Link tip:
Here is a website dedicated to driving in rural Thailand, traffic rules, road signs etc. by our own member Yorkie.

http://www.freebeerforyorky.com/

Thanks for that George.

Cheers

Y

I've made some amendments/additions to the site. If anyone has any suggestions for improvement, I'd welcome your input either here or by PM.

nice one thanks

What is the speed limit on highways? I have seen the checkpoints with spotters about a km or 2 previous to the stoppers. I've been left alone doing 95 -100, so what is the spped that would get me stopped?

On the Bangkok Tollways the speed limit is generally 120 km/hr and is indicated as such. On all other highways the limit is 90 km/hr unless otherwise advised.

Well done Yorky... a comprehensive and well laid-out website.


Good to see you've captured (and explained) the most common motorcycle manoeuvres... they can be confusing and dangerous for new drivers here in Thailand.

Ok Thanks for that. All my driving thus far has been in the South, and much less than 95 gets cars up your arse end.
ps Tyke from Dewsbury

This post has been edited by Mosha: 2007-06-26 20:11:12

I took my driving test on Dewsbury Road in Leeds. 1968 if I remember correctly. However, it didn't prepare me for driving in Isaan.

Yorkie,

Where did the picture at the top of your main "driving in rural Thailand" page come from? Do you know where it was taken, when and who the girl sitting on the silver motorcycle is?

The reason why I ask is that she looks very familiar.

Thanks,
Martian

What are you driving....truck or car?

It's my long suffering photographic model. The photograph on the motorcycle was actually taken in the centre of Surin and then photoshopped onto a picture of the road through my village.

She appears on a number of sites with which I am involved.

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 oureyes_468.jpg ( 40.39K ) Number of downloads: 31


 skies_banner_1.jpg ( 24.58K ) Number of downloads: 27


No, you can't have her phone number or email address!

Pick-up, car or small van. Trucks and buses are required to drive at a lower speed as (should be) denoted on the rear. I don't think truck or bus driving is an occupation open to farangs.

AFAIK , Pick up trucks and car have different speed limits on all roads

There is no law in Thailand, as far as I am aware, that requires a pick-up to display a maximum speed symbol on the rear as is the case with larger vehicles.

This is an excerpt from the Thai "Highway Code":

 speed_limits.jpg ( 355.43K ) Number of downloads: 40


If my translation is correct:

1. Applies to vehicles with an unladen weight of over 1,200 kg. Speed limit, open road, 80 km/hour.

2. Applies to vehicles with an unladen weight of over 1,200 kg, towing a trailer. Speed limit, open road, 60 km/hour.

3. Applies to vehicles with an unladen weight of under 1,200 kg (including motorcycles). Speed limit as displayed on the roadside or, generally, open road, 90 km/hour.

My vehicle is a "extended cab" 4 x 4 pick-up which weighs in at just over 1,000 kg (unladen) therefore is in category 3.

I thought that there was a lower maximum speed for a pick up truck on Tollways and major highways
(perhaps I have seen a road sign indicating so? )

Are you thinking of this one?

This sign was sent to me this morning. I've been in very close and can't see any evidence of photoshopping.

Anyone know the scenery?

samui

Mid is right, Koh Samui between Chaweng and Lamai, and yes it is for real,no photoshop,although it's not there anymore.
The prick in question is a Thai-inglish translation for that huge rock you can see down the hill on the right.

This post has been edited by gusG: 2007-07-19 10:32:01

I've upgraded the mother site to include more of my stuff.

http://freebeerforyorky.com/

So far every time i have been up in issan I have had wife family taking me around. This time i was going to rent a car. I know as from the US , its very different driving on wrong sid eof the road.
But does a international license as well as a US state license do to drive there ?
or would you not change it,?

Actually the majority of Thais drive on the "left" side of the road. Some drive on the "wrong" side.

Your US licence together with an International Driving Permit (IDP) allows you to drive in Thailand for up to 3 months.

Yorkie, a very helpful site and good insight on what to watch out for when driving.

It looks like there may be a mismatch of if's and endif's in the traffic diagrams?

This post has been edited by mailman: 2007-08-31 12:54:33

The webpages were prepared using "Microsoft Publisher". Apparently, "Microsoft Internet Explorer" cannot read the files 100%. Either "Firefox" or "Netscape" have no problem with the pages.