Important rules and behaviours for driving in Thailand

[Faz]

3 minutes ago, Khunwilko said:

really where?

 

  Having trouble understanding what you read.

On 10/22/2021 at 7:47 PM, KaptainRob said:

Please supply verified and comparable data plus links to the source(s). 

 

 

[Khunwilko]

On 10/22/2021 at 1:47 PM, KaptainRob said:

Can you describe this 'safe system' and how it might be applied in Asian countries please?

Please supply verified and comparable data plus links to the source(s). 

The problem with Asian. esp. Thai stats, is the high proportion (75&) of motorbike accidents and deaths which skew country comparisons.

I have described how it can be applied

It is common knowledge, you are seasoning me.

[Faz]

3 minutes ago, Khunwilko said:

Ater 3 months in Thailand you need a Thai licence - IDP is no good - officially.

Is that a fact -can you supply a link to that please, or is this just more dross.

[Khunwilko]

 

Road traffic injuries can be prevented. Governments need to take action to address road safety in a holisticmanner. This requires involvement from multiple sectors such as transport, police, health, education, and actions that address the safety of roads, vehicles, and road users.

Effective interventions include designing safer infrastructure and incorporating road safety features into land-use and transport planning, improving the safety features of vehicles, improving post-crash care for victims of road crashes, setting and enforcing laws relating to key risks, and raising public awareness.

 

What does road safety really entail? – a lot more than just “driving”.

 

In fact the Safe System offers a guide of 5 “E”s of road safety

For over 3 decades Thailand has had various “Road Safety Action Plans” and has espoused the virtues of the 5 “E”s (it has to be said with little effect) ............... but without them, Road Safety is doomed.

 

1. Education

2. Enforcement

3. Engineering

4. Emergency

5. Evaluation

 

1. Education

This is fairly self-explanatory - people need to be told/shown how to drive and given the “tools” to share the road with other users - UK had several government TV campaigns in the 60s and 70s. Clever well thought out ads with a bit of humour that weren’t condescending and helped to establish the country as a safe place to drive. (Do you remember the elephant in the fog?).

The first people to educate in Thailand would be the police.

 

2. Enforcement

Again self-explanatory - but Thailand has the added problem of ingrained corruption, graft and briber which impedes this no matter how many laws are passed. The laws need to be reasonable applicable and equitably enforced too.

 

3. Engineering: - most critics of (Thai) road safety usually ignore this aspect of road safety. It falls into 2 categories ….

 

A - Vehicle engineering - Safer car design and engineering: - car safety is both “passive” (seat belts, airbags and construction etc.) and “Active” (braking steering, handling, traction control etc.) these two are really interdependent now with so much computerised and hi-tech features on modern vehicles.

• Anti-locking brakes

• Traction control

• Air-bags

• Side impact bars

• AVCSS 

• More reliable engine, tyres and components

• Vehicle dynamics in general (vary from UK and Thailand)

Of course roadworthiness checks are vital - but totally unenforced in Thailand.

 

B - Road Engineering - 

The design and construction on the roads, bridges, junction, road surface, camber, drainage etc. 

• The use of barriers (e.g. Armco), the removal of roadside hazards - e.g. trees or boulders on the side and centre of roads. The clearing of billboards and vegetation that obscure drivers’ vision 

• Traffic - the use of lines, signs, bollards etc. etc. to dictate how and where the traffic flows and at what speed - virtually non-excitant in Thailand and seldom noticed by drivers in countries that make good use of it.

• The use of barriers (e.g. Armco), the removal of trees from the side and centre of roads. The clearing of billboards and vegetation that obscure drivers’ vision.

• Better infrastructure and engineering

• Better road surfaces

• Better signage

• More forgiving 

• Traffic calming

• Shared space - keeping various road users apart is key to safety in some situations - if they are separated they can’t collide.

 

Like so many things on the roads in Thailand, the only reason that U-Turns happen is because the roads ALLOW it.... this is an engineering problem (and cost), not so much a driver problem.

 

 

4. Emergency

 

- What happens in the event of injury... this is a major factor in who lives or dies.

