Thailand's Traffic: A Surprising Blend of Chaos and Serenity

We picked up our rental car at Don Mueang airport and headed toward our hotel during the rush hour in Bangkok. The traffic was an absolute mess: countless cars, scooters, and Tuk Tuks all crammed on the roads, with pedestrians popping out from nowhere and weaving in and out of traffic. Few people wore helmets on scooters, and some ladies in skirts sat sideways at the back. However, I didn't hear any horns, even though Dan blocked the traffic because he didn't know we could turn even if the light was red. We waited and turned until several scooters whizzed by and stared at us strangely.

Outside of Bangkok, there were no Tuk Tuks. However, there were many scooters with sidecars. They were amusing because you could see crammed passengers, chairs, LPG tanks, cooking utensils, and food in them. So, they were not only used as transportation but also as food stands. The locals hopped on any vehicle and hardly cared about safety. I saw people jammed on the pickup truck, and the car moved wobbly but fast.

On average, people in Thailand drive slower, and they give way if the car behind them wants to go faster, which is rare in Taiwan. You can easily see a car moving slowly, with a long line of cars behind it. One of My aunts always drives like Sunday driver: slowly. She believes the slower the safer, and always ignores the cars behind her, even when her passengers remind her.