Drivers in Thailand

[mr-relaxaction]

For just a little backgrond, I'm 62 Y.O. , a retired U.S. Marine, recently arrived in Hua Hin. As a young man I grew up with several of the orignal 13 Hells Angels. I've been riding Harley Davison motorcycles for quite some time. The thing I noticed most, here in Hua Hin, is that nobody respects anyone else on the road , also they either don't know or don't care about safety and any driving laws. Even at my advanced age , I suppose I would be considered by many that know me , to be one bad ass muther. My wife, Wendy, is one of the nicest person on the planet. I feel so lucky to have met her , it was love at first sight. She was 18, and I 52 , we soon married , that was 10 years ago and we have a wonderful 9 year old daughter. Well today , Saturday , August 11, at approx. 1:30 p.m. , I nearly lost her. Some maggott, driving a white pick-up decided to pass her on her little rented Honda click and didn't bother getting completly past her before coming back in to the lane. He hit her, knocking her to the ground, severly hurting both of her knees , and her chest , then the LOW LIFE BASTARD speed up , leaving the scean , not knowing wheather she had been gravely injured or not. Normally , I am riding just a few feet in frony of her, looking constantly in my rear view , but this time I went a little faster than normal, just to catch a little wind. This air sucking, maggott should go out and buy lottery tickets, for if I had been in my normal position, his family would be attending his funeral. I will gladly pay $1000.00 to anyone who may have seen the incident and be able to idinifiy this waste of bones to me , please contact Steve ,, c/o this forum , Thanks , and please be carefull.

[advocate]

The lack of driving skills will never change in our lifetimes. Many, if not most of the Thais have no licence or insurance. I don't drive a motorbike here anymore, as too many people I know have been injured or killed.

Even in the car I am extra cautious. After a while you try not to get upset at their sheer lunacy or risk taking, and just laugh it off. Otherwise you will be angry every time you drive.

Sorry I can't help ID the driver. You may want to expand on your post. Time, date, location, etc.

I hope your wife will be ok.

[Spitfire]

Well, it's a bit of a 'no brainer' answer to the OP on this front really. If you are new to Thailand then you'd better get used to stuff like this and the indifference that comes along with it on so many such subjects.

Welcome to the real Thailand dude (and not TAT's miracle amazing garbage). Deal with it or you'll end up having to leave as being 'wrapped too tight' will send you nuts here and not everyone can deal with it.

Offering a bounty on a local forum might not be the best way to go about things. Despite me sounding indifferent too, and I agree that most here of indigenous persuasion have no business being near a vehicle (of any description) anyhow, but if you report it to the cops they will simply say "Yes, right.......next!"

Personally, for me, driving is one of the major hazards here for all expats and we should all be careful.

I'm not going to attempt to justify the pathetic state of the road safety situation....but I know well enough to realise that nothing will change because no-one cares really.

BTW, a slightly optimistic call sign you chose for yourself and then posted a thread like you did.

Relaxation/Nirvana or 'peace of mind' can be elusive here unless you can let the water of experience just flow over you and learn the 'Mai bpen rai' attitude or understand the locals properly....which I don't always agree with but the rest of the country does.

OK, enough social services from me.

[dtaai-maai]

... if I had been in my normal position, his family would be attending his funeral.

... and you, of course, would be spending the rest of your days in the Bangkok Hilton.

I'm afraid I have to agree with Spitfire. I sympathise with your wife's accident, but it's an unfortunate fact that people get knocked off their bikes by idiots every day in Thailand. Many of them die as a result. Be grateful that your wife's injuries weren't more serious and that your daughter wasn't involved.

Being a "bad ass muther" here will do you no good at all, as I'm sure your wife will tell you if she's Thai. On the contrary, it will get you into serious trouble.

There are many huge advantages to life in Thailand. What you have to decide is if they outweigh the disadvantages.

Oh, and I would add that riding a Harley on US roads, even with genuine Hell's Angels, bears no comparison to riding a Honda pop-pop in Thailand.

[Frank Hovis]

Yes.
Motorcyclists are by far the worst and when they advance to four wheels the only extra knowledge they have gained is that cars use more benzine than motorcycles and that it's harder to fall over.

[mr-relaxaction]

Just to enlighten you folks a bit more , my wife's Mexican , and I've lived in Mexico for the last 19 years , I thought THEY were crazy , these folks are stupid. Futhermore , don't see any advantage of living here , not the weather , the prices , or any thing else. We made a mistake, and we'll soon retifi it. Thanks for the kind thoughts about my wife and daughter , as far as me looking for trouble , I never do , however one can solve many problems with a bit of discression , and this person is a danger to everyone. In that respect , maybe the Afgans have it right , a little tar and feathers , along with a few well placed rocks , never fail to change ones irresponsibilitys. For those of you who like it here, I can only say , check out Ecuador, and the surounding countries , once again , good luck and happy travels, Steve

[STEVE G]

The thing I noticed most, here in Hua Hin, is that nobody respects anyone else on the road ,

I'm surprised that you find that such a revelation in Thailand as most of SE Asia is the same or worse. In my experience they do respect other road users as long as they're driving 100 ton quarry trucks or something similar.

[Takiap]

I don't mean to be judgmental, but from the tone of your post, I would agree that maybe you've made a mistake moving to Thailand. As someone else has already said.......welcome to the real Thailand. If you don't like what you've seen, then just move on because it's not going to change, and believe it or not, but there are many of us (expats) that really don't want to see it change. It's the madness and craziness that attracted us in the first place.

