Video: Thai media call for justice as "farang knocks Thai off motorcycle" - You decide!

[TonyClifton]

7 minutes ago, Kieran00001 said:

as if you have the right to kill someone who is breaking a minor traffic law.

So making a left turn is now murder? The lack of critical thinking in this thread astounds me.

[Puccini]

1 hour ago, transam said:

I live in a quiet area, coming home l signaled left to turn into my drive...I had noticed a bike at speed coming up behind me but he must have had 20 seconds warning of my turn...He kept coming near in the curb, it came to me turning into my drive, he was on my inside, l came to a standstill and placed my hand on the hooter....I thought...Yeh...you stop and bad mouth, you will see anger....But no, went on oblivious...Sadly that "oblivious" stuff is a daily thing here....

 

Where I learnt to drive a car, which was not Thailand, I was taught that before turning left I must, with regard to traffic from behind:

1. Check the inside rearview mirror, check the left rearview mirror, look over my left shoulder (all in one swift, sweeping movement so as not to take my eyes off the road for too long). As I remember it, these details were not written into the law, just a note to pay attention also to the traffic from behind, but failing to do as mentioned during the driving test would result in a fail according to the driving instructor.
2. After ascertaining that there was no vehicle on my left, set the indicator and move close enough to the left kerb to leave no space for a motorcycle or bicycle there (even though the law forbids overtaking on the left, or undertaking as some people call it)

Obviously, this may not be taught in all countries and perhaps not in the country where the pickup driver in the OP learnt driving. 

[SunsetT]

9 hours ago, Peterw42 said:

There is actually something in that, the law states that bikes, tuk tuks etc must travel to the extreme left of a roadway. It is somewhat the cars responsibility to merge with and give way to the bikes.

Yes, it really pisses me off when tuk tuks do this when traffic is crawling along, or approaching traffic lights. The tuk tuk then stops all motorbikes and bicycles from getting through and/or turning left.

 

When Im travelling pillion Im always telling my missus to keep out from the extreme left of the road because this is where the greatest hazard lies for mbikes in Thailand. U can hit or get hit by just about anything bar UFOs running, walking, pulling out or poking their big inconsiderate bonnet out!

 

 

[dunroaming]

10 hours ago, wgdanson said:

Six of one, half a dozen of the other. Fine 'em both.

And breathalyse them both!

 

Actually it is a fifty-fifty but if the pickup wasn't indicating then more his fault than the motorcyclist

[ttrd]

6 hours ago, smedly said:

well you have a scenario of some people following the law and some not, that then results in tragedy.

 

I'll give you fine example of this in practise

 

Pedestrian crossings on beach road Pattaya.

 

- To anyone following the road traffic act a red light should mean stop, but if a person stops on a red they run the risk of being rear ended by someone who ignores the law - the result is an accident and if you are on a motorbike could be fatal

 

- a driver also runs the risk of killing someone on the crossing if they refuse to stop on a red

 

This is all because the police either

 

- refuse to enforce the law

- don't know the law

- or make it up as they go

 

or all of the above

 

Again why Thailand has the worst road safety and accident record in the world today 

 

With other words and unfortunately, its rather a question about rights than fault - how the laws seems to be enforced means farangs do not have any legal rights Beyond  spending ALL their Money in the time period Equal to their visa.

 

I.e, what we cannot take from you in the bars - we will take from you on the streets - so yes, based on that historical fact it seems to be the Pick-Up driver's fault - case closed - next...;) 

[BAMBOO13]

The motorcycle was traveling way too fast! Should of slowed down when the truck slowed down, the truck was pretty far to the left for the bike to be passing on that side.

Be glad that there was just scrapes and not any serious injury’s!

Driver should of stayed on scene!

[hugocnx]

10 hours ago, Peterw42 said:

What is it with westerners and the need for gigantic pick-up trucks. 

A common accident in Thailand given that motorbikes are supposed to travel to the left. As a car driver in Thailand its one of the first things you pick up, check that blind spot for bikes. A lot of Thais will come to a stop, check, then turn left.

If you are going to drive a gigantic pick-up, just to go to BigC once a week, be proactive and realise you are sharing the road with hundreds of small motorbikes.

What is it with Thai and the need for gigantic pick-up trucks???.......and no driving skills (either).

Darn, didn't see this huge amount of reactions. 

[midas]

10 hours ago, smedly said:

and when there is only one lane ?

 

The Thai law does not state it is ok to undertake a vehicle that is moving and that applies to motorbikes unless it is clearly turning right and indicating - common sense 

but your the one who says better driver education standards wouldn't make any difference to the number of these kind of accidents. How are they gonna know what is the law and isn't the law if no one teaches them in the first place?