It has been well documented that the time between accident and getting treatment is crucial in the survival of RTI victims. 

Treatment on the scene and reducing the time it takes to get the patient to hospital is vital. Thailand still has NO EFECTIVE UNIVERSAL EMERGENCY SERVICE!! Ambulances have no standard equipment levels and what comes to your aid at an accident could be anything from a boy-racer pickup truck trough van to a partially equpement ambulance. Paramedics ae seldom fully trained.

 

5. Evaluation

 

- How do we ascertain if measures are effective and what new ideas can be implemented.

Most governments have agencies of some sort that after engaging any road scheme, whether it is construction or a safety campaign, review in detail every aspect of that project; effects on local population, environment, accident statistics etc. etc. Statistics are gathered and monitored and appropriate action taken. - Whereas Thailand may nominally have such bodies their effectiveness is just about zero. Road safety in Thailand is left largely to ill-thought out, baseless pronouncements made by members of the government with little better to do. Statistics collected in Thailand are incomplete, amateurish and don’t eve correlate with international conventions.

7 minutes ago, Faz said:

Is that a fact -can you supply a link to that please, or is this just more dross.

sealioning again.

 

[Faz]

"sealioning" as "A disparaging term for the confrontational practice of leaping into an online discussion with endless demands for answers and evidence." 

Guilty as charged @Khunwilko
But then if you understood the roles of moderators and bothered to read the forum rules you'd understand why. The Thaiger Talk Forum Guidelines | Thaiger

 

Understand that the Forum considers “Facts” to differ from a “Personal Opinion.” Facts may be inferred or quoted. Members are responsible to make sure their Posts are not misleading and do not knowingly share articles, pictures and videos previously identified as Misinformation.

You've now be asked once by a member of Admin and once by a moderator to provide links if your going to infer what you post is facts. It's obvious your not a native English speaker, so you've been given the benefit of the doubt so far. 

Once again and for the final time can you please provide links to your post 90894 and the above post which is obviously copied and pasted from a source.

 

[JamesR]

On 10/24/2021 at 4:24 AM, gazmo16 said:

Where would you like us to wait for the bus or light train in our village to avoid the congestion ? Our nearest Big C is 25Km and hospital 15Km . 

Easy start walking to Big C before you become hungry and start walking to the hospital before you begin to feel ill.

[JamesR]

2 hours ago, Khunwilko said:

I have described how it can be applied

It is common knowledge, you are seasoning me.

You should really be seasoned and not allowed to write any more rubbish until Spring 2022.

[Faraday]

Just doesn't give up....

[gummy]

16 minutes ago, Faraday said:

Just doesn't give up....

Overdosed on exlax maybe 

[Philly]

On 10/25/2021 at 7:38 PM, Faz said:

Is that a fact -can you supply a link to that please, or is this just more dross.

Yes that’s true, I didn’t believe it either 

[Faz]

A post and reply have been removed.

[kellio48]

On 10/11/2021 at 3:34 PM, palooka said:

It would be nice if anyone abided by the rules, but they don't.

Pulling out from the side of the road, check there are no cars coming and then check ahead that there no cars, bikes coming on your side intent on a head on collison. Thailand drives on the left side of road or maybe the right, depends on where they want to go.

What's the speed limit in Thailand? Ans. How fast can your car go.

Quality roads, had a semi trailer turn over on a straight stretch of a major road recently, he hit a big pothole and lost it.

One of the most frustrating beliefs here among Thai drivers and particularly taxis, is their apparent belief that a driver parked on the side of the road can simply put his indicator on to display his/her intention to pull out into the flow of traffic or even do a U turn  without waiting for a break in traffic.
I've seen it numerous times and particularly from taxi drivers who seem to think they own the road and can do whatever they like.
If you sound your horn at them, they'll let go with a tirade of vocal abuse in Thai as if you're the one in the wrong.

[Bluesofa]

2 minutes ago, kellio48 said:

One of the most frustrating beliefs here among Thai drivers and particularly taxis, is their apparent belief that a driver parked on the side of the road can simply put his indicator on to display his/her intention to pull out into the flow of traffic or even do a U turn  without waiting for a break in traffic.
I've seen it numerous times and particularly from taxi drivers who seem to think they own the road and can do whatever they like.
If you sound your horn at them, they'll let go with a tirade of vocal abuse in Thai as if you're the one in the wrong.