Sure you've ridden big bikes with gangs of experienced riders, but when they arrive in Thailand, they're learners all over again, and the stakes tend to be quite high if you mess up, whether it's your fault or not. I am fortunate to never have been involved in an accident, apart from a minor bump, and now, after being here permanently for more than ten years, I actually feel quite safe on the roads, but only if I am driving/riding. I know it sounds hard to believe, but if you persevere, you really do get used to it, and you adapt accordingly.

Having said all that, you may find a bit of comfort in the fact that even many Thais never manage to come to grips with the way most Thais drive. My own wife rode into the side of a taxi a couple of years ago when it just pulled out in front of her. I probably wouldn't have because I would have been expecting him to pull out in front of me. As long as you are expecting every other driver to do the craziest thing possible, you'll be fine.


BTW, I would love to see/visit the countries you mention, and I often think that if I had visited there before coming to Thailand, I may never have ended up coming to Thailand. Not sure, but I have heard a lot of good reports about that part of the world. On the other hand, I love Thailand, and since I've basically lived here for close on 15 years, I think I would probably feel out of place elsewhere.


Glad your wife's injuries were only minor injuries, and please, for you sake and for hers, think twice before you consider using aggression, in ANY and ALL circumstances. If you don't, your ashes (if you're lucky) will simply end up at a temple.

[mr-relaxaction]

Thanks for all the comments, sounds like most of the ex-pats here are pretty desent people. As far as the scum bag who commited felony hit and run, with bodily injury , I hope and pray his carma comes in the form of a cement truck. As the days pass I'm sure we'll forget all of this , it's even a little better today. If there's anything I can do for any of you , just post it here, and I'll try and reply. Thanks again , to all , Steve

[margaretcarnes]

It's a shame to hear these experiences which can result in people deciding that Thailand isn't for them, but I agree with Spitfire and the rest. Nothing will change Thai driving habits, and much of it IMO is down to their religious beliefs.
Thankfully no serious injuries this time, but it wasn't the first and certainly won't be the last. Check out Sargeants' posts on his thread about being involved in a hit and run...and that was by a farang! Check out all the posts about accidents on the railway crossings. About the teenager from Bangkok who wiped out about 6 was it? students in a minibus. The list is endless, and all the info is there for potential expats to decide.
If you are certain about leaving best do it before the next Songkran.

[advocate]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think hit and run is even a crime in this country. It seems to be the norm to just drive away and see if you can get away with it. Many Thais do this, especially if they are drunk. If they are caught the next day, the police will usually just mediate some compensation.

Doesn't matter whose fault it is. If you are falang, you will most likely be expected to pay, even if not at fault.

The law here is illogical. It is not who has the right of way. Whoever has the bigger vehicle or the most money, usually is expected to pay.

[Takiap]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think hit and run is even a crime in this country. It seems to be the norm to just drive away and see if you can get away with it. Many Thais do this, especially if they are drunk. If they are caught the next day, the police will usually just mediate some compensation.

Doesn't matter whose fault it is. If you are falang, you will most likely be expected to pay, even if not at fault.

The law here is illogical. It is not who has the right of way. Whoever has the bigger vehicle or the most money, usually is expected to pay.

I disagree. This is the sort of fluff that is used by travelers in order to make their holiday sound more "daring" and "adventurous". It's what you'll read in Stephen Leather's books. Not having a go at you, but the "farang is always wrong" is not entirely true, and there are several members on this forum that can attest to that.


As for the driver of the biggest vehicle, or the one with the most money having to pay........well, there may be some truth in that, but that would apply even if there were only Thais involved. It's the Thai way to try and settle such disputes outside of the courts.


Again Mr Relax........some people get used to things here, while others don't. From my experience, I would say most people who have decided to come and live here, do adjust/adapt/etc. Also, don't only worry about the Thai drivers, because you'll find many Farang idiots as well on the roads here, both on bikes and in cars.

[advocate]

Takiap

Morally you are correct, but practically speaking:

My friend was just hit on his Harley by 2 Thais on a small motorbike. They were speeding and on the wrong side of the road. No licence, no insurance, half pissed.The police told him he should pay bc he is rich. The Thai's family also showed up at the station with Bhat signs in their eyes and were very vocal and demanding.

The police wanted to seize the Harley. This is often used as a ploy to get more $.

Luckily my friend has police connections who also showed up. My freind still had to pay to make the problem go away, but it was far far less than their demands.

The average falang here is at a disadvantage unless they have good insurance representation, or have family or police connections.

If a settlement cannot be negotiated by the police, the police will often just charge everyone and let a judge sort it out. Better to pay a small amount and be done with it.

[Big Boy]

Also, don't only worry about the Thai drivers, because you'll find many Farang idiots as well on the roads here, both on bikes and in cars.

I couldn't agree more. Over 4 months, and still waiting for my own vehicle, I do a lot walking around Hua Hin. One of the things that I've noticed on my walks is how serenely most Thais drive their motorcycles (albeit, they may be on the wrong side of the road ).

If I see or hear a motorcycle being driven fast, 9 times out of 10 it is either a Thai schoolboy, or a Farang. It's not just Thai drivers who are idiots.

[margaretcarnes]

Thats very true BB - the guy who hit Sarge was a farang (allegedly - sorry Sarge but just in case!) so plenty of farang just think they can drive like Thais and get away with it. Fortunately in some ways they can't, because there's enough barmy Thai drivers around.
Yes - many Thai bikers do just potter. I doubt they have bikes capable of much more than that, and they are no doubt conscious of the price of fuel. But Advocate is right as well - they so often drive on the wrong side of the road - out in the sticks particularly - with no lights. Hit one and it's the farangs' fault simply because the farang is there. And they do 'flee the scene' all too often. Two likely reasons for that. If a Thai knows they have caused an accident it is a loss of face, plus they know they will have to pay up if caught.