richard_smith237

Solid points - top manufactures such as Shoei counter this with custom fitting (with changeable padding to achieve the perfect fit)... Paddok in Bangkok has this option with their Shoei helmets. The quality of helmet and in many cases comfort of a perfect fit is impacted by price point.

All solid points... Though I'd question the open face helmet comment.... as an open face helmet doesn't help someone if they face plant. I have full face, Modular and Open face. I find myself using the modular helmet mostly, especially when going on a main road - if stuck at lights I can flip up the face module so it doesn't get too hot. For local 7-11 runs etc (when not hitting a main road) I'll use the open face helmet. With regards to storage - thats a solid point - none of my helmets fit under the seat (of my scooter) so, I'll either carry the helmet with me, or I'll use a bicycle lock (when its the full face helmet) and lock it to my bike. The helmets I have in order of quality: Shoei Neotec-II - (Modular - this is the best one I have because the fit is custom, we can add or remove cushioning according to head shape) Bell Bullit (full face - more retro looking) Bell Custom Carbon - (open face retro looking - tighter fit) AGV Orbyt - (open face - looser fit, used for nipping nearby)

Interesting, and quite possible.... people who ride like this, may also end up going into stationary objects too !!!

I had read somewhere, long ago, that western road engineers will occasionally ADD unnecessary curves to extremely long sections of straight highway to relieve boredom and improve safety. Yes, I also read that.... so theoretically, a road with a bend in it is safer... Until someone approaches it at speed, while unable to ride...

Perhaps... but I'm not so sure... they would be a debate every time someone with a 300cc bike wanted to use an expressway where the limit is 400cc.... Its already law that 'uncovered pickups' are not permitted on the expressways with cargo in their flat-bet, yet we see this on a daily basis becase those at toll booths are not sufficiently empowered to enforce regulations or they just don't care. Additionally - Thailand already has automatic easy-pass gates - it wouldn't be hard to just get an Easy Pass for the bike...

Yep, thats exactly the way I see it too... Its a task too difficult for the Thai Police to want to police against... and once a critical mass start to bypass any regulation on engine size / power etc - its too late and carnage ensues. Other than the Policing aspect - I don't see why 500cc or 600cc + bike should not be permitted in expressway, but understand the reasons why they are not permitted here.

But the statistic show they are a strong indicator, particularly where risk is concerned. Agreed - Genetics through breeding - genetically pre-disposed to certain instinctual and behavioural patters which require a strong effective training environment to counteract. Disagree - certain breeds are bred specifically for their aggression, others are naturally more aggressive. The combination of aggression and power is a specific trait of these dogs, whereas the nastly little b@stard Chihuahuas are naturally aggressive, but lack the power to be deadly. Until they are not - and stats show they attack more with more devastating impact that most other breeds. But, I'd accept that extremely well trained PitBulls are very tolerant and have an excellent temperament - until they don't. 100% agree with this... The best dog owners are the ones who are well aware that their dog can always presents a risk, especially to small children etc... The worst dog owners are the ones who are likely to say "oh he's harmless, he'll lick you to death"... --------- Has anyone ever called their PitBill a name such as bubbles, Snowey, Angel, or CupCake ???... i.e. names other than Shreder, Tyson, Razor, Blaze, Fang etc... (names associated with power, aggression and violence)

Traffic coming from behind have in the most cases responsibility. Agreed - but, until an investigation is carried out (even a rudimentary one), the driver of the other vehicle will still face charges of 'reckless driving resulting in / casing death' as a matter of Policing SOP - these charges would obviously be dropped very quicky.

120 kmh is the top end or beyond the top end for many scooter type motorcycles. My scooter officially tops out at about 135 kmh - its not comfortable or stable at those speeds - certainly not comfortable on an expressway.

That’s not true In any incident where a death is concerned, regardless of fault..... its always true.

Pathetic Malcy... I've nothing against Thai people or foreigners here... unlike you who persistently shows unmitigated bias against foreigners - so clouded are your optics that anyone who does not automatically side against the foreigner is somehow a Thai hater in your eyes....

No - thats not the case at all... thats just your Gasligting as usual... You look for confirmation bias. If the situation were reversed, my opinion would still be - there is no evidence or information which highlights fault. You are also attempting to muddied the waters by dumbing down and simplifying a different incident with your spin. Show proof that the American has accepted responsibility ?? Stating that he apologised is not accepting fault, its showing a very human reaction - compassion and sorrow. This is also very wrong - by no means do I take the side of the 'farang' it only seems that way because your overt anti-foreigner stance always sides against the farang no matter what the situation.... I'm loud against you because of the ridiculous bigoted, bias and prejudice fallacies you keep posting while continuing to ignore facts instead relying on social media commentary as some form of proof. Its predicable that you will always side against a foreigner - its predicable that you will never take a balanced approach. Its predictable that your comments will appear so outlandish and ridiculous they look like trolling. Its predicable that you will make things up, remove context and distort commentary.

If you are riding a motorcycle or driving a car and someone steps out in front of you - would you accept fault with the same degree of certainty with that you levy at this American ???? I'm not saying the American is not at fault - I'm arguing against your obvious prejudice in drawing that conclusion without any proof. You clearly don't even know what 'evidence' really means as there isn't any evidence (made public) which can indicate fault of either party at the moment.

Are you stating that it is NOT SOP for Thai Police to apply a charge of 'Reckless driving causing death' for parties involved (driving or riding) in any incident involving a death on the roads regardless of perceived fault ????

