is it safe to ride a bike in Thailand

[RUOK]

Sure, a good idea - but where is she when the OP might need her? 
 
You are a brave man. I am scared to sit in the car with my wife. 

So am i.

Sent from my SM-C710F using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[VocalNeal]

14 minutes ago, essox essox said:

this must be one of the silliest questions I have ever seen in T V.....NO IT IS NOT safe to ride a motorbike here....a bike made for 2 people often seen with 4 on it....I actually saw 5 plus a dog being carried on ONE BIKE......!!

 

Can't argue with that. 

 

Technically the phrasing is wrong because it is not actually safe to ride a motorcycle anywhere. Even in the mystical places where everyone is well behaved and obeys all the rules.

[Ulic]

Yes, but of course safety is relative. The problem is the other guy, and in particular crazy drivers in cars/trucks, vans/busses are the most dangerous. Other scooter drivers riding with no head/lights on the wrong side of the road are also dangerous but to a lesser degree.

[owl sees all]

1 hour ago, malathione said:

Yeah, sure, I ride my bicycles pretty much every day, around 300 km/week on the average.

I ride my bike about 310km per week. On average.

 

One day I rode from Ban Dang to Penn. Missing the main roads. Drank 3 litres of water on that trip.

[Kerryd]

It is not safe to ride in Thailand. There are very good reasons why Thailand sits at #1 (or 2) in vehicle accidents per capita and deaths per capita, in the world !

I've put about 20k on the Harley over the last couple years riding around the country and close to 9k on the scooter in/around Pattaya. After a few trips and a few "close calls" I decided to put a GoPro on the Harley to try and record the close calls that seemed to happen every time I go anywhere. (The GoPro wasn't the best choice as the battery only last a couple hours. I've since switched to a mounted camera system that runs off of vehicle power.)

I don't ride like most of my friends, who seem to think that they are re-enacting "Death Race 2000" every time they get on their bikes. I will cruise along at 100-120, depending on weather/traffic while my friends seem to think anything under 140 is slow, regardless of traffic/weather.

 

I also ride with the expectation that everyone else on the road is an idiot and is about to do something really, really stupid. Like stop in the middle of the right (fast) lane and then put on their signal lights (maybe). 

Or turn onto the road from the left without even a glance to see if there's oncoming traffic. Or decide to pass someone without checking their mirrors/blindspot first. Or cars pulling over onto the shoulder to try and squeeze by and get ahead of other traffic - without checking to see if anyone else is already doing the same thing.

And of course, watching out for the other motorcycles that like to weave through traffic like it's standing still (and cut between vehicles at intersections without looking to see if it's clear).
Plus all the cars/trucks/motorcycles that like to drive on the wrong side of the road because it's more convenient.

 

Not to mention the poor roads, debris on the roads, animals on the roads. Roads that aren't properly "graded" and curves that aren't consistent. 

Riding over here, even in the best of conditions and even when you are driving as safely as you can and are expecting the worst is still a crap shoot as you can prepare for all manner of situations (like seeing someone at a U-Turn and anticipating that they will try to do it right in front of you) but you can't account for the actions of all the other people on the roads (like the idiot that blows past you, then realizes the guy at the U-Turn is pulling into the lane and suddenly the idiot has to slam on the brakes and change lanes right in front of you). If you are lucky you may be able to react in time as you were already anticipating a problem. "If".

Other things like, you are following a slow vehicle, you hit a long straight stretch with no oncoming traffic. You check your mirrors/blindspot, signal, pull out, accelerate and just as you are about to pass the other guy, there's a large (****ing large) pot hole directly in front of you. You hold steady, bounce hard enough to bottom out your forks and then - BAM ! - another ****ing pot hole !!
(I swear I went airborne on the second one. Super lucky that I hit those holes straight on and was able to keep the bike straight. Probably even luckier that I was riding alone !)

And no, driving at night is NOT the same as driving in daylight. It's incredulous that anyone could even think that, especially over here.
According to a 2015 AAA (American Automotive Association) fact sheet:
"Vehicle lighting is critical because while only 25 percent of driving is done in darkness, 50 percent of crashes occur during those hours*."

As well:
"AAA test results found that even with the most advanced headlight systems, the ability to see an object in the roadway at night is reduced by as much as 60 percent when compared to driving in daylight."

From another article:
"For most cars, drivers are actually “overdriving” their headlights driving 60 miles per hour (96 km/h) at night with low beams — meaning your stopping distance exceeds the distance that is fully illuminated ahead of you by your headlights." 
 

