Frenchman killed in motorcycle crash on Samui

[soalbundy]

If the Frenchman had swerved just slightly to the left it wouldn't have happened, he saw the other bike too late.

[chickenslegs]

The video shows the Frenchman's helmet with a very neat circular hole in the top. Looks like he was unlucky to hit the solid footpeg of the other scooter square-on and the helmet was not up to the job.

 

It seemed like an easily survivable collision, if he had hit any other part of the scooter.

 

 

 

 

[farcanell]

Unfortunate indeed.... thai pen rai strikes again.

 

the Thai guy was in the wrong.... his excuse that he was half way cross the road is irrelevant BS.... he had no right of way to enter the traffic or to effectively drive down the wrong side of the road prior to the collision... his action was thoughtless and reckless. If you can’t complete your maneuver safely, don’t start it! 

 

that said... nothing unusual for Thai riders to act in this manner.... which is why there are so many dead littering the roads on a daily basis... I blame the prime minister and feel he should be held accountable.

 

[CG1 Blue]

2 hours ago, KhunBENQ said:

https://vdokh.matichon.co.th/videos/public/iframe/89a50ef6e73b1475e69ad47ed74024c4/adaptive_hls/?post_id=753029&category=around-thailand

Is this the only video link? That one doesn't work on my browser

[Classic Ray]

Being French, he probably learned to drive on the other side of the road. That experience conditions you not to be so aware of traffic from your non-natural side, even if you have been driving here for years. Coupled with selfish behaviour by other road users, collisions just waiting to happen.

[Crustyhk]

No disrespect toward the Frenchman but he was the one in control of that situation. He crashed the bike because he grabbed a handful of front brake and the front of the bike went from under him. 

 

Rightly or wrongly the Thai rode the way most Thais ride and that will never change. Riding in Thailand you adapt. 

 

An experienced rider would have been more situationally aware, travelling at an appropriate speed and been familiar with his motorcycle. 

 

As a rider I am put in these situations almost on a daily basis and you deal with them. 

 

[CG1 Blue]

I haven't managed to view the video yet but I gather from the comments here the French guy was travelling at a fairly normal speed. Personally I would not ride at a 'normal' speed on Samui's roads.  I would always be one of those annoying riders poodling along the road at jogging speed.

 

That said, I stopped renting bikes on Samui 3/4 years ago.  I figured my luck would run out if I carried on, even as an extra careful rider.

 

RIP Monsieur

[PEE TEE]

Had the Thai man been asked to produce his valid licence and motorcycle tax . had he ever taken a test or just like the other brain dead idiots on the road. he should be banged up but nothing will come of it cos hes thai  

[wvavin]

It appears to me that farang death is steadily  climbing in this recent time.

[PEE TEE]

Just now, wvavin said:

It appears to me that farang death is steadily  climbing in this recent time.

look how many cars and motor bikes there are now on the roads to 10 years ago stands to reason the accident rate will increase  

[bogozy]

The helmet immediately fell down from his head. 100 % the helmet was not fastened, only served aginist the police fine

[PEE TEE]

4 minutes ago, CG1 Blue said:

I haven't managed to view the video yet but I gather from the comments here the French guy was travelling at a fairly normal speed. Personally I would not ride at a 'normal' speed on Samui's roads.  I would always be one of those annoying riders poodling along the road at jogging speed.

 

That said, I stopped renting bikes on Samui 3/4 years ago.  I figured my luck would run out if I carried on, even as an extra careful rider.

 

RIP Monsieur

very true . Samui must the the worse place in Thailand . no laws are enforced only the helmet checks for extra money . i asked why after 6 pm its ok to have no helmet the reply was ahh we cannot see you too dark  

[XJPSX]

That’s why I have a Fortuner and vow never to get on a motorbike in Thailand. Lived here for 10 years and want to make it another 10.

[Mark mark]

A Sad Accident, the Thai guy was doing it wrong, he should have seen that there was not a place for him, but well, it was a busy road, and that is what you sometimes do on busy roads. … You go, …  get in to the middle of the road, theoretically past all the oncoming traffic, … and then slow down for the car in front of you ... I do it that way some times.

 

The French man though in the right, should not have hit him, or fallen off, he should have not been going so fast, in an obviously a slow spot, with bad traffic congestion.  …  And he should have moved to the left. When in a congested areas like this, you have to be ready TO do this.

