Discover the amazing feeling of driving a Volkswagen car
 

Welcome to our new & used cars Archive!

 

(Browse for more articles)

 

Driving in Chiang Mai, Thailand. - Can I, should I?

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




www.cvmvolkswagen.com keyword stats [2008-05-06-2008-05-06]



Other search engines trends:



Other search phrases:

volkswagon gti volkswagen jetta repair manual
volkswagen passat tdi volkswagen wagon
volkswagen r36 buying used cars
buying car tires buying a car from a private seller
2003 volkswagen beetle where can I purchase a volswagen golf
1998 volkswagen jetta vr6 buying a car on line
volkswagen multivan car buying web sites
find used cars used cars volvo
volkswagen bug lease used cars
buying new car red volkswagen beetle
used car dealerships volkswagen forums
used volkswagen bug used cars for sell
volkswagen beatle volkswagen golf k2
buying or leasing a car volkswagen beetle fuel
vintage volkswagen volkswagen gti vs
volkswagen beetle club oklahoma used cars
1994 volkswagen passat seat toledo 1991 crash test
buying a used car in california volkswagon jetta parts
cumberland valley motor volkswagen





1 - A - B - C - D - E - F - G - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 - 8 - 9 - 10 - 11 - 12 - 13 - 14 - 15 - 16 - 17 - 18 - 19 - 20 - 21 - 22 - 23 - 24 - 25 - 26 - 27 - 28 - 29 - 30 - 31 - 32 - 33 - 34 - 35 - 36 - 37 - 38 - 39 - 40 - 41 - 42 - 43 - 44 - 45 - 46 - 47 - 48 -