Hit by an SUV today at low speed (on my bike)

[Hal65]

It was at the south side of Tukcom, I'm going straight and she makes a right into me, starting at a crawl but accelerating.

 

She checks up on me, on the ground. 2 Thais in the area also check up, a guy and girl.

 

Guy thinks my arm is harmed. I flex it. It seems fine.

 

At first the other side sounds reasonable

 

"Sorry! What you want? Hold on I come back"

 

She disappears for 5 minutes. Hit and leave? No, she comes back on foot.

 

We talk. She offers to take me to a shop to fix it. This is 3:30am, I need a Thai to translate her chopped up English.

 

She refuses to give her information though. That sets me off. I'm not willing to hand over my bike to her if that's what she was thinking. I get ready to call the police.

 

She gets angry.

 

"No you not take picture me"

"Ok I tell police you hit me"

 

I check with the other Thais to see if I have backing. Guy says he saw nothing, girl says she turned into me.

 

"You need light on your bicycle!"

 

She's right on this point. Sure, she should have saw me (headlights and a street light were there). But that's no excuse for me not having lights on my bike. At this point I realize this won't be a clean victory if it comes to an actual legal fight.

 

I call the police. An answering person struggles to understand that I'm not on a motorbike. At one point he refuses to take information down from the witness I hand the phone to. He says a police officer may come soon. I am nervous about the non-committal tone.

 

My eye witness tells me she'll be gone for a moment as I discuss the police coming. My heart sinks, I think she's apprehensive about getting involved, but there's nothing I can do. She's gone for 5 minutes and then returns with a cigarette in hand.

 

The lady who hit me is now stuck on a loop:

 

"I not give you my information."

"I care about your body. Not bicycle"

"I take you to shop, right there"

"Why you call police?"

"Ok fine, they check your visa, you leave Thailand"

"I from Melbourne, where you?"

"Why you not ask about my car?"

"Ok I leave now"

 

I was just sitting there, a bit shaken but otherwise quiet. I guess people process stress very differently.

 

At some point she offers 1,000 to settle the matter. It's been 20 minutes and no signs of police coming. I take the 1,000 and put out my hand. She shakes her own hand with "no" and says "I angry with you"

 

I ask "Are you we done then?"

 

She gets stuck on another loop.

 

I thank the Thais and walk 300 meters home (got lucky in that respect) with my bike, that now has a bent handlebar area. Hopefully the bike shop can bend it back and there aren't other problems, we'll see

 

At the 35 minute mark, after I get home, I get a call. The police confirm that it's settled and I have money in hand. I thank them and conclude the episode.

 

 

Lessons learned

 

-- I really should have lights on my bike

 

-- My deepest concern was the Thais would turn on me in support of the other Thai. But as you can see, it didn't happen that way. Ironically the 3 of us were calm and silent, next to this beligerant woman who kept aggressively repeating the same things.

 

-- The police are very slow to respond, at least at this odd hour. One positive is they made damn sure there was no language barrier and I had the money in hand.

 

-- I went back and forth about whether I was right to call the police after she refused to give information. Was I being naively Western in thought? My final call is that calling the police was the right thing to do -- in my specific circumstances. It would have been impossible for an SUV to claim that a bicycle hit it, especially at the angle of damage caused to her car. If I was on a motorbike, this calculus changes drastically. But even then, I had an eye-witness. In a motorbike + no witness situation I think calling the police would have been more of a gamble and possibly a disadvantaged situation based on other reports posted here.

 

-- It was really disturbing that the lady who hit me threatened to deport me repeatedly and wouldn't shut up. Now that it's all over though, I understand them to be idle threats and am glad I did not explode on her myself.

 

-- Had I given the bike to her, or walked it to the shop it would have been interesting to see if they would have fixed it properly. The witness who also translated for me, said that the lady knew the owner. In that case I'd expect an expensive repair to possibly "get missed."

Edited March 15, 2018 by Hal65

[cornishcarlos]

24 minutes ago, Hal65 said:

threatened to deport me repeatedly and wouldn't shut up

 

I'm not an immigration expert but I'm pretty sure a random woman can't deport people :)

 

[steve187]

3.30am , dark, no lights on bike and the op wonders why he was hit. I know its nice to blend in with the Thai's. but no lights, whats a bulb 50 baht or so

[n210mp]

Alls well that ends well.

 

 However if you were in the UK,  you from my  experience would have been 50% in the wrong or at least had a  % share of the liability for this accident.

 

The Typical Thai driver is not the best in the world for any lateral thinking  or driving skills and they need watching like a hawk.

 

You can be a great rider but you cannot allow for  a person doing something completely wrong,  stupid, illegal or incomprehensible.

