Songkran death toll higher than last year, statistics show

[Airbagwill]

18 hours ago, Bangkok Barry said:

Nothing will change because:

 

1 - There is no meaningful driving test, and there never will be because to learn to drive properly is hard and takes patience and common sense. Thais do not do hard, they do 'That's good enough'. And they have no patience - 'Me First'. And there is a total lack of common sense in Thailand. And I mean total.

2 - The police are totally inept. They do nothing at all to prevent bad driving habits and are never seen at night - which is exactly the time they should be on the streets in search of drunk drivers. Drivers know they have no need to act responsibly because the chance of them being caught is close to zero ,and if they are they are punished by fines that probably haven't been updated in decades.

 

3 - Drivers of public and transport vehicles are poorly trained and maintenance is rarely if ever carried out because 'If not broken why do'.

4 - The authorities don't care because those who make decisions about such things are ferried around with police escorts and the carnage doesn't affect them.

5 - The only way anything will change is if Thais are forced to take proper driving lessons (and who will teach them?) and a western-style test is implemented. And that police actually do their job, patrol the roads and arrest people. It also needs a drastic culture change with drivers respecting other road users. None of which will happen.

The Thais can never admit it is impossible to solve though as that would mean they've failed, and Thais never fail at anything. Instead, we have the boss congratulating everyone. It's an Alice Through the Looking Glass world. 

Every one of you points are bbased on....nothing, every premise is flawed.

This is the kind of wishy-washy thinking that the Thai authorities are indulging in and has had absolutely no effect whatsoever.

[Airbagwill]

17 hours ago, Cake Monster said:

Why have the figures of road death toll been cut short today ?

 

Several regions are still involved in Songkran, including Pattaya, and tomorrow I think in Rayong.

 

These 7 deadly days in no way reflect the true carnage out there, as many people traveled back to the North East and North as early as the 7 th April and have yet to return back 

 

I wonder what the figure would be for 14 days of Songkran ?

The period is to a large extent arbitrary and as the figures are more or less the same for any other day anyway, you can choose whatever days you like.

The main significant difference is that the workforce holidays are over so those wishing to travel to Song Khran celebrations have to mingle with commercial traffic. This may be partly why Pattaya has there celebrations late....So Thai people working in the region can also attend.

Also the great north south migration is over.

Edited April 20, 2018 by Airbagwill

[theoldgit]

Offensive comments removed

[petedk]

22 hours ago, Old Croc said:

You were in fast moving traffic, cars in front started to "brake" just as someone was cutting in front of you. A potentially dangerous situation.

Instead of taking defensive action you flashed your lights at the offender. How very Thai of you. Did you sound the horn as well?

From my observations, all too often accidents here occur because, when things go wrong, many Thai's first instinct is to hit the horn rather than brake or steer out of trouble.

Westerners should be better trained in accident avoidance, also aware of the psychotic nature of many Thai males on the roads and avoid triggering their madness. I learnt that lesson early in my tenure here and my middle finger has remained sheathed ever since.

Yes I braked and flashed the headlights as he was cutting in. I flashed the lights rather than sound the horn to warn him of the danger he was posing. I was hoping he would stay in his lane.

 

 

How very Thai of me? I see and hear Thais honking at each other daily.

[petedk]

23 hours ago, Old Croc said:

You were in fast moving traffic, cars in front started to "brake" just as someone was cutting in front of you. A potentially dangerous situation.

Instead of taking defensive action you flashed your lights at the offender. How very Thai of you. Did you sound the horn as well?

From my observations, all too often accidents here occur because, when things go wrong, many Thai's first instinct is to hit the horn rather than brake or steer out of trouble.

Westerners should be better trained in accident avoidance, also aware of the psychotic nature of many Thai males on the roads and avoid triggering their madness. I learnt that lesson early in my tenure here and my middle finger has remained sheathed ever since.

Oh ... and I keep my middle finger down too. 

