Free Left Turn at Traffic Lights

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Big Boy
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Free Left Turn at Traffic Lights

Post by Big Boy »

A couple of years ago when these notices preventing the Free Left Turn at traffic lights appeared, Hua Hin's BIB were being heavily criticised on almost every social media site for using it to victimize Farang drivers/riders, even though Thais were equally pulled up for abusing the restrictions.
20160324_094549.jpg
20160324_094549.jpg (51.46 KiB) Viewed 910 times
Now as with most Thai laws/restrictions, this regulation seem to have become time expired i.e. the sign in the photo is adjacent to a Thai police box, which is often manned, and there's another similar sign directly outside the police box (similar situation at Soi 76), but cars and motorcyclists alike just ignore the signs and the BIB just sit in their cozy little box.

Today, waiting to turn left at this sign, the 2 cars in front of me eventually ignored the sign, as did 3 motorcyclists.

So, do the restrictions still exist? Or is just like railway crossings and the Bangkok Hospital traffic lights? The restrictions exist when it pleases somebody to enforce them.
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Re: Free Left Turn at Traffic Lights

Post by Dannie Boy »

I'm pretty sure you know the answer BB, the law exists just like wearing helmets etc, but it's only enforced when the BIB want to (or when the tea money is getting low).
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Re: Free Left Turn at Traffic Lights

Post by STEVE G »

I noticed that when I was there in January, at the junction of soi 70 and Petchakasem there are now three different signs at least two of which contradict each other, there was the one you show above, a "Free left turn" in English and another one that said something else that I forget. I wanted to take a picture of them but I wasn't carrying a camera at the time.
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Re: Free Left Turn at Traffic Lights

Post by Big Boy »

I think I know what you're talking about i.e. coming down the hill, the Wait for Traffic Signal sign is still there, but there's another sign urging you to turn left, Very contradictory, and I have been waved through there by the BIB when waiting for the signal.
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Post by hhinner »

I doubt that those traffic light signs have any legality anyway (anybody seen them in the driving exam?). The traffic law says that you cannot turn left through a red light unless there is a proper sign allowing it (i.e. the blue and white sign with the left turn arrow). Even then you should be careful if that sign doesn't have English wording on it. When there used be traffic lights at the Jao Samran crossroad near Phetchaburi there was a blue and white sign which used to catch people out. It actually stated that you had to wait for green, and I often saw people being caught turning left on red by the police in the control booth.
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Re: Free Left Turn at Traffic Lights

Post by centermid7 »

Unless the BIB are standing right outside their little box feel free to go ahead and make the turn. It's not like they are going to make an effort to chase you down!
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Re: Free Left Turn at Traffic Lights

Post by VincentD »

Do note that this is now becoming the norm in Bangkok, people DO wait and there is no horn blaring when you do. People are actually starting to give way to every other car when there is an obstruction or lane narrowing, exception being giving way at u-turns unless heavy traffic.
Still do see people without helmets but this is more due to laziness than respect for the law. Motosai taxis do provide helmets if driving on main roads but not in the small sois.

Will take a couple of years to filter down to the provinces.
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Re: Free Left Turn at Traffic Lights

Post by usual suspect »

A little tip for those of you on m/cycles..
IF you're coming South..past the Clock Tower, & towards the main lights ahead, & you wish to be turning left for Burger King etc..& Oh damn..big queue, (cannot use the 'market St' at the back of City Beach 'cos it's night-time..market on)..
..JUST before the lights turn left into the fancy 'Tourist Centre' area/car-park..then right..up over a little ramp, & down the dropped-kerb, & left onto your intended Rd..lights bypassed.. :thumb: :cheers:
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Re: Free Left Turn at Traffic Lights

Post by HHTel »

I have noticed recently that more and more cars are waiting at Bangkok Hospital for the green light. But people who don't want to wait will use the 'hard shoulder' to bypass the 'law abiders'.
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Re: Free Left Turn at Traffic Lights

Post by usual suspect »

Just had a thought..are these signs only at junctions where there is a pedestrian croosing..?
If so, then that would make some sense..after many tourists have been both killed & injured here by 'swooping' left-turners.
Bearing in mind that here pedestrians are the lowest form of road-user, & that selfish Thai motorists loath having to slow-down/stop for them (sit and observe any pedestrian crossing in town..inc. BKK Hospital :cuss: ).
So we're not gonna get foot-bridges, but DO have added 'protection' from these signs.. :?

(Traffic lights on the Klong Rd bear no such signage).
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Re: Free Left Turn at Traffic Lights

Post by HHTel »

As I understand, the signage only underlines the existing law in that a left turn on red is only allowed when there is a sign (usually a blue sign with a white left pointing arrow). No signage means you have to wait for green.
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