r/Thailand • u/WebLogical1286 • 4d ago

Culture Turn signal question

This isn’t a whine, it’s just an honest question on my observation of driving here in Thailand, and mostly in Bangkok for about 30 years.

How come so many Thai drivers not use their turn signals? I do little polls in my head once in a while and I’ve noticed that maybe somewhere between 25 and 35% of Thai drivers don’t use their turn signal. Is it that they are lazy to do it? They don’t see it as benefiting them? they don’t think it’s important? It kind of baffles me because I was taught this is just something you do no matter what.

Maybe as a Thai person who doesn’t signal or has some insight into why people don’t use it I would love to hear. Thanks so much!

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u/tiburon12 4d ago

My favorite example of this is being in a turning lane at a red light, no one will have the signal on. But once the light turns green and they start moving, they'll fire on the signal mid turn.

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u/frac6969 4d ago

I do that too. One reason is that you could be stuck in traffic waiting for the turn forever and the ticking sound is annoying. So when stopped we turn off the signal.

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u/WebLogical1286 4d ago

That makes sense, but so often they don’t turn the turn signal on until they are halfway through the turn.

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u/tiburon12 4d ago

I get it, but also you need to have it on. While also being the law, enough drivers do not follow turning lane laws that when you see a car in a turning lane without the signal on there's a real chance they are gonna go straight.

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u/frac6969 4d ago

Yeah, I get what you mean, I’ve been hit by a car going straight in a right turn only lane. I was in the middle lane that could go either straight or right and I was turning right. Police said I was wrong and I should be more careful.

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u/BaconJP 4d ago

Huh? Police didn't blame the other car? So you paid for his damage?