Thai drivers ignoring the "Roundabout of Life"

[NanLaew]

20 hours ago, Rally123 said:

In Buriram by the uni they had to takeout/remove the roundabout due to the Thais not knowing how to negotiate it. The shortest way is always the best way in Ting Tong Land.

There's a uni in Buriram?

[Rally123]

1 hour ago, NanLaew said:

There's a uni in Buriram?

Buriram Rajabhat University

[chickenslegs]

3 hours ago, Rally123 said:

They are taught to give way to traffic from the right. Apply the same rules in any situation and roundabouts are a doddle.

 

That is not correct. They are taught that the general rule is to give way to traffic approaching from the left.

From the Land Traffic Act, 1979 ...

Quote

Section 71

(500B)

[If, when entering a junction, there are other vehicles, the driver must let such vehicles go through first.

If two vehicles enter a junction from different directions at the same time, the vehicle on the left side has a right of way, except when there's a designation of "principle roadway" in which case the vehicle on the principle roadway hasa right of way.]

Roundabouts are an exception.

[pattjock]

On 10/6/2018 at 10:08 AM, carvets said:

On 10/6/2018 at 9:58 AM, Daffy D said:

It's easy to blame the locals as being stupid but if no one has told them how are they to know?

 

I  doubt anyone was born with the knowledge about roundabouts or zebra crossings or even the amount of space a truck needs to U-Turn.

The government should have a similar TV campaign here. Flood the airtime with these educational ads especially during the popular soaps which the majority of locals seem to watch.

 

I'm sure in the long term this would cheaper and better way to make people responsible and aware of the problems instead of showing pixelated bodies of rad accidents that seem to have no impact on safety.   

 

 

Totally agree , I think someone in the Thai Transport Dept see's these things in the west and and figures they'll introduce them in Thailand , but fail to tell anyone what they are and how they work, hence confusion and chaos and accidents.

Agree that no one was born with the knowledge about roundabouts and zebra crossings.

Maybe that is why they came up with this thing called drivers license that is issued after you learn about these things.

[Daffy D]

4 hours ago, Rally123 said:

They are taught to give way to traffic from the right. Apply the same rules in any situation and roundabouts are a doddle.

Oh! Really  !

 

Who teaches them?

[Rally123]

1 hour ago, chickenslegs said:

Roundabouts are an exception.

No, you interpreted the law wrong. It refers to two vehicles approaching each other head on. But this will tell you who has right of way.  

Quote

 

Traffic rules in theory apply internationally and so also in Thailand,

 

[Rally123]

12 minutes ago, Daffy D said:

Oh! Really  !

 

Who teaches them?

They're shown it in the one hour compulsory video one has to watch when obtaining their licence. 

[Daffy D]

1 minute ago, Rally123 said:

They're shown it in the one hour compulsory video one has to watch when obtaining their licence. 

Yes and the written test they have to take that has some incorrect answers. 

 

 

 

[Rally123]

I really can't believe farang taught drivers believe you give way to traffic from the left in Thailand. And yous claim Thais don't know the rules?    

[Rally123]

 Range of Responsibility

The most important factor that influences all Thai traffic behaviour is what I call a Thai driver’s ‘Range of Responsibility’. A Thai driver’s Range of Responsibility is what he² (should) pay attention to in Thai-style, basically it's all that appears in his eyesight without turning his head, so we’re talking about an angle of roughly 90-140 degrees in front of the vehicle.

 

 

The average Thai driver's span of attention is only in front of him without turning his head.
This is implicitly understood to be his Range of Responsibility.

 

 

[madmitch]

In Phuket, particularly at Heroines Monument roundabout, they close the east and west exits forcing people to u-turn several hundred metres down the north-south road in both directions. Why? Simply because drivers here don't know how to use roundabouts, causing even more traffic congestion. At Chalong they're building an underpass beneath the roundabout when a larger roundabout would have solved the traffic problems in a place where they were used properly.