 

Also once again, another Example how badly these scooters handle, and well just go down, when put udder heavy breaking. (And the road looked slippery also, a very busy and well used stretch) … If he had been riding a Honder Dream ... not going so fast, and watching,  and being ready to move left in heavy traffic, .... It would not have happened, and also Real bad luck his head hit the other Bikes food peg.

 

RIP, Older French Guy. And Sorry Thai Guy, like this will end up with him eating quite a LOT of shit, I would say, regardless.

 

Mark mark - 45 years on Motor bikes, and still going.

[Media1]

Thai man that had no licence no brains. And no care. A real police force is required.

[lust]

Stop complaining about the lack of police enforcement. This isn’t your country. You signed up to these dangers before you came here. So annoying reading the same comments from people criticizing Thailand. 

 

Dont like? GO HOME!

[evadgib]

11 minutes ago, lust said:

Stop complaining about the lack of police enforcement. This isn’t your country. You signed up to these dangers before you came here. So annoying reading the same comments from people criticizing Thailand. 

 

Dont like? GO HOME!

You dropped these..

 

[PatOngo]

3 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

And why are these drivers speeding in the first place? The primary reason is the toy police force. Nobody, and I mean nobody takes these guys seriously. There is absolutely nothing in the way of a deterrent here, and both the local governments, the central government (weak Little P.) and the police do not take traffic safety seriously. Not even one iota. The safety of the public means less than zero to the small men in charge here. Nothing. They show that on a daily basis.

They will not do a thing. Why? They do not care about the people one iota. Not the common people. Not the average pleb. No way. Never have cared, and may never care in the future. It is all about protecting the elite, the super wealthy, those that are connected, and those in power. The rest of the population? They do not matter. The ex-pat community does not matter. And the police will not get involved unless an accident has already occurred. There is no prevention. None. The idea of getting the police more involved, is an interesting one, and it would be an effective one. But, the issue is money. They are grossly underpaid, and until the government steps up, and spends the trillion baht on updating the police equipment, and paying each cop a living wage, it is not going to happen. Until then, they will just work the franchise. 

 

When I was growing up, we took drivers education classes. They showed us these horrendous films, of semi trucks crashing into cars, and literally obliterating them, and everything inside. Also, they showed very graphic images of head on collisions. Even as a young kid, it left a lasting impression, and I realized driving was no joking matter. Especially when you have your friends, or loved ones in the car with you. I am constantly astonished at the kinds of chances people take here, with their entire family in the car with them. Why? What is the logic? What is the reason? Why take those risks? Often, when someone cuts onto the highway in front of me, as I am doing 100kpm or more on the highway, I look in my rearview mirror, and there is nobody behind me for quite some distance. Which means, had they paused, and waited 2 or 3 seconds, there would have been zero risk to them, their family, or me and my family. What can one even say? All of this matters even more when driving a motorbike, where there is no protection. 

 

The only way to survive here on the road, is to be patient, have eyes in the back of your head, drive with caution, and always, and I mean always watch out of the other guy. Chances are, he does not have much driving skill, nor patience, nor reason, nor common sense. You cannot be too careful on the road here. Especially considering that the toy police offer no traffic safety, nor enforcement of the law. 

All the checkpoints do is clog traffic on the highways, and put alot of cash into the pockets of the toy police. It is all about catching people performing moving violations. That is what causes most accidents. And herein lies the deterrent. As long as everyone is allowed to get away with extremely reckless driving, entering the highway in front of an oncoming vehicle that is only 100 meters away, going 100kph, cutting in front of vehicles within one meter at high speeds, swerving like crazy idiots all over the highway, trucks and 40 year old cars occupying the fast lane doing 40kph, when other vehicles are approaching doing 120kph, drunk driving, etc, accidents, major injuries and deaths will continue to happen, and no amount of rhetoric and platitudes by the fabulously incompetent and insincere authorities are going to make any difference. 

 

Real men do what is necessary to save lives. Kids and highly underdeveloped people make promises, tell lies and engage in deflection.

 

Little P.  - Moving Thailand backwards at a breath taking, alarming, and astonishing pace. 

