How safe is it to drive in Thailand

Post by **Galee** » February 21, 2014, 5:11 pm

I can't believe this survey is right. There's no way that there is another country more dangerous than Thailand.

http://news.drive.com.au/drive/motor-ne ... 335yt.html

The top two a long way ahead of the rest.

Post by **Paladin** » February 21, 2014, 5:24 pm

In a Nut Shell "Bloody Dangerous"

Post by **FrazeeDK** » February 21, 2014, 7:47 pm

but then again, the statistics don't break down the accidents do they?? Statistically, the huge majority of deaths in Thailand are people on motorcycles... This review of the most recent New Year's holidays show roughly 80% of the accidents involved motorcycles and for the "festive" holiday season roughly 45% of the accidents were attributed to drunk driving.. http://www.richardbarrow.com/2013/12/fu ... -thailand/ So, while the per capita death rate for Thailand is indeed high, if you are NOT driving a motorcycle you chances of getting killed or injured are low.

Post by **Alchai** » February 21, 2014, 8:55 pm

What worries me most when driving a car here in Thailand is if I hit a motorbike or pedestrian. i drive very carefully but still I am now and then very close to hitting someone. Its the way they drive, I just can't get used to it!

Post by **dezzer** » February 21, 2014, 9:29 pm

Riding a bicycle is hair raising, especially around the ring road, sometimes in Nong Prajak Park you can come across bicycle rage, good luck.

Post by **thrilled** » February 22, 2014, 12:18 am

Bicycle travel in Thailand.Ya have A death wish.Motorcycle travel nearly as bad.Ya should have seen Udon in the early 70's It's gotten a lot better since then.

Post by **dezzer** » February 22, 2014, 12:27 am

Yes mate your right about the perils of a bicycle in some parts of Thailand but on the whole I think Udon is relatively safe compared to Pattaya and bkk regards Dezzer.

Post by **Photoman** » February 22, 2014, 3:47 am

Hi

It can be scary even if you are really careful , they just don't do what you expect them to . I have been driving in Thailand for about 5 years and last year I ventured the furthest yet Udon to Chiang Mai and was an interesting drive .

I think night time is the worst , dogs and vehicles of all descriptions with no lights everywhere .

Roy

Post by **pf-flyer** » February 22, 2014, 6:00 am

[quote="FrazeeDK"]but then again, the statistics don't break down the accidents do they?? Statistically, the huge majority of deaths in Thailand are people on motorcycles... This review of the most recent New Year's holidays show roughly 80% of the accidents involved motorcycles and for the "festive" holiday season roughly 45% of the accidents were attributed to drunk driving.. [url]http://www.richardbarrow.com/2013/12/fu ... -thailand/[/url] So, while the per capita death rate for Thailand is indeed high, if you are NOT driving a motorcycle you chances of getting killed or injured are low.[/quote]

Yes.... My pet peave are those "_______", "_______", Motor bikes. They do not care. They do not look they just go and they go anywhere they please irregardless of the havoc and chaos they may be causing. That is not to say that there are not other hazards also. Last week when I was driving from Udnot to Nong Han. I noticed a double trailer truck in my rear view mirror approaching us as he was weaving back and forth between the lanes passing everything that he could. When he started passing us and when he was next to us he nearly pushed us into the clong because the car in front of him was going too slow so he decided to move into our lane while we were still it it. You need to expect and to be ready for anything.

Post by **pf-flyer** » February 22, 2014, 6:21 am

I will never forget the first time that I drove out on the main road in Thailand. I said to my wife "____","_____", this is insane !.....[url]

[/url]

Post by **rick** » February 22, 2014, 9:45 am

Don't judge by western standards. i was fearful to drive having read how bad it is but when i did no real problem. But then i have traveled in Africa - after that nothing here really frightens you. Only specialty here is the driving the wrong way down the side of the road ......

I would say driving skills in Thailand have improved the last 5 years, but the number of vehicles has increased more.

Post by **Svein66** » February 22, 2014, 9:58 am

Not very safe when staying behind idiots like this...

