Bangkok Traffic

Insane. That’s the only word to describe it. The company provided a driver and van for us this first month. After that, they highly recommend you hire a driver while living here because the traffic is crazy, the laws are ignored, and if as a foreigner you are in an accident you could be blamed regardless of whose fault it really is.

The streets are crowded at all times of the day – we have seen it on Sukhumvit out our window every day! Of course it’s worse at rush hours – plural. The taxis are bright fuschia, yellow, or green. I think pink is our favorite. From what we’ve seen, a lot of people can fit in just one taxi back seat, and most don’t have seatbelts. Tuk-tuks are popular too, which look kind of like a large golf cart. There are also  covered or open pickups with benches on the bed of the truck. People push handcarts or “drive” them, which looks they are sitting on a bike seat, the attached cart being in front of them. I really need to get a picture of that kind – it’s quite unique.

At one frequented intersection the lanes abruptly change from one direction to the opposite. So we go from driving on the left side of the divided road (3 lanes wide) diagonally through the intersection to the other side of the road (also 3 lanes wide) where the left and center lanes are suddenly opposite the other remaining lane on that side of the divide. (so if I looked behind me, those lanes after the intersection would be travelling away from me instead of following behind me). Did that even make sense? I wish I could draw a picture… Let’s just say it feels wrong to be crossing to the other side of the divided road every time we go that way.

I think the kicker is the motorcycles. They zoom and weave between cars with – seriously – only inches to spare. They all gather at the front of the intersection when the lights are red to get a head start, and sometimes even go while it’s red if no one’s coming. It’s not uncommon for them to be driving the wrong direction on the road. There are tons of motorcycle taxis carrying passengers, many times girls wearing skirts and riding side saddle. It makes me cringe when they ride by – perhaps I’m just a worrier, but yikes. Luckily at least the taxi drivers wear helmets...

The scariest is when the motorcycles drive on the sidewalk. Mind you, this is among the people walking there and the vendors that line the streets! We are used to thinking we can take a step to the side if there’s not a person there, but here, you could get run over that easily. We have to really be vigilant when walking anywhere, especially with a child, especially with all 4 of them, and especially if I have all of them by myself! This was taken when I obviously wasn’t being very vigilant, but here is a side street – they call them sois here. Some of them are barely wide enough for two vehicles to fit – tightly. Add in motorcycles, street vendors, pedestrians, etc. and it can get a little tricky.

There have been a few times already when I’ve been really glad I didn’t assume someone in a car would stop. Evidently just because there’s a crossing area and/or the car has a stoplight/sign doesn’t mean anything. I guess pedestrians are the low man on the totem pole.  And, just an interesting tidbit, driving around a huge 10-seater van like we do, is a prestigious thing. The bigger the better? As much as he loves vans (ha!), I really don’t think Kevin would agree with that assessment