Driving on the wrong side

Post by **Charlieb** » August 2, 2014, 8:55 am

I knew it would probably happen someday. Only in Thailand do you see vehicles - mostly motorbikes - driving on the wrong side of the road on a major highway.

Last night while attempting to pull out onto the Nong Khai highway. My attention was mostly focused on the large amount of oncoming traffic to find an opening. I did look to my left but never saw a motorbike since there was a truck parked along the shoulder.

Just as I pulled out - BAM!, a lady on a motorbike ran into my left side. She was suffering some pain but did not seem to be too bad. Her rationale was that it was OK for her to drive there since "everyone does it". It is too much trouble to make a u-turn and go around as cars have to do.

She kept insisting that I would have to pay for her motorbike. When my insurance guy showed up he told her, since she was on the wrong side of the road, not only would I not pay for her motorbike but she would have to pay for my car repairs. Of course at that time the crying starts and the "I have no money".

I'll leave it between her and my insurance to sort it out and try to be more on the lookout but it seems they come out of no where!

Post by **Udon Map** » August 2, 2014, 9:15 am

Charlieb wrote:I knew it would probably happen someday. Only in Thailand do you see vehicles - mostly motorbikes - driving on the wrong side of the road on a major highway.

Happens all the time in India, and not just two wheeled vehicles, either. Cars, trucks, buses, -- I saw them all driving the wrong way in the breakdown lane on a divided highway during a drive from Delhi to Agra.

Post by **socksy** » August 2, 2014, 9:17 am

You've got more chance of finding rocking horse nonsense than getting compesation from her.

Post by **Drunk Monkey** » August 2, 2014, 9:43 am

This thread should be under Thai culture !! ,,,,,, i have lost count the number of times i have seen accidents where motorbikes are going down the wrong way both on minor and major roads to avoid a few hundred yards to the correct Uturn ,, at night is worse , lights on full beam full of piss a recipe for a good owld smash .... and as the OP states the motorbike riders appear unaware they have done anything wrong ....it is in fact the norm .

Hotspots for this in and around Udon include .......EVERYWHERE ....

Not a Thai slagging rant just stating the obvious really.

DM

Post by **merchant seaman** » August 2, 2014, 12:02 pm

Actually it's not just Thai's. I've seen many farangs do the same, I have done it myself (usually on a motorbike). And it wouldn't surpprise me if most on here haven't done the same at least once.

Post by **semperfiguy** » August 2, 2014, 12:27 pm

Charlieb wrote:I knew it would probably happen someday. Only in Thailand do you see vehicles - mostly motorbikes - driving on the wrong side of the road on a major highway.

Last night while attempting to pull out onto the Nong Khai highway. My attention was mostly focused on the large amount of oncoming traffic to find an opening. I did look to my left but never saw a motorbike since there was a truck parked along the shoulder.

Just as I pulled out - BAM!, a lady on a motorbike ran into my left side. She was suffering some pain but did not seem to be too bad. Her rationale was that it was OK for her to drive there since "everyone does it". It is too much trouble to make a u-turn and go around as cars have to do.

She kept insisting that I would have to pay for her motorbike. When my insurance guy showed up he told her, since she was on the wrong side of the road, not only would I not pay for her motorbike but she would have to pay for my car repairs. Of course at that time the crying starts and the "I have no money".

I'll leave it between her and my insurance to sort it out and try to be more on the lookout but it seems they come out of no where!

I'm just happy to hear that the motorbike driver was held accountable for breaking the law. I have always heard that a farang will come out on the losing end of a situation like this where the motorbike driver is going in the wrong direction and an accident occurs. You didn't mention if a policeman was involved in the process, so I'm wondering if the outcome would have been the same if the police were called in.

Post by **timmy** » August 2, 2014, 12:34 pm

merchant seaman wrote:Actually it's not just Thai's. I've seen many farangs do the same, I have done it myself (usually on a motorbike). And it wouldn't surpprise me if most on here haven't done the same at least once.

speak for yourself matey , it would,nt enter my head to drive or ride the wrong way down the road when its much easier and safer just to carry on to the next U turn .

Post by **mortiboy** » August 2, 2014, 12:54 pm

HA HA I do it regularly But only in the Village.
But VERY care full at turnings. Slow or stop!
When in Rome ? But not actually on the road .
Just the waste ground along it

Post by **Charlieb** » August 2, 2014, 2:09 pm

merchant seaman wrote:I'm just happy to hear that the motorbike driver was held accountable for breaking the law. I have always heard that a farang will come out on the losing end of a situation like this where the motorbike driver is going in the wrong direction and an accident occurs. You didn't mention if a policeman was involved in the process, so I'm wondering if the outcome would have been the same if the police were called in

Police were called but did not come out. They said let the Insurance guy handle it

Post by **stattointhailand** » August 2, 2014, 3:17 pm

Perhaps she thought she was in the States Charlie ....... they ALL drive on the wrong side of the road over there

Post by **pomps** » August 2, 2014, 4:18 pm

So a Thai will claim it was your fault.a farang going the wrong way would just run away if Insurance or police summoned to the scene

Seen many farangs doing the Thai way,no helmet,wrong way on their motorbike etc

but not MS yet

Post by **Techland** » August 2, 2014, 4:20 pm

> Police were called but did not come out. They said let the Insurance guy handle it

Which most probably brought you into a much better position!

