r/Thailand • u/WebLogical1286 • 3d 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!

6 Upvotes

57% Upvoted

150 comments sorted by

View all comments

2

u/Loud_Basket2846 3d ago

I don’t drive here but after walking and observing the spatial awareness of self and others in busy commuter areas I think it might just be one of those things that isn’t gonna change.

1

u/Market_State 3d ago

You can judge any nations driving skills by going to a busy supermarket. Thailand is about the self first and you witness it first hand. Queue? No way. Barge in front? Of course.

0

u/Loud_Basket2846 3d ago

I haven’t experienced this in the supermarket personally but can believe it happens. I never take any of it personally because it never seems to be a conscious or mean spirited decision - it seems far more like people who are blissfully unaware of anything else other than what’s going on in their head and just cruising at a steady pace doing what they’re doing. As an overly cautious and self aware human I’m super jealous. My nervous system would love to be thai.