Thai Highway Code

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bapak
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Thai Highway Code

Post by bapak »

Pardon if this has been circulated previously...

Finally found a copy of the highway code and set out below a rough translation:

It is important that all vehicles drive on the left hand side of the road. However we recognise there will be times when this is not practical or even possible hence on such occasions it is permissible to drive on the right – drivers should use their own discretion and good judgment in such cases.

The road immediately in front of your vehicle is your space and must be defended at all times and at any cost. Any other vehicle attempting to enter your space must be discouraged and if this happens speed up and try to ensure the interloper does not encroach. There are some bad people out there who simply have no sense of precedence.

When turning to the left or right it is important to signal your intention at some point in the process. Because people often change their minds about which way to turn the process of signalling is often best left until after the turn has been made just to ensure that you do not signal in error and confuse other road users.

When approaching a hazard in front of you it is best to attempt to steer around it rather than to incur costly wear and tear on the braking system. It may even be beneficial to increase your speed in such circumstances since the increased velocity of your vehicle may make the hazard go away.

It is important to position your vehicle on the road correctly and the white lines can be useful in this respect. When ever possible ensure that your vehicle straddles the white line and your hood ornament can be useful in helping you to position your vehicle correctly. On multi lane roads it is usually best to occupy the far right or so called fast lane since this will ensure that motorists behind you don’t break the law by speeding.

Black and white striped paths have been painted across many roads in city and town centres. These highly decorative road markings are for the entertainment of Foreign tourists who seem to enjoy walking on them – they require no special action on the part of the motorist.

Traffic lights are designed for your safety and have been installed to ensure a constant flow of traffic in all directions, at the same time. For the avoidance of doubt the green light means it is safe to proceed, the amber light means the red light is coming but it is still safe to proceed. The red light means that the green light will come next and it can surely only be a few seconds away so it must be safe to proceed.

When changing lanes it is advisable to execute the manoeuvre quickly so as not to inconvenience other road users. Newer cars are fitted with rear facing mirrors both inside and outside the vehicle and these are useful for checking makeup, hair you’re your general appearance – if you do not recall ever seeing these mirrors you may wish to go and examine your vehicle now. We do not consider it safe for drivers to use those mirrors whilst executing a dangerous manoeuvre such as lane change.

Motorists should exercise due care and attention at all times and avoid unnecessary distractions, particularly from other occupants of the vehicle. We recognise that there will be times however such as when your answer your mobile, have to speak with the wife/girlfriend next to you, play with the kids to keep them occupied, drink a beer, eat, have a brief nap, change the DVD etc when this will not be fully possible. At such times we ask you to be extra vigilant.

It is not possible to document all aspects of safe driving in this note because there are so many laws. Your local police have however been specially trained to understand all of the laws and they will advise you if they observe you breaking any of them
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Post by lomuamart »

That's all shockingly true. I'm glad I don't drive.
As a pedestrian, however, there are dangers that I have to specifically try and avoid.
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richard
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Post by richard »

Lomu

Do you mean dont walk on pavements or roads? :)
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Korkenzieher
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Post by Korkenzieher »

Don,

Until I saw the comment about driving on the left, I was fairly certain it was a German version you'd picked up...
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Post by DSB »

This is the normal answers to the questions for the Thia driving test, Bapak! :)
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Post by Randy Cornhole »

They have a driving test...!!! :shock:
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STEVE G
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Post by STEVE G »

Randy Cornhole wrote:They have a driving test...!!! :shock:
Well sort of, my partner passed hers a couple of years a go.
You do it in the car-park of the test centre, drive around some markings and reverse into a parking space!
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Post by Nereus »

STEVE G wrote:
Randy Cornhole wrote:They have a driving test...!!! :shock:
Well sort of, my partner passed hers a couple of years a go.
You do it in the car-park of the test centre, drive around some markings and reverse into a parking space!
And then go inside and slip a purple note in with the paperwork!

I do not know about other Provinces, but in Phrae they have a well set up "test" area. When I was trying to teach my daughter to drive we went and asked if we could use the area for some training. No way would they let us use it, and it had nothing to do with it being busy.

What a complete waste of resources. The area has everything in the way of road signs, intersections,a hill start ramp, parking area etc. I am a bit surprised that the "testers" are not running a little deal on the side with it, but I guess it comes down to the fact that all Thais know how to drive from birth, so why pay money to learn something? :guns:
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