Bus driver killed, three injured in collision on Bangkok road

By The Nation

 

A bus driver was killed and three other people were injured when a bus collided with a van on the inbound Rama II Road in Bangkok's Bang Khun Thian district on Saturday morning.

 

The accident happened at 6am on Rama II Road in front of Soi Rama II 94 in Samae Dam sub-district.

 

The dead bus driver was identified as Thuanthong Yungmee, 43. His helper was injured along with the van driver and van passenger, police said.

 

Police said the empty bus was heading from Ratchaburi to Chachoengsao to pick up passengers.

 

Witnesses told police that they saw the two vehicles racing against each other before the bus hit the side of the van, causing it to hit a road barrier and flip, while the bus also fell onto its side.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/around_thailand/30361330

 

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-12-29

Its an ego thing..

It's an education/cultural thing.

 

Self-control, thinking about possible consequences, overcoming the red mist.

 

Most of Thailand works on the greng jai principle, which boils down to "I won't criticise you, so you won't criticise me." Progress is hard with that kind of mindset to the fore.

48 minutes ago, RickBradford said:

It's an education/cultural thing.

 

Self-control, thinking about possible consequences, overcoming the red mist.

 

Most of Thailand works on the greng jai principle, which boils down to "I won't criticise you, so you won't criticise me." Progress is hard with that kind of mindset to the fore.

I think when 2 complete strangers race in a city street,its more of a ''mine is bigger thing'' .. which is just pathetic inflated male ego...and please do not use the ''education '' ,and ''cultural '' those are both just excuses and this type of rhetoric is doing more damage than good ..this is lawlessness laziness and disrespect leading to emboldenment and wrecklessness...its called ''manjai gern pai''  have a good one

What a <deleted> joke. Unbelievable stupidity of thai drivers. 

Well, that has buggered up the target of the chief of land transport Khun Pheraphon when he stated zero deaths on public transport this holiday. I did think he was raising the bar a little too high. 

Its the right place for wacky racers????  

15 hours ago, RickBradford said:

It's an education/cultural thing.

That's why there is only one solution:

Go back to square one and click newstart! 

15 hours ago, mok199 said:

I think when 2 complete strangers race in a city street,its more of a ''mine is bigger thing'' .. which is just pathetic inflated male ego...and please do not use the ''education '' ,and ''cultural '' those are both just excuses and this type of rhetoric is doing more damage than good ..this is lawlessness laziness and disrespect leading to emboldenment and wrecklessness...its called ''manjai gern pai''  have a good one

 

Notwithstanding the devaluation in using stereotypes, education (lack of) and culture (me first, can't loose face and let someone in-front of me etc) are considerable moderators of behavior in such examples. Add to this a lack of situational space awareness, lack of 'cause and effect" understanding and devil may care attitude because my amulet will protect me attitude and the results speak for themselves.

 

Brake failure, alcohol or other drug consumption, problems with spouse etc are the lame excuses often brought out.

 

You have a good one too.

 

 

 

 

At least the bus was empty and was travelling to pick up passengers.

18 hours ago, RickBradford said:

It's an education/cultural thing.

 

Self-control, thinking about possible consequences, overcoming the red mist.

 

Most of Thailand works on the greng jai principle, which boils down to "I won't criticise you, so you won't criticise me." Progress is hard with that kind of mindset to the fore.

 

It's also a parenting thing.

 

Many Thai parents don't explain anything about right and wrong, the law, social behaviors etc., etc., to their kids. 

^^^

I have seen ruinously bad Thai parenting up close, and the waste of human potential in Thai children is heartbreaking.

 

As another poster pointed out, many Thais seem unable to link cause and effect, to anticipate the consequences of their actions. In fact, they have problems doing anything which interferes with their inalienable right to go around in a permanent mindless fog.

 

I'm sure there are exceptions to this rule, and I'm sure I'll meet one some day.

19 hours ago, RickBradford said:

It's an education/cultural thing.

 

Self-control, thinking about possible consequences, overcoming the red mist.

 

Most of Thailand works on the greng jai principle, which boils down to "I won't criticise you, so you won't criticise me." Progress is hard with that kind of mindset to the fore.

