Important rules and behaviours for driving in Thailand

[cowslip]

16 minutes ago, ctxa said:

That you don't need to be a grammar cop. You understood perfectly and exactly what he wanted to say. 

This isn't a university English essay. 

I'm not. What you wrote and what I wrote are both correct English but have totally different meanings. If you meant the latter then Yes! it is racist.

[cowslip]

19 minutes ago, ctxa said:

That you don't need to be a grammar cop. You understood perfectly and exactly what he wanted to say. 

This isn't a university English essay. 

QED!

 

[Lyp14 [ctxa]]

1 hour ago, Khunwilko said:

I'm not. What you wrote and what I wrote are both correct English but have totally different meanings. If you meant the latter then Yes! it is racist.

Yes, but are you sure Judging "a" people's driving ability is racist is grammatically correct? 

I'm not a native English speaker but would swear it should be Judging "a" person's driving ability is racist

That's why I was bemused you were trying to be a grammar cop while you yourself were making a mistake.

[cowslip]

1 hour ago, ctxa said:

Yes, but are you sure Judging "a" people's driving ability is racist is grammatically correct? 

I'm not a native English speaker but would swear it should be Judging "a" person's driving ability is racist

That's why I was bemused you were trying to be a grammar cop while you yourself were making a mistake.

criticising people is a general activity aimed at individuals. Driving instructors judge people's driving ability

Criticising "a people" is criticising a nation or race saying a whole can't drive  - so it is racist.

a people -  a population or inhabitants of a country, the members of a particular nation, community, or ethnic group. 

a person is an individual human being

the plural of person is "people" or "persons".

So ... which did you mean?

 

Edited January 16, 2022 by Khunwilko

[GMoney2312]

9 hours ago, Khunwilko said:

When it comes to road safety, Thailand is facing a perfect storm.

Good stuff! Thanks!

 

[ramubond]

think we all agree there are rules and the roads are reasonable standard. however my advice is assume there are no rules when you first start driving forget your homecountry training.

assume ever bike n car n truck is a wheeled missile on the road you are the smallest if your on a bike so just give way untill you can comprehend the thai cultural drivers rules which are not same as road rules.....look ever which way expext the unexpected dont make a long honk as you could get run of the road...just short beep is enough.then after 6 months you probably got the idea how to navigate pattaya etc......cheers ramubond

[Lyp14 [ctxa]]

51 minutes ago, ramubond said:

think we all agree there are rules and the roads are reasonable standard. however my advice is assume there are no rules when you first start driving forget your homecountry training.

assume ever bike n car n truck is a wheeled missile on the road you are the smallest if your on a bike so just give way untill you can comprehend the thai cultural drivers rules which are not same as road rules.....look ever which way expext the unexpected dont make a long honk as you could get run of the road...just short beep is enough.then after 6 months you probably got the idea how to navigate pattaya etc......cheers ramubond

I think this is very very nice advice coming from someone who has experience driving in Thailand. 
 

Specially the first part about forgetting home country training here in Thailand is important.

 

Specially things like right of way, forget about it, it’s better to let the other car go even if you have right of way, than to wrongly assume others are going to let you go just because you have the right of way. 
 

Then always look left and right when you switch lanes, because everyone and specially motorbikes will overtake on both sides sometimes at the same time. 

[ramubond]

3 minutes ago, ctxa said:

I think this is very very nice advice coming from someone who has experience driving in Thailand. 
 

Specially the first part about forgetting home country training here in Thailand is important.

Specially things like right of way, forget about it, it’s better to let the other car go even if you have right of way, than to wrongly assume others are going to let you go just because you have the right of way. 
 

Then always look left and right when you switch lanes, because everyone and specially motorbikes will overtake on both sides sometimes at the same time. 

thanks for your kind word s ....ctxa

[JamesR]

6 hours ago, ctxa said:

I think this is very very nice advice coming from someone who has experience driving in Thailand. 
 

Specially the first part about forgetting home country training here in Thailand is important.

Specially things like right of way, forget about it, it’s better to let the other car go even if you have right of way, than to wrongly assume others are going to let you go just because you have the right of way. 
 

Then always look left and right when you switch lanes, because everyone and specially motorbikes will overtake on both sides sometimes at the same time. 

My advice is do not go near a motorbike, take a taxi or hire a car, you life is worth more than the cost of a taxi.

I know lots of people who have had accidents on a bike, I know personally of two people in separate accidents who were killed and left a wife and children behind.

