i'm saying numbers do add to the problem, along with driving culture (which is pretty bad here).
in iceland, you'd be VERY hard pressed to hit another vehicle simply because there arent that many on the road. i dunno what 'cities' you visited but outside of rekyjvaik, pretty much every other town is super small.
i cant personally speak for thailand as i haven't been. but one of my riding buddies lived there for years. to describe thailand traffic as 'following road rules' is ludicrous.
Iceland - May be true outside the city, but inside it's flowing traffic like any other. Isn't this what we're talking about here?
Even if i concede the lower population, what's the difference between them sitting in the left like here? I see people in the left lane in the wee hours of the morning on the 401. Barely any cars and they are still in the wrong lane.
Oh, I visited quite a few as my road trip included an entire loop of the island.
Well i'm not sure what your buddy has experienced, maybe stretching things a bit to make a good story.