Poor lighting, poor road markings, poor roads, poor road conditions, poor drivers, stupid animals that like to sleep on warm roadways plus the hazards of the idiots who think that driving at night is the same as driving in the daylight and drive at high speeds with poorly adjusted (or broken) headlights because they think that if they can do it in the day then they should be able to do it at night even though their vision is reduced and they can't see 30 meters in front of them.

Little wonder Thailand's accident stats are so bad.

I used to teach Defensive Driving and one of the main causes of night accidents is people "over driving their lights" (driving so fast that by the time their lights show a hazard there's no time to react to it). 
I chewed out the g/f one time when she did that. Frikken ripping along highway 359 at 140+ and her headlights, on high beam, barely lit up 20 meters of the road ! On low beam one headlight was barely lighting up the road 5 meters in front of the car and the other one was lighting up the shoulder maybe 4 meters in front of the car.
 

We rode in another vehicle with proper headlights and I showed her the difference. She had her headlights adjusted and now drives a little more sensibly. (She initially tried to blame the lights on the type of car, as though all "Protons" had headlights like hers.)

By comparison, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) tested a number of different cars/headlights and the Prius, with LEDs, came out tops. It illuminated to 400 feet (122 metres) on low beam and 500 feet (152 m) on high. Of the 31 vehicles (and 82 ratings) they tested, this was the only one to receive a "good" rating.

 

According to them, on low beam, the lights would give someone travelling at 70 mph (112 km/h) enough time to identify a hazard and stop (safely). Someone using halogen lights would have to be travelling at 50 mph (80 km/h) in order to be able to see a hazard and stop safely as halogens don't illuminate as far as the LEDs.

(Note - apparently the BMW 3 was one of the worst, with it's low beams only reaching 130 feet and the high beams not hitting 400. That means, on low beams, if you are driving more than 35 mph you wouldn't have time to see a hazard and stop safely.)

In addition to the vision problems, add in the drunk drivers, the idiots that don't use their headlights at all (because someone told them they save gas by not using their lights) and all the ***holes that like to put their high beams on - on purpose - just before they pass you. 

I've driven at night on roads that had no markings, no reflective signage and no signage marking curves. When another vehicle comes towards you, even on low beams, you have no idea where the road is. Normally you would use the lane/shoulder markings to judge your position but when everything is pitch black it's a challenge and you hope the other guy is staying on his side of the road. 

So no, driving at night is not the same as driving in the day and yes, it is dangerous to ride a bike/scooter in Thailand at any time. 

I've had 2 relatively minor accidents in the 15 years I've been riding over here, both on the Harley. One was because an idiot on a scooter with a sidecart decided to change lanes in front of me so he could pass someone slower than him. As I hit the clutch and brakes to try and avoid hitting him, I hit a small patch of sand left on the road after the last rainstorm. My front tire slid then hit clean pavement and twisted over, throwing me off the bike while it skidded off the road. Fortunately there was a nice, big cement power pole to stop it. I was up in time to see the ****er that cut me off ride over the the top of the hill without a care in the world. 90,000 to repair the damage and, 3 years later, the knee is still a little wonky.

 

The other accident was in Sisaket last year. Left an intersection, passed a police check, was riding slow (50-55 km/h) as I was almost at my destination. Ancient old geezer on a scooter with his wife riding along on the left shoulder. I was in the middle of the left lane. He starts moving into the left lane. I check, road behind me is clear, I move into the right lane. Old guy starts moving into the right lane.

No signals, no brake light, no glance in the mirror or over the shoulder to see if there was any other traffic. I calculate that I can still get past him on the right and move over until I'm almost on the center dividing marker paint. 

Then, when he's barely 3 meters in front of me, he turns onto the center marker and stops ! Not enough time/space to go behind him, I tried to go even further to the right and almost got by him.

Almost.

Clipped the front of his scooter and send me skidding down the road some 20+ meters. before the bike apparently flipped and I came off (it seems I went down on the left side, but the bike ended up on it's right side by the time I stopped). Fortunately I was wearing all my riding gear. Scuffed the left arm of my jacket and one of the plastic "knuckle guards" on my glove was cracked (and I ended up with a large bruise on my left hip that turned very black a few days later). Twinged the knee again but not as bad as the first time. Not a mark on the helmet, boots or jeans.

(The old couple got up on their own power but were taken to the hospital where apparently they were given all manner of pills judging by the bag they had when they showed up at the police station.)

I ended up with a 400 baht fine for "being involved in a motorcycle accident". I was watching and I never saw the old guy produce a license or any other paperwork. Pretty sure he didn't have insurance (even the mandatory kind) but none of that seemed to matter once the police learned I had Class 1 insurance anyways. Another 130,000 repair bill.

