Freely translated from an article by: Tim Newton from The Thaiger of March 10, 2019
Wear clothes and do not ride in bare-chested swimming trunks. Scraping your knees and elbows is painful enough. Even better: long sleeves and long pants, slippers are also an extra risk. Gloves are a sensible measure. And of course a good helmet, which is mandatory, don't use cheap plastic 'caps'.
- Make sure your tires have tread and the brakes are well maintained.
- A motorcycle license is required. Realize that your insurance will not pay anything if you don't have it and that can be very expensive (up to many thousands of Euros or more). You can also get a driver's license in Thailand at the Land Transport Office, it only takes half a day. With an international driver's license, for a motorcycle, it's usually not a problem. (always carry it with you to avoid discussions). However, having a Thai driver's license is never a cause for doubt for the authorities and is the best idea.
- Always check your health insurance and travel insurance that everything is in order and covered.
- Driving in Thailand is different than you will be used to. The rules are almost the same, but the Thai has a different driving style. It's more like a school of fish swimming through the water. Keep yourself somewhat going in that flow of motorcycles. Our defensive driving is often not useful, it blocks too much. Observe how things are going and adjust accordingly.
- Green light means: Go… But sometimes red light, just before turning green, too! Realize that and avoid dealing too easily with orange light, which often lasts very short, and play it safe: rather stop when it turns orange.
- If you have little motorcycling experience, start training on very quiet streets. Get used to studying the engine, acceleration and braking.
- Always look carefully at the street conditions, you will encounter many (unexpected) holes and dimples. Anticipate this and adjust your speed accordingly, because things often go wrong with sudden braking, your vehicles behind do not expect that. And watch out for sand or grid on the street, especially in corners, which is as slippery as ice for a motorcycle.
- Still, it remains risky to ride a motorcycle in Thailand for the first time if you have no experience at home. Rather try it in your own country first.
- If something happens, such as a collision, the police will assess it and usually want to arrange everything on the spot, up to and including the compensation you have to pay someone else. Never argue, never get angry, then you always get the short end of the stick. Stay calm and kind. Make sure you have the tourist police number with you, and ask for assistance if you think you need it, that's the wisest thing to do. The tourist police is very pleasant in contact. And do not drink alcohol, that is of course prohibited.
Finally, enjoy relaxed free driving around Thailand, it's wonderful to do. The Thai is generally much more relaxed than the Westerner, no hooting, no stress, never raising a finger or yelling and often friendly in giving you space.
Submitted by Ronald Schütte
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Of course: "friendly in giving you space", I had forgotten that for a while.
Ronald, your advice is correct. But after 30 years of motorcycle experience in the Netherlands, I don't see myself riding a motorcycle here in the same motorcycle clothing as in the home country, the temperature here is the spoilsport.
Even with a lot of motorcycle experience brought from home, riding a motorcycle in Thailand is a risky business.
Motorcyclists account for more than 80% of fatal road accidents here. Once again your advice is correct and correct, but Thailand has a different reality in traffic, which despite your good advice is nullified by the number of casualties and injuries suffered on motorcycles here in Thai traffic…
A few additions:
-Never brake with the front brake in a turn, only rear brake if necessary, better adjust speed earlier.
-Very fine drifting sand can be slippery than ice!
-Watch out for overtaking motorbikes on the left (the “wrong” side), often at high speed.
-Getting into the middle of the road to turn right can be life-threatening, try to avoid this as much as possible.
Good topic, bravo to Ronald and (again) to our thailand blog, we look forward to it every day!
Of the 23500 annual road deaths in Thailand – or rather: was, unfortunately – the vast majority are young and motorcyclists. That says something about this most traffic-dangerous country in the world!
After 50.000 km on my motorcycle, zigzagging through Thailand and surroundings, I too have some observations.
The most dangerous, in my view, are the road works. Depending on the road surface still to be used, 30 or 40 may be driven, as it is always neatly indicated: Thai motorists usually race past you at a multiple of that maximum speed, so that motorcyclists end up in clouds of dust and often cannot see their hand in front of them . No police to be seen. The newspapers are full of it, the Thai Rath and the Daily News, but the English-language Bangkok Post has also repeatedly paid attention to the life-threatening driving behavior during roadworks.
Nobody does anything about it. TIT!
And then those kamikaze types on racing mopeds who, of course without a helmet and sometimes with drink or drugs, come whizzing past you completely unexpectedly on the left… Can that dangerous phenomenon also be added to Ronald's list?
As a motorcyclist, always stay to the side as much as possible, because there are stripes on Thai roads, but most road users do not care at all, especially in blind bends where motorcyclists can usually only just avoid oncoming traffic.
