Traffic is a by rules regulated fight for, at least during rush hours, limited resources.

The fighters are bike riders,

automobilists, pedestrians, and cyclists. Roads and parking space, the resources, are limited because the participants want to enjoy their homes, the cities, beaches, shopping centres, a.s.o. to which those roads lead.

The rule set consists of a legal and an unofficial part. The Thai traffic law doesn't differ much from other countries but the unwritten portion and accepted traffic behaviour requires individual adaptation. I am used to
traffic and rules in Europe, Australia, or Japan, but most of that experience is not applicable to Thailand.
After a few thousand kilometres driving in Thai cities and countryside I figured that traffic is guided by opportunity under the principle of Yin-Yang. Yin and yang are complementary, not opposing, forces, interacting to
form a whole greater, dynamic system. Everything has both yin and yang aspects:

empty space (yin) has to be filled (yang) by changing lanes as often as possible,
stagnating traffic (yin) has to be beaten by finding innovative ways to keep the own vehicle moving
(yang),
and increasing traffic volume (yin) has to be distributed by creating "additional" lanes (yang).

Imagine that you are cruising comfortably from Bangkok to Pattaya. For most of its part its a 4-lane highway
but the 150 km journey can take as long as 3 hours.
The closer one gets to Pattaya the more traffic builds up and there are always a few drivers who believe to arrive faster by meandering through traffic. When a "changer" squeezes in, other drivers have to decrease speed,
which in turn ripples upwards and has more impatient drivers snake through traffic. The problem is that when
a "changer" squeezes...
When the car volume increases several drivers start to use the shoulder as an extra lane - and once someone
starts others will always follow. This could help if Pattaya would be everybody's destination, but some travel to
Rayong or other places. This requires them to shear out of traffic by crossing other lanes and causing a local
jam.
Within the city limits of Pattaya, red lights (not the red light district that speeds the money parting process...)
cause the inbound traffic to slow. This in turn creates friction at the junctions of contributing roads and snowballing through the spider web of roads leading into Pattaya.
Near the city centre further chaos is caused by automobilists not familiar with the roads or the ones trying to
find a parking space. Pedestrians, buses, and bikes, joining in and external factors, like the time of day and
weather condition influence the situation and add to the excitement or frustration.

A 2-hour massage or a night out at the destination (note that I do not own a bar or massage place so your
preference doesn't matter to me) might help to bring the frustration level back to normal. It might also help if
you can stick to one of the 3-L-rules before venturing on Thai roads:
1. Love it - develop your own quirks to "beat" traffic and make driving - or sometimes being stuck in a
jam - an enjoyable experience
2. Leave it its not your thing but you have accepted the rules and decided to go with the flow
3. Loathe it - stay at home or at the hotel, else every day out will reduce your life expectation by one year.
The dangers of Thailand's traffic are increased frustration and higher blood pressure. On a positive
note, Thailand has excellent medical facilities to choose from - for the treatment of high blood pressure!
A massage does wonder for me, but still being a "greenhorn" I tend to swing between the three choices. That's
why a 2-hour massage session!

In summary and as a general advice, driving in Thailand is not recommended for those who:

are timid
adapt slowly
are impatient
have a low frustration threshold
can't read maps
have orientation difficulties

Additionally - driving in Bangkok is not recommended for those who:

detest traffic jams

expect to easily find parking space (well, most hotels do offer valet parking...)
don't have a mental snapshot of the route to a destination
wish to retain their sanity

Finally, remember to switch back when driving in your home country (except if Thailand is your home country)!