You are the one in the wrong - you're causing them to lose face.

[El_Trauco]

Curious thing with turn signals.

Apparently establishes right-of-way under any circumstances.

Example:

Making a right hand turn at a signaled intersection.

Even with oncoming traffic (going straight)

Many drivers here will turn immediately on green without waiting for oncoming traffic to clear the intersection.

Very confusing

[Khunwilko]

On 12/10/2021 at 10:58 PM, kellio48 said:

One of the most frustrating beliefs here among Thai drivers and particularly taxis, is their apparent belief that a driver parked on the side of the road can simply put his indicator on to display his/her intention to pull out into the flow of traffic or even do a U turn  without waiting for a break in traffic.
I've seen it numerous times and particularly from taxi drivers who seem to think they own the road and can do whatever they like.
If you sound your horn at them, they'll let go with a tirade of vocal abuse in Thai as if you're the one in the wrong.

This is because the basic rule of the road in Thailand is that there is priority from the left. They have right of way.....Translated Thai highway code dated 1979, Section 71 (500B)]

Edited December 30, 2021 by Khunwilko

[Rain]

Driving while being distracted by texting or any other gadgetry priorities.

[Guest1]

On urban roads, the speed limit has been set at 50 kms/hour.

I think, this is an questionable one.

Or a new one?

Aside, that they starting to put up 50 signs in many urban areas, which wouldn't be needed, if there were a general 50 in urban rule out there, I remember a couple of years ago an interview with a station chief , I think was it, of Phuket. 

In there was written, that there is no such general urban speed limit in Thailand (which would explain the need of all the new 50 signs), and that therefor the legal limit, in urban areas, without specific speed limit signs, would be 90, too.

So, how old is this, and where does it stand, please?

But hey, they start often to put up blue signs on traffic lights, now, "wait for green", instead of the "turn left when save" sign. Or/and expecting people to wait for a green "right" arrow, without having any red signal on, to support that waiting expectation.

 

[Fester]

6 hours ago, Khunwilko said:

This is because the basic rule of the road in Thailand is that there is priority from the left. They have right of way.....Translated Thai highway code dated 1979, Section 71 (500B)]

Not quite as simple as that and that is not a pure transation.

The important wording is that the vehicle on the principle roadway has a right of way.

So all the bozos that cut in from side roads and gas stations etc are.....well...bozos.

 

 

 

[Bluesofa]

1 hour ago, Fester said:

Not quite as simple as that and that is not a pure transation.

The important wording is that the vehicle on the principle roadway has a right of way.

So all the bozos that cut in from side roads and gas stations etc are.....well...bozos.

This looks rather complicated.
Why do you say it's not a pure translation - perhaps because it's not clear enough?
This is what the translations says:

[quote]
Section 71. Subject to section 21 and section 26, when a driver
drives a conveyance reaching a junction, he or she shall follow the instructions as
follows:
(1) if there is another conveyance at the junction, the driver shall let
the conveyance at the junction pass first;
(2) if two conveyances reach the junction at the same time and there
is no other conveyance at the junction, the driver shall let the conveyance driving on
his or her left side pass first; provided that at any junction where a main road
intersects a secondary road, the conveyance driving on the main road has the right
to pass first;
[endquote]

It seems to me 'provided that' in the middle of (2) means 'remembering that'?

 

[Khunwilko]

4 hours ago, Fester said:

The important wording is that the vehicle on the principle roadway has a right of way.

the translation of the "Highway Code" is from 1979 and it is more a historical document than a modern translation. From an era when translations were very hit or miss. It does however highlight early cultural mores than still populate Thai driving culture to this day.

In the case of a parked car, they are both on the principle road.

This is similar to the rule in countries like France and Netherlands (except from the right)  leads to a basic priority rule and that is for traffic on the left. Thai drivers are basically quite polite and expect people to come in from the left....This is part of Thai driving psyche and if foreign drivers don't understand this, they are in for a few surprises.