You can be as careful as possible but you can not stop the other drivers from driving badly.

 

[Lyp14 [ctxa]]

1 hour ago, JamesR said:

My advice is do not go near a motorbike, take a taxi or hire a car, you life is worth more than the cost of a taxi.

I know lots of people who have had accidents on a bike, I know personally of two people in separate accidents who were killed and left a wife and children behind.

You can be as careful as possible but you can not stop the other drivers from driving badly.

Yeah that's also a good piece of advice. I would never ride on a bike anywhere in the world, let alone Thailand. 

As a funny story, last time I was in Pattaya for the fireworks back in November, my wife (not Thai) wanted to ride one of those win bikes from  Central Festival all the way to our hotel (Centara Grand Mirage).... I refused and so we walked almost 7km... Then I told her, yes you're tired, but you're also alive... 

My advice was to driving your own car. 

Edited January 18, 2022 by ctxa

[cowslip]

22 minutes ago, JamesR said:

My advice is do not go near a motorbike, take a taxi or hire a car, you life is worth more than the cost of a taxi.

I know lots of people who have had accidents on a bike, I know personally of two people in separate accidents who were killed and left a wife and children behind.

You can be as careful as possible but you can not stop the other drivers from driving badly.

 

Many posters also suggest that because the roads are too dangerous to consider driving oneself, a driver or public transport was preferable. This is of course highly illogical as they have already accused Thai drivers of being the “worst in the world” so why would they let one drive them? On one hand they admit they aren’t competent enough to drive on Thai roads and then say all Thai drivers are dangerous and no good at driving???

 

 

[JamesR]

1 hour ago, ctxa said:

Yeah that's also a good piece of advice. I would never ride on a bike anywhere in the world, let alone Thailand. 

As a funny story, last time I was in Pattaya for the fireworks back in November, my wife (not Thai) wanted to ride one of those win bikes from  Central Festival all the way to our hotel (Centara Grand Mirage).... I refused and so we walked almost 7km... Then I told her, yes you're tired, but you're also alive... 

My advice was to driving your own car. 

I do not know what a 'win' bike is but it sounds dangerous.

I drive my car in Phuket and over many parts of Thailand it is great fun, an adventure every trip. 

[Lyp14 [ctxa]]

1 hour ago, JamesR said:

I do not know what a 'win' bike is but it sounds dangerous.

It's those motorbike 'taxies' all around Thailand that the drivers wear an orange jacket, anyway it's dangerous, you don't even get a helmet...

I also have my own car here in Bangkok and agree that it's very fun.

[JamesR]

1 hour ago, Khunwilko said:

Many posters also suggest that because the roads are too dangerous to consider driving oneself, a driver or public transport was preferable. This is of course highly illogical as they have already accused Thai drivers of being the “worst in the world” so why would they let one drive them? On one hand they admit they aren’t competent enough to drive on Thai roads and then say all Thai drivers are dangerous and no good at driving???

Why do you believe people when they say all Thai drivers are dangerous?

It is a fact there are a lot more deaths on the roads than many other countries proportionally but most of deaths in Thailand are motorcycle riders.

I drive my car when I am in Phuket and it is good fun as long as I drive Thai style.

An example, do not stop for anyone on a (zebra) crossing/ marked-crossing as the cars behind you will not stop putting the pedestrian in danger if they start to cross, the way it works is you drive as normal and it is up to the pedestrian to cross when they think it is safe just like in France.

That is probably not the law but it is how it is.

Another example is when on a two lane highway and the car in front is driving slowly in the right hand lane then just go past him on the left as he will be in the right hand lane all day.

When turning left or right use both right and left mirrors to see no one is overtaking you on either side of the car.

 

 

[cowslip]

13 minutes ago, JamesR said:

Why do you believe people when they say all Thai drivers are dangerous?

who is "you"?

[cowslip]

10 hours ago, ctxa said:

we all agree there are rules and the roads are reasonable standard.

I would say with a minimum knowledge of road construction anyone can tell the roads - even new ones are not of reasonable standards and the only large single document on the Thai Highway Code is a translation from 1979. the Thai roads have changed almost beyond recognition since then.

[JamesR]

2 hours ago, Khunwilko said:

who is "you"?

 

You wrote, "...This is of course highly illogical as they have already accused Thai drivers of being the “worst in the world” so why would they let one drive them?

So "You" is you.