Any any mistakes or wrong doing is just greeted with a laugh , a smile and a shrug of the shoulders

Just now, sanemax said:

Any any mistakes or wrong doing is just greeted with a laugh , a smile and a shrug of the shoulders

And so nobody ever learns or improves. What's that saying: "You learn from your mistakes"? Not in Thailand.

54 minutes ago, RickBradford said:

^^^

I have seen ruinously bad Thai parenting up close, and the waste of human potential in Thai children is heartbreaking.

 

As another poster pointed out, many Thais seem unable to link cause and effect, to anticipate the consequences of their actions. In fact, they have problems doing anything which interferes with their inalienable right to go around in a permanent mindless fog.

 

I'm sure there are exceptions to this rule, and I'm sure I'll meet one some day.

 

My example, for many years we lived in a big condo on Petchaburi Rd just around from the BTS station. Many times, late afternoon, my Thai son brought 1, 2, 3 uni buddies home for a snack, do their team projects together, swim, whatever.

 

Son unlocked the door and If I was already home he walked straight over to me, kissed my cheek, gave me a hug and probably said 'dad, something funny happened on the BTS and he would share a quick story, all in English, and we would exchange a few sentences of banter.

 

A second later when he was talking to his buddies often the comment 'XXXX, do you talk to your father? 

 

Further if he was a bit lost with the homework he would call me over, explain the Thai words and ask for some insight / understanding etc.  Again his buddies were shocked at this interchange.

 

Also, often I would pour some drinks (Pepsi or whatever) and take them to the table and put one glass in front of each boy. Again shocked and no idea whatever how to react. 

 

Often I would ask them if they were hungry, again they froze. 

Several of his buddies who came to the condo dozens of times did eventually relax and 'unfreeze' and then they would ask If I was hungry etc. Most never relaxed.

 

One interesting moment, one boy who had been to the condo many times, suddenly got up, headed for the front door, went out and re-appeared maybe 10 minutes later.

 

My son asked 'what happened'. Answer 'I went down to the lobby to go to the toilet'.

 

My son explained carefully 'not necessary, use a toilet here, very welcome, and son looked at me and said 'pore, chai hong naam tee nee OK, chai mai khrap (basically asking for me to confirm using the toilets inside the condo was all OK.). I quickly walked over to the young man put my hand on his shoulder and confirmed 'chai dai, chai dai'. (can use...)

 

Next time he came, quickly after he arrived I walked over and said 'chai hong naam our mai' (Do you want to use the toilet?) He understood the joke instantly and laughed, and responded looking directly at me and sai 'yung khrap (not yet), and giggled, now all relaxed.

 

My son also mentioned a few time that his buddies who had come to the condo had several times mentioned to other students, back on campus, 'XXXX talks to his father'. 

 

Sad.  

Edited December 30, 20187 yr by scorecard

I've had young family members come to stay for a couple of days, and I swear I would not hear them speak a single word. It's bizarre, and the total opposite of kids back in the UK. Why that is  I have no idea.

Thai patriarchy at work?   

@scorecard

Thai society is very different from Western society in that social interactions are bound by a set of status-based rules and roles.

 

You can see that in the pronouns used in Thai conversation - nobody calls each other 'you', it's always 'uncle', or 'young sister', 'grandma'. There's a rigid hierarchy there. 

 

Everyone knows their status and role, and everyone knows what rules they must follow. The lower status person must wai first, and bow deeper, and so on. It's built right in (and taught).

 

It is generally unthinkable to treat a status superior as an equal (hence the uncomfortable feeling among your son's friends - to them you are 'uncle', by virtue of being their friend's father.)

 

Respect in this system is built in, not earned. And so Thais don't need to work at being worthy of respect - they get an automatic amount of respect based on their status in society.

 

My sense is that the freewheeling individual social relations in the West are more conducive to building competent and well-rounded individuals, but I'm sure there are people who would take great exception to that claim.

Edited December 30, 20187 yr by RickBradford
Clarify respondee

4 hours ago, Burma Bill said:

At least the bus was empty and was travelling to pick up passengers.

