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