 

 

 

 

Now for my scooter rant:

Many of us drive motorcycles or scooters here, and it is dangerous getting on the roads with some of these other drivers. 

Getting on a scooter, or a motorcycle anywhere in Thailand, much less Phuket, Phangan, Dark Tao, or Samui without a very good helmet, is like playing Russian Roulette with three or four bullets in the chamber. It is absolutely asking for problems. The degree of recklessness here is astounding. And many foreigners come here thinking "how much trouble could I get in on a little scooter, on a tropical island"? Well, the answer is alot. The amount of foreigners who are killed on the Southern islands is staggering. Most are not reported in the media. I had a friend who worked for Samui rescue for many years, and said the numbers were about 30-60 a month, on Samui, Phangan and Koh Tao. The official number is about 3 a month. Rider beware. Use as good a helmet as you can afford, and do not use these eggshells pieces of crap. They crack at the first impact, and what lies underneath them? Your skull, which is very delicate. 
 
Just ask yourself- do I have enough problems already, without a broken skull, or smashed head, or face injury, or lost eye? I have two friends who have been in motorbike accidents on Samui within the last two years. One still cannot walk, or talk or function on her own, from a motorbike accident, where she hit her head on the pavement going only 20 kph. The other one has lost alot of his mental capacity after hitting his head. He insisted for years he would never wear a helmet. Now, he seems 15 years older. 

 

I was told by a very reliable source. He did not have an agenda. He rescued alot of the survivors. He attended to alot of the ones who did not make it. The press here is highly censored. The report only what the so called leaders want them to report. Nothing else. Social media? Why would social media report these statistics? They report individual accidents, but not overall statistics. Anything you read about accidents on Samui in the media would be false. 

 

 

• Road deaths are now calculated based on fatalities on-site. Victims dying later in hospital not counted.
• In 2000 there was an average of 30 deaths a month on Koh Samui (official figures released each month).
• Now it is stated that Koh Samui has 3-5 deaths each month (using the new way of reporting road deaths).
• In the last ten years the population has almost doubled and there are now 5x more vehicles on Koh Samui.
• Based on ‘official figures’ today it is possible to estimate that Koh Samui currently has 60 deaths per million per year. (Compared to 23 in London.) Based on the population and traffic density statistics from 10 years ago Koh Samui has in reality 720 deaths per million per year. This is probably the highest rate of road deaths in the world. Samui is a fatality death spot that nobody is willing to acknowledge!

 

In the world that I come from, respect has to be earned, and it is never freely given. The authorities here deserve little respect, as they do not earn it. The police care little for the people, do not engage in any sort of traffic safety, only show up after an accident has taken place, do not ever pull anyone over for reckless driving, threatening lives on the highway, speeding, or driving while drunk. Sure, they nab people at checkpoints. But, most of those checkpoints just slow up traffic on the highway, and rarely result in making the highways safer. So, unless and until they start doing their jobs, they will continue to get little respect from the public. You get what you earn in this life. Most cops here cannot be taken seriously, as they are not serious people, and treat their job as a private franchise, rarely engage in law enforcement, or protection of the public.

Say what's on your mind.......don't hold back!

[observer90210]

A solution could come from high and steep speed bumpers on roads that force all vehicles to slow down...agree this is Thailand, but if some lives can be saved who knows ?

 

 

[swerve]

All the Thai drivers fault.  Unfortunate accident.  So many idiots out there driving.

[metisdead]

Posts using foreign language have been removed. 

[Mark mark]

Oh, but with all due respect, I just hate Speed Bumps ! Like Taxes, ... just SLOW DOWN !

 

No trolling here, I am just trying to communicate a safer way to ride Motor cycles.

 

... Apart from riding real bikes, that handle properly, and not scooters ! ... 

 

1 when in a crowded area, ... slow down. (Like in Paris ? Rome ? Or London Right ?)

 

2 do not drive fast and straight down the white line, unless you have a death wish, as it only takes a small mistake by someone coming the other way, or someone bending the rules like in this case ... and you are Toast, ... like this poor fellow was.

 

And

 

3. When he Breaks, and then goes down, you never do this on a Bike, you Move left to avoid the obstruction, and move as fast as Necessary ! ... You do not break, when it is too late, … you Dodge. ?

