kwilco

13 minutes ago, Yellowtail said:

I did, my "railings" are 93cm, which exceeds the 90cm Thailand code, as well as the 91.5cm code in some US states. 

 

Have you measured yours?

 

 

that's way too low - in Europe it's 1.1

In commercial buildings it is 106 in the USA.

13 hours ago, herfiehandbag said:

Parliament meets on 13 July.

 

Pita and MFP are blocked by the Senate.

 

Protests on evening of 13 July.

 

Parliament meets again on 19 and 20 July.

 

Pita and MFP continue to be blocked by Senate.

 

Protests continue and increase.

 

State of Emergency declared on morning of 21 July.

 

Protests continue.

 

Caretaker government remains in power under S of E indefinitely.

 

"It's a coup Jim, but not as you know it!"

It would be very difficult for the military-backed government to claim any form of mandate after that.

Another election? ..or a coup?

9 hours ago, Yellowtail said:

It's a myth. Are their low railings? Probably. Is it common? No. 

It's alomst universal - measure you railings

5 hours ago, khunPer said:

Yes, I designed all my balconies myself...

...and the sizes are within regulations?

8 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

Does it get to the point where a travel insurer adds 'balcony height' to the exclusions of a policy ?

i.e. exclusion for balcony falls where the balcony is less than 1.1m in height or made of xxx materials etc... 

 

Of course, not yet.... BUT...  could the insure blame the injured party for 'risky behaviour' when entering out onto a balcony that is of 'sub-standard' height.... 

 

Clearly such exclusions do not yet exist, but how long before they do ???? 

 

 

you just seem to be making up clauses insurance policies off the top of your head?

I have a friend who doesn't drink. 

He was standing on the deck of a bungalow, about 3 or 4 feet above the ground.

THey had just cleaned his room and washed the balcony.

A slight movement and he plummeted over the rails to the ground below hitting the corner of the steps on the way down and ended up in hospital with 3 broken ribs and bleeding on the lung. this was because th friction quality of the tiles was non-existant and the railing was too low.

4 minutes ago, Sheryl said:

Varies with policy but blood level that equates to legal intoxication is commonly used.

 

His alcohol blood level would likely be in his medical records.

 

Balcony falls are the type of thing that immediately raise insurer's suspicion of either intoxication or suicide attempt both of which would exclude coverage in pretty much any policy. 

and if the balcony was. the right height, he wouldn't have fallen off it. - 

1 hour ago, Liverpool Lou said:

I didn't say that just drinking alcohol (anywhere) invalidates policies, I said that excessive consumption leading to self-contributory claims is what voids the policy.   If the policy holder doesn't make a claim, insurers don't give a toss how much their policy holders drink as long as a claim isn't the result of it.

I'd love to ensure you - you'd never make a claim.

BTW - I'm talking about balconies.

53 minutes ago, Yellowtail said:

Hey, aren't you the one that blames Thia law enforcement for all the motorcycle deaths? 

 

Now you're blaming Thai balcony for people falling from them? 

 

 

And you appear to be to be the one with low reading and comprehension skill?

6 hours ago, Gottfrid said:

There is nothing wrong with Thai balconies and their railings. The only thing that is wrong, is the human error that does not check it´s surroundings, and create an undesirable result

rubbish

20 hours ago, Liverpool Lou said:

Consumption of alcohol does not necessarily void a policy, it is the excess consumption of alcohol (that would contribute to the incident) that generally does.

 

But you are right, if a person is inclined to over-imbibe there is no point in buying a policy that doesn't cover those circumstances.

Drinking alcohol in a private apartment won't invalidate your insurance - if it was shown to be to the extant it incapacitated the persom they might question it.

1 hour ago, khunPer said:

Yes. However, we don't know if that is the case here.

We know no about any of the suggestions - have you measured your balcony?

health and safety at hotels resorts and other tourist attractions in Thailand is deplorable.

5 hours ago, 3NUMBAS said:

the road cambers were always bad 

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

14 hours ago, cardinalblue said:

There is no Will to change period…intervention costs monies and the authorities don’t want to spend monies…

 

Much easier to track deaths and injuries and say how horrible they are; then move onto the next agenda item

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:

1. Engineering: Focus on designing safe vehicles and roads.
2. Education: Emphasize road safety education in schools, through testing, public information campaigns, and lifelong learning.
3. Enforcement: Strengthen law enforcement through trained police, an effective court system, practical legislation, and penalties.
4. Emergency: Ensure the presence of well-trained first responders and establish universal emergency response systems and hospital departments.
5. 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

24 minutes ago, KhunLA said:

No argument here, well, except the Thai bashing comment as it seems some live to do just that on this forum.

I don't engage in "Thai bashing"

1 minute ago, KhunLA said:

you did bring USA into the conversation....

... car for car, per capita, maybe safer here

... scooter for scooter per capita, maybe safer here also

 

USA Still off topic though.  Figure I'd give the Thai bashing a break also ... ????

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.

9 hours ago, lom said:

Of course it is stored in reservoirs first,  the water flow from the mainland  would be severely restricted if it had to be pumped around the island by the mainland pumps.

Another reason is obvious from the meaning of word reservoir.

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.

30 minutes ago, KhunLA said:

I actually feel safer on motorcycle here/TH, than in the USA.  Since so many here, people are aware of them, vs USA, where they are not or simply don't respect them, look for them or give them space, since most have never ridden one.

Not sure whatthet proves - purely subjective and anecdotal comments.

6 hours ago, nchuckle said:

The locals seem not to learn from the experience of crashing into each other though. The tourists seem to leave their good senses behind when "holiday brain" takes over and they suddenly think that wearing helmets etc. rules/consequences are miraculously suspended because they’re "on holiday " and everyone else is doing it.

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?

1 hour ago, Almer said:

You feel safe in a taxi!!! 

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.