drive very well.... I think its more like the lack of "traffic rule knowledge"...
You'll understand what I mean when you see how Thai use the "Roundabouts". They can go from right to all the way left in split seconds to get to their exit.
In Singapore, one has to go through Basic theory and then Advance theory before being even allow to go on public road (for practises). And in Thailand? We all know how it works....
I had similar experiences as FiP.... followings are my most hated drivers in Thailand:
1) Bus which stop in middle of the road allowing passengers to alight.
2) crazy taxi drivers.
3) talking on mobile and still driving on right lane (fast lane).
4) Truck drivers driving at 60km/hr who insist on overtaking a fellow 50km/hr truck on a 2 lane road.
5) motorcycles riding towards you at road shoulder....

No offense, but I see people who had no complaints of Thai drivers probably spend most of their time driving in up-country or something where there're less cars.... traffic hazard are probably occasional cows or dogs blocking the road?

No Bucky, it happens all over Thailand, not only in the city's, there you expect heavy traffic.
I have lived in only one city, CM. and we live 250 +or- north of BKK on hyway 21,the main route north from BKK and the conditions you mention are regular occurrences here too, not only motorcycles going again traffic on the left shoulders but cars, trucks and especially PDA farm cars [rebuilt Pickup frames with a 22 HP Kubota diesel single cyl engine], some with lights and some running dark at night,You never are really sure which way they are going as they seem to have Red, Green, Blue, Yellow as well as White lights on both ends of the vehicles.
I did not pay much attention to it when I was a tourist, I did notice it but paid no mind really, but since I live here and drive here all the time it is more noticeable and it sometimes is better just to stay at home than to go out and fight it.
But I guess from what has been said on here that we will let the occasional tourist tell how it really is and just put up with it and say nothing as they seem to be working for TAT.

[DownloadMan]

They have done nothing enforcement wise to do anything about it except the part about helmets, but that is 200 baht in the pocket of who ever stops you, which they do at stops just for motorcycles in towns, they enforce that new deal no more than they enforce the law prohibiting the throwing of water on the roadways during songkran festival, that was a law passed too about the same time.
They have laws again most things Thai drivers do but there is no enforcement, over 2 on a motorcycle is again the law, have you ever seen anyone get a ticket or stopped for that?
In Pattaya they enforce the riders on a motorcycle have helmets, most places it is just the driver, when asked "OH Yes it is a law, but we do not enforce it".

Where have you ever saw a law enforcement vehicle on a hyway except to run blocker for a van load of VIPs going down the hyway at slightly sub-sonic speeds, and just out there cruising to stop traffic law offenders??? [I have never saw any]

Kind of made me wonder about your living here when you said
Perhaps it depends on the tour operators, the cheaper you go, the less careful drivers they employ! as all bus' are owned by tour co. PHETCH TOUR has the run from north terminal to Lom Sak and another company goes thru here from BKK to Khon Kaen and it also says xxx xxxx tour co. on the side of the bus, all bus' say some name tour co. on the sides,, they do not have a national bus co. like GREYHOUND or TRAILWAYS.

Where have you lived in Thailand and how long? What hyways and roads have you traveled on a regular basis? Do you have a Thai drivers license and when did you get it?? It just seems to me that you have the tourist sense of things as I used to have before I moved here to live.

And another thing that shows short time is believing anything that comes from govt, Toxin in particular, about what they are going to do for the country or for the people, especially in the way of law enforcement.
Thats why the people screamed until Toxin was out, to much corruption, but HRH let him run things without a govt to control him til October.

[rusculture]

I guess the main point in my post was: what would you do in that situation, just accept it or take immediate action to protect yourself? And would demanding that the driver slow down be acceptable in Thai culture?

[WertyNtont]

We take the bus from Mo Chit to Kalasin everytime we visit and I have never had a problem as far as concerns with driver safety. I guess some folks are just prone to bad luck. 555

[sessoorale]

Just one other thought, this whole thread is based upon the observations of a couple of participants which means is not worth much accept as the views of a couple of old curmudgeons.

I don't know about this.. how about you ask your Thai wife what she think of Thai traffic as compared to your country and let us know what she says?

My Thai gf even she herself whine about the traffic all the time.... But maybe its because she's typical "jai ron" Thai.....

[valiumcheepval]

It is perfectly acceptable to ask the driver to slow down,however do not demand just ask him/her politely.

[boltondd]

FYI

In Thailand road accidents are considered one of the top three public health problems in the country. Despite the Government’s best efforts, there are sadly over 13 000 deaths and more than one million injuries each year as the result of road accidents, with several hundred thousand people disabled. An overwhelming majority of the deaths and injuries involve motorcyclists, cyclists and pedestrians.
The Royal Thai Government regards this problem to be of great urgency and has accorded it high priority in the national agenda. We are also aware of the fact that effective and sustainable prevention of such injuries can only be achieved through concerted multisectoral collaboration.
To deal with this crucial problem, the Government has established a Road Safety Operations Centre encompassing the different sectors of the country and comprising the government agencies concerned, nongovernmental organizations and civil society. The Centre has undertaken many injury prevention initiatives, including a “Don’t Drink and Drive” campaign as well as a campaign to promote motorcyclists to wear safety helmets and to engage in safe driving practices. In this regard, we are well aware that such a campaign must involve not only public relations and education but also stringent law enforcement measures.
The problem of road traffic injuries is indeed a highly serious one, but it is also a problem that can be dealt with and prevented through concerted and action among all the parties concerned. Through the leadership and strong commitment of the Government, we are confident that we will be successful in our efforts and we hope that others will be as well.