[faraday]

1 hour ago, TonyClifton said:

How do you know the indicators were unused?

Because Anthony, I watched the video.

[thailand49]

1 hour ago, TonyClifton said:

How do you know the indicators were unused?

Yes, this type of thinking is what is wrong with Thailand driving. I've heard it first hand from Thais themselves and this guy must living here too long? Sure a car is bigger than a motorbike you are dealing with a ton or kilo of steel you got no chance because steel don't feel pain. A good example, if on a motorbike you fly through a stop light because you are smaller any in a larger vehicle is suppose to be avoid to stop on a dime to avoid you. The larger the vehicle they are suppose to take care of the smaller one even when the law is broken?  What is the solution and answer if two motorbikes both 125 Honda Wave, same year same model run a red light who is the blame. Just a sad sad thinking!

Regardless of the size, you got to obey the actual rules or law of driving and not just make stuff up.

[Media1]

11 hours ago, ezzra said:

For starters, you not allowed to drive/ride parallel/abreast another

vehicle on a single lane, but in Thailand as in Thailand, all road

rules are advisory only and you do pretty much what you want

on the road until you get caught by the police or be involved in an

accident,

in this case, this is a minor traffic accident, and no matter who's at

fault here, the farang will almost always end up wearing the blame and pay for damages...

This is true. The The.is at fault. He probably had no helmet or licence. Which also means he is not to even be on the road. Let the Thais cry and scream.

[stanleycoin]

14 minutes ago, midas said:

but your the one who says better driver education standards wouldn't make any difference to the number of these kind of accidents. How are they gonna know what is the law and isn't the law if no one teaches them in the first place?

 

Maybe education for people on how to behave on the  roads in Thailand

is less about words and more about appropriate voltage. 

 

 

 

[ujayujay]

Pickup driving on the left lane, turn signal to left is on. Motorbike ignore this, try to overtake leftside. Clear case.

If i were the Pickupdriver: insteed to pay one satang compesation l would hire a Lawyer.

 

[ujayujay]

I ever drive extremely on left side of a lane with my car. So l have the pest of mb drivers only on right side to overturn me.

[madusa]

11 hours ago, janclaes47 said:

My decision : Som Nam Naa

what exactly is Som Nam Naa? Sounds like a Thai desert.

[gk10002000]

It didn't look like the turning truck signaled.  It didn't look like the biker had a helmet on.  Maybe he did but I can't tell.  Anyway, passing on the left I thought was wrong in Thailand and one should in general pass on the right?  Opposite of the USA where the driver is on the left.   Sadly for the foreigner he is, well a foreigner.  He probably should be content get off paying a few thousand baht, pay the ticket and walk away with that

[overherebc]

12 minutes ago, ujayujay said:

I ever drive extremely on left side of a lane with my car. So l have the pest of mb drivers only on right side to overturn me.

I try the best I can before I turn left to get as far left as I can as soon as possible on the road even hogging most of what is referred to as the bike lane to stop prevent any brainless idiot trying to get past.

Well before the left turn if there is enough distance just hog the bike lane with your indicator on.

At the turn I also try to get right into the corner to block the inside.

Not always possible but I do it when I can.

[gintis0604]

11 hours ago, Dave67 said:

Even it is legal to undertake a car on a bike, normally self-preservation or common sense kicks in, They have a similar Law in China about pedestrians crossing the road so they cross without looking. When I pointed out that someone could be killed the person i mentioned it to said "Yes but its the driver's fault"

Common sense?? It was a Thai on the motorbike!!

[sead]

Well. If it were in Sweden then the car driver is wrong. You always have to look and signal left before a left turn , even if its on a single road. There are no laws forbidding a mc to pass on the inside of a road if it isnt a marked with a full line. The mc didnt have any warning that the car would turn so for me the car was wrong.

[cat handler]

The saying is “passing on the right side is the right side passing on the left side is suicide”.

 

[khunPer]

50/50

[lvr181]

11 hours ago, lust said:

I’m a motorcycle rider and I’d say that motorcycle is 100% at fault. 

Then you're not Thai motorcyclist eh? That is farang thinking - understandable.

 

But as usual, if you're riding  motorcycle, regardless of who is right or wrong, in a crash you're going to hurt. Ride safely, trust no one.

[richard_smith237]

Driving in Bangkok sometimes I am forced to come to a complete stop when turning left down a Soi after seeing the motorbikes which are riding down the pavement and have failed to see me turning. 

 

One day I will fail to see the motorcycle riding down the pavement which may hit me. I have both rear and forward facing cameras in my Car. The accident will not be my fault and if the *Police decide otherwise I will refuse to accept blame and push the issue up the chain. 

