new lane markings

[JAJA]

Is it only me or are the new lane markings on Petchkasem irrational? If you are in the go ahead lane then, come the next set of lights, you will find yourself in the right turn lane,
and you therefore need to switch lanes to the left to continue to be in the go ahead lane. My observation is that the new lane markings are only creating confusion and chaos.

[STEVE G]

I drove down there the day after they were painted and it was so busy you couldn't see them much anyway.
If my friend in the passenger seat hadn't pointed them out to me I wouldn't have noticed they were there.
I think the problem that you mention is caused by the road going from three lanes to two, but I couldn't be sure as I can't exactly remember how the lanes worked before.
To be honest it's pretty near impossible to drive through town without changing lanes repeatedly anyway, either for people stopping to park or to turn right.

[nevets]

And if you asked the Thai , do they know what they mean not one would be able to tell you , the high way code is not practised here.

[Khundon1975]

And if you asked the Thai , do they know what they mean not one would be able to tell you , the high way code is not practised here.

Yes it is, the Thais practise long and hard at ignoring all the rules, and they are damn good at it.

[richard]

Understand some filter left at crossroads have been stopped although dont seem to be being enforced

[cozza]

Driving through Hua Hin on Phetkasem is a test of nerves.

Nobody turns right at the right only lane.

They ignore the lanes totally when the intersection comes up and the yellow section broadens.

But, what gets me the most is the slow drivers who pull out in front of you from the kerb as your driving along at 60 or so and ignore you exist...and if you look at the number plates... ALL BANGKOK DRIVERS!!!

I guess if you choose to drive here, put up with it, the whole driver education system needs an overhaul, sorry what driver education system?

[pharvey]

Might sound strange, but I find driving in HH almost therapeutic after driving in Chongqing! Absolute bloody madhouse here - the almost laughable thing here is that they are all convinced that their driving skills are second to none........

[hhfarang]

I've always equated driving in Hua Hin with playing the old video games of my youth. I was very good at Atari "Missile Command", "Asteroids", and "Space Invaders".

Driving here is much like those games. You have to constantly watch in all directions for missiles, asteroids, or invaders in the form of motorbikes attacking from all sides and avoid them.

It seems to work for me because I was really good at those old games!

[Super Joe]

I've always equated driving in Hua Hin with playing the old video games of my youth. I was very good at Atari "Missile Command", "Asteroids", and "Space Invaders".

Agree with that, it's like Asteroids when you get to the tiny fast ones coming at you from all angles, a hyperspace button on your steering wheel would be handy

Can't agree about 'your youth' though HHF as I was playing them in my youth, reckon you must have been in your 30's really

SJ

[hhfarang]

Can't agree about 'your youth' though HHF as I was playing them in my youth, reckon you must have been in your 30's really

Thinking back, you are correct SJ. It was when I worked in Saudi Arabia that I got so good at them as I had lots of time on my hands. I went there at age 30 so I probably bought the games at that age or at least my very late 20's.

Now, though, that does seem like "my youth" since that is about as far back as I can remember...

[Pagey]

HHFarang :

Driving in HH should be a doddle if you have driven in Riyadh unless it wasn't as built up in your day, whenever that was ?

I find Saudi people very similar to Thai people in a lot of ways. They always drive while texting or talking on their mobiles, they are unreliable timekeepers, they do not like to lose face etc

[hhfarang]

HHFarang :

Driving in HH should be a doddle if you have driven in Riyadh unless it wasn't as built up in your day, whenever that was ?

I find Saudi people very similar to Thai people in a lot of ways. They always drive while texting or talking on their mobiles, they are unreliable timekeepers, they do not like to lose face etc

Pagey,

I lived in Jeddah, which was actually bigger than Riyadh at that time, and yes, that's where I learned to drive third world style. There it wasn't so much motorbikes though as speeding Mercedes sedans and giant (Mercedes!) water trucks that stopped for nothing!

[highvoltage]

Its strange about the complains that we have about driving around hua hin. Been living here all my life and driving is very easy except when there is some farang ahead of you not knowing whether to turn left or right or forgetting that they have to drive at the left side. I was with a guy from denmark once and while crossing the intersection he almost drove to the wrong side. Lucky i was there to tell him and made it just in time, otherwise it would have been a disaster. The thais always complain about the farang driving. So this is a question of debate as to who drives better and take into consideration the percentage of thai and farangs driving.

[nevets]

High voltage , your having a Stephie Graff.

[DSB]

Have to share some agreement with High Voltage here, unfortunately we all think we are perfect drivers, whatever our nationality - myself included.

After a lot of driving on single track roads in the highlands of Scotland, I now think of motorbikes as fast moving sheep!