kwilco

road construction design and engineering are all questionable throughout the country. As are the markings and traffic engineering.

there are several bodies in Thailand that campaign for change. butthe military based government does not have the intellect to understand the problem - they cling to the old archaic concept like many others do. Asfor cost, the county will SAVE money if they adopt the Safe System. at present, according to the World Health Organization, road accidents in Thailand cost the country more than 500 billion baht or about 3% of the country's GDP every year. This includes the cost of medical care, lost productivity, property damage, and administrative costs. THere is also the loss of principle family earner etc....

The sooner we drop the “blame game” the better. Most accidents are NOT caused by wildly stupid drivers they are caused by simple, elemental human error. Start by disposing of the word “driver” and replace it with “road user” Blameless crash investigations ensure lessons can be learnt from every crash and near miss on Thai roads This is a fundamental principle of the Safe System – the most effective way to address road Regardless of race creed or colour. The term "Safe System" refers to a comprehensive approach to road safety that aims to eliminate or minimize the occurrence of road traffic deaths and serious injuries. It recognizes that ALL humans make mistakes and are vulnerable to injury in a crash, and thus the whole road system should be designed to anticipate or accommodate these vulnerabilities. The Safe System approach is based on four fundamental principles: Safe Roads: The road infrastructure should be designed to minimize the risk of crashes and the severity of injuries in case of a crash. This includes measures such as appropriate road design, traffic calming techniques, clear signage, and separation of vulnerable road users (such as pedestrians and cyclists) from motorized traffic. Safe Speeds: Speed plays a critical role in the severity of crashes and injuries. The Safe System approach emphasizes setting and enforcing appropriate speed limits that are compatible with the road environment and user behaviour. It also promotes the use of intelligent speed adaptation technologies and strategies to reduce speeding. Safe Vehicles: Vehicles should be designed to protect occupants in case of a crash and mitigate the risk of injury to other road users. This involves implementing advanced safety features such as seat belts, airbags, electronic stability control, and crash avoidance technologies. The Safe System approach encourages the adoption of these safety features and promotes vehicle standards that prioritize occupant and pedestrian protection. Safe Users: Human behaviour is a significant factor in road safety. The Safe System approach aims to promote responsible road user behaviour through education, awareness campaigns, and enforcement of traffic laws. It also recognizes the importance of addressing human factors such as distraction, impairment (due to alcohol, drugs, or fatigue), and non-compliance with traffic regulations. It is best implemented through the 5 Es which were identified at an ASEAN road safety conference several years ago. By implementing measures that address all aspects of the system, the aim is to create a forgiving road environment that reduces the likelihood and severity of crashes, ultimately saving lives and preventing serious injuries. To successfully implement the Safe System, the following five principles, often referred to as the "5 Es," must be implemented: Engineering: Focus on designing safe vehicles and roads. Education: Emphasize road safety education in schools, through testing, public information campaigns, and lifelong learning. Enforcement: Strengthen law enforcement through trained police, an effective court system, practical legislation, and penalties. Emergency: Ensure the presence of well-trained first responders and establish universal emergency response systems and hospital departments. Evaluation: Conduct examinations, measurements, and calibrations of crash scenes, and compile internationally recognized statistics. If you start blaming "Thai" or "other" drivers you are actually the fault is more likely to be with your own failure to adapt to a new driving environment

I don't engage in "Thai bashing"

No I was taking statistically - people make unsubstantiated comments about "driving" in Thailand and claim it is "dangerous" - but in comparison the USA is actually MORE dangerous for =drivers of 4-wheeled vehicles - this is to give perspective to the perception that driving in Thailand is always dangerous - few people would suggest the the USA is n=more dangerous. Another "fact" that people like to cite is the involvement of alcohol in crashes - in Thailand it is around 33% - in the USA it is 31% so no significant difference there either...in UK and other European countries it is below 20%.. The reason for the comparison is to give perspective and also to show how a scientific approach to road safety can work. Many countries are now going for "vison zero" - a no fatality solution. Making up stories about how "other" drivers behave is not only nonconstructive but inaccurate.. One needs to understand what "human error" actually is and that it applies universally regardless of race. Once this is understood it is possible to address road safety as a public health issue. To see this isn't is important to see how it is implemented around the world - BTW - in the US it isn't nationally adopted and this leaves the US with a very mediocre road safety record. In Thailand however, it is difficult to escape from the fact that around 75% of road deaths are motorcyclists and their passengers. PS - where is the "Thai bashing"? give an example.

apparently not - I'm told from one source it goes into a sump and then into the new piped system around the island. If it went into the exsiting reservoirs it would conflict with their water supplies and of course they only have a limited capacity which has been shown to be too little ofr the island.

