| Having had my Driver's License for 47 | | | | perhaps 5 ft. from your bumper. Nice, |
| years now and having driven manual | | | | polite, quiet people that they are |
| transmissions and automatics from | | | | Thai's when they get behind the steering |
| Volkswagen bugs, to Corvettes, to Nissan | | | | wheel change they make a transition from |
| 300 ZX Turbo's to more refined Lincoln | | | | Mr. Hyde to Dr. Jekyll. |
| luxury cars you would think that I could | | | | In my opinion most drivers here only |
| drive anywhere in the world. | | | | have the mandatory basic insurance which |
| My driving record is excellent. No | | | | is almost useless should they have an |
| accidents and no points off in the last | | | | accident. So they try to be careful and |
| 6 years and that qualifies me for the | | | | not hit other cars by driving 3 ft away |
| best rating and the best insurance rate | | | | from vehicles on their passenger side. |
| in Canada. An experienced driver with | | | | Either they cannot judge the distance as |
| the best driving record. | | | | they are inexperienced drivers or they |
| Coming to Chiang Mai, Thailand and | | | | are extremely careful, either way they |
| renting a car to see the sites and get | | | | will drive down the street using part of |
| around town should be a breeze you would | | | | your lane forcing you out of your lane. |
| expect. Well anyone who thinks so is | | | | Overtaking can be done regardless of |
| dead wrong. | | | | whether you do it by passing the vehicle |
| Driving here has to be seen to be | | | | in front of you on the left or right |
| believed. Do not try it unless you know | | | | side. So if you drive down the road |
| someone here who has educated you as to | | | | EXPECT to see a vehicle coming straight |
| What to Watch Out For. | | | | for you in your lane passing a slower |
| Here is my list: | | | | vehicle. They will pass and expect you |
| The lines on the roads do not mean a | | | | to slow down or move out of your lane as |
| thing here. You can drive on them, you | | | | they are going somewhere in a hurry. |
| can drive on the side of them, but do | | | | Overtaking another vehicle will happen |
| not expect drivers to drive between | | | | by vehicles going uphill and not seeing |
| them. Why? Because on the left side of | | | | what is ahead of them, overtaking will |
| the road you will find motorbikes so | | | | occur on turns and the drivers not |
| cars move over knowing that this is the | | | | seeing what is ahead of them, overtaking |
| preferred route of the motorbikes. That | | | | will occur whenever and wherever. |
| is one reason. Another is that both red | | | | Pedestrians crossing with the traffic |
| taxi's (converted pick up trucks used as | | | | light green DO NOT HAVE THE RIGHT OF |
| taxis) and tuk tuk's (three wheeled | | | | WAY, vehicles go first and you should |
| motorcycles used as taxis) move over | | | | cross when you it is safe to do so. |
| from the fast lane to the middle of the | | | | Now having said all of that you may be |
| two lanes in an attempt to pick up more | | | | thinking to yourself, Is this guy trying |
| passengers and yet not lose out on | | | | to scare me, is he trying to be funny, |
| positioning in a fast lane of traffic. | | | | does he not want me to drive in Chiang |
| Traffic signals do not mean a thing | | | | Mai? The answer to these questions is: |
| here. Vehicles can jump the green and | | | | I want you to know what you will be |
| make a turn against the flow of traffic | | | | facing should you decide to drive here. |
| if they are hmmm. the first, second, | | | | I want you not to injure yourself or |
| third or even the fourth vehicles in | | | | someone else thinking you can go ahead |
| line at a red light as you want to cross | | | | and rent/drive a vehicle without having |
| an intersection with the light just | | | | driven here before or without some |
| having turned green. Expect vehicles to | | | | advice. |
| run the red if it just turned red hmmm. | | | | When I first arrived and saw the |
| what one, two, or perhaps three seconds | | | | traffic I thought that I would never be |
| ago. | | | | able to drive here. Well now I do drive |
| Watch out for the 3 wheeled bicycles. | | | | here. I know what to watch out for and |
| These are normally driven by slim men in | | | | drivers running greens or red lights |
| their sixties who have doing this for | | | | does not surprise me or anger me. I |
| years. This may have been a fashionable | | | | merely expect it. |
| and popular means of transportation 50 | | | | The Thai drivers here have probably not |
| years ago or so but now it is a danger | | | | had any formal driving instruction, they |
| out on the roads as they move along at 4 | | | | may not have any decent insurance |
| mph on streets full of cars and | | | | coverage, and they may be pushy when it |
| motorcycles, all of which are in a hurry | | | | comes to driving as they may be in a |
| to go somewhere. | | | | hurry to earn money so that they can |
| Watch out for vendors pushing their | | | | feed their family. So nothing against |
| carts at 2 mph down the street on the | | | | them, I try to understand their driving |
| left hand side of the road. | | | | habits and adjust mine accordingly. No |
| Watch out for dogs who lay on the road | | | | matter how they drive they are happy go |
| and refuse to move or move reluctantly | | | | lucky, cheerful, hard working people and |
| as the last second. | | | | I love them. |
| If you are keeping up with the flow of | | | | If you are interested in learning more |
| traffic on a fast moving road at 45 mph | | | | about living here, moving here, Thai |
| in bumper to bumper traffic EXPECT | | | | foods, about Thailand and Chiang Mai |
| someone to tailgate your vehicle. Oh | | | | visit our website. |
| maybe 10 ft from your rear bumper or | | | | |