Hi

yesterday I had a very bad experience on Thai roads. Probably I'm not the only one who got an accident with a motor bike involved. Here the story:

I moved with my car in the morning rush hour not fast towards an intersection. The traffic light showed red. I decided to fill some diesel into the tank, gave sign (for five seconds according to the dash board camera) to the right, moved slowly along the far right side of the two lanes, confirmed by checking the mirror that nobody was behind and turned in to the gas station. Unfortunately in the moment I turned a motor bike crashed into my car. He came from a small side road behind and didn't want to wait for a space in the slow moving queue of cars. Instead he took the short cut turning diagonal to the right and tried to overtake all cars just to reach the traffic lights when green. He was driving on the wrong side of the street of course. I could not see him in the mirror because he came diagonal to my car.

In my opinion I didn't do any wrong.

However the police grilled ME. And the guy, whose wife was sitting behind him and was admitted to hospital, presented a quotation in the amount of 100.000 Baht, which I should pay.

So the motorbike damaged my car and I should give him a reward???

Is this Thai Law?

What do you advice me to do?

Appreciate replies

Did you call your insurance company at the scene of the accident, it's always best to let them deal with all aspects of something like this.

Even after the fact get your insurance involved and let them do the negotiating.

 

I'm a bit confused as to what maneuver you were performing by turning right.

 

If the Thai was driving on the wrong side of the street I'd say don't pay it ! And I'd also threaten to sue for the damage to the car

My wife had more or less similar accident. We paid for the hospital bill and something more because the guy on the motorbike could not work. He came from the wrong direction, drunk, no helmet, no insurance. We were also grilled and because we are “farang” and I have my business here, I paid to settle this case. Even our lawyer from our insurance pushed me to pay.

It’s not correct, but we are visitors in a very corrupt country.

 

 

 

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a friend of ours involved I the same type of accident,the bike rider no licence,no insurance as it was his mates bike.the bike rider ended up in hospital pretty bad,case was solved by,the b.i.b.and the insurance agent and as the victim had NO MONEY my friend admiited it was their fault.when 100% NOT.

- Don't sign anything you cannot read

- Check for any CCTV at the jct or gas stn that may compliment your dashcam.

What did your insurers do?

Er, you do have insurance, don't you?

15 minutes ago, luk AJ said:

My wife had more or less similar accident. We paid for the hospital bill and something more because the guy on the motorbike could not work. He came from the wrong direction, drunk, no helmet, no insurance. We were also grilled and because we are “farang” and I have my business here, I paid to settle this case. Even our lawyer from our insurance pushed me to pay.

It’s not correct, but we are visitors in a very corrupt counry. 

Complain to your underwriters.

If you had looked over your shoulder you might have seen him.

Were you allowed to turn right at this point? No solid line on the street?

From what i read and heard in Thailand (was never involved in an accident personally) usually the car is given the fault (at least by police, i don't know how a court handles it), because they assume a car driver has money (and insurance) and a motorbike driver doesn't, does not have too much to do with being a foreigner.

Where did the quotation of 100k THB come from that you mentioned? The police asked for this money?

1 hour ago, simoh1490 said:

Did you call your insurance company at the scene of the accident, it's always best to let them deal with all aspects of something like this.

Agree.  This is a non-problem.  If the OP has Class 1 insurance, the insurance company will take care of it all...and I mean all.  But if he doesn't have insurance.....Lordy.

1 hour ago, simoh1490 said:

Did you call your insurance company at the scene of the accident, it's always best to let them deal with all aspects of something like this.

yes, I did

15 minutes ago, Berkshire said:

Agree.  This is a non-problem.  If the OP has Class 1 insurance, the insurance company will take care of it all...and I mean all.  But if he doesn't have insurance.....Lordy.

I have a 1. class, but because the wife on the bike was admitted to hospital and will have to stay more than 20 days

28 minutes ago, jackdd said:

If you had looked over your shoulder you might have seen him.

Were you allowed to turn right at this point? No solid line on the street?