 

U-turns would have worked several years ago when the number of vehicles on the road was much lower but now you have to wait too long for a gap, which makes people take risks, in turn causing accidents, as well as producing a build-up in traffic.

 

Junctions where a roundabout would be a better option are controlled by traffic lights, often on red for so long and green for not long enough that this entices people to run the red lights dangerously. 

 

My GF was amazed at how well roundabouts worked in the UK.

 

It all goes back to lack of driver training in Thailand.

[chickenslegs]

2 minutes ago, Rally123 said:

I really can't believe farang taught drivers believe you give way to traffic from the left in Thailand. And yous claim Thais don't know the rules?    

Sorry, you are wrong. The rule is very clear, as posted above.

When 2 vehicles enter an unmarked junction (where all roads are of equal priority) priority is given to the vehicle to one's left.

I understand your confusion, as the more common rule (in countries where we drive on the left) is to give priority to the right.

[Rally123]

5 minutes ago, madmitch said:

 

It all goes back to lack of driver training in Thailand.

You can train them all you like but they will still take the shortest route.

[Rally123]

4 minutes ago, chickenslegs said:

Sorry, you are wrong. The rule is very clear, as posted above.

When 2 vehicles enter an unmarked junction (where all roads are of equal priority) priority is given to the vehicle to one's left.

I understand your confusion, as the more common rule (in countries where we drive on the left) is to give priority to the righ

You are 100% wrong and should stop spreading this myth. My post #36 shows the law for Thailand.

[chickenslegs]

7 minutes ago, Rally123 said:

You are 100% wrong and should stop spreading this myth. My post #36 shows the law for Thailand.

Actual questions from Thai drivers test. Look at Q16.

https://chiangmaibuddy.com/thai-driving-license-exam-test-questions/

 

The law for Thailand is written in the Land Traffic Act Section 71

 

 

[Rally123]

5 minutes ago, chickenslegs said:

The law for Thailand is written in the Land Traffic Act Section 71

And everything written down after being translated is correct?

 

[Rally123]

Quote

Roundabouts: At roundabouts the traffic to the right has priority. However, it is doubtful that local drivers are aware of this as there always appears to be confusion when approaching or negotiating a roundabout.

The above is a quote from 

Quote

http://freebeerforyorky.com/driving.html

 I believe it is pinned somewhere on this forum?

[HHTel]

28 minutes ago, Rally123 said:

You are 100% wrong and should stop spreading this myth. My post #36 shows the law for Thailand.

Read your own post.  You gave the example of a junction with a main road.  Giving way to the left is only when both roads are equal.  Your example with a main road is correct but doesn't demonstrate the 'give way to the left' rule.

[Rally123]

1 hour ago, HHTel said:

Your example with a main road is correct but doesn't demonstrate the 'give way to the left' rule.

Because there is no such rule in Thailand and that is why it can't be demonstrated. Plenty of threads on the forum regarding this.

[Rally123]

3 hours ago, chickenslegs said:

 

That is not correct. They are taught that the general rule is to give way to traffic approaching from the left.

From the Land Traffic Act, 1979 ...

Roundabouts are an exception.

The Land Traffic Act distinctly says you 'give way to the left when entering a junction' and not exiting a junction. Next time you quote a law can you quote all of it instead of just the part that suits your agenda?

  

tlaw0140_5.pdf

[chickenslegs]

6 minutes ago, Rally123 said:

The Land Traffic Act distinctly says you 'give way to the left when entering a junction' and not exiting a junction. Next time you quote a law can you quote all of it instead of just the part that suits your agenda?

 

  

tlaw0140_5.pdf

Clutching at straws much?

I quoted Section 71 in full, as the source of the "priority to the left" general rule.

 

 

 

[colinneil]

8 minutes ago, chickenslegs said:

Clutching at straws much?

I quoted Section 71 in full, as the source of the "priority to the left" general rule.

 

 

 

Never argue with a fool mate, they only drag you down to their level.

