Judgement Guidance for Riding a Motorcycle in Bangkok
November 15th, 2013
by John Coxworth
Roads
1. Left lanes are the most dangerous and unpredictable from vehicles entering traffic, slower motorcyclists, and also busses taxis making sudden pickups.
2. Right lanes have the fastest traffic, but also have more bumps in the road.
3. Between the two rightmost lanes is usually the safest for a motorcyclist.
4. Thai Highways are very convoluted and confusing. Travel routes you know already. Uncertainty can make big problems.
5. Roads are extremely slippery if it has rained after a long period of dryness.
6. Avoiding flooded roads can be even more dangerous than riding straight through them. Cars in dry lanes will speed up, predicting the entrance of motorcycles into their lane, which means you will be in their way.
7. There are very few stoplight intersections in Bangkok. Most traffic is continuous and works on merging and u-turn principles.
8. There are no real, enforced traffic laws. People drive according to their needs and judgement of safety.
Traffic
1. Keeping up with or moving slightly faster than traffic is important. This keeps the chaos in front of you where you can make your own decisions and see what's happening.
2. Riding slowly means you must check mirrors and/or turn your head to check for incoming traffic from behind.
3. Time spent looking backward should be minimized as much as possible. Situations in front of you can change in an instant.
4. Most drivers and riders never look behind and depend on you to be watching their movements and making compensations.
5. When joining traffic blindly, wait for a car to go first and tailgate it.
6. The area right behind a car is often safe from faster motorcycles coming from behind, as well as other cars.
7. Watch traffic in front of the car you tailgate in order to predict any sudden stopping.
8. In non-moving traffic jams, watch for the tops of helmets moving in the area above car roofs. These are other motorcyclists of course. Watch for headlight glow if surrounding vehicles are too high.
9. If another motorcyclists stops to let you go, start off without hesitation.
10. It's often worth the risk to speed into a depressurized traffic zone. Of course, the more space around your vehicle the better.
11. Never focus on any one thing. Stare straight ahead, unfocused, and you can see much more.
12. If necessary, you can turn your head slightly to the side and rapidly use the corners of your eyes to check in front and behind with minimized risk. Keeping brake light glow in the corner of your eye is a good technique
13. If traffic is beginning to slow down in one lane, expect immediate lane changes. This is easy to predict if you see taxis or busses ahead of you.
14. Turn signals are deceiving and unhelpful. They're often made after the turn is made, or in the opposite direction of the turn.
Motorcycles
1. Riders without helmets should be avoided; almost always reckless and fast.
2. Family riders are slow and unpredictable as well as careless at times. Avoid and treat cautiously. (those carrying 2 children, a baby, and a wife, with husband riding)
3. Following right behind bike taxis is often a safe bet.
4. Ride politely on sidewalks to preserve public patience. Sidewalks are a safe and necessary option for bikes.
5. Other motorcyclists are not on your side and do not always intend to cooperate. There is no camaraderie that you find in motorcycle-scarce countries.
6. Patience, smiling, and bowing when compensated for can help cool the moods of other riders.
7. Most car mirrors are along the same level, but Van mirrors are at shoulder height and can be hard to see.
8. Banging mirrors with busses is the safest vehicle bang mirrors with, as busses are already dirty and damaged. The driver never notices or cares.
9. After banging a mirror, if traffic is moving, you should speed away as fast as possible. If traffic is not moving, bow and say sorry many times and maybe pay the driver. Most mirror banging does not result in any visible damage.
10. Many motorcycles have nonfunctional lights. Be extra careful.
11. Using hand signals is the most effective way to make necessary lane changes in unforgiving traffic. Even better if pillion rider can make them.
12. Motorcyclists sometimes ride against traffic. At times, such as heavy traffic jams, this is the only option for moving.
Taxis
1. Taxis are bright colors. Riding near them can increase your visibility and make things slightly safer.
2. Taxis are very unpredictable, but can also be very self-aware drivers.
3. Taxis will almost always be aware of motorcyclists unless riders approach at high speeds.
4. Taxis know that motorcycles have the least leverage in traffic and will pull out in front of you or cut you off even if they see you coming. It's your responsibility to slow down or change lanes.
5. Pink and orange taxis are the wildest drivers.
6. Taxis often ride between lanes to keep options open for themselves (or some other reason I don't understand yet.)
7. Taxis often rest at stoplights and might not start off immediately when the light changes green.
8. Some taxi drivers are armed with swords or guns.
Buses
1. Buses have a large impact on traffic.
2. Busses change lanes very often.
3. Busses can create walls with safe zones along the sides.
4. Passengers can leave the bus at any time, even while moving slowly, or while in middle lanes. Watch to see if the doors are open if passing on the left.
5. If traffic is stopped, busses often have motorcycles crossing lanes in front of them. Slow down when riding along a bus and approaching the front.
6. Busses are almost as wide as the lanes themselves.
7. Be extremely careful while riding with a bus through a curve. They can cut you off.
8. Many busses have large exhaust pipes blowing soot at eye level to motorcyclists behind them. For respiratory health, it's advised not to follow directly behind.
9. Occasionally, busses have non-functioning lights. This can make a "black hole" in approaching traffic.
10. Pink, orange, and Yellow busses are the most aggressive. The drivers get paid more for more pickups.
Cars and Trucks (Private Traffic)
1. New drivers will have red license plates.
2. Toyota Vios drivers are the most common first car in Thailand. Drivers are inexperienced and completely unpredictable.
3. Pickup trucks often have aggressive drivers, especially in suburban areas. Urban truck drivers are usually safer.
4. Pickup trucks have undersized brakes.
5. Mercedes and BMW drivers often change lanes without looking, cut across multiple lanes, and merge into traffic carelessly.
6. Drivers have trouble guiding their car within lanes, often squeezing off areas for motorcycles to pass.
7. Cars that are heavily accessorized will usually drive more aggressively.
8. Any 4 wheeled vehicle can be used as a shield of leverage while making risky u-turns. It's best to ride on the outside of a u-turning car.
9. Cars are timid and unpredictable in tighter, 1 lane streets. Pass and avoid as soon as possible.
10. Be extra careful when riding with cars around market/shopping zones.
11. Cars will drive at the highest possible speed if there is a depressurized traffic zone. This can lead to cars coming up very fast from behind (mostly in the right lane).
12. The road becoming brighter at night is one sign that a car or another vehicle is approaching from behind.
13. A brightened road at night as also a way to detect a car approaching at a blind corner. Cars do not pass blind corners cautiously.
14. Approaching cars, especially at higher speeds, will create additional wind which can be felt from behind. If the back sides of your shirt are flapping in the wind slightly differently, it's worth checking your mirrors to confirm. This is useful day and night, or for cars with no headlights.
