kwilco

Wrong!!

Whatever that may be!

"After being here driving for a very long time, I should know" - but, as ever you don't - totally out of touch - I look forward to a post from you that actually has a modicum of reason or logic - but the years indicate otherwise.

Road Safety Misconceptions; here are some myths that need exploding A Public Health Perspective on Road Safety Thailand’s road safety crisis stems from rapid industrialization, increased vehicle ownership, and a lack of informed policymaking. To address this, a paradigm shift is needed: viewing road safety as a public health issue and adopting a "Safe System" approach, which has proven effective globally. Here are some of the most common misconceptions about road safety in Thailand Commentators overestimate their own driving skills Most drivers, especially foreigners in Thailand, overestimate their own abilities while criticizing others. This phenomenon, highlighted by the Dunning-Kruger effect, reveals widespread misjudgement of personal competence. Foreign Drivers and Cultural Bias Foreigners often blame Thai drivers for road safety issues, perceiving themselves as superior. This reflects a global tendency for drivers to see themselves as "above average," exacerbating stereotypes and ignoring shared responsibilities. Self-Centred Judgments Many drivers consider slower vehicles as "idiots" and faster ones as "maniacs," demonstrating subjective perceptions rather than objective assessments of driving behaviour. Misplaced Arrogance Some foreign drivers view campaigns and road safety measures as unnecessary for themselves, believing accidents are caused solely by others. This mindset hinders collective progress in improving road safety. Human Universality in Driving Errors Thai drivers are no less capable than drivers in other nations. Historical data shows high death rates during phases of increased vehicle ownership in Europe and the U.S., illustrating that Thailand's situation is part of a broader global pattern. Accidents Aren’t Random Most crashes result from minor human errors, not reckless behaviour. The aftermath of such errors—determined by road design, emergency response, and vehicle safety—significantly influences survival rates. Driving Doesn’t Equal Expertise Road safety is a broader concept encompassing road user behaviour and infrastructure. Being a skilled driver (or not!) doesn’t necessarily translate to an understanding of systemic safety issues. Anger on the Road Signals Risk Persistent anger or frustration with other road users may indicate that someone is unfit to drive safely. Comparative Risk Perceptions Driving a car in Thailand is statistically as safe as in the U.S., with vulnerable road users like motorcyclists and pedestrians accounting for 80% of fatalities. The plural of Anecdote isn’t Data Individual experiences can’t substitute for robust data analysis when forming opinions about road safety. Beware of Confirmation Bias Many drivers interpret information to confirm their existing beliefs, leading to distorted perceptions of road safety issues. Avoid False Logic – e.g. false syllogisms Misinterpreting connections between unrelated facts undermines rational understanding. Logical fallacies often distort discussions around road safety. Statistics Need Context Data on road safety, such as fatalities or crash rates, require careful analysis to derive meaningful insights. Misinterpretation of numbers can lead to flawed conclusions. Diverse Metrics of Road Safety Measuring road safety involves multiple statistics: vehicle kilometres travelled (VKT), deaths per 100,000 vehicles, crash types, weather impacts, and more. Focusing on the usual single measure (deaths per 100k pop) gives an incomplete picture. Economic Impact of Crashes Road traffic crashes cost Thailand 3–5% of its GDP annually, underlining the need for systemic reform. Incomplete Data Reporting Road death statistics in Thailand come from diverse sources like hospitals, police, and insurers. Inconsistent reporting hampers accurate analysis, while crash investigations remain inadequate. Key Data Sources Multiple agencies contribute to crash data in Thailand, including the Royal Thai Police, Ministry of Transport, and Ministry of Public Health. Integration and transparency in data sharing are critical for improvement. The Safe System’s “5 Es” Effective road safety strategies require a comprehensive approach, encompassing: Education: Raising awareness among road users. Enforcement: Strengthening laws and their application. Engineering: Designing safer roads and vehicles. Emergency: Improving response systems. Evaluation: Continuously assessing interventions. Shared Responsibility Blaming drivers alone ignores systemic flaws. Viewing roads as workplaces highlights the need for preventive measures, emphasizing that crashes are avoidable. Cultural Context and Solutions Discussions of "Thai driving culture" often border on stereotyping. A better metaphor is likening road behaviour to navigating a river, where adaptability and shared responsibility ensure safety. To conclude… Thailand must adopt evidence-based reforms to align with global best practices in road safety. Key actions include: Implementing the Safe System's "5 Es." Strengthening governance, including a separation of legislative, executive, and judicial powers. Reinvesting in road infrastructure and safety measures. Not listening to the nape of the neck arguments of ageing expats, uninformed media and politicians To build political will, citizens must demand safer roads and reject the "blame and shame" approach. A Safe System recognizes that human errors are inevitable but preventable deaths and serious injuries are not acceptable. Creating safer environments requires a societal commitment to shared responsibility, systemic reforms, and prioritizing public health over punitive measures.