Post by **FrazeeDK** » August 2, 2014, 5:22 pm

well, the way I read it the Farang's insurance adjuster came out.. No word about the woman's insurance adjuster.. Likely, she had no insurance.. And... likely too, the Farang will pay to get the damage fixed out of his own pocket or his own insurance (if Class I). Seems like I crane my neck back and forth at least 4 times any time I enter the road. If I forget to do it (rarely) invariably out will pop some moron going the wrong way.. I've come a whisker's breadth from getting clobbered or clobbering errantly driving Tuk-tuk's or M/C's a number of times.. A bad place is coming out of the old Big C where parked vehicles will always block your view of any idiots riding their M/C's against traffic...

Post by **Aardvark** » August 2, 2014, 5:56 pm

I was Riding down the Ring Road one day and a Bike carrying two came from my left out of a side street. I reacted by swinging right to avoid a collision and as they passed the guy on the back, laughing said *_#&^@* Falang. They know it's wrong, but they know it's their Country and Culture so don't give a Rats ....

Post by **noosard** » August 2, 2014, 6:00 pm

Thought thats what the co pilot is for
in my case the wife
she scares me to death yelling when ghost riders turn up as you try to enter the highway
saw a car ghosting yesterday out Nadee way
what annoys me is the police only police road rules when its their turn by the looks of things

Post by **Shado** » August 2, 2014, 6:18 pm

stattointhailand wrote:Perhaps she thought she was in the States Charlie ....... they ALL drive on the wrong side of the road over there

Not just the States, most of the world.

Post by **Aardvark** » August 2, 2014, 6:20 pm

So what, it's still the wrong side

Post by **dazzz** » August 2, 2014, 7:01 pm

merchant seaman wrote:Actually it's not just Thai's. I've seen many farangs do the same, I have done it myself (usually on a motorbike). And it wouldn't surpprise me if most on here haven't done the same at least once.

Ah waiting for the farangs are stupid as well report. I drive my motorbike from nakha to udon and back everyday for 3 yrs and never seen 1 farang drive the wrong way except for me . In fact i never seen many farangs on a bike and the ratio of farangs to thais suggest you may see some farangs or probably very few farangs drive the wrong way.I prob see 0-3 farangs on a bike everyday on the way to the city and all going the correct way.
When i have driven the wrong way i look at every junction and stop if there is any vehicle at that junction. I know i am going the wrong way so i am extra careful while the stupidity of some thai drivers take some believing.
I was turning left on my bike with a sidecar yesterday and saw a girl heading straight for me on the wrong side of the road. She decided to turn right on the right hand side of the road as nothing could be coming. She was also looking at her mobile . I stopped and just watched her until about 15 mtr away then pressed my horn. WOW she stopped pretty quickly. I asked her why she was on the wrong side of the road but she kept saying sorry, sorry.Complete and utter stupidity . Sorry not seen many farangs do that but it is an almost daily occurrence in my village.
In my village in wales about the same size as my village in thai there were 2 19 yr old boys died on a motorbike. Only deaths in 26 yrs i was there . My village in thai stopped counting after 37 dead in 6 yrs mostly killed by being on the wrong side of the road.
dazz

Post by **Khun Paul** » August 2, 2014, 8:43 pm

There is no excuse I can think of for driving on the wrong side of the road, jsut because they do it, is not an excuse foreigners should use.
often when I U trun to go to 'T ' Bar, some m/cle or even car turns right off the bridge to get to the same U turn, I have even seen foreigners do it with gay abandon, well sorry but I will not move out of their way at anytime it is their decision to stop of cross into the main road ( taking their chances ) or to move further over off the road onto the rubbishy surface to get off the road. During the day the idiots are not so bad and you can ascertain what they are doing but at night with the headlight shining in your eyes, can get a little difficult.
Those that drive on the wrong side for even a short distance , are suffering from delusions and I doubt your capability to drive safely. Your actions put others at risk, or are you so damn cocky and uncaring you do not seem to worry, enjoy your health while you have it, because judging by accident statistics your liable to end up either in the morgue or hospital long before most sensible folk.

Post by **Bonanza** » August 2, 2014, 11:35 pm

Shaddo,

I like your picture of those parts of the world that used to belong to Britain - but you missed off everything north of Mexico