 

By undertaking a car a Motorbike rider has stepped outside the law. By failing to recognize that the car is turning left (with our without signal) unless there is a dedicated motorcycle lane to the left of the vehicle lane the motorcycle rider is at fault. 

 

The Police may try but they really cannot argue with the law if the subject of the Op remains firm that he is not at fault. 

 

 

*Because one policeman may decide you are to blame it does not mean he is correct. In most cases it simply means he can make the situation go away as quickly as possible by blaming the car driver who is more likely to yield due to the general prevailing cultural expectation that the car driver pays. By refusing to accept blame the BiB will be forced to deal with the situation more professionally and are more inclined to follow the law rather than 'assumed regulations' they know little of. 

[richard_smith237]

22 minutes ago, sead said:

Well. If it were in Sweden then the car driver is wrong. You always have to look and signal left before a left turn , even if its on a single road. There are no laws forbidding a mc to pass on the inside of a road if it isnt a marked with a full line. The mc didnt have any warning that the car would turn so for me the car was wrong.

 

Are you absolutely certain that the Law permits 'undertaking' in Sweden ?

 

(we have to ignore the 'right and left' side a little in your explanation as in Sweden people drive on the right handside rather than the left - thus undertaking would take place on the right) 

[Rawnthai]

Expats are not always treated as in the wrong. I’ve live here for more than a decade. I have never been treated wrong. I have been proclaim as in the ‘right’, 3 out of the last 4 times I have had an incident with a mothercycle. The 4 time I was also in the right, but I called my thai wife and she did not want to deal with the police. Since then I just go to the police, have them explain the Thai road laws, show them my forward and rear facing dash cams and have been proclaimed in the right. I also consider motorcycles Thailand greatest form of birth control..

[jesimps]

12 hours ago, faraday said:

Car drivers fault.

Also, because motorcycles are small & cars are big, we have a greater responsibility to drive with 'due care & attention'.

The indicators weren't used.

Unlike the locals who always indicate of course.

 

However, farang or Thai, people should indicate their intentions on every occasion, even if they think there's no other traffic about. Pedestrians also need to see what drivers intend to do before making a decision to cross a road.

 

What does it take? A flick of the finger isn't going to nacker you.

 

[snowgard]

12 hours ago, wgdanson said:

Six of one, half a dozen of the other. Fine 'em both.

Why??? Do you don't understand the law? The car driver make nothing wrong!!! 
But the Pattaya News reporter try to make something illegal legal. Maybe him are to stupid to understand the rules too. About this they cut the beginning where it's 100% clear that the car reduce the speed and maybe or not use the indicator. Fact is the motorbike driver try to overhole the car on the wrong (forbidden) lane. Oh sorry, this street has only ONE lane!!!

I believe if we can see the first 15 seconds before this clip start, we will see that the car driver done everything right to the rules. Or why they cut it out???

 

 

12 hours ago, faraday said:

Car drivers fault.

Also, because motorcycles are small & cars are big, we have a greater responsibility to drive with 'due care & attention'.

The indicators weren't used.

You go better again to the driving school!!! How you saw that him don't used the indicators? Have you rubbed a glass ball?

[NorthernRyland]

The video was intentionally clipped in such a way that there isn't sufficient view of whether this was an act overtaking or crossing the "invisible left lane" that the law requires motorbikes to be in. Whoever created the video is clearly trying to trick their audience and has malicious intent.

[finnomick]

12 hours ago, Peterw42 said:

What is it with westerners and the need for gigantic pick-up trucks. 

A common accident in Thailand given that motorbikes are supposed to travel to the left. As a car driver in Thailand its one of the first things you pick up, check that blind spot for bikes. A lot of Thais will come to a stop, check, then turn left.

If you are going to drive a gigantic pick-up, just to go to BigC once a week, be proactive and realise you are sharing the road with hundreds of small motorbikes.

As opposed to driving an ordinary pickup or even a small pickup ?

[NorthernRyland]

56 minutes ago, gk10002000 said:

It didn't look like the turning truck signaled.  It didn't look like the biker had a helmet on.  Maybe he did but I can't tell.  Anyway, passing on the left I thought was wrong in Thailand and one should in general pass on the right?  Opposite of the USA where the driver is on the left.   Sadly for the foreigner he is, well a foreigner.  He probably should be content get off paying a few thousand baht, pay the ticket and walk away with that

It is in fact law you can't pass on the left but the video was clipped before we could see if this was overtaking or the biker was just keeping left and was turned in to. The fact Thailand tries to maintain an invisible left lane for motorbikes is obviously going to fail and result in death but none the less it exists.