Not sure whatthet proves - purely subjective and anecdotal comments.

totally archaic and misinformed assessment of the situation - this is typical of foriegners and does nothing to change the situation.

the military just won't let go, will they?

As about 75% of deaths are motorcyclists and passengers, in a 4 wheeled vehicle, you are in fact less likely to die than in a 4 wheeled vehivke in the USA.

I specifically use the word holistic. Many people cite single issues as if they are the "solution" but the reality is that the whole driving environment needs to be understood and totally reformed. You also might consider how to carry out road law enforcement and what is entails in practical terms. For a start, you need to reform the police...the is a constitutional issue ...there are also many other factors just on that one single aspect you mention.

There is no mention of the underlying reasons. For the last few years there have been fewer tourists and less traffic - in tourist areas the numbers have increased dramatically therefore traffic has increased concomitantly. We need to look at the trends over the last 3 decades - and road deaths per 100k are not the only yardstick in fact they can distort the picture The reality is that road safety in Thailand has not improved one iota over the last 3 decades - this is because the authorities approach to road safety is archaic. Based on driver and blame it fails to address the reality of the situation holistically. I have noticed a few green shoots of real road safety appearing but the problem is they are patchwork and inconsistent so ineffective - however it does show that some people are changing their attitudes towards road safety and are moving away from blame-the-driver syndrome. Until the Thai government recognises road safety as a public health problem, no significant changes will occur.

Sutham said Samui needed 30,000 cubic metres of water a day. The majority, 24,000 cubic metres, would be brought to the island through an underwater pipeline from Surat Thani on the mainland, while reservoir supplies would be used for the remaining amount. Now although I have seen new pipelines laid all over the island - it looks as if the pipeline water is delivered into the reservoirs - IS THAT CORRECT?

so....what are her talents again?

"political maturity" - Is that Thai-speak for corruption?

Thais don't need a visa they get a pass on entry- not sure how long it is valid for though. Basically apart for paying for the vA (in US dollars) the currency is Laos Kip. I travelled wit a Thai citizen for a week and remember there was some debate as to how long it was valid for, but t= we had no hassle on re-entry you can use a lot of different currencies in Laos but they are mostly illegal. Vietnam, Chinese, Thai and Dollars are the most common. THe problem with the Kip is once you've got it, you're stuck with it - so don't buy anymore than your need. I used ATMS over there to buy kip and THai baht. On the border buy your visa in US dollars. in Baht or Kip, you will pay more.

