Pickups can carry holiday revellers, government says

[webfact]

Pickups can carry holiday revellers, government says

By The Nation

 

File photo

 

You can ride in the back of a pickup truck during the New Year holiday season despite it being against the law, Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department director-general Chayaphon Thitisak said on Tuesday.

He acknowledged the National Council for Peace and Order ban on the practice deemed unsafe, but said the government understood it has long been the norm and the ban is not enforced.

 

 

Chayaphon warned, though, that anyone doing so should for their own safety not sit on the edges of the truck bed or drink alcohol while travelling.

 

He said his department, as its main mission for this New Year, has been encouraging people to respect traffic laws.

 

“We will use every social measure to prevent accidents on the roads during the holidays,” he said. “We encourage communities and families to look after one another and make sure everyone is complying with road safety regulations.”

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/breakingnews/30334821

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2017-12-26

 

 

[Orton Rd]

They are only poor people, why should the government care about them?

[nev]

Maybe they are appeasing to the masses, But as far as safety is concerned and reducing the road toll it will not help one iota.

Edited December 26, 2017 by nev

[01322521959]

Wow. Steady 120kph  a quick swerve and it's all over. As said before, assisted dying is it seems perfectly legal here.

[CGW]

They should pass a law stating that all passengers in the back of pick up trucks must wear crash helmets! should be a easy law to enforce given their impressive success rate with motorcycles!

[trainman34014]

One of the many 'unique' things in Thailand is that the Government will tell the people something is 'against the law' but will equally encourage them to 'break the law'.     How can they ever expect a law abiding society; it will just never happen whilst the so called 'leaders' use double standards on a daily basis ?

[AhFarangJa]

30 minutes ago, webfact said:

He acknowledged the National Council for Peace and Order ban on the practice deemed unsafe, but said the government understood it has long been the norm and the ban is not enforced.

The same will be applied to crash helmets, four on a motorcycle, under age drivers, driving the wrong way down a road, jumping red lights, overloaded vehicles........and on, and on, and on........

[poohy]

Government says"Go on kill yourselves , and have a Happy New Year"

[yellowboat]

14 minutes ago, trainman34014 said:

One of the many 'unique' things in Thailand is that the Government will tell the people something is 'against the law' but will equally encourage them to 'break the law'.     How can they ever expect a law abiding society; it will just never happen whilst the so called 'leaders' use double standards on a daily basis ?

Laws in Thailand are whimsical things anyway.  They are operated much like a light switch.  Think the junta may feel that they are starting to annoy the populace.  They need to play  nice if they want to win an election.

[ebean001]

Teel everyone to face the back of the truck. This picture shows 2 men almost sitting right. almost. back against the cab. If necessary, back against the sides. Never face the direction of the truck. Obviously, a quick stop will throw many against the cab. Hold on...isn't is obvious to everyone. Come on...a little sense of safety would tell you this. Why do I see most people facing the front!!!!

[anon537687643]

Making something legal what goes unpunished anyway. Deaths coming up, get ready!


Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect

[eggers]

What a stupid decision to reverse the ban on pickup's carrying passengers in unsecured in rear!!  Any deaths or injuries over the coming " 7 deadly days" should be directly attributed to Director - general Chayaphon Thitisak of Disaster Prevention & Mitigation Dept!! Whilst there's incompetents like this guy, in charge, Thailand's road toll will continue to escalate unabated!! 

[bluesofa]

58 minutes ago, webfact said:

"He acknowledged the National Council for Peace and Order ban on the practice deemed unsafe, but said the government understood it has long been the norm and the ban is not enforced."

Confused?

To me, either that sentence hasn't been written too clearly, or, if the 'ban' is unsafe, today's quote means that despite being illegal, it is actually safe?

 

Ah yes, there's an "R" in the month, plus I failed my degree in double-speak.

[edwinchester]

And there you have the reason the appalling death toll on Thai roads will never change.

Those in Govt with the actual power to lessen the carnage obviously don't give a <deleted>.

[outsider]

Cannot drink alcohol, but can ride - unsecured and all - in the back of pickup trucks. Seriously, I really don't know where these peoples' brains are. If they have one, for starters.

[stevenl]

Of course the announcement had to be retracted, it is simply not practical at present to enforce this law.

[CGW]

1 minute ago, stevenl said:

Of course the announcement had to be retracted, it is simply not practical at present to enforce this law.

Not enforceable? I thought this was a country ruled by the military/Police not one of the many places that have pretend democracy & a free thinking population

They just lack reasoning!!!

[PatOngo]

I think 400 KIA is not out of the question.

[silent]

24 minutes ago, CGW said:

Not enforceable? I thought this was a country ruled by the military/Police not one of the many places that have pretend democracy & a free thinking population

They just lack reasoning!!!

It's a step forward for democracy by letting the majority rule on annual decreases in population

[johnny49r]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

You can ride in the back of a pickup truck during the New Year holiday season despite it being against the law

Since when has anyone cared if something against the law. Too funny...

[Jonmarleesco]

'... the government understood it has long been the norm and the ban is not enforced.'

 

Non-enforcement of bans of any kind that represent law enforcement have long been the norm. Thailand's being number two for road fatalities has long been the norm; now it's made it to number one, why change the habit of a lifetime - even where it will be a short lifetime? 

[Jonmarleesco]

45 minutes ago, stevenl said:

Of course the announcement had to be retracted, it is simply not practical at present to enforce this law.

There is a vast difference between something being impractical, and it being unpopular. And unpopularity is not something that tends to bother the current crop of government pretenders. 

[steve73]

To be fair, it's probably safer being in the bed of a carefully driven pick-up truck, than the alternative.... being in a minivan driven by a drug-crazed psychopath.

[Golden Triangle]

You can ride in the back of a pickup truck during the New Year holiday season despite it being against the law, Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Waiting to Happen Department director-general Chayaphon Thitisak said on Tuesday.

 

There you go fixed it 

[55Jay]

  

[balo]

Sure let them kill each other, the laws doent matter.

[Khun Paul]

All passengers in the rear of a open pick-up should lie down , you can pack more in and if you lash them down fairly steady .

[bluesofa]

4 minutes ago, Khun Paul said:

All passengers in the rear of a open pick-up should lie down , you can pack more in and if you lash them down fairly steady .

That reminds of Thaksin with all those dead stacked the same way down in the deep south, wasn't it 10-12 years ago now?

 

[wavemanwww]

director-general Chayaphon Thitisak said "lets break another existing law"?

 

No wonder these smart cops are confused. Which law manual they ask at the morning cop meeting do I use this week? Chief of police. Answers,:"I have no <deleted> idea"!

[Basil B]

1 hour ago, stevenl said:

Of course the announcement had to be retracted, it is simply not practical at present to enforce this law.

What you mean is when those who are supposed to enforce it are corrupt and incompetent it will not be enforced.

 

As pointed out for so many Thais it is a way of life, my view on this is to start at the edges and work inwards, first restrict the distance and speed, say 5km of the distance from where the registered owner of the vehicle lives and max speed of 30km/h (20mph), and not allowed on motorways or other high speed roads.