"principle roadway" is a very dubious concept in Thailand as road markings seldom make this clear. Near where I used to live - in the suburbs, my road was a "Soi", but there was a road joining it that was a "Sai"; it didn't appear any different apart from the wording on the blue label...however it had right of way. "Straight on" at the junction was into the Soi but people entering from the Sai had right of way to come out across in front of you.

It is one of the reasons that roundabouts are so ineffective in Thailand as they involve an inversion of the give way to the left rule and there are seldom markings or signs to show this.

The problem is foreign drivers tend to drive by the rules of "home" and when confronted with a Thai rule the seems different, their normal reaction is to say "that ca't be right" and then apply their "home logic".

Edited December 31, 2021 by Khunwilko

[Khunwilko]

4 hours ago, Fester said:

vehicle on the principle roadway has a right of way

Not actually the case - it says on roads of EQUAL status there is automatic priority for traffic on the left - this is only overridden in the case of a "principle road" (definitions of the aren't straightforward, either)

[Khunwilko]

9 hours ago, Guest1 said:

On urban roads, the speed limit has been set at 50 kms/hour.

I think, this is an questionable one.

Or a new one?

Aside, that they starting to put up 50 signs in many urban areas, which wouldn't be needed, if there were a general 50 in urban rule out there, I remember a couple of years ago an interview with a station chief , I think was it, of Phuket. 

In there was written, that there is no such general urban speed limit in Thailand (which would explain the need of all the new 50 signs), and that therefor the legal limit, in urban areas, without specific speed limit signs, would be 90, too.

So, how old is this, and where does it stand, please?

But hey, they start often to put up blue signs on traffic lights, now, "wait for green", instead of the "turn left when save" sign. Or/and expecting people to wait for a green "right" arrow, without having any red signal on, to support that waiting expectation.

The urban speed limit WAS 80 km/h. Cars over 1.2 kg had a 60 km/h limit.

Te problem here is to define a "built up area". In UK it is by the density of street lighting. In Thailand with extensive ribbon development it is hard to tell and sing WAS non-existent.

Local authorities cannot, I believe introduce new speed limits in areas they deem necessary. This has lead to a plethora of signs and road markings, mostly with little national consistency.

The national speed limit is still 90 km/h, the exception being motorways and some other roads with a central reservation. They have a 120 km/h limit.

The Expressways around BKK and Pattaya have an 80 limit.

these limits are for standard 4-wheel private vehicles.

Interestingly in Laos they use the French system and are much better signed, telling you if you are entering built up areas or school areas etc...

 

[Fester]

9 hours ago, Khunwilko said:

Not actually the case - it says on roads of EQUAL status there is automatic priority for traffic on the left - this is only overridden in the case of a "principle road" (definitions of the aren't straightforward, either)

It's very actually the case. 

[Fester]

11 hours ago, Bluesofa said:

This looks rather complicated.
Why do you say it's not a pure translation - perhaps because it's not clear enough?
This is what the translations says:

[quote]
Section 71. Subject to section 21 and section 26, when a driver
drives a conveyance reaching a junction, he or she shall follow the instructions as
follows:
(1) if there is another conveyance at the junction, the driver shall let
the conveyance at the junction pass first;
(2) if two cet the conveyance driving on
his or her left side pass first; provided that at any junction where a main road
intersects a secondary road, the conveyance driving on onveyances reach the junction at the same time and there
is no other conveyance at the junction, the driver shall lthe main road has the right
to pass first;
[endquote]

It seems to me 'provided that' in the middle of (2) means 'remembering that'?

It's certainly confusing, especially when people don't quote properly. 

[Khunwilko]

25 minutes ago, Fester said:

It's very actually the case. 

The vehicle on the left by default has the right of way - the only time this rule is cancelled is when entering a "principle roadway". By default vehicles on the left have right of way.

Unfortunately many drivers don't know that they aren't on a principle road and ASSUME there are and have right of way. Rods of EQUAL status the priority is from the left

Sect 72 - [A principle roadway is announced by the traffic officer and installed with indicative traffic signs.]

Edited December 31, 2021 by Khunwilko