(Naturally, the insurance company then decided to double my premiums to try and get all their money back even though they only covered 90k of the total.)

So yeah, you can prepare for the worst, expect the unexpected and still end up getting ****ed. 

However, I've made a few trips since then (including going back to Sisaket) and haven't had any issues, even when I had to ride through 2 monsoons. Hopefully my luck continues to hold out for a few more years !
 

[sawadee1947]

On 4/27/2019 at 7:01 AM, DILLIGAD said:

Motorbike/scooter or bicycle?

 

Easy answer is ‘no’ but with adequate experience & safety clothing, it’s a great country to ride.

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

As long you are alone on the roads.... ????

[NoshowJones]

On 4/27/2019 at 2:19 PM, madmen said:

Im an rider but chucked it in after a few near misses. I believe my life expectancy has dramatically increased assuming I dont get hit by a bus.

Thailand is world no.1 in road deaths so its kind of crazy to choose to ride a bike here .

If you use genuine common sense at all times (this does not apply to Thais as very few of them have that) while riding a motorcycle, a 125, 300 or anything above, you will have at least a 99.9% chance of avoiding death.

[NoshowJones]

On 4/27/2019 at 3:33 PM, thaibeachlovers said:

Never riding at night 

Seriously? It's no more dangerous than in the daytime.

 

Whenever possible I wear protective (kevlar Jeans / or riding pants, Jacket and boots) - recently its been too hot, so when nipping out on the bike (BMW G310GS) its been in shorts, trainers, t-shirt, gloves & helmet - its still too hot, I've used the bike about 3 times in the past 3 weeks !

Seriously? It's way too hot for all that gear. I rode with helmet and gloves, but in shorts and t shirt and flip flops. I accepted the risk and got badly scraped when I had my accident, but the helmet saved my life.

I always cringed when I saw everyone riding without gloves as hands are fragile and a scrape will ruin them. The m'bike taxi drivers do wear them- only sensible m'bike riders in LOS.

 

OP. A "bike" is not the same as a motorbike or scooter. A bike has pedals and no engine.

It is definitely not safe to ride a bike in LOS.

Never riding at night  Seriously? It's no more dangerous than in the daytime.

 

That would be true but for one thing, the dangerous state of a lot of the roads.

[NoshowJones]

On 4/28/2019 at 9:40 PM, richard_smith237 said:

I consider riding at night more dangerous, primarily because there are more drunk people riding at night, the road lighting is often very poor, people drive with a high level of Windscreen tint impacting their visibility, lots of people driving / riding around with poor eyesight which is worse at night... 

 

There are lots of reasons that riding at night is a lot more dangerous than riding in the day time. 

It's up to you what you do. I for one consider riding at night a risk not worth taking unless absolutely necessary. 

 

Yes, seriously - protective kit is a must. Those of us (I mean myself too) who don't use it because of the heat are taking additional chances, especially when it could mean walking away from an accident with a couple of bruises vs walking away from an accident with a skinned leg, a de-gloved foot a broken elbow etc...  

But - riding a bike is a compromise and when it gets too hot I turn into a hypocrite and wear shorts and T-shirt (but ride with helmet, gloves and trainers (never flip flops)).

 

Me too... Always gloves, always helmet, always trainers. It's not enough, but its better than nothing in a 10kmh bump and fall !...  beyond that we have to count on luck !

 

He's knows the difference and you know what he meant in the Op.

"I consider riding at night more dangerous, primarily because there are more drunk people riding at night".

I understand what you are saying here, but many Thais ride through the daytime who are just as dangerous as a drunk riding at night.

[scubascuba3]

It is not safe to ride in Thailand. There are very good reasons why Thailand sits at #1 (or 2) in vehicle accidents per capita and deaths per capita, in the world !

I've put about 20k on the Harley over the last couple years riding around the country and close to 9k on the scooter in/around Pattaya. After a few trips and a few "close calls" I decided to put a GoPro on the Harley to try and record the close calls that seemed to happen every time I go anywhere. (The GoPro wasn't the best choice as the battery only last a couple hours. I've since switched to a mounted camera system that runs off of vehicle power.)

I don't ride like most of my friends, who seem to think that they are re-enacting "Death Race 2000" every time they get on their bikes. I will cruise along at 100-120, depending on weather/traffic while my friends seem to think anything under 140 is slow, regardless of traffic/weather.
 