[Rally123]

18 minutes ago, chickenslegs said:

I quoted Section 71 in full, as the source of the "priority to the left" general rule.

Yes you quoted the first part in full on 'Priority to the left' when entering a junction but the part where it says about 'exiting' a junction traffic from the right has priority. That is written in the 2nd paragraph that you intentionally omitted. 

 

39 minutes ago, Rally123 said:

tlaw0140_5.pdf

Read the above pdf.

[Rally123]

22 minutes ago, colinneil said:

Never argue with a fool mate, they only drag you down to their level.

Sound advice I won't bother arguing that with you then.   Normal for you to add comments that add nothing to the debate.  

[vogie]

I found this on the net, my appologies if it has been posted before. It would appear that traffic from the left has priority. What do others think? I should imagine by "circles" they mean roundabouts. 

Plus an interesting video from YouTube.

 

Title 6 
Driving through Junctions or Circles
 
Section 71 (500B) 
[If, when entering a junction, there are other vehicles, the driver must let such vehicles go 
through first. 
If two vehicles enter a junction from different directions at the same time, the vehicle on 
the left side has a right of way, except when there's a designation of "principle roadway" in 
which case the vehicle on the principle roadway has a right of way.]

 

 

[chickenslegs]

25 minutes ago, Rally123 said:

Yes you quoted the first part in full on 'Priority to the left' when entering a junction but the part where it says about 'exiting' a junction traffic from the right has priority. That is written in the 2nd paragraph that you intentionally omitted. 

 

Read the above pdf.

Section 71 does not have that 2nd paragraph. I quoted it in full - here it is (in full) again ...

Quote

Section 71

(500B)

[If, when entering a junction, there are other vehicles, the driver must let such vehicles go through first.

If two vehicles enter a junction from different directions at the same time, the vehicle on the left side has a right of way, except when there's a designation of "principle roadway" in which case the vehicle on the principle roadway hasa right of way.]

What are you on about?

 

[Rally123]

1 hour ago, chickenslegs said:

What are you on about?

I read post #55 version where there is a 2nd paragraph. There seems to be a couple of variants to the traffic laws.

 

Quote

Section 71 (500B) 
[If, when entering a junction, there are other vehicles, the driver must let such vehicles go 
through first. 
If two vehicles enter a junction from different directions at the same time, the vehicle on 
the left side has a right of way, except when there's a designation of "principle roadway" in 
which case the vehicle on the principle roadway has a right of way.]

This is the pdf I quoted from 'tlaw0140_5.pdf' and it too is different from post #55 and your quote.

[Rally123]

Try reading this thread and see if it makes things clearer.    

 

[vogie]

21 minutes ago, Rally123 said:

I read post #55 version where there is a 2nd paragraph. There seems to be a couple of variants to the traffic laws.

 

This is the pdf I quoted from 'tlaw0140_5.pdf' and it too is different from post #55 and your quote.

That is the quote from #55??

[Lancashirelad]

1 hour ago, Rally123 said:

Yes you quoted the first part in full on 'Priority to the left' when entering a junction but the part where it says about 'exiting' a junction traffic from the right has priority. That is written in the 2nd paragraph that you intentionally omitted. 

 

Read the above pdf.

Both of these statements are correct. However many Thai drivers misunderstand this and think they can pull out of a side road into the path of other traffic. As for parts of rules missing, look carefully at anything that has been translated to English and is [in brackets like this]. It means its an abridged translation.

 

Rally123 the pdf link in post #57 isn't working.

 

Other than this odd give way to the left the rules are very much the same as many other countries including the UK.

 

I was a Government Approved Driving Instructor for 24 years, hold an HGV class 1 (C+E) and retake an advanced (car) test every 3 years (RoSPA Gold). I suppose it could be said my knowledge of the theory and practice of driving is slightly better than someone who has never read the Highway Code or had their driving looked at since the day they passed their test at 17.