【泰国】Driving Etiquette 驾驶礼节

ThefirstruleofdrivinginThailandis:Don’t!

Thesecondruleis:Don’t!

ThemostincrediblethingaboutdrivinginThailandisthatapeoplewhoaresolovely,friendlyandforgivingturnintocompletemonsterswhensittinginacarorcompleteidiotswhensittingonamotorbike.

ActuallydrivinginThailandisn’tquitesobadasitsreputationwouldhaveyoubelieve,butitstillisnottobeundertakenbythefaintofheart.

ThingstoRemember

Driveontheleft.Althoughothersseemtodriveanywheretheylike,officiallythey’remeanttobeontheleft.

Motorcyclesgeteverywhere.Thelocalsrefertothemasaswarmofflies.Ifyoudon’tknowwhatsidemirrorsarefor,yousoonwill.

Peopleflashingtheirheadlightsmeans’don’tgo’-theoppositeofwhatit(normally)meansintheUK1.

Whenovertakingsomeone,it’sagoodideatosoundyourhornrepeatedlysothatthevehicleyouarepassingknowsnottopullout.Thismayatfirstseemtobequiteanaggressivewayofdriving,butit’sforyourownsafety.Evenifyouareovertakingsomeone,it’snotunknownforthecarbehindyoutoovertakewhileyou’reovertaking.

AlsobeawarethatalthoughdrinkinganddrivingisillegalinThailand,somepeoplestilldoit.Youmaybesober,butotherdriversmaynotbe.

Ifthere’sanaccidentit’syourfault.No,really.

Youwillgetstoppedbythepolicefordoingwhateverybodyelseisdoing.Payupandlivewithit.

First(andsecondandthird)impressionsoftheroadsinThailandwillhaveyouthinkingthatdrivingisimpossible.Itworksbecauseeverybodyontheroadknowswhattoexpect,butdon’tforgetthatyoudon’tknowwhattoexpect.

BeforegoingtoThailandtodrive,practicewhatyoulearntinyourdrivinglessons,particularlyhowtouseyourmirrorsandbeveryawareofwhatisgoingonaroundyou.Aclearcountryroadisn’tanexcusetodrivequickly-amotorcycleisquitelikelytoappearfrombehindabushandpulloutwithoutlookingandyoureallydon’twanttodriveintothemateven30mph.Youcankillanentirefamilylikethat.

GettingaCar

Carscanbehiredatairportsandtherearemanysmallprivatehirecompaniesscatteredalloverthecountry.Acarshouldcomewithinsurance,butcheckthisbeforedrivingoff.GetanInternationalDrivingPermit2asyouwillneedthis.Areasonablesaloon(autoormanual)shouldbeabout?0perday.

GettingStoppedbythePolice

TheThaipoliceare...well,they’rethepolice.Ifyou’restoppedbythepoliceyouwillgetafine.FinesareaboutB400(about?),butyoumaybeaskedforless;aroundB200(about?)isacommonamount.

Whateveryoudo,sortthingsoutatthesideoftheroad.Don’targue.Youdidsomethingwrong(evenifyoucan’tunderstandwhatitwas)andgivethemthemoneytheyaskfor(butbediscreetwhenhandingitover-foldingitinyourlicenceorhandingitoverunderyourlicenceisnormallybest).Don’targue.It’llcostyoumoreifyoudoandcausemoreinconveniencetoeverybody.

Youwon’tbeabletotellifthepoliceofficerisgenuinelygivingyouafineorpocketingthemoneyasabribe.Althoughtherearesomeofficerswhodoearnmoneyfrombribesinthismanner,noteverypolicemanisdoingthis.Eventhosethatdopocketthemoney3aretryingtomaketheroadssaferandwillonlytargetyouifyoudidsomethingwrong.

HavinganAccident

Ifyouhaveanaccidentthendon’tmoveyourvehicleatall.Thepolicewillturnupandyoushouldtrytogetyourinsurancecompanytocomeaswell.Ifyou’rerentingacarthenaskthemwhattodoandwhotocontactbeforeyoudriveoff.

Parking

It’snormaltoparkwithoutputtingonyourhandbrake(butonlywherethecarwon’trollaway).Itisalsonormaltodoubleortripleparkandtoparksoastoblockothersinatacarpark.Alwaystrypushingcarsoutofthewayifyou’reblockedin.

Neverputonyourhandbrakeifyou’reblockingsomebodyelsein.Youwillnotbepopular.

Althoughparkingappearstobeafree-for-all,thePolicedowriteouttickets,soyoucannotjustparkanywhere.Mostoftheno-parkingsignswillbewritteninThai,sotheywon’tbeofmuchusetoyou,unlessyoucanreadThaiofcourse.

Don’tparkbyakerbthatispaintedredandwhite,orinfrontofrailingsthatarepaintedredandwhite.

GettingAwaywithIt

Evengettingstoppedandfinedbythepoliceisn’ttheendoftheworld.Solongasyouhaven’thurtanybody,drivinginThailandisaverygoodwaytogetagoodlookaround.

OnceyoulearnthewaysoftheroadinThailand,itisagreatplacetodrive(ormotorcycle)andasuperbwaytoseealotofthecountrythatmanytouristsmiss.

RelatedBBCiLinks

SeewhatelseBBCihastosayaboutholidayinginThailand.

1Thisisactuallywhatit’smeanttomeanintheUKtoo,butitisn’toftenusedcorrectly.
2AvailableatmanymainUKpostofficesfor?orfromtheAA.Bringapassportphoto.
3TheThaipoliceofficersthatyouseeontrafficdutywillnormallybeearningB6000toB7000permonth