Thread: Why don't Thais............?

Originally Posted by misskit

where there are designated right turn lanes. Motorbikes slowly wobble out into the fast lane to get ahead of cars waiting on a right turn. They don't even glance back to see a vehicle is approaching.

See that a lot on my daily commutes.

Another thing in the same situation are cars (usually, also motorbikes too) that either try to skip the cue or apparently have the worlds worst turning radius and start their turns from way out in the right-hand lane - effectively blocking the entire lane (even on major roads).

^ Yep. Was in the car this weekend with a good friend of mine who straddles two lanes when making a right turn. When I point it out, he says he is exercising his right to be Thai. Then he tells me it is worse for me to do the same thing because I am falang and I know better.

Also, I saw a bad accident between Chiang Rai and Chiang San. People on the road everywhere. Had to look away.

^Yep. Some imbecile did that on the Sukumvit this morning. Apparently, his pickup must have the turning circle of an oil-tanker.

Originally Posted by AntRobertson

Anyways I was just thinking about it and I can't even recollect the last accident I saw here. In the whole time I have been here I've seen very, very few - which is always surprising to me.

Yup, Thais drive bad and have no care for safety...but, it is organized chaos which Thais are used to driving in.

The same goes for China.. the traffic is ridiculous.. with the amount of traffic and cars just swerving from lane to lane not using signals.... it is chaotic, but I haven't seen an accident yet. Taxis are the worst drivers and I feel like anyday I'll be in an accident, but it hasn't happened yet..touch wood.

Originally Posted by AntRobertson

I can't even recollect the last accident I saw here. In the whole time I have been here I've seen very, very few - which is always surprising to me.

Same goes for me. I see plenty of white accident marks on the road but I've only ever witnessed one accident in 12 years. And that was funny. At the local petrol station one motorcycle was exiting and another one entering. Neither rider could decide on which side to pass on and they both collided head on.

Originally Posted by misskit

he says he is exercising his right to be Thai. Then he tells me it is worse for me to do the same thing because I am falang and I know better.

I guess you can't argue with logic like that!

I mostly see it on the CM - Somphot Rd. and especially now that they've changed some of the u-turns near Global etc. to one-way only.

Which reminds me... Every now and then I'll also see a car still attempting to turn at one of those because they're too lazy/useless to go 500m down the road to the next/proper one.

Originally Posted by misskit

Also, I saw a bad accident between Chiang Rai and Chiang San. People on the road everywhere. Had to look away.

As I say surprised I seen so few in my time.

Defo no complaint though, don't wanna be seeing that shit.

Sorry I forgot to mention that the bus/songthaew that run over the poor kid failed to stop and the driver was arrested later and, along with the other motorcyclist, charged with negligent driving.

Originally Posted by Pragmatic

Same goes for me. I see plenty of white accident marks on the road but I've only ever witnessed one accident in 12 years. And that was funny. At the local petrol station one motorcycle was exiting and another one entering. Neither rider could decide on which side to pass on and they both collided head on.

I honestly couldn't say how many accidents\scenes i have witnessed there have been so many, the worse one was 10 or so years back near to Suvarnabhumi airport, two pick up trucks were involved both were full of workers, I don't know how many bodies were on the road, but it was a lot!
For years i thought Thai's had a genetic problem that prevented them turning their necks until I realised it was inherited laziness!

TNews reported on the story of the M3 (Year 10) high school student who was killed riding his motorcycle on the way to take exams in Buriram on Monday morning.

Plai Nuanprakhon, 63, the 6 wheel song thaew driver that crushed the boy to death has told police that he did not flee the accident.

He said he saw the accident but didn't believe it involved him. He had no idea that he had run over the boy and just drove on.

While Sutthichai Somjit, 23, who was riding the motorcycle that came out of the side soi suddenly, also denied negligence. He blamed the deceased student who got tangled in his handlebars and hit the tarmac. It was not his fault that he was crushed under the wheels of the song thaew, he has claimed.

The police have charged the motorcyclist with negligence all the same.

But they are still investigating the song thaew driver and no charges of negligence or fleeing the scene of an accident have yet been made.

CCTV will form an important part of the evidence. It clearly caught what happened and has been viewed across social media.

TNews reported that the boy's mother and father cradled his lifeless body on the tarmac following the accident.

Bumpy ole rd Karma

Fortunately the locals really do believe they get another spin of the wheel otherwise they might be motivated to act now

One has to take in account that there are practically no driving schools in this country.

Originally Posted by Klondyke

One has to take in account that there are practically no driving schools in this country.

Partly. But many people drive with no licence (or training). They get pulled over? 200 baht to the cop. Thats the real problem.

Originally Posted by Pragmatic

That solid white line you refer to is the demarcation line between the actual road and the hard shoulder. I believe it is illegal to cross over that line to either park or drive. The white line is there instead of kerbs being as it's cheaper and easier to construct a road in rural areas that way.

Many of them in Nonthaburi, but ignored by the drivers.
Difficult for pedestrians.

Originally Posted by Pragmatic

Sorry I forgot to mention that the bus/songthaew that run over the poor kid failed to stop and the driver was arrested later and, along with the other motorcyclist, charged with negligent driving.

Really cant see how the bus driver is to blame at all here apart from not stopping. No way is he negligent.

The two motorcyclists involved in the collision are to blame, aided and abetted by a common Thai attitude of not taking things seriously.

The other motorcyclist, who was riding close to the young motorcyclist, moved away from the white line and the junction in plenty of time. The young lad didn't seem to be paying any attention until it was too late.

RIP young lad. I hope others learn from your unfortunate demise.

Originally Posted by Latindancer

the mentality behind peoples' failure to look is some kind of village mentality

Yeah, I think it's partly that, but also a belief in karma (if it's going to happen, it's going to happen so I don't need to be careful) combined with no thought to consequences and also a bit of not being aware of the surroundings single-mindedness.

Originally Posted by Maanaam

if it's going to happen, Allah wills it so I don't need to be careful

...a variant of such thinking found in other parts of the world...

From possibly the same Australian road safety rules.

https://www.qld.gov.au/transport/saf...oad/lines#edge

"Continuous edge lines

Edge lines mark the edge of the road. The area to the left of the edge line is called the shoulder of the road and is not an extra lane for vehicles to travel. Cyclists may travel on the road shoulder.


Motorcyclists—with an open licence for the type of motorcycle they are riding—can also use the road shoulder on roads with a speed limit of 90km/h or over, to pass stationary or slow moving traffic providing they’re not travelling over 30km/h."

But are Thais taught Australian RSR, I doubt it. Even those Thais and foreigners who actually have a licence have only to sit through an hour briefing and how much is absorbed is probably very little.

Thai usage, in my observations, use the "hard shoulder/road shoulder, for their own safety similarly. Europeans and others probably also believe they are allowed the full road for general driving and overtaking slower traffic - when safe to do so.

Thais appear not to obey the "Keep Left" rule much, which means many "undertake" manoeuvrers occur.

When I drive my bike on dual carriageways I will use the "hard shoulder" if they are wide enough. If not I will use the left lane for driving and the outer lane for overtaking- when safe to do so. On local roads I keep left if the road surface is good, if not I drive where the surface is good.