Pedestrians aren’t really part of the traffic here — crosswalks are often just seen as “street decorations.” Don’t try to bring European habits about zebra crossings here: if a car does stop for you, the driver behind might barely avoid a rear-end collision and wonder, “Why’s that idiot stopping?” And even when all cars have stopped at the crossing, scooters often weave through the lanes, trying to dodge you.

So be careful! Use your eyes and ears, and never fully trust the green light — especially as the evening goes on. Thai people don’t (yet) take drinking and driving too seriously, though that’s slowly changing: around holidays, there are many mobile alcohol checkpoints with heavy fines for violations. Traffic accidents are still the number one cause of death here.