Lots of posts insulting the Thai people, showing that the poster knows nothing about road safety or even how to drive themselves.

Many people either don't understand why or try to deny that their comments on road safety in Thailand are basically racist. All you need to do is review the use of the third person plural - a typical racist trope. ..with the overuse of the third person plural ("they," "them," "their") in racist discourse they attempt to generalize and dehumanize groups of people. This rhetorical strategy can create a sense of "othering," portraying the targeted group as monolithic and distinct from the speaker or their intended audience.

Like most people, you are looking at it from the wrong angle Worldwide, most accidents are caused as a result of "human error" - but you need to understand what that actually is. Human error is for all practical purposes a constant - the same in any country. Road Safety is a public health issue and has to be dealt with by the authorities. To get a realistic viewpoint of road safety in Thailand you can't just rely on personal, anecdotal evidence as it is too full on cognitive errors. This is the problem with most opinions expressed on Thai rod safety - they are based on the premise "I drive so I must be an "expert"". then they decide they have a single solution - they pick out some issue they see as "wrong" and try to imply that is "they" did something about it everthing would be OK or improve - they are fai;ing to understand the full picture - as are the media and local authorities. I too have been driving for over 20 years in Thailand and have driven extensively in Europe Australia as well as America and even Morocco. The length of time I've been driving and the mileage covered would put be above the average Thai driver. This is only important if it is accompanied with a good knowledge of road safety and how it works. This is not guaranteed by just "driving" - you need to understand the statistics and the theory behind road safety and it is NOT just about driving - that is the first mistake commentators make. Also people talk about Thai driving in some kind of universal sweeping tones - this is of course racist but wildly inaccurate. Half the vehicles on Thai roads are 2-wheelers - if you are in a 4-wheeled vehicle you re statistically LESS likely to die than in a 4-wheeled vehicle in the States - yet so many people accuse Thai drivers of being "the worst". They are of course just making assumptions based on their own cognitive biases. Most Thai drivers are experienced at driving in Thailand, most foreigners aren’t and they are culturally unaware and inept as well.

Why would you? Would you stop and ask? I understand you are such a perfect driver and would never have been stopped, not even s speeding ticket - but that doesn't make you a good judge of the 40 million or so road users in Thailand.

Every time someone tries to say this - they are WRONG! - there is no time limit set for accounting for road deaths - where do you think they got the statistics from???

...and you don't even realise it...but then the one follows the other.

Thai authorities and IT.....makes me shiver!

so that's you cure for Thailand's road safety problems - a sweeping racist generalisation?

there's little hope when even the advocates of road safety can't get it right - yet the information is out there both internationally and in Thailand.

there is no state pension fund in the UK - you paid for the pensioners at the time you were working, now it is those in employment who are paying your pension. So mke sure tey pay their taxes and NI.

THis has been mooted several times before and enforcement has never worked in the long term - probably better to change the law to a more modern attitude.

got to be one off the top 3 most ill-informed comments on th the thread.It is a problem that many expats are incapable of objectively analysing there position - in Thailand or anywhere else - so how can they make an intelligent comment on this topic?

The problem with being ignorant is that you are unable to tell how ignorant you are.

There is undoubtedly a police role in this.

QED

What a facile and ignorant comment

EU countries, USA ad philipines aren't frozen plus some other places...

Has anyone seen what the UK state pension is?? - Freezing nothing is hardly significant. It woulds be simpler to unfreeze them. THy are about half the French level and a third the German level - the EU was pressuring the UK to bring state pensions up to international levels before Brexit -

Bacteria normally settles on the surface of foods - so if cooked at high temperatures - of the grill or wok, any bacteria with be killed. Western buffets are just bacterial gardens. Maybe increased numbers at those hotel buffets is to blame? - and lets not forget airline food.

People have been eating street food here for years and Thailand had a reputation for relatively low incidence of food poisoning - what may be different now is an INCREASE in incidents so the eating of streetfood is very unlikely to be a factor in this.On a personal note, I lived on an almost exclusive diet of street food and chwap restaurants for 20 twenty years without any cases of illness from them

Most of food production in Thailand is controlled by single family companies – they are often very secretive or at least avoid the glare of publicity. This was in the news today. Thai Union Group, the world's leading seafood producer, has broken years of silence and low profile to announce a major transformation plan, Strategy 2030, aimed at thriving over the next seven years. At a press conference on Monday, Thiraphong Chansiri, president and chief executive officer of Thai Union Group, outlined this ambitious roadmap, which aims to boost net sales to US$7 billion by 2030 from $3.9 billion in 2024. If this lot started cutting corners to increase profits, it would affect the entire country.