I wonder if they are still waiting , it would be in the rain up here.

34 minutes ago, RickBradford said:

@scorecard

Thai society is very different from Western society in that social interactions are bound by a set of status-based rules and roles.

 

You can see that in the pronouns used in Thai conversation - nobody calls each other 'you', it's always 'uncle', or 'young sister', 'grandma'. There's a rigid hierarchy there. 

 

Everyone knows their status and role, and everyone knows what rules they must follow. The lower status person must wai first, and bow deeper, and so on. It's built right in (and taught).

 

It is generally unthinkable to treat a status superior as an equal (hence the uncomfortable feeling among your son's friends - to them you are 'uncle', by virtue of being their friend's father.)

 

Respect in this system is built in, not earned. And so Thais don't need to work at being worthy of respect - they get an automatic amount of respect based on their status in society.

 

My sense is that the freewheeling individual social relations in the West are more conducive to building competent and well-rounded individuals, but I'm sure there are people who would take great exception to that claim.

 

"...It is generally unthinkable to treat a status superior as an equal (hence the uncomfortable feeling among your son's friends - to them you are 'uncle', by virtue of being their friend's father.)..."

 

How true. I know all of your summation very well, and in my case many knew that I was a doctor (never actually mentioned by myself or my son, but gossip is fast), even more reason for them to keep a distance / not get into a social situation which is above their 'station in life'.

 

I deliberately worked step by step with my son's buddies to get them to slowly relax, feel respected, and to talk. It took time and some never relaxed, to them the idea of open discussion etc etc., is unheard of and in their view unthinkable, also a scenario they are unaware of / don't even know what it looks like, even wrong / rude. 

 

Yes it's complex. 

 

 

Edited December 30, 20187 yr by scorecard

An interesting corollary to the above is a feeling which many expats notice; that Thais behave better towards them when they first meet, than they do later on when they are well acquainted.

 

Thai culture is very strong on being polite to strangers - so even shopkeepers and bus ticket collectors tend to be friendly and engaging. 

 

But as an expat you don't fit into the Thai role/rule system, so nobody quite knows what your status is. You lie outside the contours of the Thai social status interaction map. And because Thai society places no emphasis on individual interactions based on mutual respect, you can often find yourself being treated in what seems to be a rather dismissive way.

 

It's not intentional rudeness in most cases, rather that Thais don't have the mechanism to deal with you on an individual basis, whether you speak the language or not.  Thais need to know your status before they know how they are supposed to react to you.

 

Once again, I'm generalising, but I'm sure there are plenty of expats who would recognise the signs.

3 minutes ago, RickBradford said:

An interesting corollary to the above is a feeling which many expats notice; that Thais behave better towards them when they first meet, than they do later on when they are well acquainted.

 

Thai culture is very strong on being polite to strangers - so even shopkeepers and bus ticket collectors tend to be friendly and engaging.

 

But as an expat you don't fit into the Thai role/rule system, so nobody quite knows what your status is. You lie outside the contours of the Thai social status interaction map. And because Thai society places no emphasis on individual interactions based on mutual respect, you can often find yourself being treated in what seems to be a rather dismissive way.

 

It's not intentional rudeness in most cases, rather that Thais don't have the mechanism to deal with you on an individual basis, whether you speak the language or not.  Thais need to know your status before they know how they are supposed to react to you.

 

Once again, I'm generalising, but I'm sure there are plenty of expats who would recognise the signs.

I do indeed , even visiting my inlaws twice a year they are at ease after a couple of hours but it might take the offer of a beer to get them talkative. Ok my TW is fluent in English whereas her folk feel embarassed to talk , afraid of looking silly with their mentors.

When someone is behind the wheel of a vehicle , the playing field becomes somewhat level  ,red plated BMW's are now fair game to a poorer somchai in an older D max ( and in most cases mabey even jelousy is a factor) ,or a Bus driver raging with a taxi driver or a man vs a woman ...traffic rage is a completely different animal than face to face confrontations ,but it is universally the same and usually built up rage from a separate issue...

Morons!

One less possible mass murderer to worry about on the roads