I also ride with the expectation that everyone else on the road is an idiot and is about to do something really, really stupid. Like stop in the middle of the right (fast) lane and then put on their signal lights (maybe). 
Or turn onto the road from the left without even a glance to see if there's oncoming traffic. Or decide to pass someone without checking their mirrors/blindspot first. Or cars pulling over onto the shoulder to try and squeeze by and get ahead of other traffic - without checking to see if anyone else is already doing the same thing.
And of course, watching out for the other motorcycles that like to weave through traffic like it's standing still (and cut between vehicles at intersections without looking to see if it's clear).
Plus all the cars/trucks/motorcycles that like to drive on the wrong side of the road because it's more convenient.
 
Not to mention the poor roads, debris on the roads, animals on the roads. Roads that aren't properly "graded" and curves that aren't consistent. 

Riding over here, even in the best of conditions and even when you are driving as safely as you can and are expecting the worst is still a crap shoot as you can prepare for all manner of situations (like seeing someone at a U-Turn and anticipating that they will try to do it right in front of you) but you can't account for the actions of all the other people on the roads (like the idiot that blows past you, then realizes the guy at the U-Turn is pulling into the lane and suddenly the idiot has to slam on the brakes and change lanes right in front of you). If you are lucky you may be able to react in time as you were already anticipating a problem. "If".

Other things like, you are following a slow vehicle, you hit a long straight stretch with no oncoming traffic. You check your mirrors/blindspot, signal, pull out, accelerate and just as you are about to pass the other guy, there's a large (****ing large) pot hole directly in front of you. You hold steady, bounce hard enough to bottom out your forks and then - BAM ! - another ****ing pot hole !!
(I swear I went airborne on the second one. Super lucky that I hit those holes straight on and was able to keep the bike straight. Probably even luckier that I was riding alone !)

And no, driving at night is NOT the same as driving in daylight. It's incredulous that anyone could even think that, especially over here.
According to a 2015 AAA (American Automotive Association) fact sheet:
"Vehicle lighting is critical because while only 25 percent of driving is done in darkness, 50 percent of crashes occur during those hours*."

As well:
"AAA test results found that even with the most advanced headlight systems, the ability to see an object in the roadway at night is reduced by as much as 60 percent when compared to driving in daylight."

From another article:
"For most cars, drivers are actually “overdriving” their headlights driving 60 miles per hour (96 km/h) at night with low beams — meaning your stopping distance exceeds the distance that is fully illuminated ahead of you by your headlights." 
 
Poor lighting, poor road markings, poor roads, poor road conditions, poor drivers, stupid animals that like to sleep on warm roadways plus the hazards of the idiots who think that driving at night is the same as driving in the daylight and drive at high speeds with poorly adjusted (or broken) headlights because they think that if they can do it in the day then they should be able to do it at night even though their vision is reduced and they can't see 30 meters in front of them.

Little wonder Thailand's accident stats are so bad.

I used to teach Defensive Driving and one of the main causes of night accidents is people "over driving their lights" (driving so fast that by the time their lights show a hazard there's no time to react to it). 
I chewed out the g/f one time when she did that. Frikken ripping along highway 359 at 140+ and her headlights, on high beam, barely lit up 20 meters of the road ! On low beam one headlight was barely lighting up the road 5 meters in front of the car and the other one was lighting up the shoulder maybe 4 meters in front of the car.
 
We rode in another vehicle with proper headlights and I showed her the difference. She had her headlights adjusted and now drives a little more sensibly. (She initially tried to blame the lights on the type of car, as though all "Protons" had headlights like hers.)

By comparison, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) tested a number of different cars/headlights and the Prius, with LEDs, came out tops. It illuminated to 400 feet (122 metres) on low beam and 500 feet (152 m) on high. Of the 31 vehicles (and 82 ratings) they tested, this was the only one to receive a "good" rating.
 
According to them, on low beam, the lights would give someone travelling at 70 mph (112 km/h) enough time to identify a hazard and stop (safely). Someone using halogen lights would have to be travelling at 50 mph (80 km/h) in order to be able to see a hazard and stop safely as halogens don't illuminate as far as the LEDs.
(Note - apparently the BMW 3 was one of the worst, with it's low beams only reaching 130 feet and the high beams not hitting 400. That means, on low beams, if you are driving more than 35 mph you wouldn't have time to see a hazard and stop safely.)

In addition to the vision problems, add in the drunk drivers, the idiots that don't use their headlights at all (because someone told them they save gas by not using their lights) and all the ***holes that like to put their high beams on - on purpose - just before they pass you. 

I've driven at night on roads that had no markings, no reflective signage and no signage marking curves. When another vehicle comes towards you, even on low beams, you have no idea where the road is. Normally you would use the lane/shoulder markings to judge your position but when everything is pitch black it's a challenge and you hope the other guy is staying on his side of the road. 