 

Last resort you aim to leaver off the Bike in the safest direction for your own body, ... slide it, so the Bike hits him, but you slide through on the left hand side and Miss it all ! … And I have done this !

 

Like it is relay spectacular, sliding down the road at 80k, on your ass, better if the road is wet as you slide better ! ..  And watching the Huge showers of sparks, from the steel bits of you bike, sliding along the road, .... Coming up and out from under your bike, as it slides along next to you !  ... Straight through the Intersection !  ... But you do not hit anything, or get hit, ... Right …

 

So you can get up really quickly,  … and then desperately try to get your bike out of the middle of road, … before the lights change !

 

45 Years on a motorbike, off and On, … and Lucky I guess, as still going.

[ChidlomDweller]

1 hour ago, Crustyhk said:

No disrespect toward the Frenchman but he was the one in control of that situation. He crashed the bike because he grabbed a handful of front brake and the front of the bike went from under him. 

 

Rightly or wrongly the Thai rode the way most Thais ride and that will never change. Riding in Thailand you adapt. 

 

An experienced rider would have been more situationally aware, travelling at an appropriate speed and been familiar with his motorcycle. 

 

As a rider I am put in these situations almost on a daily basis and you deal with them. 

 

Agreed.  I rode a bike for 8 years before moving here, and one of the first things I did was get myself some books on defensive riding.  It really helps to make you more aware and alert to dangers on the road, including jackass drivers like the Thai crossing the road while driving in the wrong direction, and looking to his left.  You just have to assume that the roads will have idiots like that on them, anywhere in the world.  Being in the right means nothing if you're dead.  

 

For me, the defensive riding became my entertainment, what kept me from getting bored while riding.  Always scanning the environment, looking ahead not just one car but several cars ahead of you, anticipating the worst that could happen anywhere...

 

One of the rules of safe riding is also: take up your lane.  The Frenchman was driving almost in the middle of the road.  

 

In Thailand I don't want to ride at all, not just because of the other road users, but also the bad road conditions.  If you must ride at all, get yourself a big badass of a bike.  In Thailand, the only real traffic rule is that whoever would be more hurt from a collission gives way.  Get yourself a big Harley type bike so you get respect from other road users.  It sounds primitive, but here it's the way it is.

 

Then there's the helmet.  Get the best helmet money can buy, like a Shoei or Arai, a full-face one, and strap it each and every time.  So many people don't strap their helmet, as if they're being clever tricking the police.  That wasn't a particularly bad collition and I don't think with a good helmet he would have died.  With a safety mesh jacket and gloves he'd have riding away unscathed most likely.  Dress for the accident.  

 

Don't get me wrong, he didn't deserve to die, just sad and frustrating to see such a waste of life.

[Fireyfish]

RIP Frenchman ... but he rode with a lower skill level than his speed required.... an aware experienced rider could have easily avoided that accident .... imho

[ChidlomDweller]

Anyone out the riding, this is a good book, for instance.  When I first started riding I wasn't always as safe as I should have been (the feeling if having wings is intoxicating and you get carried away).  If you make a mindset change though, being the best, safest, most alert rider out there becomes fun in its own right.  

 

https://www.amazon.com/Proficient-Motorcycling-Ultimate-Guide-Riding/dp/1620081199/ref=dp_ob_title_bk

[Thian]

He didn't even look, just crossed the street and trusting on his amulet.

[lvr181]

4 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

And why are these drivers speeding in the first place? The primary reason is the toy police force. Nobody, and I mean nobody takes these guys seriously. There is absolutely nothing in the way of a deterrent here, and both the local governments, the central government (weak Little P.) and the police do not take traffic safety seriously. Not even one iota. The safety of the public means less than zero to the small men in charge here. Nothing. They show that on a daily basis.

They will not do a thing. Why? They do not care about the people one iota. Not the common people. Not the average pleb. No way. Never have cared, and may never care in the future. It is all about protecting the elite, the super wealthy, those that are connected, and those in power. The rest of the population? They do not matter. The ex-pat community does not matter. And the police will not get involved unless an accident has already occurred. There is no prevention. None. The idea of getting the police more involved, is an interesting one, and it would be an effective one. But, the issue is money. They are grossly underpaid, and until the government steps up, and spends the trillion baht on updating the police equipment, and paying each cop a living wage, it is not going to happen. Until then, they will just work the franchise. 

