Tourists on motorbikes..Oh dear!

[usual suspect]

I touched on this subject in another thread, but Oh how I cringe when I see a group of young visitors setting off on their
newly-rented 'sit n screw' motorbikes..
* Firstly lets look at their protective clothing..err OK, moving along as shorts, flip-flops, & the helmet in the basket does
not really count. (Shirt?.."Hey man..I'm here to get a tan".)

* Mental awareness..? Minimal!..they'll light up a fag, do a U-turn in front of oncoming locals, proceed the wrong way
along Poolsuk Rd..Why?.. because 1 of the team has spotted Burger King's luring sign..let's all head for it.
Do we know where we're going..? No..well then let's all stop in a bunch 3-wide on Petkasem Rd & dig out the map from
the hotel (instant fraffic flow problem for oncoming Somchai.. speeding, about to undertake the bus that's slowed to
get by them all..you all get the picture).
"Who's got the map?".."Whose got the fags"? "We need to do a U-turn"..Arrgghh!

* Insurance? Just how many are actually covered? Yes they all have maybe taken out Travel Ins...but do any of them
realise that if they do not hold a current motorcycle-license from their own country they are limited to 50cc engine
size on the 2-wheelers they hire+ride..?

* The innocent party here...The girlie riding pillion!
She has to sit there & be part of this farce, and unfortunately for her..SHE cops it 1st if they get shunted from behind.
(As is the case of the English lady in Phuket at Xmas time..hit by a truck while riding pillion..6 weeks in hospital..
and a whopping 1.8m Baht bill from that hospital..!!)

* The Hire-Bikes..semi flat tyres, minimal tread, head-bearings clunking-away over every bump..you get the picture.
(But modern bikes do not need a basket..your helmet can live under the seat).

SO PLEASE..ANY TOURISTS READING THIS WITH A PLAN TO GO OUT FOR DAY TRIPS ON MOPEDS..THINK ABOUT
THE RISKS HERE..IT'S DAMN DANGEROUS ON THESE ROADS!
If there's more than 4 of you it may work out cheaper to rent a taxi/Sontaew for the whole day..
...(& by doing this you can all drink beer & still be safe)

[Big Boy]

Don't worry, it'll soon be April, the police tea fund will have been topped up, and the survivors will have returned home.

[SydneyGuy]

very god read, and most appropriate, now i suggest you write a thread on the older tourists who come to Hua Hin and ride bicycles (pretending that they are riding in their home town of Copenhagen or Sweden), they are a danger to themselves and every other road user!!

[centermid7]

I find the OP's post could, for the most part, be said of low season as much as it could for the high season. Maybe the maps don't come out so often in low season but the rest surely applies. Without question IMO the Thais operate their motorbikes as described only with two kids loaded on behind and a toddler sitting/standing in front.

[Big Boy]

now i suggest you write a thread on the older tourists who come to Hua Hin and ride bicycles

Or maybe one about the tourists wandering up and down Soi 94, 4 abreast.

Thais operate their motorbikes as described only with two kids loaded on behind and a toddler sitting/standing in front.

While I agree that Thais have some crazy road habits, it's what Thais do. They are predictably bad at what they do, and much easier to anticipate.

[bsdk1960]

very god read, and most appropriate, now i suggest you write a thread on the older tourists who come to Hua Hin and ride bicycles (pretending that they are riding in their home town of Copenhagen or Sweden), they are a danger to themselves and every other road user!!

Seems like Sydney is the perfect place to be accoding road safety.
With a popuation of 1,5 million in Copenhagen I doubt how many Old people dive around on bicycles in Hua Hin.
Maybe you just skipped the tourist part and landed in LOS and jumped in and bought a house,and have you ever been to Copenhagen ,I promise you its a lot dangerous to drive a bicycles there ,than here.

[huahin4ever]

Not to mention the expats living here, taking their motorcycle OR car going to Soi 80 for beers, and then driving/riding home after they have consumed more than 1

[gerryha]

BB is on the money. Thais may ride in a way that would baffle any thinking person but its surprising how you develop an instinct for what they will do next. Tourists with pink/red skin always scare me however. After about 2 days there seems to be an attitude of "2 days, no accidents, Im a natural and can do anything" they then copy everything stupid they have ever seen a Thai do but in a more random way. To be yold you ride like a Thai id no complement

[Bamboo Grove]

Myself, thanking the good Buddha that I survived the six years in Hua Hin. I did a lot of drink driving, and I'm not proud of it but I survived. To my own defence I have to say that I never drove fast, I knew I was intoxicated (I know, it's still a poor excuse) and tried to be extra careful. However, the worst drivers I knew in Hua Hin were the expats who thought, they were good drivers and drove accordingly, not caring about others or cursing the others when they did something unsuspecting that these folks who themselves drove insanely were not expecting. I know a few who had bad accidents but never saw a mistake in their own driving skills or ways.

[SydneyGuy]

very god read, and most appropriate, now i suggest you write a thread on the older tourists who come to Hua Hin and ride bicycles (pretending that they are riding in their home town of Copenhagen or Sweden), they are a danger to themselves and every other road user!!

Seems like Sydney is the perfect place to be according road safety.
With a popuation of 1,5 million in Copenhagen I doubt how many Old people dive around on bicycles in Hua Hin.
Maybe you just skipped the tourist part and landed in LOS and jumped in and bought a house,and have you ever been to Copenhagen ,I promise you its a lot dangerous to drive a bicycles there ,than here.

Hi

I was in Copenhagen several years ago, and was amazed at the how well the public transport and infrastructure was designed, with lanes for, bicycles, taxis, buses and cars. People riding bicycles everywhere in perfect safety.

According to statistics around 50% of people living in Copenhagen ride bikes to commute to work.

http://denmark.dk/en/green-living/bicyc ... eir-bikes/

cheers

[Big Boy]

Just my 2 Bahts worth on bicycles - yes they are slow, and can sometimes be a pain to pass, but generally IMHO they are ridden sensibly, and no different to cyclists in the UK.

At the end of the day, I'm retired, and have no urgency to go anywhere. OK, I might be delayed for 5 seconds waiting to pass a cyclist, but it's not a problem.

Cyclists at night, with no lights in an unlit area - now that does wind me up.

[Terry]

................Cyclists at night, with no lights in an unlit area - now that does wind me up.

The motor bikes who turn their lights off (to save the battery ) REALLY get my goat.

[oakdale160]

They believe that they are saving gas by not using the battery which is recharged by a dynamo on the engine. They tend to use the kickstart even if they have an electric starter fr the same reason.
My hate is motor bikes riding on the wrong side of the road.

[buksida]

My hate is motor bikes riding on the wrong side of the road.

Echo that, but when cars do it you get even more annoyed!

There is a guide to riding in Thailand here for the uninitiated: http://ontheroadasia.com/riding-in-thailand.php

[Big Boy]

And then there's young kids on motorcycles. I've just come back from Soi 88, where 16 kids up to about 14 years old have ridden past in convoy