I'll explain this in a very simple way for you... but I apologise in advance, I can't understand it for you... If you are driving your car and a motorcyclist rides into the back of you an dies, YOU will be charged with 'reckless driving causing death'.... If you are driving your car down a main road and a pedestrian runs out into the road, giving you not chance to stop, YOU will be charged with 'reckless driving causing death'.... If you are driving your car and a tree falls into onto your car and kills the passenger, YOU will be charged with 'reckless driving causing death'.... IT is SOP that in any incident on Thailands roads where there is a fatality, the driver of any vehicle involved with automatically be charged with 'reckless driving causing death'.... Its just part of the procedure, without clear evidence, chargers are usually dropped quite quickly.

This is quite an amusing comment and highlights your complete ignorance of procedure here. Applying a charge of 'Reckless driving causing death' is SOP for any incident involving a death on the roads regardless of perceived fault. This has been explained repeatedly on this forum - one can only conclude that you are just not very bright if you are still failing to comprehend this most basic of facts. There is also no 'evidence' or no announcement that the American is at fault. Given your posting history, why you can get that through your dense skull is becoming less of a surprise.

We also have thousands of times more locals doing exactly the same things. Agreed.... Some are unable to mask their prejudice against other foreigners... that just strikes me as being very strange. The reality is - there are a lot of fools on the roads of any nationality who through no other reason that their own stupidity end up in situations like this. Kwilco will soon be along to blame the road-engineering... But, as you can see, the only way this road could be made safer is to make it a straight one, but stupid people would still find a way to kill themselves - he will of course disagree, tell us all how little we know about road safety, somehow shoe-horn in accusations of prejudice and racism, and then copy and paste pages and pages of text-book-theory...

IF that happened here - don't you think we'd see all the smaller bikes trying to get on the expressways too and ineffective policing would simply result in the expressways being a free-for-all ???

Thats not 'faster' thats more 'efficient' at getting through traffic - its a different thing than 'riding speed'... The reality is - many bikes cannot travel at 120kmh highway speeds with ease because they are 'scooters'. But, there are also plenty of 'normal bikes' that can easily travel comfortably at 160 kmh, they are not as ubiquitous as scooters (step throughs and the like such as a honda click or a vespa)... So a minimum power rating such as 500cc would be OK... But... the issue is laziness - its easier to police a sweeping / blanket regulation than it is a regulation that allows some bikes but not others.

The mind boggles... You have a blender you have not used, you think it might not be good enough. So are asking where to get another before you even tried it. I often wonder if you have not somehow bio-hacked your brain and hooked it up to the internet, and then somehow your random musings end up generating a thread...

Valid points.. It was 'back packers' who put Thailand on the tourist map.... (arguably)... the back-packers came because Thailand was affordable, safe, exotic, fun... ... Those same back-packers came back for return trips later on with their families, and then made further return trips. 'Repeat custom'.... Meanwhile other areas are a 'once in a life time'... i.e. India, Nepal etc tourists tend to visit such countries once in their life, experience them once and have no great desire to return. Thailands success is its charm and that attracts return visitors - If Thailand loses that charm, it loses its return visitors.

In a roundabout way they are (going after us !) well the Revenue Department is with taxation..... But, I see what you mean - they 'should' make being here simpler for long termers who spend their money here. Offer health care, offer long term Visa's (i.e. decades) or paths to residency and citizenship for those married here... but thats from a personal perspective - Does Thailand have to 'woo' us ?? - we are already here....

Over the years the effectiveness of the police forces in the UK have been eroded by liberals and rights activists. Who would be a policeman these days ? they are unable to act because of the numerous policies preventing them from doing their jobs. Of course, there is a reason for this - history has shown that power corrupts and 'some' became corrupt, others made mistakes, but it seems criminals now have greater legal prtection that the Police. Just look at all these rights activists getting confrontational and attempting to trigger the Police while on video - they should be locked up for a night for no other reason that 'deliberately attempting to cause confrontation' (I'd love to see them get a kicking !). The 'grey' area in which the Police have to operate to be effective has been whitewashed, they can not longer be effective and are so very often tied by either policy or funding. I too have no confidence that the Police would respond to a burglary or theft - its a real shame as this level of invasion can really impact some people, however, as there is no imminent danger, I can see why. Folks were burgled a few years ago - its a small community - the Police did attend. They even said they had a strong suspicion of who committed the act, as a known local criminal had recently been released from prison - But, they are not permitted to act on that, they need evidence but did not have the resources to collect the evidence (forensics visiting to take prints) - so nothing happened... The overall attitude was that it doesn't matter, because insurance will replace the stolen items.

Yep.. thats always been the case... this is where their nickname 'the body snatchers' comes from.... Under the 'veneer' of being first responders, these 'gangs' are highlight territorial, yet they play in the 'grey area' of doing some good, but also are highly protective of their 'turf'... There are numerous stories of them racing to the scene of an accident to get ahead of other 'rescue foundations' and cause accidents along the way... there are numerous stories of them fighting over turf. They operated in the void created by a lack of an ambulance service because health care here is a business.

What about the other hypotheses..... including.. a. Two motorcycles riding down the road within the speed limit. b. As they approach the lady is preoccupied and steps out into the road without looking. c. American male ridding the CRF collides with the lady knocking her over. d. The impact is low speed (no damage to bike, bike isn't dropped). e. Lady falls and bangs her head and dies. f. American is distraught - and of course shows his compassion (this is not an admission of guild). e. Polite arrive, follow SOP and automatically charge the American with 'reckless driving / riding causing death' (this is not an indication of fault). Anything is possible, there is no solid information or footage... BUT, one thing is for certain... Bikes don't come out of nowhere - thats just an excuse made up by people who failed to look / failed to observe an approaching bike because they were complacent.