So no, driving at night is not the same as driving in the day and yes, it is dangerous to ride a bike/scooter in Thailand at any time. 

I've had 2 relatively minor accidents in the 15 years I've been riding over here, both on the Harley. One was because an idiot on a scooter with a sidecart decided to change lanes in front of me so he could pass someone slower than him. As I hit the clutch and brakes to try and avoid hitting him, I hit a small patch of sand left on the road after the last rainstorm. My front tire slid then hit clean pavement and twisted over, throwing me off the bike while it skidded off the road. Fortunately there was a nice, big cement power pole to stop it. I was up in time to see the ****er that cut me off ride over the the top of the hill without a care in the world. 90,000 to repair the damage and, 3 years later, the knee is still a little wonky.
 
The other accident was in Sisaket last year. Left an intersection, passed a police check, was riding slow (50-55 km/h) as I was almost at my destination. Ancient old geezer on a scooter with his wife riding along on the left shoulder. I was in the middle of the left lane. He starts moving into the left lane. I check, road behind me is clear, I move into the right lane. Old guy starts moving into the right lane.
No signals, no brake light, no glance in the mirror or over the shoulder to see if there was any other traffic. I calculate that I can still get past him on the right and move over until I'm almost on the center dividing marker paint. 
Then, when he's barely 3 meters in front of me, he turns onto the center marker and stops ! Not enough time/space to go behind him, I tried to go even further to the right and almost got by him.
Almost.
Clipped the front of his scooter and send me skidding down the road some 20+ meters. before the bike apparently flipped and I came off (it seems I went down on the left side, but the bike ended up on it's right side by the time I stopped). Fortunately I was wearing all my riding gear. Scuffed the left arm of my jacket and one of the plastic "knuckle guards" on my glove was cracked (and I ended up with a large bruise on my left hip that turned very black a few days later). Twinged the knee again but not as bad as the first time. Not a mark on the helmet, boots or jeans.
(The old couple got up on their own power but were taken to the hospital where apparently they were given all manner of pills judging by the bag they had when they showed up at the police station.)
I ended up with a 400 baht fine for "being involved in a motorcycle accident". I was watching and I never saw the old guy produce a license or any other paperwork. Pretty sure he didn't have insurance (even the mandatory kind) but none of that seemed to matter once the police learned I had Class 1 insurance anyways. Another 130,000 repair bill.
(Naturally, the insurance company then decided to double my premiums to try and get all their money back even though they only covered 90k of the total.)

So yeah, you can prepare for the worst, expect the unexpected and still end up getting ****ed. 

However, I've made a few trips since then (including going back to Sisaket) and haven't had any issues, even when I had to ride through 2 monsoons. Hopefully my luck continues to hold out for a few more years !
 

The thing about riding around Pattaya is eventually you remember where the potholes are along with any dodgy surface, drain, whatever, that's one of the reasons I'm reluctant to ride for longer distances

[DefaultName]

In one respect, I feel safer here than in the UK; in the UK where you can generally assume that most drivers are trained & sane, I tend to relax more.  Here, with every second road user and pedestrian being a suicidal idiot, and the road surfaces being inconsistent, I am more aware at all times. 

 

I would agree with other posters though, this is not the place to learn.  You need to be at the stage where you can ignore your own bike, knowing that your hands & feet will do what's needed on their own, leaving you to concentrate on your surroundings.  If you have to actually thing about the mechanics of riding, you won't be as aware of what's going on, and that can kill you.

[richard_smith237]

1 hour ago, possum1931 said:

"I consider riding at night more dangerous, primarily because there are more drunk people riding at night".

I understand what you are saying here, but many Thais ride through the daytime who are just as dangerous as a drunk riding at night.

KerryD presents and extremely good example of why riding at night is far more dangerous.

 

You can see the idiots more clearly in the day time....  you can see the road ahead, road surface etc...  Day time is just a lot safer. 

 

I do agree - when I'm on my motorcycle the biggest danger to me are the other motorcyclists. 

[Black arab]

Depends where you live i feel,i ride to other villages close to us or to the market about 3km away all these roads have very little traffic but i wont ride on any busy roads much too dangerous and i would class myself as fairly experienced.

[giddyup]

1 hour ago, possum1931 said:

If you use genuine common sense at all times (this does not apply to Thais as very few of them have that) while riding a motorcycle, a 125, 300 or anything above, you will have at least a 99.9% chance of avoiding death.

All the common sense in the world can't save you from those that have little or none. ie. Not sure how you would protect yourself from being rear ended at a traffic light, levitate perhaps, or being struck by someone running a red light, or being T boned from a side street because someone was on their phone and didn't look. The list is endless. Of course all those things can happen when you drive a car as well, but at least you have some protection.

