Membership site now open: http://retirecheap.tv/members Driving in Asia is quite the unique experience. It seems to have its own random 'code of ethics' and 'rules of the road'. And it seems sometimes the laws are merely suggestions! And the perception is that each country seems to have its own distinctive twist on road etiquette.
In Thailand even though the driving might seem crazy, there is little if any horn honking other than a tuk-tuk or taxi giving a quick toot to get a possible fares attention.
Compare that with last time I was back in North America. I saw a lot of cursing and single-fingered hand gestures. One guy actually got out of his car and started walking back towards me, as if to start a fight, because he felt I had turned on to a road too soon and a half block wasn't enough of a cushion.
And in some Asian countries like Vietnam, China and Philippines, the horn is as important as the brakes. Possibly even more important, because often times drivers have no intention of stopping.
The horn is used to communicate; it's like a primitive version of Morse code. One beep means something totally different than two or three beeps; and of course the long single wail typically means "get out of my way you %$#@!"
But here living in Thailand every time I hear an angry long horn honk I see an angry foreigner trying to tell Thais that his personal boundaries and rules have been violated as if to teach the whole country how to drive the proper way. As crazy as it seems it works well here without the horn honking. So my plea to travelers visiting and foreigners living in Thailand is become Thaianized and lay off the horn instead of on it. Please don't start teaching this horrible habit that has already become the norm in other Asian countries.
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