Driving on the Left in Thailand: How to Get Used to It
The biggest fear before a first drive in Thailand is the left-hand side. In practice most people adjust in a day or two, and the difficulty comes not from the lanes but from the details: mirrored stalks, an unfamiliar view, and scooters appearing on both sides.
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The rule that saves you: the driver is always closer to the middle of the road. If after a turn you find yourself next to the verge on the driver side, you are on the wrong side — get back immediately.
Turns are the hardest part. Turning right here means crossing oncoming traffic; turning left is a simple move into the near lane. For the first few days, say it out loud before every junction.
Roundabouts go clockwise. As you enter, look right rather than left. At the Chalong roundabout that matters especially: four streams of traffic meet there and everyone is in a hurry.
The wipers and indicators are the other way round. The mistake is harmless, but on your first day you will switch on the wipers a couple of dozen times. Do not let it distract you; your hands learn within a couple of hours.
Scooters in Phuket come from everywhere, including the verge and the oncoming lane. Before changing lanes, check the mirror and look over your shoulder, and when pulling out of a car park, look both ways twice.
What physically changes
The wheel is on the right and the driver sits closer to the middle of the road. The size of the car feels different: the left side seems nearer than it is, and in the first few hours that is the side people catch.
The stalks
The indicator and the wipers are mirrored from what you know. Almost every newcomer switches on the wipers at a junction on the first day — it is harmless and it passes.
The mirrors
Set them before you drive off rather than in traffic: the view from the right-hand seat is different, and the blind spots are not where you are used to them.
Three rules for the first few days
Pulling out of a side road or a car park, look right first — that is where the near traffic comes from.
Follow the flow
Do not try to drive by feel: at roundabouts and junctions it is easier to follow the car in front until the habit forms.
Do not rush on day one
Make your first drive on the highway from the airport rather than out of Patong at rush hour: wide lanes, clear markings, a calm pace.
- Pulling out, look right first
- Set the mirrors before you start
- Make the first drive on the highway, not on narrow streets
- Check the mirrors for scooters before every manoeuvre
Scooters are the defining feature of these roads
There are more of them than cars, and they behave differently: they filter between lanes, overtake on the left and the right, and appear in your mirrors out of nowhere.
What to do about it
Check the mirrors before every lane change, not only at junctions. Do not hug the verge without reason — scooters run along it constantly.
And keep your distance: a scooter stops in a shorter space, and its rider makes decisions fast.
ВажноAt night scooters often ride with no lights or with one headlight. On the unlit stretches of road in the south that is worth bearing in mind when overtaking or turning.
Частые вопросы
Is it hard to get used to driving on the left?
For most people a day or two is enough. The first few hours are the hardest: mirrored stalks and an unfamiliar view.
Which way do I look when pulling out?
Right first — that is where the near traffic comes from. It is the main rule of the first few days.
Where should I make my first drive?
On the highway from the airport: wide lanes and clear markings. Patong at rush hour is the worst place to start.
What makes scooters dangerous?
They filter between lanes and overtake on both sides, appearing in your mirrors suddenly. Check the mirrors before every manoeuvre.
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