[richard_smith237]

1 minute ago, giddyup said:

All the common sense in the world can't save you from those that have little or none. ie. Not sure how you would protect yourself from being rear ended at a traffic light, levitate perhaps, or being struck by someone running a red light, or being T boned from a side street because someone was on their phone and didn't look. The list is endless. Of course all those things can happen when you drive a car as well, but at least you have some protection.

 

Good point - we can never protect ourselves 100%... In a car we are unable to protect ourselves from being rear-ended by HGV barreling down (with brake failure of course) - at least we are in a car, but then, should we get a large Merc G Class BMW X5 to give us more protection instead of a Vios etc ?

 

An experienced rider will tell you never be the first stopping at traffic lights and if you are, keep out of the way (i.e. to the left side). 

 

An experienced rider and driver will tell you to never trust the lights, always check in both directions before pulling away at lights and junctions. 

 

 

As you wrote, the list of risks is endless to anyone on Thailands roads, the list of 'elevated risk' for motorcyclists is also endless.  Those risks can be mitigated with intelligent and defensive riding but will never be eliminated. 

 

Thus, when deciding to ride a motorcycle in Thailand the risks vs pros are weighed off my most riders... i.e. 

Risk of accident vs Pro of significant timesaving 

Risk of accident vs Pro of not having a viable alternative to a motorcycle (financial). 

Risk of accident vs convenience of a bike

 

Weather (heat and rain) come into the fold, as does the time of day and how busy the traffic is. 

 

My Wife is on the way to collect my Son from School. 

The Traffic is awful - thus if in 10mins she has made no progress, I'll go on my bike and collect him (not to transport him) but to sit with him in a cafe until my Wife arrives.

Or, she calls up school and tells them she'll be late, but we don't want my son to have to sit waiting for 30mins for a late parent unless absolutely necessary, and as I have means to get there, its not absolutely necessary. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[mike787]

It depends how little common sense and how high a risk you want to take.  Personally, numbers dont lie, Thailand is one of the most deadliest roads to ride on - period!!  

 

 

 

[richard_smith237]

15 minutes ago, mike787 said:

It depends how little common sense and how high a risk you want to take.  Personally, numbers dont lie, Thailand is one of the most deadliest roads to ride on - period!!  

 

 

 

 

You're quote involves bus transport and regards Thailands roads in general... 

 

So.. how do you get about and do you consider it a risky endeavor when considering Thailands road fatality stats?... Wouldn't it involve more common sense not to be in such a deadly country?

 

I for one consider riding my bike within Bangkok safer than attempting to cross some of Bangkok's busier roads (I find trying to walk across Ekammai road in anything other than grid lock traffic quite lethal - its almost as if people see you as a target and speed up !).

 

But... our risk profiles all vary. What we need to do is evaluate risks intelligently - this does not include blindly regarding stats, but intelligently evaluating these statistics, seeing where we fit in these stats and the direct risk as it applies to us. 

 

Hence the earlier discussion on night time riding vs day time riding etc... 

 

Personally, I don't consider riding in Bangkok in the day time too dangerous not to ride. My friends who don't ride a bike think it is too dangerous - and have never tired it, so they have no true experience of the dangers, but it would be more dangerous for them if they were to try it as they have no experience. 

 

The guys to really pay attention to are those who have ridden for a few years in Thailand (and or / Bangkok) and have decided that it's too dangerous - a few of these 'experienced' posters have already contributed to this thread. 

 

 

[NoshowJones]

1 hour ago, giddyup said:

All the common sense in the world can't save you from those that have little or none. ie. Not sure how you would protect yourself from being rear ended at a traffic light, levitate perhaps, or being struck by someone running a red light, or being T boned from a side street because someone was on their phone and didn't look. The list is endless. Of course all those things can happen when you drive a car as well, but at least you have some protection.

What you say is true, and I always keep that in mind, but I did say 99.9% of the time.

[scubascuba3]

It depends how little common sense and how high a risk you want to take.  Personally, numbers dont lie, Thailand is one of the most deadliest roads to ride on - period!!  
 
[/url]  
 

Very risky for people not wearing helmet, drunk riders, knobs taking big risks, poor riders, going too fast. For the rest of us we can mitigate the risks

[scubascuba3]

 

You're quote involves bus transport and regards Thailands roads in general... 

 

So.. how do you get about and do you consider it a risky endeavor when considering Thailands road fatality stats?... Wouldn't it involve more common sense not to be in such a deadly country?

