Peculiarities of Thailand’s traffic rules

Many tourists, choosing holidays in Thailand, wish to visit the many corners of this wonderful country. The best way to implement this desire would be bike rental in Thailand, but it is worth thinking about the possible consequences after caught in an accident. Rental organizations are almost everywhere, and the benefits of renting are:

  • minimal amount of paperwork required;
  • affordable price
  • free choice of route

But to be free to ride a bike, you will need a Thai license, foreign internationals will do, but Thai would be better!

For most tourists, this Asian country becomes the first testing ground for mastering the motorcycle. By observing the rules of the road in Thailand and discarding unnecessary self-confidence, the vacationer can get a more complete picture of this country and visit its various areas.

In this case, the tourist will be able to get a better idea of the country.

Thailand’s traffic regulations have some specifics, although many provisions are similar to our standard driving ideas. Familiarity with the advice of experienced drivers who have crisscrossed the country by motorcycle many times is good for anyone.

Traffic in Thailand

Traffic in Bangkok

Features of Thailand’s traffic rules that you should know:

  • The country is left-handed, which will be unfamiliar to domestic drivers.
  • “Skip” means blinking the headlights of oncoming traffic.
  • When the traffic light is red, it is allowed to turn left, while letting oncoming traffic.
  • Helmet when riding a motorcycle is mandatory, although almost none of the locals use it. But the tourist is for the lack of a helmet the police will punish.
  • Insurance, reminiscent of OSAGO. It is necessary for the owner of the vehicle, but if you rent it yourself do not pay the insurance – it is the owner’s problem.
  • When driving in the rain, the headlights should always be on, because climate in Thailand makes visibility during such periods very minimal.
  • Overtaking is allowed only on the right side, although you should not relax, because the locals rarely comply with this rule.
  • Drunk driving will cost the driver $300-400 paid on the spot to a police officer. Failure to do so will immediately land the driver in Thai prison before trial with a minimum sentence of 2 days. This is the law in Thailand.
  • The “main road” sign is almost unreal to see, although the principle is similar to the generally accepted rules. At the intersection in the absence of the sign it is better to reinsure and follow the rule of equitable roads.
  • The driver must let the traffic by the rule of “interference on the left”. The exception to the rules is the traffic circle, which is considered a “main road”.Thai Traffic RulesFarang was stopped for a traffic violation – driving without a helmet

    Learning the Thailand Traffic Rules, a driver would do well to know some more “unwritten” rules:

  • Contain the distance when driving, as locals are characterized by abrupt cutting off other traffic. This often results in accidents, which you can avoid by keeping a safe distance.
  • Tourists’ relations with the police vary from region to region. On Phuket Island tourists are treated more harshly.
  • The rule of three “D’s”, which stands for “Make way for a fool” and is quite applicable in our circumstances. But on the roads of Thailand it is especially relevant, because the locals are genetically unable to drive normally, ignoring the existing rules and elements of common sense.
  • Parking is done wherever the driver wants. Therefore, it is worth being careful not to blow away a car door that suddenly opened. For locals, the main thing is to stop, and they do not consider it necessary to look whether someone moves behind. If the door of the car is knocked down, you can still be guilty.
  • Thailand roads are by and large not bad. But you should not get used to the fact that they are everywhere, because if you suddenly encounter a pothole or a pebble, as well as a drunken tourist jumped out on the road can lead to unpleasant and disastrous consequences.I hope that the described rules will help tourists to successfully navigate the roads of Thailand. I hope that this list is not exhaustive.Hopefully, the rules described will help tourists to travel successfully on the roads of Thailand.
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