Thailand is called the Land of Smiles but your smile may turn to a grimace once you get behind the wheel:  motorcycles sneaking up beside you, vehicles driving the wrong way on the shoulder, song thaews stopping suddenly, pedestrians crossing the road one lane at a time, U turns, vendors as stop lights, slow moving carts or tuk-tuks, big SUVs flashing their lights behind you, vehicles cutting in front of you, driving in blinding rain.  In the midst of it all you may be screaming “don’t they know the rules of the road here?”  Indeed, the Thai do follow the rules of the road but Thai driving rules may be quite different that what you are used to.

Here are a few principles to keep in mind:

• Think of a river … wherever there is an empty space, the water will flow in to fill it.  This is how Thai traffic works …. If there is an empty space ahead of you or beside you, it is normal for a vehicle to move into that space.  You do not ‘own the lane’ in front of you or the space beside you.
• When two vehicles / motorcycles / bicycles are moving in the same direction, the one behind is responsible to watch out for the one that is ahead.

Adding these two ideas together results in the following scenarios:

• A vehicle just in front of you cuts into the lane in front of you.  Why?  Because there was an empty space available and since he was in front, he expected you to be watching and to let him in.
• Motorcycles generally keep to the left, but at times they will drive in the lane or to the right.   A vehicle that needs to pass them will often drift to the right to pass them, even if there is another car beside them. 
• At an intersection (with or without traffic lights), cars that need to turn right will slowly creep into the oncoming lane, until traffic coming toward them is forced to stop.  Then the lead vehicle will make the turn, followed by several others …. There was an open space and they were in front of you, so they knew that eventually someone would allow them to cross.
• The good news is that if you need to make a lane change in a short distance, Thai drivers are quite accommodating.

Motorcycles:  If you are not used to sharing the road with motorcycles, be aware of the following:

• If you see a motorcycle driver or passenger glance over a shoulder, take that as a signal that he wants to move in that direction.  Sometimes the passenger will make a signal with their hand indicating that they want to cross in front of you.
• If you stop your vehicle, always check before opening a door, otherwise you may have a motorcycle slamming into the open door.  This applies to both sides of the car, even the curb side.
• As mentioned, motorcycles generally keep to the left, but if they need to make a right turn or U turn, they will need to move over to the right.   Make room for them.

Expect the unexpected:

• Vehicles passing you on the shoulder (left side)
• Vehicles, especially motorcycles, coming toward you on the shoulder
• Vehicles moving into the approaching lane as they come to a stop light or when their lane of traffic is stopped 
• Motorcycles creeping up between two lanes of cars
• Vehicles passing very close to you
• Vehicles that don’t use their lights at night; both vehicles coming toward you or barely visible motorcycles gliding ahead of you
• Traffic lights have little to no time on the yellow light.   Drivers will continue through even after the light has turned red, while other drivers will start into the intersection before their light has turned green.   If you are the first in line, check that the intersection is clear before proceeding,

What’s with the driver behind you flashing their lights?  This most commonly happens on multilane highways.  The left lane is considered the slower lane and the right lane is the passing lane.  Flashing lights behind you mean ‘move over, I want to get through NOW.’  Even if you are going the speed limit and already passing cars in the slow lane, it is safest to move over to the slow lane to allow the speedier driver through. 

Defensive driving is the key.  Use your mirrors and shoulder check.  Patience, alertness and caution are essential driving skills.