 

When I was growing up, we took drivers education classes. They showed us these horrendous films, of semi trucks crashing into cars, and literally obliterating them, and everything inside. Also, they showed very graphic images of head on collisions. Even as a young kid, it left a lasting impression, and I realized driving was no joking matter. Especially when you have your friends, or loved ones in the car with you. I am constantly astonished at the kinds of chances people take here, with their entire family in the car with them. Why? What is the logic? What is the reason? Why take those risks? Often, when someone cuts onto the highway in front of me, as I am doing 100kpm or more on the highway, I look in my rearview mirror, and there is nobody behind me for quite some distance. Which means, had they paused, and waited 2 or 3 seconds, there would have been zero risk to them, their family, or me and my family. What can one even say? All of this matters even more when driving a motorbike, where there is no protection. 

 

The only way to survive here on the road, is to be patient, have eyes in the back of your head, drive with caution, and always, and I mean always watch out of the other guy. Chances are, he does not have much driving skill, nor patience, nor reason, nor common sense. You cannot be too careful on the road here. Especially considering that the toy police offer no traffic safety, nor enforcement of the law. 

All the checkpoints do is clog traffic on the highways, and put alot of cash into the pockets of the toy police. It is all about catching people performing moving violations. That is what causes most accidents. And herein lies the deterrent. As long as everyone is allowed to get away with extremely reckless driving, entering the highway in front of an oncoming vehicle that is only 100 meters away, going 100kph, cutting in front of vehicles within one meter at high speeds, swerving like crazy idiots all over the highway, trucks and 40 year old cars occupying the fast lane doing 40kph, when other vehicles are approaching doing 120kph, drunk driving, etc, accidents, major injuries and deaths will continue to happen, and no amount of rhetoric and platitudes by the fabulously incompetent and insincere authorities are going to make any difference. 

 

Real men do what is necessary to save lives. Kids and highly underdeveloped people make promises, tell lies and engage in deflection.

 

Little P.  - Moving Thailand backwards at a breath taking, alarming, and astonishing pace. 

 

 

 

 

Now for my scooter rant:

Many of us drive motorcycles or scooters here, and it is dangerous getting on the roads with some of these other drivers. 

Getting on a scooter, or a motorcycle anywhere in Thailand, much less Phuket, Phangan, Dark Tao, or Samui without a very good helmet, is like playing Russian Roulette with three or four bullets in the chamber. It is absolutely asking for problems. The degree of recklessness here is astounding. And many foreigners come here thinking "how much trouble could I get in on a little scooter, on a tropical island"? Well, the answer is alot. The amount of foreigners who are killed on the Southern islands is staggering. Most are not reported in the media. I had a friend who worked for Samui rescue for many years, and said the numbers were about 30-60 a month, on Samui, Phangan and Koh Tao. The official number is about 3 a month. Rider beware. Use as good a helmet as you can afford, and do not use these eggshells pieces of crap. They crack at the first impact, and what lies underneath them? Your skull, which is very delicate. 
 
Just ask yourself- do I have enough problems already, without a broken skull, or smashed head, or face injury, or lost eye? I have two friends who have been in motorbike accidents on Samui within the last two years. One still cannot walk, or talk or function on her own, from a motorbike accident, where she hit her head on the pavement going only 20 kph. The other one has lost alot of his mental capacity after hitting his head. He insisted for years he would never wear a helmet. Now, he seems 15 years older. 

 

I was told by a very reliable source. He did not have an agenda. He rescued alot of the survivors. He attended to alot of the ones who did not make it. The press here is highly censored. The report only what the so called leaders want them to report. Nothing else. Social media? Why would social media report these statistics? They report individual accidents, but not overall statistics. Anything you read about accidents on Samui in the media would be false. 

 

 

• Road deaths are now calculated based on fatalities on-site. Victims dying later in hospital not counted.
• In 2000 there was an average of 30 deaths a month on Koh Samui (official figures released each month).
• Now it is stated that Koh Samui has 3-5 deaths each month (using the new way of reporting road deaths).
• In the last ten years the population has almost doubled and there are now 5x more vehicles on Koh Samui.
• Based on ‘official figures’ today it is possible to estimate that Koh Samui currently has 60 deaths per million per year. (Compared to 23 in London.) Based on the population and traffic density statistics from 10 years ago Koh Samui has in reality 720 deaths per million per year. This is probably the highest rate of road deaths in the world. Samui is a fatality death spot that nobody is willing to acknowledge!