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=291234194358133

Post by **parrot** » February 22, 2014, 10:54 am

There's no denying the driving here is crazy......but every time we go to Texas to visit our daughter, I'm amazed at the number of accidents. And when you're doing 70 or better, we're not talking fender benders.
Our daughter put her SUV into an oak tree to avoid a deer 2 years ago, she lost a nephew to a drunk driver last year, and her elderly father in law had his Mercedes wrecked when he pulled out of a parking lot without looking.
The only good thing to say about the driving there is.....you only have to worry about drivers in your lane after the bars close.

Post by **jai yen yen** » February 23, 2014, 2:24 am

Well, ten years ago I would ride my motorcycle all over Thailand and although I did encounter some close calls I was never really too concerned. The last few years I have become a lot more concerned, I don't know if it is getting more dangerous or I am getting older and more cautious. About two years ago I started having visions of waking up on the side of the road and seeing my wonderful little Thai wife lying in a pool of blood after being hit by some idiot. I would never forgive myself if that happened and I did not stop riding and let that happen. She was very sad when I sold our Harley, actually had a tear in her eye when they took it away. I had a tremendous feeling of relief when it was gone, I really felt it was just a matter of time. We have a Harley in Canada and ride the quiet back roads in the mountains of B.C. where it is much safer. I loved riding around Thailand and I miss it but for me it is just not worth the risk, might still be doing it if I was single though.

Post by **socksy** » February 23, 2014, 8:02 am

Is this a trick question? Surely not serious.

Post by **FrazeeDK** » February 23, 2014, 9:39 am

but, despite my breakdown of the statistics, I'll admit it can be heart stopping to drive here.. Yesterday, east of Udon while driving down a secondary road through a village at about 35km per hour, two 13-14 year olds on a motorcycle zoomed across the secondary road in front of me.. If I'd been two seconds faster, I'd have run them down.. No helmets, no license, probably no insurance or tags, and obviously no common sense.. Even if you drive ultra-defensively, you can strike or be struck by some careless driver.. As for that case yesterday, my horn blast elicited, silly grins as usual...

Two weeks ago when driving down to Khon Khean another exercise in stupidity from a motorcycle driver with passenger.. I was driving in the passing lane at about 90km when a M/C in the breakdown lane to my left decided to cut across 3 lanes of traffic to get to a U-Turn break in the median.. He was going about 60km when he pulled directly in front of me.. As I locked up the brakes, the driver and passenger's heads swiveled back eyes a-goggle as they saw smoking tires and the "boo-bars" on the front of my truck rapidly approaching.. Luckily, I didn't hit them although I'd say I got slowed down only a couple of meters behind them... No silly grins from those two, I'd say both of them had elevated heart rates for a while...

My personal rules here... Always looking ahead 200 meters or more (I think most Thais drive about 10 meters ahead if that!).. Always anticipating the worst. Always ready to stop.. Always using all three mirrors constantly..

14 years of driving over here and I've had two accidents, both minor, one my fault.. the number of "close calls", too numerous to count..

Post by **Perra** » February 24, 2014, 2:09 pm

I Think this points out one of the main problems...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iP8qB7Xa ... r_embedded

Post by **FrazeeDK** » February 24, 2014, 6:52 pm

and of course, nobody called the cops, the guys videoing it just laughing it up as two jackasses played road rage and put dozens of others at risk...

Post by **socksy** » January 20, 2015, 5:38 am

Yesterday I was waiting to do the first U-turn past the old Big C anti-clockwise on the ring road to drive towards Romyen. As I waited loads of traffic was approaching. I saw what looked like three generations of the same family travelling the wrong way on the other carriageway. Mother riding the motorbike, Granny on the back and a girl that looked about three years in the middle. Needless to say none were wearing skid lids. As they slowed down to wait for traffic the front wheel locked, all three fell off onto the inside lane of the main road and some driver's had to take avasive action to avoid them and the bike. Luckily none of them appeared injured never mind the possibility that all could have been killed. The young kid was sobbing her heart out. Will they learn from this? As much chance of that as me being the next Pope.

Post by **747man** » January 20, 2015, 11:18 am

Will they learn from this? As much chance of that as me being the next Pope........When is you're Coronation then Socks