From what i read and heard in Thailand (was never involved in an accident personally) usually the car is given the fault (at least by police, i don't know how a court handles it), because they assume a car driver has money (and insurance) and a motorbike driver doesn't, does not have too much to do with being a foreigner.

Where did the quotation of 100k THB come from that you mentioned? The police asked for this money?

no, the driver presented a quotation. And you are right. I'm the ATM

1 hour ago, Crossy said:

Even after the fact get your insurance involved and let them do the negotiating.

 

I'm a bit confused as to what maneuver you were performing by turning right.

 

enter the gas station

1 hour ago, evadgib said:

- Don't sign anything you cannot read

- Check for any CCTV at the jct or gas stn that may compliment your dashcam.

What did your insurers do?

 

Just now, sawadee1947 said:

enter the gas station

good idea. Thank you

So you were turning right across on-coming traffic and were hit by a wrong-direction motorcycle?

 

Maybe a sketch would help, you'll need to do one for the insurance anyway.

 

Good idea to see if the gas-station has any CCTV (assuming they'll let you look / have it).

 

This is why you need your insurer involved, they know the procedures and maybe have some leverage.

 

So let your insurance company sort it out.. That is what you pay for !!

38 minutes ago, jackdd said:

If you had looked over your shoulder you might have seen him.

Were you allowed to turn right at this point? No solid line on the street?

From what i read and heard in Thailand (was never involved in an accident personally) usually the car is given the fault (at least by police, i don't know how a court handles it), because they assume a car driver has money (and insurance) and a motorbike driver doesn't, does not have too much to do with being a foreigner.

Where did the quotation of 100k THB come from that you mentioned? The police asked for this money?

the 100k.THB. more than likely the mother, of the victim,thats how my mate got asked,oh did I mention my mate was THAI.

In case the bike driver insist to have money is this an option to let him go to court???? I

1 hour ago, luk AJ said:

My wife had more or less similar accident. We paid for the hospital bill and something more because the guy on the motorbike could not work. He came from the wrong direction, drunk, no helmet, no insurance. We were also grilled and because we are “farang” and I have my business here, I paid to settle this case. Even our lawyer from our insurance pushed me to pay.

It’s not correct, but we are visitors in a very corrupt country.

 

 

 

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Unbelievable! This place is more like Alice in Wonderland when it comes to determining liability for causing accidents

In effect you were turning right while being overtaken. So yes, you should be grilled, because legally you're to blame for the accident.

15 minutes ago, Crossy said:

So you were turning right across on-coming traffic and were hit by a wrong-direction motorcycle?

 

Maybe a sketch would help, you'll need to do one for the insurance anyway.

 

Good idea to see if the gas-station has any CCTV (assuming they'll let you look / have it).

 

This is why you need your insurer involved, they know the procedures and maybe have some leverage.

 

Sounds to me like the motorbike was heading the same direction as the OP. If that is the case, OP isd at fault, if motorbike headi9ng wrong direction, motorbike is to blame.

10 minutes ago, sawadee1947 said:

In case the bike driver insist to have money is this an option to let him go to court???? I

it will be sorted out by the,B.I.B.and the INSURANCE AGENT.

I'm guessing like this, as the Op said the bike was coming wrong way down the road to get to the traffic lights... Its irrelevant really though, insurance will negotiate a deal with police taking their cut :)

1 minute ago, cornishcarlos said:

I'm guessing like this, as the Op said the bike was coming wrong way down the road to get to the traffic lights... Its irrelevant really though, insurance will negotiate a deal with police taking their cut :)

Correct 

1 minute ago, sawadee1947 said:

Correct 

 

Boom, get in.... 

There is no reason to ask for money really. The hospital and treatment is covered by his insurance. For me it's out of the blue. Just milking farang 

5 minutes ago, sawadee1947 said:

Correct 

And what kind of road divider was there?

3 minutes ago, stevenl said:

And what kind of road divider was there?

No decider just ordinary street sign indicating the middle