[petedk]

22 hours ago, Janner1 said:

I understand you completely, but why don’t you install a camera ? At least then you will have the proof of them forcing you to  ram them!

I do have a camera. I have also kept the incident on my hard drive, not as proof of anything, not because I want to post to Facebook but just to look at it sometimes to remind myself of how dangerous driving can be.

[petedk]

Thais don't seem to have a sense of fear or having done anything wrong when they drive recklessly.

I have seen Thai people "drag" a drunken man to his car, put him in the driver seat, turn on the keys and let him drive.

I asked how on earth they could do that. What if he kills himself or worse still another person. The reply I got was " My family are safe in bed, so i don't care"

 

Another example. I took a motorcycle taxi recently and another motorcycle came straight out of a side road at a crossroads and proceeded across the road in front of us. My driver braked and shouted at the other guy. 

What did the other guy do?  Stopped , got off his bike and walked aggressively over to us. "He had done nothing wrong". 

Luckily there was about 10 other motorcycle taxis parked nearby and they saw the whole incident and came over and the other guy left.

 

The many accidents in Thailand are a combination of many factors: Drunk driving, poor driving skills, no policing, bad attitude and so on. 

 

The road death statistics will only get worse until something really drastic is done.

 

[Justfine]

On 19/04/2018 at 10:50 AM, petedk said:

I was out driving last Saturday and I don't think I have ever seen such bad driving from Thais. 

 

2 accidents on Ekamai, at least 2 or 3 close shaves with cars or motorbikes cutting me off.

I experienced my first ever "road rage" on the motorway. I was doing 120 and the cars in front of me started to break, at the same time some idiot tried to squeeze in front of me , so I flashed my headlights. He then slammed on his brakes. I pulled over to the inside lane and slowed down (wife screamed at me), the idiot pulled over in front of me again and slammed on his brakes. I pulled over to the soft verge to stop and luckily he decided he was in too much of a hurry to stop.

 

I must admit i feel like quitting driving here in Thailand, but then again I am too terrified to take the vans or buses.

 

I wouldn't drive in Bangkok. No need.

[Bangkok Barry]

2 hours ago, Airbagwill said:

Every one of you points are bbased on....nothing, every premise is flawed.

This is the kind of wishy-washy thinking that the Thai authorities are indulging in and has had absolutely no effect whatsoever.

 

Would you care to explain the flaws in order that I might be educated. Let's start on my statement that there is no meaningful driving test, which you say is based on nothing. (nothing actually describes the test, don't you think?) Thanks. I look forward to your response.

Actually, I think you probably meant to comment on a different post as your comment is so wildly illogical that it couldn't possibly relate to what I wrote.
 

Edited April 20, 2018 by Bangkok Barry

[The Teacher]

22 hours ago, PEE TEE said:

With increasing amount of vehicles on the road . next year will be even higher. 

No drastic action will be taken by the police  .Will all be same same but different higher numbers .    

Thailand should recruit more police to train in traffic control not only for checking helmets and licences. but strict laws like the ones in say the UK USA. . Including Mots and exhaust emissions. tyre wear ect ect . and speed cameras . . Not so much fun to drive then but much safer . With all the fines they get would pay the police wages quit nicely      

I totally agree, just need someone with the intelligence to do so .

[Airbagwill]

1 hour ago, oldlakey said:

If truth were told I dont know what all the fuss is about

These threads on road carnage are nothing other than entertainment

Nothing will be done to change anything

If they want to slaughter each other so be it 

Drive carefully out there

Have a nice day 5555555555555555

"If they want to slaughter each other so be it " - seriously???

[oldlakey]

11 hours ago, Airbagwill said:

"If they want to slaughter each other so be it " - seriously???