 

I  ride out from the darkside at around 4 am and do 50/60 Ks  down the railway road towards Sattahip taking in the 3 beaches and   have 5 lights on my cycle , 3 in use all the time with 2 for  occasions when the batteries or bulbs  fail  and 2 on my helmet.

 

Riding a  bike around the Pattaya city centre or  tukcom area, for me seems to be stretching the odds too far in the wrong direction, I never ride on the brightside save with the exception of returning home from the Sattahip area by coming down the Jomtien beach road early morning and then going up Theprasit back to the dark side .

 

It is also my opinion that most Thai drivers do "take care" of cyclists like me and often allow me right of way when in fact I should sop and let them go .

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Hal65]

13 minutes ago, steve187 said:

3.30am , dark, no lights on bike and the op wonders why he was hit. I know its nice to blend in with the Thai's. but no lights, whats a bulb 50 baht or so

I mentioned I was in the wrong to have no lights on my bike. (I actually mentioned this twice in the post)

 

Though there was a streetlight and of course her headlights.

Edited March 16, 2018 by Hal65

[HLover]

Your probably lucky the police did not show up.

[HLover]

1 hour ago, cornishcarlos said:

 

I'm not an immigration expert but I'm pretty sure a random woman can't deport people :)

 

Only if she is a foul mouthed hot tempered nasty smoking ex Aussie mattress pad.

Edited March 16, 2018 by HLover
Added content

[jacko45k]

3 minutes ago, HLover said:

Your probably lucky the police did not show up.

Haha,  yes lucky they didn't but also not much chance of it. My Mrs got rear ended on North Rd about that time and we spent an hour and a half with all lights flashing waiting on insurance reps and sorting it with not a cop in sight. Glad of it!

[HLover]

1 minute ago, jacko45k said:

Haha,  yes lucky they didn't but also not much chance of it. My Mrs got rear ended on North Rd about that time and we spent an hour and a half with all lights flashing waiting on insurance reps and sorting it with not a cop in sight. Glad of it!

Amen to that.  

My mate was involved in a minor accident and just the insurance company was needed.

Someday people will realize how much the police presence complicates issues.

[Hal65]

In your cases, did the Thais also refuse to give their information? I'm not sure if that is common or not in Thailand.

[jacko45k]

1 minute ago, Hal65 said:

In your cases, did the Thais also refuse to give their information? I'm not sure if that is common or not in Thailand.

No the other driver was compliant in my case, but it was only a matter of contacting both insurances. When a friend had a minor fender bender, the 'input' from the police was to arrange a cash payment half of which went to him!

[dotpoom]

30 minutes ago, steve187 said:

3.30am , dark, no lights on bike and the op wonders why he was hit. I know its nice to blend in with the Thai's. but no lights, whats a bulb 50 baht or so

You have just said it all.....bad enough Thais seem not to care about lights......now the Farangs?

[Hal65]

The irony is that I had a back light too, just not a front one. Well, time to get that fixed today, under the protection of the sun.

[essox essox]

who goes out on a cycle at 3.30 am....??

and why??

 

[oldlakey]

55 minutes ago, essox essox said:

who goes out on a cycle at 3.30 am....??

and why??

 

That info is only released on a need to know basis and you dont need to know

[Srikcir]

4 hours ago, Hal65 said:

She offers to take me to a shop to fix it.

Next day as shops are closed she says, 'what bike?'

Hal65 did best to take the Bt1,000 as only handlebars need to be repaired or replaced.

Not enough? Call it a compromise not having a light.

[zaZa9]

Did you have the local Police phone number stored in your phone?

What number to have if one is driving/riding across Thailand ??

[Xaos]

You waist your time, you will not get anything.

 

I was knocked by car low speed too in Pattaya few months ago. I ride Ducati, I dropped it and it coused 90 000 damage.

 

Police come, and there was passerby who said its 100% car fault, copper didn't want to do anything and was saying sort it out between you.

 

He said if go official way they take Ducati and keep for months as evidence and that.

 

So it ended up me claiming insurance fix and paying 30 000 excess. And car driver get away with it. Got nothing.

 

BTW car driver had no driving licence as well. Not even ticket.

 

Forget about it its ur usual joke. Waist of time.

 

Ah and copper even was looking how to turn so its my fault, trying to say u should not drive this side bla bla but passerby was tough on him and saying things like what do you not understand I saw everything and it's 100% car fault. Was even saying he will report copper. But hey nah.

 

 

[chuang]

2 hours ago, Hal65 said:

I mentioned I was in the wrong to have no lights on my bike. (I actually mentioned this twice in the post)

 

Though there was a streetlight and of course her headlights.

The onus is not on streetlights or her headlight but you no have light on your bike

[Jip99]

3 minutes ago, Xaos said:

You waist your time, you will not get anything.

