kwilco

And there is an example of why someone should not be driving on Thai roads.

There is in Thailand. "priority from the left" rule which applies universally. This leads to a culture of people "coming out in front of me" - but normally this is quite legal. The exceptions are on a road that is given priority - unfortunately this isn't as obvious as some Westerners may think The other is at roundabouts where the priority is from the right; this leads to confusion amongst Thai drivers who culturally/instinctively still give way to traffic on the left. THe mirror image of this problem existed in France and other European countries (remember the classic death toll at French crossroads - carrefours?) until the 1980s when clear legislation and road signs reduced it. In fact the "priorite a droite" rule still exists and foreign drivers especially the British need to be aware of this.

Turning left at lights (or right in other countries) is quite common. however it is only at certain lights in Thailand and the signage is RUBBISH - below one says you can, the other your can't..

No need, most of them are already on this thread!

....and of course all their "customers" are so truthful?

They know - it's foreigners who over estimate their own driving skills that come up with this kind of comment.

It's true that the nature of road transport will change - but you use the expression "cars" - in fact the need for mobility and communication is only partially met by "cars". It won't b simply. matter of replacing private cars with private self-driven cars. In fact a significant portion of vehicles on Thai roads are already nearly 20 years old now and you are talking about replacing millions of vehicles. One has to consider what alternatives will be available - both on long and short journeys. Furthermore one has to consider the environmental impacts that are linked to road safety.

Why Thailand must adopt the "safe System" - Road safety is a pressing public health concern worldwide, and Thailand is no exception. Ranking among the top ten causes of death in the country, road accidents account for a significant number of fatalities and injuries, particularly within certain demographic groups. https://apps.who.int/iris/handle/10665/258545 Thailand's approach to road safety is outdated and fundamentally flawed. Despite numerous road safety campaigns launched by provinces, cities, and organizations throughout the country, such efforts have proven largely ineffective. This essay explores the reasons behind these failures and emphasizes the urgent need for Thailand to embrace the "Safe System" to mitigate road accidents. Additionally, it addresses the misconceptions and lack of understanding among foreign drivers regarding road safety in Thailand. The Safe System: The Safe System, developed in Sweden from the 1950s onwards, presents a comprehensive approach to road safety. It aims to minimize the number of deaths and serious injuries on the road by acknowledging that humans make mistakes. The Safe System emphasizes the importance of designing the road transport system to protect all road users, even if errors occur. Key Principles of the Safe System: Safe roads: Roads should be designed to minimize the risk of crashes and reduce their severity. This includes measures like ensuring adequate lane widths, clear road markings, and appropriate lighting. Safe speeds: Managing speeds helps to decrease the risk and severity of crashes. Measures such as setting appropriate speed limits, utilizing speed cameras, and designing roads to encourage drivers to slow down are crucial. Safe vehicles: Vehicles should be designed to minimize the risk of crashes and reduce their consequences. This can be achieved by improving vehicle crashworthiness, equipping vehicles with advanced safety technologies, and conducting regular vehicle inspections. Safe people: Educating and encouraging road users to behave safely is vital. Measures such as driver training, educational campaigns, and the enforcement of traffic laws contribute to this aspect of the Safe System. https://cdn.who.int/media/docs/default-source/thailand/roadsafety/overview-en-final-25-7-19.pdf?sfvrsn=f9d7a862_2 https://www.brake.org.uk/get-involved/take-action/mybrake/knowledge-centre/safe-system#:~:text=The%20Safe%20System%20is%20an,are%20embedded%20within%20Vision%20Zero. By implementing the Safe System, countries worldwide have witnessed significant reductions in road fatalities and injuries, making roads safer for everyone. The "5 Es" of Implementation: To successfully implement the Safe System, the following five principles, often referred to as the "5 Es," must be considered: 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. Thailand's Failure to fully Adopt the Safe System: Thailand has fallen short in all aspects of implementing the Safe System. Despite its holistic nature, the country has only addressed isolated issues, yielding minimal impact on road safety over the past three decades. International Examples: Countries that have adopted the Safe System approach have witnessed significant improvements in road safety. For instance: Sweden: The Safe System has been an integral part of Sweden's road safety strategy since the 1990s, leading to substantial reductions in road fatalities. The country aims to achieve zero deaths by 2050. = https://road-safety.transport.ec.europa.eu/system/files/2021-07/erso-country-overview-2017-sweden_en.pdf The Netherlands: Another leader in Safe System adoption, the Netherlands has implemented measures such as building cycle paths, reducing speed limits in urban areas, and implementing various traffic calming measures. https://swov.nl/en/news/sustainable-safety-short-history-safe-system-approach-netherlands New Zealand: Since 2010, New Zealand has been one of the first countries outside Europe to embrace the Safe System approach, resulting in notable progress in reducing road fatalities, particularly among vulnerable road users. https://www.nzta.govt.nz/projects/sh16-kaukapakapa-school-speed-zone/safe-system-approach/#:~:text=The%20safe%20system%20approach%20recognises,loss%20of%20life%20or%20limb. Australia: Australia has also adopted the Safe System approach, focusing on it as a key strategy in the National Road Safety Strategy 2021-2030. However, the country still has work to do to fully implement it across all states. 5. France: France's road death rate, previously on par with Thailand's in the 1970s (32.7 per 100,000 population), has significantly decreased to 3.9 per 100,000 through the implementation of the Safe System. https://thinkroadsafety.sa.gov.au/road_safety_strategy/road_safety_strategy_to_2031/the_safe_system_approach#:~:text=%E2%80%9CSafe%20System%E2%80%9D%20is%20the%20Australian,crash%20forces%20before%20harm%20occurs The Ignorance Surrounding Road Safety in Thailand: It is evident that Thai authorities, the Thai public, and even expatriates lack awareness of road safety science and policies, as well as the fundamental principles and practices associated with road safety. Consequently, they remain unaware of the risks and hazards associated with driving and the appropriate measures to mitigate them. They make up a significant part of the numbers of foreigners killed and injured in RTIs - https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/general/40023780 Expatriates, in particular, often lack knowledge of the basic rules of the road, traffic signals, signs, and markings, as well as general driving etiquette and the nuanced aspects of road use in Thailand. They tend to impose their home country's driving standards on Thai roads, failing to understand the local context. Furthermore, expatriates may underestimate the risks associated with driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, overestimate their driving skills, and engage in risky behaviours that increase the likelihood of accidents and injuries. This attitude or “freedom” may also discourage their support for road safety policies and initiatives, such as improved infrastructure or stricter traffic law enforcement, as they perceive them as excessive regulations. See the number of times the cliché “nanny state” is referred to. Conclusion: Thailand urgently needs a comprehensive shift in attitude towards road safety, involving both top-down initiatives and grassroots efforts. It is disheartening to observe that even individuals from countries with low road death rates remain uninformed about road safety, as evidenced by their attitudes towards driving in Thailand. Adopting the Safe System and educating both the public and expatriates on its principles are crucial steps to improve road safety in Thailand. The country can learn from the successes of nations that have embraced this approach and implement comprehensive measures aligned with the "5 Es." Through these concerted efforts, Thailand can make significant progress in reducing road accidents, making its roads safer for everyone.