Driving into Laos from Thailand is both easy and enjoyable.... you need as many documents as you can lay your hands on and a CAR PASSPORT - the purple book. - For the car passport you will need…. A copy of your house book or some proof of residence A copy of your ID Card./passport A copy of log book, showing the owners name and address and another showing the road tax paid page. If you have the right paperwork it should only take a couple of hours to get the book If I remember correctly a new book is about 100 baht (or was it 250?) and a renewal 50 baht – prices may have risen You get “T” plate stickers for front and rear – I put mine on the back and the other in the windscreen/dashboard (If the car is not registered to you then a power of attorney signed by the registered owner giving permission to take the car out of the country.) I’ve entered Laos from Thailand at around half a dozen crossing points – they can all be a little different. To begin with I usually park up the truck and carry a folder with my papers before proceeding trough – you have a long form to fill in on the Thai side and then you’ll be guided from one officer in a booth to the next, eventually go back to your car and drive on to the Laos side. This doesn’t take long especially once you’re familiar with the process – 15 minutes or so. Remember you are processing your car and yourself so you’ll need your passport stamped as well as the car’s. There will be a fee to pay – about 200 baht. There’s sometimes a week-end or overtime “surcharge” 20 to 50 baht. You’ll leave with a few bits of paper – don’t lose them especially the export permit – they cost thousands to replace on re-entry. You should tell them if you intend to return over a different border crossing – They have never bothered if I turned up at another totally different one. Then you drive on to the Laos side (yeh!) Here you need to hand in your passport and fee for your VOA and process the car (Actually the car people will usually process you passport too which means you will actually cross quicker than foot passengers as you may avoid their queue!) Park up Get the appropriate form to bring a car into Laos from an immigration officer. Passengers if they are not Thai, may or may not be required to go separately trough the foot passenger visa queue. Fill in the forms and then go to an immigration officer at a desk who will check your documents and may ask you some info about the car and your trip. Sign on the dotted line. If you passport is also done you will have paid all the fees (I think VOA is about $35 US (more in Thai baht or Kip) Return to your car and proceed through into Laos, there is usually a final box to check your completed paperwork from your car window. I love it when I get to the point with my bundle of papers and ask “Where do I go now?” – and they smile and say “Now you go to Laos!” You need to purchase a car insurance for one month at 400 baht unless your existing car insurance policy is sufficient. (call your Thai insurance company) You can usually buy insurance for Laos after you have completed entering Laos. There will be an office near the exit. I actually bought my cover by the year as I was driving into Laos that much. The first time in can be a bit daunting but just be patient and polite – both Thai and Laos officials have always been very helpful with me. I think when you have done it once you appear on the relevant computers and it smooths the way through. I first entered Laos via Vientiane, the friendship Bridge from Nong Khai – A very important looking official invited me into his office and asked me why I was going to Laos – I explained I wanted to eat REAL Laab Moo… this made him laugh and after that it was all plain sailing. Coming back…. The Laos checkpoint is pretty quick Get your passport and car docs stamped OUT and go on to the Thai side Usually park up for the Thai part do the normal immigration stuff - give passport and the car green form to immigration. I had a B visa but I’ve crossed with a tourist and visa exempt in the car. Pick up car and go on into Thailand your car and proceed through into Thailand. I absolutely adored driving round Laos – I used a modified 4x4 truck and encountered all sorts of roads, mud, landslides, dirt roads, old wooden ferries across rivers, local tribes people etc etc….. sometimes I took a group but more often than not I drove on my own. In subsequent 5 years I hardly ever used the Vientiane crossing as there are so many interesting places to cross – some are almost deserted – I once had to wake up a guy who then had to ring up to other officials to come in an process my papers. I think I’ve crossed on all the bridges and a few more land crossings, never had a serious problem. These days they only allow your car into Laos 30 days at a time (it’ll show on your car passport)I worked in Savannakhet for a few months and frequently would have to cross back into Mukdahan – from the centre of Savannakhet to Big C in Mukdahan would take about 35 minutes each way.

OK - precovid, I travelled extensively and frequently around Laos. Whereas I found Google was fine in Thailand, on entering Laos I would switch to OSM - the reason was that Google didn't have voice over in Laos...furthermore they hadn't mapped out street view. OSM had voice over and a lot more detail. Sadly I've lost all the dat I had on OSM as I lost whatever it was stored on.

It's a shame that you have to go through different doctors etc to get all this done.

assuming there is water in the reservoirs on the mainland BTW - I love all this "cubic metre" <deleted> like so many /thai government dictums - full of figures that have no context.

no they can't.

Here's a summary of the water supplies on Samui. A 41 kilometre pipeline from the mainland. Built in 2017, delivers up to 1,000 cubic meters of water per hour. - whatever that means..... to help alleviate the water shortages that Koh Samui experiences during the dry season. Anyone living on Samui before covid will have seen the supply pipes being laid all over the island. There are also two desalination plants on Koh Samui that produce drinking water from seawater. These plants are basically a very expensive and un-ecological addition. they create as many problems as they solve. The total water supply for Koh Samui is only enough to meet the needs of the island's official population, but it's not enough to support tourism industry. During peak tourist seasons, there will be water shortages. The government is aiming to increase the island's water supply by 50% by 2025. They claim this is possible by building new reservoirs, (WHERE??) and increasing the capacity of existing reservoirs, (by how much??) and improving the efficiency of the water distribution system. - world wide most water delivery systems lose around 25 to 33% of their water - not sure what Samui thinks they will do to improve this. Overuse of the water table - drilling bores all over the place will eventually end in an eco-disaster. I think quite apart from directives restricting water use, one of the first things we should look for is an increase in water-borne diseases - even cholera - as the water available becomes polluted and of lower quality.

Brexiteers wanted to turn the clock back - and they have - the current generation are going to be poorer than their parents -even the Telegraph agrees! Britain is back to being the sick man of Europe just like before we joined.

Brexiteers are like Bart Simpson "I wasn't me! I didn't do it! It's covid's fault!"

Yet again you are wildly incorrect - the vote was in 2016 - the effects are still rolling out and accumulating - there have been several delays, pauses postponements and holdbacks to stop absolute disasters. the full effects were clouded by Brexit and will only be truly felt in the next 5 to 10 years - even the Lier and his cronies admit that.