Nong Prajak Park roundabout confusion...

[thai_tan]

Hi Folks,
Anyone know this roundabout? If you are coming from Good Everything restaurant towards the ring road just past the first traffic lights or coming from Wattana Hospital on your right and the Nong Prajack park on your left and turning right at the lights, there is a small roundabout just further on there put in a year or so ago. I have to navigate this little nightmare frequently and I just cant work it out. For some reason traffic treat this roundabout differently from all the other roundabouts in Udon in that the give priority to the right does not seem to apply. If you are coming from the ring road towards the park and onto that roundabout it seems you are expected to give priority to the left, there is a line acrosss the road but I think that is old markings fom before the roundabout was put in. Anyone have any ideas? I know traffic is basically dire in Udon anyway but it does seem that the principle knowledge of roundabouts does seem to be understood on the big ones like the clock roundabout but this one near the park the rules seem different. I just wondered if I am missing something, like priority is granted to the busier lane maybe. I am fairly sure I am not the only one that gets confused as I see a lot of traffic dithering and wondering whether to go or not.

TIA (and hoping to avoid an accident)

thai_tan

[Tafia]

I have yet to be on a roundabout that gives priority to the right, it seems give way to the biggest is the usual rule, I know the one you are talking about and I too get confused at it, my only advice would be the same as all the others..proceed when it is safe to do so.

[Galee]

For me the worse roundabout in town is the Prince Prajak Monument roundabout. I often go across this roundabout and continue up Srisuk Road. The traffic coming from the two lane road that comes from the University on the left of the roundabout pile into it at high speed, assuming they have priority.
My wife's always moaning when I go round there because she says she's on the side of the car that will get hit.

[TJ]

So, are you recommending another route.?

[old-timer]

Just boot it and hope for the best.

OT.........

[Rideswings]

I know this one well. If you are coming from Ring Rd, you have the right of way in this circle because you are already "in the circle." However, vehicles coming from the park almost never stop to give way to cars that are in the circle, whoever bluffs the best, wins. The only drivers that stop before entering the circle are ones that dont know the road and are respecting circle rules. The road going past the FBI office and connecting to the circle has a stop sign but nobody ever stops for it and most times they speed right through it. When Im in my Vigo, I have right-of-way and Im not stopping because Im as big or bigger than everyone else. When Im on my motorbike, I stop and then look 3 times before proceeding.

Probably because of its volume, this circle has become a hotspot for the police to campaign on Mondays on all sides of the circle giving out tickets for unhelmetted motorbike riders and unlicensed vehicles.

[parrot]

I've always applied the rule that says 'first one in the roundabout has the right of way', but then I always try to apply a bit of common sense that tells me others don't think the same way. I'll take any of the city's roundabouts any day over a traffic cop trying to direct traffic or a traffic light. I wish there were more.

[thai_tan]

I know this one well. If you are coming from Ring Rd, you have the right of way in this circle because you are already "in the circle." However, vehicles coming from the park almost never stop to give way to cars that are in the circle, whoever bluffs the best, wins. The only drivers that stop before entering the circle are ones that dont know the road and are respecting circle rules. The road going past the FBI office and connecting to the circle has a stop sign but nobody ever stops for it and most times they speed right through it. When Im in my Vigo, I have right-of-way and Im not stopping because Im as big or bigger than everyone else. When Im on my motorbike, I stop and then look 3 times before proceeding.

Probably because of its volume, this circle has become a hotspot for the police to campaign on Mondays on all sides of the circle giving out tickets for unhelmetted motorbike riders and unlicensed vehicles.

Thanks for that Rideswings and I thought that was the case, do you know one time I sat in that spot with a flood of traffic coming across me from the park and I was beeping my horn and flashing my lights the whole time, finally the very last car stopped and let me through, ****** unbelievable. On a side note my wife seems to think that any motorbikes should give way regardless of the situation when it is car v bike, is that like an unwritten rule?

And for my final note, incase anyone does not know, the computer part of the driving test/motor bike test has is here:

http://apps.dlt.go.th/driving_hp/ELearn ... rning2.swf

If your taking your test this will help you answer correctly these most weird questions, my fave question is "you are driving and you are tired what should you do?" one of the answer options is to take an amphetmine pill. lol! Fantastic.

thai

[Khun Paul]

IN fact there are countries when joining a roundabout you have the right of way, which one I am not sure, but THAI law ( although no-one adheres to it though) is on the roundabout you have right of way. BUT and it is a big BUT most THAIS cannot even negotiate a proper roundabout let alone this one so TAKE CARE.

I often have a fun at larger roundabouts, but this one gives me warning signs that most people don't care, and assume death is just a transitional stage.

[bigsnake]

If you take a close look there is a STOP Sign on traffic coming from Nong Prajak, which is useless because most Thai Drivers will not stop anyway, yet another example in the late evening(9pm) some traffice lights are flashing Red<>Stop (FULL) and go never seen anyone stop, if they did they might get rearENDED, all just slow a bit and go, for they know NO cop in his right mind would dare be out there try to give ticket<>stuff said no need to RANT!!