This survey OP shows a total lack of understanding of road safety - they are just a load of archaic mist=conceptions about road safety that would have no significant effect in the real world.. If you can't ask the right questions, you will never get the right answers It is the abject lack of knowledge that bolsters up the miserable lack of progress on road safety in Thailand

I haven't seen that video for years so here's my take. firstly if you blame the Unions, you have completely misunderstood the situation...... You also need to realise that the British vehicle manufacturing by 2015 was bigger than ever in it's history. ... Post Brexit it is now back to the same level as in the 1950s. . It is an uncomfortable fact to many that the UK never produced any good or successful cars. Even the ones that had "potential" were ruined by appalling management. There is a popular misconception that it was the workforce that was to blame - this however overlooks that management were responsible for running the companies and this involved dealing with the workforce. BMC/BL management referred to the workers as "the Mob" and spent most of their time creating a "mushroom farm" environment - keeping everyone in a dark and feeding them on "shoot". The production workers weren't even told things like the end of the Morris Minor production or the introduction of the Allegro. (Which BTW was delayed due to management not signing the CV joint contract because they were "out of office". Quite apart from the resulting sub-par quality and reliability, the British motor industry and in particular BL failed to come up with product…..they spent nothing on market research compared to the Japanese and little on R&D, basically they had a bunch of elderly engineers who thought it was their job to decide what the public wanted or needed and then tell them they had the answer.

my vehicle was lifted with non standard tyres and rims - So I used to carry 3 jacks, 2 spares and a drill puncture repair kit.. Never needed for 10 years until one day had a catastrophic flat. ...then found my wheel nuts were a different size to the wrench. One phone call, an hour and 250 baht later I hd a guy remove the tyre, fit a spare and went to the shop to get a replacement.

the vehicle jack should be easily sufficient in normal circumstances. So maybe you were in act using the wrong jackpoint or Your wheels/tyres suspension are not standard?

It helps if you speak Thai - over the years, I've been asked to pay less frequently when I'm stopped.. A couple of times we've both ended up falling about laughing. I've also had occasions when I've had some fairly well-to-do or influential Thai people in the car..For a period of time there was a plump officer operating on Motorway 7 behind a toll booth.....had a long running "duel" with him - he never got a penny out of me.. It's a strange situation as you are utterly powerless, you have to rely on your social skills to mitigate the situation. BTW - I've never paid 500 baht - always 200 . I also keep lots of small notes lying about - they don't like it if you count it out onto the hood of your car.in 20 baht notes. and keep dragging more out o your pockets.

All this is just shutting the stable =door after the horse has bolted and saving face for the police and authorities. Charging the speedboat driver achieves very little - the problem is a lackdaisical health and safety culture that surrounds so many tourist attractions - they need to get to the root of this and make sure others don't have the same attitude.

th current constitution maintains a constant military power - no democracy can exist under this constitution. At least we know that frequent changes are common - it remains to be seen how firm the military's grip on power is.

One way or another the constitution needs to change. after that, they can reconcile

I take it that this is one of the highways that has had its speed limit increased to 120kph?

Have you read the conclusion? "To conclude, the literature available on this topic is deemed insufficient to provide enough data to establish a direct link of causality between sildenafil and mortality."

that he didn't know about? THe normal problem caused with a heart condition in NOT Viagra, it is trying to have sex. Viagra was originally intended to help those with angina - it dilates blood vessels, if anything it helps with heart conditions.

the implication is....

Are they seriously trying to say that the half a pill killed him????????

It is when Pheu Thai want to reverse the laws and Anutin's lot don't.....they can agree on the other stuff.

REally - how much wine do you see in Thailand - you have a very occidocentric view of cuisine.

since when?

I believe so.