 

I for one consider riding my bike within Bangkok safer than attempting to cross some of Bangkok's busier roads (I find trying to walk across Ekammai road in anything other than grid lock traffic quite lethal - its almost as if people see you as a target and speed up !).

 

But... our risk profiles all vary. What we need to do is evaluate risks intelligently - this does not include blindly regarding stats, but intelligently evaluating these statistics, seeing where we fit in these stats and the direct risk as it applies to us. 

 

Hence the earlier discussion on night time riding vs day time riding etc... 

 

Personally, I don't consider riding in Bangkok in the day time too dangerous not to ride. My friends who don't ride a bike think it is too dangerous - and have never tired it, so they have no true experience of the dangers, but it would be more dangerous for them if they were to try it as they have no experience. 

 

The guys to really pay attention to are those who have ridden for a few years in Thailand (and or / Bangkok) and have decided that it's too dangerous - a few of these 'experienced' posters have already contributed to this thread. 

 

 

I sometimes take the motorbike 150 yards to Big C as its safer than walking there playing Frogger

 

[thrilled]

Some vehicle operators in Thailand are intoxicated.So chances of having an accident are great.You couldn’t pay me enough to be on 2 wheels many places in Thailand.

[mark131v]

I have never felt safe on a moped in Thailand Thais just don't seem to notice them and other traffic gives them no respect. On a bigger bike I have never really felt that plus you have the acceleration to get away from the numpties. I still would not ride at night as that's when the real loonies are out and about but with concentration and proper gear you can have good fun on bikes in Thailand though like anywhere else it's never 100% safe. Lots of people will wail and avoid any risks up to them! lots of things I don't like to do such as sit in traffic jams for hours....

[lipflipper]

My first riding experience on a motorbike was in Surin for seven years and never had a problem but I attributed that fact to the lack of heavy traffic and my own defensive riding at all times. When I moved to Chiang Mai four years ago my reality took a major update as the traffic situation and risks increased dramatically. I basically think every Thai driver be they in a car or on a motorbike are clueless di..ck heads with no intention of sharing the road and I adjusted my riding style accordingly. I never ride in shorts, short sleeve shirts, flip flops, I always wear a helmet and leather gloves and at night a wear over upper cloths a reflective vest. Riding defensively, wearing proper clothing, making yourself visible can and does making riding safer.

Sent from my CMR-AL19 using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[Kerryd]

Here's some stats for you regarding the number of deaths from vehicle accidents in Thailand.
From a Dec 2018 article:
"Of those perishing in Thai road accidents, 74 per cent are motorcycle or tricycle users,” Daniel Kertesz, WHO representative to Thailand, said yesterday."

(Note, it appears that the WHO somehow comes up with larger numbers than other organizations.)

 

From a Feb 2019 article:
"At present, Thailand has more than 20 million motorcycles. About 70% of road traffic deaths come from motorcycle crashes and the numbers are steadily on the rise." 
 

There is a Wiki article but the stats only go to 2012. From that article:
"As of 2012 fifty-four percent of motor vehicles in Thailand were two or three-wheeled vehicles. These vehicles were involved in 73 percent of fatalities."

Here's a fancy pie chart I found on the web:

 

On the site I found that chart, they note:
"Update New Year Period 2018-2019 : The number of fatalities reached 463, which was 9.5 % higher than the previous year. There were 3,791 road accidents, resulting in 3,892 persons hospitalized. 80% of accidents involved motorcycles."

As of Nov 2016, it was estimated (by the Department of Land Transport) that there were over 37 million registered cars, light trucks and motorcycles in Thailand. Of that number, over 20 million were motorcycles of one type or another (scooters, "big bikes", tuk-tuks).

I saw a Forbes article that was in reference to motorcycle accidents in the US (which is why I didn't bother quoting it or the image with it). However, it notes that (in the US) motorcycles were 28 times more likely to be involved in an accident than cars ! (When you break down the numbers to see how many motorcycles there are and the number of accidents they are involved in compared to the number of cars/accidents.)

As you can imagine (or should be able to), there are more cars in the States than motorcycles while the opposite is true in Thailand. As well, one would suppose that most riders in the US would be qualified, registered and insured (and probably not drunk/stoned when riding).

(Remember, not all bikers in the States are stereotyped Hells Angels or "Sons of Anarchy" types. 98-99% of them are regular, law abiding types.)

One would hope that the majority of the riders in Thailand are also regular, law abiding and sober, though I suspect many are not actually trained/qualified. Many grow up riding on their parents scooter and that's where they learn "how" to drive, including all their bad habits. By the time they are old enough to go for a license, they know how to operate a scooter well enough to pass the test, but the bad habits are there for life.

