If you are one of those people for whom riding motorcycles in Thailand is a way of life, you won’t be too surprised at how crowded it can get on Thailand’s roads, especially when it comes to waiting at a red light. If you’re not used to it, you might be shocked at how many motorcycles end up at the front of the queue, and how far behind you might end up if you’re waiting in a car.
In our daily photo today, you’ll see the usual horde of motorcycles waiting for the lights to change. This one was taken at the intersection of Pahonyothin Road and Rathchayothin in northern Bangkok right after the light changed to red and all the motorcycle drivers pushed their way to the front of the traffic jam.More arrived after I took this photo, to fill in the gap at the front.
When the light changed to green, of course, all the bikes set off at the same time at a fair clip, leaving the traffic jam of cars miles behind. This is repeated at every red light in Thailand and is a huge reason why there are so many motorcycles on the road.
After all, when you can get home in half the time it takes in a car, simply by weaving in and out of traffic and jumping the queue at every red light — honestly, why wouldn’t you?
By the way, do watch the video below and you’ll see just what happens when the light turns to red and then becomes green. Cool, eh?
And, if you plan on riding motorcycle taxis in Thailand, read this article on how to ride a motorcycle taxi in Thailand safely, and you’ll have less chance of being hurt.