The traffic rules in Thailand are almost identical to those in Europe, that's right. But those who stop at that statement, such as our ANWB who 'forget' to warn holidaymakers that only a minority in Thailand seem to know the traffic rules and also comply with them, may well be complicit in the Benelux's share in the world record mentioned above. annual road deaths, with – according to statistics – a sevenfold increase in serious road injuries…
How many Dutch people go home between six shelves every year as a result of traffic accidents in Thailand? That is, quite frankly, my question today to our ambassador in Bangkok, whose excellent contributions to this blog, about bilateral talks and so on, I usually read with fascination! But why is there a warning on the embassy site against unnecessary visits to the rebellious south of Thailand, where a Dutch tourist has never died as a result of religious violence, and why is there no warning about the life-threatening traffic, where many compatriots have sadly lost their lives? victimized enough? M curious!
I drive many kilometers a year here in Thailand on different types of motorcycles from Yamaha 115 cc Spark, Honda Phantom to a 400 kilogram Harley Davidson 1690 cc Roadking.
Would like to add a few things to this story.
Just because of the story that they give you space here, I already have my other opinion, the crease is regularly driven out of your pants here.
As a motorcyclist you want to survive here, constant attention is a must, even on quiet backroads.
As a motorcyclist you have to create space around you, so don't overtake an oncoming oncoming vehicle even if there seems to be enough space.
Only at the back you cannot create space yourself, you regularly have another vehicle driving a meter or two behind your bike, bumper sticking in Thai style and very dangerous and then also at high speed.
I quickly turn my face and point my hand at the co-driver's seat, pointing at the helmet camera.
Use the rear view mirrors regularly, because many dangerous situations start behind you, which will get you into trouble as a motorcyclist.
Use rear-view mirrors with every lateral movement, they pass you here both left and right and sometimes on both sides at the same time.
Even if you indicate the direction to turn right, it does not mean that they will pass you on the left and be overtaken on the right at that moment often happens.
Be careful when entering a road at an intersection if another motorcyclist appears with the turn signals on or wants to turn, often the turn signals are forgotten and have been flashing for more than many kilometers.
Always drive defensively and go with the pace of the traffic flow.
Do you want to overtake first ask yourself the question is it necessary for me to overtake.
Don't drive around the handlebars with your full hand, but use a finger to rest stretched at the brake and clutch lever, bikers call this the 1 second that can save your life.
Keep enough space when passing stationary or parked vehicles, a sudden opening door and off you go with the bike.
Getting in the lane on a busy two-lane road, so standing against the center line is dangerous and at the same time overtaking traffic at that moment puts you as a biker in great danger
Depending on the situation, it is better to wait on the left side of the hard shoulder.
And especially the U turns are dangerous here, when approaching a U turn, drive on the leftmost lane.
I could go on and on, but keep it at this for now.
But remember as a vulnerable biker riding on two wheels you only have your body as protection, so you can't afford any mistakes.
Jan Beute.
janbeute, I totally agree. Very good advice about motorcycling in Thailand.
Great, educational story from Jan!
I myself had two unilateral (in front of the ambassador's door) accident, both times I was able to brake in time because I wasn't driving fast, and so my motorcycle came to a stop in time, but I couldn't keep the colossus upright afterwards . So fell, from a sudden stop. The first time a road pirate came driving straight onto the road from a garden path without looking and the second time a passenger of such a pickup unexpectedly threw the door wide open, in the parking lot at the Tesco-Lotus. I will never forget the aggrieved face of that Thai sister, because she looked like: here I am, is something wrong?
It became clear to us a few weeks ago that Thai motorcyclists do not pay attention.
We stop (by car) at the red traffic light and a motorcycle flies right on top of it. She had the helmet on but not fastened, so it flew onto the trunk lid. Fortunately, the young lady in question was quite lucky and escaped with minor injuries. (as far as we could determine)
No insurance, so luckily our insurance covered the damage. But it could have ended much worse.
And luckily we had the dash cam. Because at first she wanted to claim that it was our fault.
Dear Nicky, she claimed it was your fault.
Do you still not know (Humor) that you can drive through a red traffic light in Thailand.
Many do anyway.
A green traffic light means here, accelerate carefully and look carefully when the last vehicle has passed through the red traffic light and the intersection is clear for further safe passage.
And that doesn't just apply to motorcyclists.
Last week a full concrete mixer truck with considerable speed through red, was probably in a hurry to dump its cement load somewhere in time. Day later an Isuzu Dmax courier pickup also through the red, but indicated with the alarm lights just before the intersection, watch out I'm in a hurry.
Same intersection and a few meters away in a new police station building, probably another officer is sleeping or Facebooking. Jan Beute.