That's the ones that actually bother getting tested at all. 

So it is obvious that riding a bike is dangerous, anywhere at any time.

 

However, it is also quite obvious that it is even more dangerous in Thailand. Especially at night (and during various holiday periods).

[VocalNeal]

19 hours ago, possum1931 said:

If you use genuine common sense at all times

⚖️ After 20,000 posts on TV you should know that "common sense" is not very common.?

[Skallywag]

10 minutes ago, Kerryd said:

Here's some stats for you regarding the number of deaths from vehicle accidents in Thailand.
From a Dec 2018 article:
"Of those perishing in Thai road accidents, 74 per cent are motorcycle or tricycle users,” Daniel Kertesz, WHO representative to Thailand, said yesterday."

(Note, it appears that the WHO somehow comes up with larger numbers than other organizations.)

 

Here's a fancy pie chart I found on the web:

 

 

When I read the word bike - I thought it meant bicycle.  Safer than motorcycles or walking according to this chart.   Do not ride a motorbike here, but have ridden on the back of a few.  Not my choice of transportation though never had a problem so far . 

[SS1]

19 hours ago, giddyup said:

All the common sense in the world can't save you from those that have little or none. ie. Not sure how you would protect yourself from being rear ended at a traffic light, levitate perhaps, or being struck by someone running a red light, or being T boned from a side street because someone was on their phone and didn't look. The list is endless. Of course all those things can happen when you drive a car as well, but at least you have some protection.

It's true that some of those situations can be impossible to avoid, but with defensive riding and anticipation they are usually easily avoided. For example, at a traffic light, I always go in front of all other traffic. If someone rear ends the pack, there will be other vehicles behind me for protection. If the vehicle behind me rear ends me, they'll be doing it starting from a standstill speed. Also keeping an eye on your mirrors will help if there are no other stationed vehicles. When riding through an intersection, always look left and right even when the light of green. I get people driving the red light in front of me daily on my commute to work. Getting T-boned from a side street can be hard to avoid if someone is coming fast at the wrong time. But again, when you see a side street, slow down, be ready for evasive action or emergency braking and look left before passing. 

Sometimes I rent a car to travel outside of Bangkok with my friends or girlfriend. I actually feel like it's way more dangerous to drive a car. Of course, it is much safer to be in a car if you do get into a crash, however, I feel that the likelihood of getting into one with a car is much higher. With motorcycles, you can always dodge idiots into small spaces, for example when you get a pickup truck overtaking in a curve. If you're driving a car it's almost a guaranteed crash. Not to mention if overtaking other vehicles, feels so dangerous with a crappy rental 1.6 litre Vios that just won't accelerate. On any big bike, overtaking is done in seconds. 
 

[mike787]

19 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

 

You're quote involves bus transport and regards Thailands roads in general... 

 

So.. how do you get about and do you consider it a risky endeavor when considering Thailands road fatality stats?... Wouldn't it involve more common sense not to be in such a deadly country?

 

I for one consider riding my bike within Bangkok safer than attempting to cross some of Bangkok's busier roads (I find trying to walk across Ekammai road in anything other than grid lock traffic quite lethal - its almost as if people see you as a target and speed up !).

 

But... our risk profiles all vary. What we need to do is evaluate risks intelligently - this does not include blindly regarding stats, but intelligently evaluating these statistics, seeing where we fit in these stats and the direct risk as it applies to us. 

 

Hence the earlier discussion on night time riding vs day time riding etc... 

 

Personally, I don't consider riding in Bangkok in the day time too dangerous not to ride. My friends who don't ride a bike think it is too dangerous - and have never tired it, so they have no true experience of the dangers, but it would be more dangerous for them if they were to try it as they have no experience. 

 

The guys to really pay attention to are those who have ridden for a few years in Thailand (and or / Bangkok) and have decided that it's too dangerous - a few of these 'experienced' posters have already contributed to this thread. 

 

 

 

[NoshowJones]

2 hours ago, VocalNeal said:

⚖️ After 20,000 posts on TV you should know that "common sense" is not very common.?

It certainly isn't where the majority of Thai people are concerned, in spite of that, I still think that the majority of Thais are decent, honest, and non confrontational.

[richard_smith237]

21 hours ago, scubascuba3 said:

I sometimes take the motorbike 150 yards to Big C as its safer than walking there playing Frogger

 

 

I used to drive 100m to have breakfast on a Sunday morning as it was safer for me than attempting to cross the road in a cloudy hungover state...  (yes, I probably should not have been driving - should have just ordered delivery etc etc).... the point here is, I agree with you and have done the same thing myself to avoid having to cross the road....