 

In the world that I come from, respect has to be earned, and it is never freely given. The authorities here deserve little respect, as they do not earn it. The police care little for the people, do not engage in any sort of traffic safety, only show up after an accident has taken place, do not ever pull anyone over for reckless driving, threatening lives on the highway, speeding, or driving while drunk. Sure, they nab people at checkpoints. But, most of those checkpoints just slow up traffic on the highway, and rarely result in making the highways safer. So, unless and until they start doing their jobs, they will continue to get little respect from the public. You get what you earn in this life. Most cops here cannot be taken seriously, as they are not serious people, and treat their job as a private franchise, rarely engage in law enforcement, or protection of the public.

FWIW I agree. To drive/ride on Samui = meeting your maker  But not only Samui.

 

However, not withstanding your factual summary, all is well in the eyes of some (s100 and other fawning sycophants), the big cheese has helped(?) the farmers, promised democracy (Thai style) whatever that is and stopped the bloody street riots (I'll give a tick of approval for that one). BIG DEAL. 1 out of 100 does not do it for me or most civilized farang.

 

Prepare for 'righteous indignation' from the wearers of blinkers and rose coloured spectacles!   

[hobobo]

4 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

And why are these drivers speeding in the first place? The primary reason is the toy police force. Nobody, and I mean nobody takes these guys seriously. There is absolutely nothing in the way of a deterrent here, and both the local governments, the central government (weak Little P.) and the police do not take traffic safety seriously. Not even one iota. The safety of the public means less than zero to the small men in charge here. Nothing. They show that on a daily basis.

They will not do a thing. Why? They do not care about the people one iota. Not the common people. Not the average pleb. No way. Never have cared, and may never care in the future. It is all about protecting the elite, the super wealthy, those that are connected, and those in power. The rest of the population? They do not matter. The ex-pat community does not matter. And the police will not get involved unless an accident has already occurred. There is no prevention. None. The idea of getting the police more involved, is an interesting one, and it would be an effective one. But, the issue is money. They are grossly underpaid, and until the government steps up, and spends the trillion baht on updating the police equipment, and paying each cop a living wage, it is not going to happen. Until then, they will just work the franchise. 

 

When I was growing up, we took drivers education classes. They showed us these horrendous films, of semi trucks crashing into cars, and literally obliterating them, and everything inside. Also, they showed very graphic images of head on collisions. Even as a young kid, it left a lasting impression, and I realized driving was no joking matter. Especially when you have your friends, or loved ones in the car with you. I am constantly astonished at the kinds of chances people take here, with their entire family in the car with them. Why? What is the logic? What is the reason? Why take those risks? Often, when someone cuts onto the highway in front of me, as I am doing 100kpm or more on the highway, I look in my rearview mirror, and there is nobody behind me for quite some distance. Which means, had they paused, and waited 2 or 3 seconds, there would have been zero risk to them, their family, or me and my family. What can one even say? All of this matters even more when driving a motorbike, where there is no protection. 

 

The only way to survive here on the road, is to be patient, have eyes in the back of your head, drive with caution, and always, and I mean always watch out of the other guy. Chances are, he does not have much driving skill, nor patience, nor reason, nor common sense. You cannot be too careful on the road here. Especially considering that the toy police offer no traffic safety, nor enforcement of the law. 

All the checkpoints do is clog traffic on the highways, and put alot of cash into the pockets of the toy police. It is all about catching people performing moving violations. That is what causes most accidents. And herein lies the deterrent. As long as everyone is allowed to get away with extremely reckless driving, entering the highway in front of an oncoming vehicle that is only 100 meters away, going 100kph, cutting in front of vehicles within one meter at high speeds, swerving like crazy idiots all over the highway, trucks and 40 year old cars occupying the fast lane doing 40kph, when other vehicles are approaching doing 120kph, drunk driving, etc, accidents, major injuries and deaths will continue to happen, and no amount of rhetoric and platitudes by the fabulously incompetent and insincere authorities are going to make any difference. 

