How long before one of these Buriram-Korat Minibuses has a smash?

[nookiebear]

There are now at least 51 minibuses plying the 273 Buriram -Korat run that goes through Nong Ki.Some of them (not too many) drive pretty normally ie,using the inside lane,driving at a decent speed...The rest of them drive like they have a death wish,hogging the outside line at speeds in excess of 120km/hr.
Just how long before one is involved in a smash??

[CO-CO]

There are now at least 51 minibuses plying the 273 Buriram -Korat run that goes through Nong Ki.Some of them (not too many) drive pretty normally ie,using the inside lane,driving at a decent speed...The rest of them drive like they have a death wish,hogging the outside line at speeds in excess of 120km/hr.
Just how long before one is involved in a smash??

They will have to do better than that if they want to get past you Fatboy!   

[nookiebear]

There are now at least 51 minibuses plying the 273 Buriram -Korat run that goes through Nong Ki.Some of them (not too many) drive pretty normally ie,using the inside lane,driving at a decent speed...The rest of them drive like they have a death wish,hogging the outside line at speeds in excess of 120km/hr.
Just how long before one is involved in a smash??

They will have to do better than that if they want to get past you Fatboy!   

CoCo it isn't me who got nailed for speeding............especially after I had told you they were there!!

[davureborn]

Speaking as one who has driven from Bangkok to Chiang Mai on the day before the New Years' public holiday, and also came back from Korat (and Bangkok) today, these minibus drivers are relatively harmless. The worst ride I had in my life was Rayong - Bangkok with a jaba crazed Muslim driver. That was the first and last time I took a minibus. I reckon he had been driving two to three days nonstop, high as a kite. He accused me of getting drunk when I half heartedly supped a can of warm beer to take my mind off things. I just assume that these van drivers are about to do something dangerous at any moment. I don't really notice them any more.
The worse that happened today was a petrol tanker abruptly swinging out in front of me without signalling.

[nookiebear]

I'm sorry ,you must have blinkers on.........I probably travel more around Thailand than most & over the years have seen some horrific accidents............Only 2 weeks ago,on the Highway 24about 4 kms from here a minibus BKK-SISAKET ploughed straight into the back of a well lit lorry load of chickens making a U-Turn.Luckily only 2 were dead(incl driver).If this minibus had been travelling correctly on the inside lane it wouldn't have happened

[davureborn]

I don't think it really depends on how many Kilometres you drive, I do about 2000 a month as a regular routine thing plus easily 1000 more doing family stuff. I can't believe that you think people drive the same all over Thailand. I didn't drive for 40 years + 3 in Thailand without an accident by applying blinkers to my head every time I went out. Airport runs, Bangkok - Pattaya, Rayong, probably a few others, are unbelievably stupid. Around Buriram it is relatively sane, but as I said I keep well away from these buggers.
Anyway what you are talking about is a lack of police enforcement, I have up to date never seen a moving vehicle stopped by a police car, and generally minibuses get waved through check points. This IS a problem and as you know nothing will get done about it in our lifetimes.

[nookiebear]

Minibuses in particular do drive the same all over Thailand,Buses don't rate far behind them either.I have witnessed a few times where moving Highway police cars have actually pulled lorries in but I've never seen them stop any other type of vehicle by this means.

[toffo]

Davureborn your 100%  wrong... I don't know what roads you drive but these idiots driving these minibuses are lunatics..all you have to do is sit on the road to kap choeng to see these fools everyday putting peoples lives at risk..

[davureborn]

Not my experience. 100% wrong? Not an expression that I haver EVER used in a difference of opinions. SOME of these guys are dangerous. Just cool down, ok? We are in Thailand, you may have noticed. I drive Lamplaimatt - Buriram 4 times a day, and quite a large variety of roads  and kilometres to boot. I worry more about motor bikes, motorbikes with side car and sugar trucks, than minibuses. Just let them do their thing and keep away from the buggers. You don't assume anything driving in Thailand, you try to fit in.
In general, people assume that there are more dangerous drivers in Thailand than in other countries. I dispute this, I claim that there are more dangerous drivers that are allowed to drive in Thailand than in other countries.
I hate minibuses also but there are regional differences, Chiang Mai, Bangkok, rural provinces... you will never persuade me that people drive the same all over Thailand.

[Starman]

Your posts just don't make sense, Davureborn.

First you say that Buriram is relatively sane. Then you say that you "worry more about motorbikes, motorbikes with side car and sugar trucks." That is a very large portion of vehicles that you seem to think are not sane.

You then say you don't worry about minibuses but you "keep away from the buggers".

Then you say that "some of these guys are dangerous". Well that is what the OP said so why are you disagreeing?

People do drive the same all over Thailand. Every region has good drivers and every region has bad drivers.

Buriram does seem to have more of its fair share.

[davureborn]

You missed it. I worry about these categories everywhere in Thailand. I don't say that I don't worry about minibuses I say that they are not equally dangerous everywhere in Thailand and that they are not the only problem on the roads. I am not disagreeing with the OP, I am trying to put his comments in context. People do NOT drive the same all over Thailand, you really can't compare driving skills in Bangkok to those of people in rural areas, north- south, just as you can't say that people drive the same all over Europe or all over the UK for instance. I have been accused of being blinkered to what is going on. I drove all over Europe and noticed differences in driving styles, why would you imagine that Thailand would be different?
I have noticed a certain tendency on this forum of ignoring/ putting down 'newbies' (only been here 3 years myself). Some of us adjust quicker than others.
Again: I manage to drive into and out of Buriram twice day without having these dreadful paranoid experiences that you guys seem to imagine to be happening AT you all the time.
I swear a lot when I am driving, thus improving my granddaughter's vocabulary, but I always did.