Don’t want to converse with friendly Thai policemans too often? Don’t want to pay fines? Want to have a green light everywhere? You need to know only 3 rules of Thai unofficial highway code. Rules applicable for foreigners only, because for Thai people 3 rules are too much to remember and follow – too much concentration needed!
1. Foreigner must wear helmet!
It can be a cheap plastic helmet you can break with a finger, it can be a little toy helmet which covers a top of your head only – it doesn’t matter. Just wear it! Because laws say you need to wear helmet, but don’t say anything about how hard or safe helmet should be.
Thais, as residents of Thailand, have a right to not have helmets at all ($1 is too much, better to spent it for a tasty fruit shake), or carry helmets on a side or a back of a motorcycle (“I bought a helmet, what else do you want from me?”)
photo by Puresilk_dr
2. Only 2 foreigners on a motorcycle!
Did you see Thais who carry 2 adult passengers + 2 children + 2 dogs? Wanted to try the same? No way! Foreigners are too fat for such tricks and have too much blood inside. In case of accident it will be too much blood on a street and Thais would need work hard to clean it.
photo by Paolo’s
3. Foreigners must have some document looking like a driving license
You can use expired driving license of your grandpa, whatever, they won’t read this strange foreign hieroglyphs. Even a photo doesn’t matter – all foreigners looks the same. Or you can buy some fake license of unknown country on Kao San road. Get something. No matter what, it must look like a document.
Thais usually drive motorcycles from the very birth (who want to walk afoot to neighboors?) That’s why they don’t need to have ID, a driving license and even a number plate on their motorbikes.
photo by Marius, cringel.com
ผมมีถด”motosai” AX1. มีใบอนญาดขับรถ ถดยนต์ และรถจักรยานยนต์ฃ