 

Real men do what is necessary to save lives. Kids and highly underdeveloped people make promises, tell lies and engage in deflection.

 

Little P.  - Moving Thailand backwards at a breath taking, alarming, and astonishing pace. 

 

 

 

 

Now for my scooter rant:

Many of us drive motorcycles or scooters here, and it is dangerous getting on the roads with some of these other drivers. 

Getting on a scooter, or a motorcycle anywhere in Thailand, much less Phuket, Phangan, Dark Tao, or Samui without a very good helmet, is like playing Russian Roulette with three or four bullets in the chamber. It is absolutely asking for problems. The degree of recklessness here is astounding. And many foreigners come here thinking "how much trouble could I get in on a little scooter, on a tropical island"? Well, the answer is alot. The amount of foreigners who are killed on the Southern islands is staggering. Most are not reported in the media. I had a friend who worked for Samui rescue for many years, and said the numbers were about 30-60 a month, on Samui, Phangan and Koh Tao. The official number is about 3 a month. Rider beware. Use as good a helmet as you can afford, and do not use these eggshells pieces of crap. They crack at the first impact, and what lies underneath them? Your skull, which is very delicate. 
 
Just ask yourself- do I have enough problems already, without a broken skull, or smashed head, or face injury, or lost eye? I have two friends who have been in motorbike accidents on Samui within the last two years. One still cannot walk, or talk or function on her own, from a motorbike accident, where she hit her head on the pavement going only 20 kph. The other one has lost alot of his mental capacity after hitting his head. He insisted for years he would never wear a helmet. Now, he seems 15 years older. 

 

I was told by a very reliable source. He did not have an agenda. He rescued alot of the survivors. He attended to alot of the ones who did not make it. The press here is highly censored. The report only what the so called leaders want them to report. Nothing else. Social media? Why would social media report these statistics? They report individual accidents, but not overall statistics. Anything you read about accidents on Samui in the media would be false. 

 

 

• Road deaths are now calculated based on fatalities on-site. Victims dying later in hospital not counted.
• In 2000 there was an average of 30 deaths a month on Koh Samui (official figures released each month).
• Now it is stated that Koh Samui has 3-5 deaths each month (using the new way of reporting road deaths).
• In the last ten years the population has almost doubled and there are now 5x more vehicles on Koh Samui.
• Based on ‘official figures’ today it is possible to estimate that Koh Samui currently has 60 deaths per million per year. (Compared to 23 in London.) Based on the population and traffic density statistics from 10 years ago Koh Samui has in reality 720 deaths per million per year. This is probably the highest rate of road deaths in the world. Samui is a fatality death spot that nobody is willing to acknowledge!

 

In the world that I come from, respect has to be earned, and it is never freely given. The authorities here deserve little respect, as they do not earn it. The police care little for the people, do not engage in any sort of traffic safety, only show up after an accident has taken place, do not ever pull anyone over for reckless driving, threatening lives on the highway, speeding, or driving while drunk. Sure, they nab people at checkpoints. But, most of those checkpoints just slow up traffic on the highway, and rarely result in making the highways safer. So, unless and until they start doing their jobs, they will continue to get little respect from the public. You get what you earn in this life. Most cops here cannot be taken seriously, as they are not serious people, and treat their job as a private franchise, rarely engage in law enforcement, or protection of the public.

Thanks spidermike007 for taking the time to put it on paper. My thoughts are exactly the same, but I've never taken the time to "get it out of my system". Thank you!

[lvr181]

1 hour ago, lust said:

Stop complaining about the lack of police enforcement. This isn’t your country. You signed up to these dangers before you came here. So annoying reading the same comments from people criticizing Thailand. 

 

Dont like? GO HOME!

Settle back into your rocking chair sunshine.

[hobobo]

4 hours ago, VocalNeal said:

What if Superman had worked for the Germans?

 

Video? The deceased had all the opportunity in the world to to move to his left and ride behind the guy. He was distracted by something. It pains me to say this but either the bike was not ABS equipped or it malfunctioned. ABS not withstanding the diseased was not riding with 100% of his faculties engaged in the activity of riding and yes he may have thought the guy would not be there when he got there but made no attempt to move to the left. Distracted.

Please do not call the unfortunate victim "diseased". It may be you or your mind that suffers from some sad disease.