Yes seriously

Its not compulsory of course there is another choice but that involves a total change of mindset towards road behaviour

As the vast majority of stakeholders dont just accept it they actually like the status quo, for different reasons depending on their social status so as far as I am concerned it seems it will just continue

It appears to yours truly that they are doing this to themselves via a group effort

 

 

[oldlakey]

19 hours ago, Airbagwill said:

"If they want to slaughter each other so be it " - seriously???

Pickup -  170 Kmh 5 dead 4 injured all female teenagers

Another self inflicted slaughter of young life right on cue 

I rest my case

 

[Bangkok Barry]

23 hours ago, Airbagwill said:

No I won't, basically, if you are going to comment on a topic, rather than just say the first thing that comes into your head to behoves you  to inform yourself of the issue you intend to comment on.

 

All your questions have been answered in previous posts.

 

your comment on driving tests simply underlines how your opinions are formed not by evidence or sound information but just by assumption.

 

I don't need you to tell me to inform myself about the Thai driving test and the results of it. I've lived in Thailand for over 25 years and I've witnessed the Thai driving test, where drivers are not required to drive in traffic for even a single minute to judge their skill, before they are let loose on an unsuspecting world. How can they possibly know how to drive in a responsible manner when it is not taught nor tested. Thailand is not number one in the world for road deaths (only at the scene, so heaven knows what the true figures are) for nothing. You clearly live on a different planet if you consider the test to be fit for purpose. And you clearly are not able to justify your original response to my post as you refuse to do so.

Edited April 21, 2018 by Bangkok Barry

[Thian]

On 20-4-2018 at 8:30 AM, petedk said:

The road death statistics will only get worse until something really drastic is done.

 

Yes when will mr Prayuth finally DO something to stop the carnage???

Edited April 21, 2018 by Thian

[gaff]

8 hours ago, Thian said:

Yes when will mr Prayuth finally DO something to stop the carnage???

 

The only thing that pratut has done is for himself and his friends. Millions.

 

Why do you think that he could know anything ? He spent a life in a uniform !!!

 

 

[KiwiKiwi]

20 hours ago, oldlakey said:

Yes seriously

Its not compulsory of course there is another choice but that involves a total change of mindset towards road behaviour

As the vast majority of stakeholders dont just accept it they actually like the status quo, for different reasons depending on their social status so as far as I am concerned it seems it will just continue

It appears to yours truly that they are doing this to themselves via a group effort

 

 

Agree. I think it's an education thing. Thais are never taught the purpose of laws so they don't think they apply to them. Combined with a ;law-enforcement monolith that makes very little attempt to enforce tha law, people will feel that laws have no purpose except to enable extortion.

 

And then there's the 'learning by watching'. They see rich people bribing law-enforcement and thus escaping justice, and they naturally think that there is no law that applies to rich people. Something that TV people seem to know about pretty well. Then they see no police presence in up-country villages sp they think it's OK to let their 10-year-old sones and daughters ride motorcycles (no helmet or drivers license needed - naturally).

 

It'll take 50 years to make any useful changes - in my opinion.

[metisdead]

Off topic posts and the replies have been removed. 

[oldlakey]

3 hours ago, KiwiKiwi said:

Agree. I think it's an education thing. Thais are never taught the purpose of laws so they don't think they apply to them. Combined with a ;law-enforcement monolith that makes very little attempt to enforce tha law, people will feel that laws have no purpose except to enable extortion.

 

And then there's the 'learning by watching'. They see rich people bribing law-enforcement and thus escaping justice, and they naturally think that there is no law that applies to rich people. Something that TV people seem to know about pretty well. Then they see no police presence in up-country villages sp they think it's OK to let their 10-year-old sones and daughters ride motorcycles (no helmet or drivers license needed - naturally).

 

It'll take 50 years to make any useful changes - in my opinion.

It really is a crushingly sad state of affairs where the loss of life and damaged lives are concerned

[lvr181]

15 hours ago, KiwiKiwi said:

It'll take 50 years to make any useful changes - in my opinion.

You're an optimist!