[JamesR]

2 hours ago, ctxa said:

It's those motorbike 'taxies' all around Thailand that the drivers wear an orange jacket, anyway it's dangerous, you don't even get a helmet...

I also have my own car here in Bangkok and agree that it's very fun.

I have driven in BKK too, I once drove from Phuket to CM over a few days visiting places on the way, good fun.

[cowslip]

17 minutes ago, JamesR said:

You wrote, "...This is of course highly illogical as they have already accused Thai drivers of being the “worst in the world” so why would they let one drive them?

So "You" is you.

I think you need to re-read! -

"Many posters also suggest that because the roads are too dangerous to consider driving oneself, a driver or public transport was preferable. This is of course highly illogical as they have already accused Thai drivers of being the “worst in the world” so why would they let one drive them?"

"they have already accused Thai drivers" It's a logical progression from the premise that others (foreigners) assume that all Thai drivers are bad drivers.

Edited January 18, 2022 by Khunwilko

[JamesR]

5 minutes ago, Khunwilko said:

I think you need to re-read! -

"Many posters also suggest that because the roads are too dangerous to consider driving oneself, a driver or public transport was preferable. This is of course highly illogical as they have already accused Thai drivers of being the “worst in the world” so why would they let one drive them?"

"they have already accused Thai drivers" It's a logical progression from the premise that others (foreigners) assume that all Thai drivers are bad drivers.

But all foreigners do not believe all Thai drivers are bad drivers, I for one don't and so therefore just because some think all Thai drivers are bad then we all believe that as it is not true and therefore do not believe everything you read. 

[JamesR]

On 1/16/2022 at 5:31 PM, Khunwilko said:

Interesting expression - can you define that?

Hiding behind a wall while someone else rides the bike and does your Tesco shopping for you. 

[cowslip]

2 minutes ago, JamesR said:

But all foreigners do not believe all Thai drivers are bad drivers, I for one don't and so therefore just because some think all Thai drivers are bad then we all believe that as it is not true and therefore do not believe everything you read. 

I'm having difficulty getting trough here - the "you" is not ME as I never said that.

Secondly you aren't arguing, you are just gainsaying apparently by deliberately misquoting me "Many posters also suggest that because the roads are too dangerous to consider driving oneself" - where do I say "all foreigners"?

You seem to be nit-picking just for the sake of disagreeing but you don't have anything to disagree with.

[JamesR]

On 1/14/2022 at 8:00 PM, Khunwilko said:

Beware of people who use the word ”agenda’. They use it in a negative sense because usually don’t understand the argument or are too dumb to reply. They have a FEELING they don’t like it but can’t come up with a response so cover their ignorance with cynicism.

It is basically a form of ad hominem attack – it attacks the messenger rather than the message by erroneously inferring there is a subtle, even subversive, subtext to the argument that somehow invalidates it.

They can’t actually articulate this, so instead resort to the suggestion there is an “agenda”. As if that is something secret that we are all aware of already.

It’s a close relative of sealioning and reduction ad absurdum and false syllogism.

"Let's bring this meeting to order everyone".

"Now John, what is on the agenda today".

"There is no agenda"

"What do you mean there is no agenda, well make one quickly now!"

"We we can't sir"

@Khunwilkosaid we are not allowed to sir"

[cowslip]

11 minutes ago, JamesR said:

Hiding behind a wall while someone else rides the bike and does your Tesco shopping for you. 

I think it is very common for people to bandy about this phrase "defensive driving" when in fact they have no idea what it actually is. 

One of the problems with criticising road safety in Thailand is that most critics have no real knowledge of either road safety or driving themselves hence the bizarre and pointless ideas on this thread.

The truth is that you need a set of skills to driver PERIOD. If you are a competent driver and have these skills, you'll be able to drive reasonably safely all over the world, including Thailand - part of those skills is adapting and adjusting to your driving environment. Giving personal anecdotes etc just indicates how that person is not able top adapt satisfactorily as they so often think that they way they drove at "home" was the "right" way and Thailand is the "wrong" way,

 

[JamesR]

15 minutes ago, Khunwilko said:

I'm having difficulty getting trough here - the "you" is not ME as I never said that.

Secondly you aren't arguing, you are just gainsaying apparently by deliberately misquoting me "Many posters also suggest that because the roads are too dangerous to consider driving oneself" - where do I say "all foreigners"?

You seem to be nit-picking just for the sake of disagreeing but you don't have anything to disagree with.

We are going around in circles here, let's leave this one stand as it is.