 

I was knocked by car low speed too in Pattaya few months ago. I ride Ducati, I dropped it and it coused 90 000 damage.

 

Police come, and there was passerby who said its 100% car fault, copper didn't want to do anything and was saying sort it out between you.

 

He said if go official way they take Ducati and keep for months as evidence and that.

 

So it ended up me claiming insurance fix and paying 30 000 excess. And car driver get away with it. Got nothing.

 

BTW car driver had no driving licence as well. Not even ticket.

 

Forget about it its ur usual joke. Waist of time.

 

 

Total opposite of my experience in Pattaya.

 

Had a slight coming together at a T junction on soi Buakhao - Thai guy cut into me as I was turning left. Neither of us came off our bikes and the bikes did not collide. However, something sharp on his left handlebar made a 4 inch cut on my underarm, just above the wrist. Didn't notice until we parted company and I saw blood dripping from my arm...... 10 stitches required and a total of 8,000+ Baht overall for medical bills.

 

I thought nothing of it until a doctor changing the dressing said to my missus that I could claim on the government insurance. A friend had also mentioned this but the requirement to get a police report from soi 9 didn't fill me with enthusiasm. Eventually, we decided to file a report and I have to say that the police could not have been more helpful - walked out with the report, 30 Baht. The police even asked if I wanted to press charges against the Thai rider.

 

Went to the government insurance offices (added a few other medical receipts for uninsured treatments) and walked out half an hour later with a cheque for 14,000 Baht.

[Lee4Life]

2 hours ago, essox essox said:

who goes out on a cycle at 3.30 am....??

and why??

 

I was out just after 4am this morning, nice and cool, not much traffic at all, even the mean dogs seemed to be asleep...great time to get some exercise, but that's just me.

[Hupaponics]

3 hours ago, Hal65 said:

 

Though there was a streetlight and of course her headlights.

 

I recommend you to take a drive in a car with tinted windows in dark hours. You'll be amazed how difficult it is to see bicycles and motorbikes with no lights.

 

Cheers

[Hal65]

48 minutes ago, Hupaponics said:

 

I recommend you to take a drive in a car with tinted windows in dark hours. You'll be amazed how difficult it is to see bicycles and motorbikes with no lights.

 

Cheers

 

You're probably right, it does fit how the accident happened.

[woofwoof]

 If she's making a right hand turn and her turn signal is on and you want to go straight you should have been on the oppsite side of the car . Your at fault as she is and why would you want to be in a driver's blind spot and you had no lights.

Edited March 16, 2018 by woofwoof

[HLover]

1 hour ago, Lee4Life said:

I was out just after 4am this morning, nice and cool, not much traffic at all, even the mean dogs seemed to be asleep...great time to get some exercise, but that's just me.

True.

However, 0330 near that area- ultra defensive driving would be advised.

 

How dare the OP attempt to wake the coppers during sleepy time?

[Pattaya46]

1 hour ago, Xaos said:

Police come, and there was passerby who said its 100% car fault, copper didn't want to do anything and was saying sort it out between you.

 

He said if go official way they take Ducati and keep for months as evidence and that.

 

So it ended up me claiming insurance fix and paying 30 000 excess. And car driver get away with it. Got nothing.

 

BTW car driver had no driving licence as well. Not even ticket.

 

I don't really understand... I never had accident here myself but already assisted a farang friend also just pushed at low speed at a traffic lights intersection. He called his insurance and some guy was here no more than 10 minutes latter :). Among all the thing this guy wrote were informations on the other driver, including car, insurance and license details. The absence of a DL would very certainly have been written in red on his report, and certainly again would have consequences.... (I think)

[Hal65]

24 minutes ago, woofwoof said:

 If she's making a right hand turn and her turn signal is on and you want to go straight you should have been on the oppsite side of the car . Your at fault as she is and why would you want to be in a driver's blind spot and you had no lights.

The first sentence you wrote isn't what happened

[balo]

So you're on a bicycle without lights at 3.30 am , sorry you asked for it. I also ride my bicycle daily here, but I invested in a laser light that warns car drivers at night so they will see me. No guarantees of course, but I would not dare to ride late at night anyway , too many drunk drivers.

 

 

 

 

[essox essox]

3 hours ago, oldlakey said:

That info is only released on a need to know basis and you dont need to know

seems strange going out at such a late time, or early time whichever way one wants to look at it

[Anythingleft?]

Get some lights and be more aware, if you dont already watch what everyone else is doing then you should. Riding or driving about here expecting any kind of the 'back home' courtesy or rules to apply is just waiting for an accident to happen...
To be honest the fact that you had no lights in the first place and quite happily pootled around Pattaya in the dark shows a huge ignorance on your behalf.
No thought at all for the after effects that this may have on the lady driver.

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