For those of us who spend a lot of time here, we look at this video and chuckle, and say, "Yup... that's the way they always drive. It's that way everywhere you go... if not worse." For those of you who have never been to Thailand before, you'll not believe your eyes.
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The first thing that strikes me is the large percentage of motorcycle riders wearing helmets. Haven't seen that elsewhere in Asia.
I would have to say Malaysia is far worse. The cars don't stay in lanes, drive on the shoulders, often drive on the wrong side of the road, almost never signal and they drive much faster.
And the Philippines makes Malaysia look safe.
Ah yes... possibly quite true. But this video is during the daylight hours.
At night, you have to understand: All of those people are driving the exact same way... but are rip-roaring drunk. Thailand is the third drunkest country on the planet (and that's based on United Nations alcohol consumption figures) behind Portugal and Moldova.
Thai people drink about about 10 times much alcohol as their teetotaling Catholic Filipino comrades, and about 100 times as much alcohol as their sober Muslim Malasian friends.
So, remember this video... and then put a 6-pack of beer inside of every one of those drivers, make the road really dark, get everybody moving a little bit faster, and you can imagine what it is like.
I can't see anything unusual at all, perfectly normal - oh god 14 years IS too long isnt it.
The only thing that actually caught my eye was the fit bird (sorry) in the pink shorts.
Add to the first poster - they DO ride the wrong way ALL the time.
Nightime on Sukhumvit road I would say 60% are either drunk or have no helmet or have no lights or a combination of all 3.
Just getting lights on the things would probably reduce the death toll (currenty standing at over 20 a WEEK in Pattaya alone) by 50%.
Oh and can I add. Having lived in Malaysia AND Phills - there is just NO comparison. Thailand is far and away the worst.
Mind you Pattaya is in a world of its own. Bangkok is much safer (I used to ride a motorbike there but have SOLD it since moving here) as everything goes at a snails pace there.
That explains the daily and deadly accidents in Pattaya, looks crazy for us Europeans or Americans but pretty safe compared to Hanoi
Ever asked a Thai person what zebra crossings are for? Having used the zebra crossing on the second road a few times I can only conclude they think its there to run down a whole bunch of people at one sitting.Much more practical than the odd one or two.
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