Taken from the World Report on road traffic injury prevention published in 2004. But take heart, Thailand is no worse off than many other countries. Both a detailed and a summary of the report can be found at:

http://www.who.int/world-health-day/...rld_report/en/

[boltondd]

Just one other thought, this whole thread is based upon the observations of a couple of participants which means is not worth much accept as the views of a couple of old curmudgeons.

Richard and all you other teachers out there, perhaps this could be a good project for the kids. Do a rough statistical analysis of traffic accidents in Thailand against those of a US state of comparable size and population density. I did a quick search on Google and found those for New York State, I am sure others are available.

The big disparity they will find is the lack of pedestrians, cyclists and motor cyclists which figure in the Thai statistics heavily but I am sure these can be factored in/out accordingly.

[DownloadMan]

seems like we who live here have different views than tourists.

The more I read this thread the more I become convinced that the posts are made by Sunday drivers. The only time I have ever been bothered sitting in a vehicle in Thailand, is the taxi from the airport. Once upon the toll road, most of them seem intent on dropping the engine out of the taxi (due to high speed and engine strain).

The van and bus drivers have always seemed to be careful and knowledgeable. Remember one who seemd to know every shortcut in Bangkok when going from hotel to hotel picking up passengers avoiding the early morning traffic.

Perhaps it depends on the tour operators, the cheaper you go, the less careful drivers they employ!

Also could be just a lot of talk from his short time tourist experiences, Just because you have been there does not mean that you know a whole lot about the country,, I read on here where there have been people thru BKK airport a dozen times and never been downtown too, or just in a taxi to a hotel and back out.

The more I read of his experiences here, the more I doubt that he has spent a great amount of time moving around the country,,ya know ya can get from BKK to CM international without ever going on the hyways.

[DownloadMan]

Very good, now thats the kind of info that is very important to someone that is interested in what it is like to live in Thailand and I know that a lot of short timers have just a world of info on what it is really like to live here so the the few who live here full time will know exactly what to do in a situation when we find ourselves in one that we seem to not know what to do.
Thanks..

[sessoorale]

But I learned a long time ago that people can have very different experiences in what is apparently the same place. Some people think LA is just freeways, Disneyland, and MacDonalds. My first impressions of LA was of quiet suburbia in Santa Monica. If I'd been in East LA I would have had a different experience...

You're right... different people might have different experiences... I've friends who came Bangkok and stayed in Novotel Hotel and throughout their trip, they only went from MBK, to Chit Lom, World Trade Center and they travel by skytrain or walk... they told me they don't think "traffic is a problem in Thailand".... and they also never experienced "crazy taxi drivers"...

However, try driving along sukhumvit road during peak hour and you'll know.... sometimes you'll see cars driving straight toward you and you wonder if you're travelling in the correct direction..... sometimes you want to turn right, but you can't because you are in the "go straight only" lane... sometimes you want to go straight, but you can't because you are in the turn left/turn right ONLY" lane and you can't go back to the "go straight only" lane because the lane is already "jammed" up... and don't even think of crossing the straight white line in the presence of a policeman cos he'll stop you on the spot no matter how heavy the traffic is and give you a big grin when he finds out you're a foreigner.

[DownloadMan]

I seem to remember reading somewhere that the Thai driving test does not even take place on a public road -is this true?

As far as I know, it doeasn't, the only place I have taken a test was here in Phetchabun, the written was in Thai, I can't read it, but I had no trouble passing it as they let my wife read it to me, she has been a licensed driver for years [maybe 20] and she didn't know any of the answers, but I passed when the inspector and I had a talk, then I went out to the driving area, went around it 2 times, turned at all the corners and stopped where marked, popped into the parallel parking on the first shot [one guy was trying for an hour and had never made it yet when I left, he might still be there trying to park] and this is all done in a lot behind the DMV. part of it was walking with safety zones and stop or turn signs along the sidewalk.

Yea Bucky, I see that you have noticed how considerate all Thai drivers are, just like everyone else, driving or not..

[sessoorale]

Maybe ISSAN drivers are better than Thai drivers,,or maybe you just are not the observant type.

Just look at how easy it is to get the Thai driving license, one will understand what you mean.
I drive in Thailand, so I know what you're talking about.
I had a friend who asked me to teach him driving 1 day before his driving test... I had a fright of my life and told him if he ever passed his test, please drive far far away from me... the next day, he passed.... jus slipped the instructor 2 bownish papers he told me...
So you can imagine how many people here are driving without proper trainings....
I also have a collegue who already had 3 car accidents since she got her driving license 3 months ago....

[sessoorale]

Where have you ever saw a law enforcement vehicle on a hyway except to run blocker for a van load of VIPs going down the hyway at slightly sub-sonic speeds, and just out there cruising to stop traffic law offenders??? [I have never saw any]

WOW! You got guts! I wanna mentioned this but deleted it away cos I was afraid of offending the local Thai. I was refering to the part of the "VIPs" on expressways....

BTW, I do see law enforecers at highways.. especially tolls... sometimes I see couple of them with video camera like devices as if making a film.... I think it should be some kinda speed camera..... They never stopped me at the tolls even though I was travelling like averagely 100km/hr though...... and sometimes those enforcers at the tollways... they stop the cars right at the foot of the tollways.... probably negotiating with the drivers on the fine payments but neglecting the cars behind.... well, who cares right? Cars behind can always swell to the other lanes and overtake..... collecting revenues are more important...