All thats needed is stricked Motor vehicle cheks on maintenance. any fails crush the vehicle, Hit them where it hurts in the wallet. 

Edited May 12, 20197 yr by Thongkorn

I am sure there are some good careful Van drivers but the Cowboys,of which there are many,gives them all a bad name.

I am sure there is no one on this forum who hasn’t had a close call with one.

 A properly orchestrated Defensive Driver Training should be implemented with increased insurance premiums for those that don’t attend and get accredited.Reduced premiums for those that do.

The driver culture needs to change not necessarily the Vans.

 

There are numerous proven templates reducing the road toll and injuries operating around the world.

Vans older 10 with original tires. 

47 minutes ago, stanleycoin said:

Yes very true

The van did it,   not the stupid selfish somchai's driving them.

that cause the accidents.

Update the drivers,  not the vans.

so true. take off the ridiculous government tax for registered drivers if they really mean it, not just encourage debt at a special interest rate. typical Thailand, always half measures. it also only states the insurance company rules not the governments, if there even are any. 

How about the antique brake failure machines are still running around Bangkok city?

Edited May 12, 20197 yr by raccos21

1 hour ago, Naamblar2014 said:

These vans should be off the road already.

nothing wrong with the vans, it's about the drivers.

40 minutes ago, Destiny1990 said:

What is the difference for a passenger crashing into a thick tree with 130 km an hour with a 5 year old or a 11 year old Van?

6 years?

7 hours ago, Dumbastheycome said:

Yes. A very old  people  mover . He packs in about 15  small children.

Only 15 small children ?

My stepdaughter used a van in Pattaya that started at the beginning of term with 12 kids from kinder Garden to M3, and as the term went on the numbers increase to 18 or more every day.

The driver even had 3 kids on the front passenger seat, and yes ! you guessed it , no seat belts at all.

School said they had to do it as the vans were not cost effective ( Thai speak for " we need to make more money from the vans " )

 

I have to agree if they can not be insured for commercial use they should not be carrying paying customers or kids.

How about life imprisonment for van and taxi drivers who can’t drive ?

8 minutes ago, geisha said:

How about life imprisonment for van and taxi drivers who can’t drive ?

How about law enforcement. Does anyone follow the law in Thailand?

https://www.thaizer.com/news/thailand-toughens-up-road-safety-laws/

9 hours ago, notasmartassknowitallfarag said:

I would much prefer an old van with a competent and careful driver than a 2019 tail gating speed merchant who does not use his mirrors. 

Yes agree , did not this come up about a year ago ?  I think I said then that the driver worries me more than the vehicle.

5 hours ago, Dario said:

Now: what is a van and what is a minibus? I have (probably wrongly) always considered vans and minibuses to be the same. Is a Toyota Commuter a van or a minibus?

Mini buses usually carry around 20 people and have 4 rear wheels.  Below are the type of mini buses I'm seeing more and more on Thailand roads where passenger vans make their runs.

 

 

 

6 hours ago, Pedrogaz said:

Every vehicle (and I use the term loosely) ferrying school kids to school each day is older than 20 years in my town.

My town too, looking forward to seeing the new school buses any day now.

5 hours ago, connda said:

I wonder who in the government made the decision to just target vans and not other commercial vehicles that carry passengers...and why?  Follow the logic to these decisions and there is usually a pile of money at the end for someone in the decision chain imho.

 

Then there is the question as to why smoke belching buses and trucks are not being forced off of the roads.  

 

The is all very peculiar.  ????
Vans - but not these?  Why?

 

In my opinion it has to do with this (my previous post)

"These minibuses wouldn't happen to be imports from China by any chance, would they? Actually , maybe produced now at their factory on the Eastern Seaboard - joint venture CP and SAIC."

Maybe their Maxus  minibus

30 minutes ago, cmsally said:

In my opinion it has to do with this (my previous post)

"These minibuses wouldn't happen to be imports from China by any chance, would they? Actually , maybe produced now at their factory on the Eastern Seaboard - joint venture CP and SAIC."

Maybe their Maxus  minibus

It may or may not be relevant but China takes any vehicle off the road after 10 years unless it gets special dispensation. (Specialist, vintage, etc).

 

That's how they got rid of the two-stroke motorbikes/scooters and converted to electric bikes.

8 hours ago, watcharacters said:

 

Singapore has pretty good control over older vehicles they want off the road.

 

No reason Thailand couldn't manage the same program.

 

 

 

Well, I suppose there is a reason. If not known it has to do with money 

2 hours ago, raccos21 said:

How about the antique brake failure machines are still running around Bangkok city?

Saw one of these in Sahmut Prakan . Bang poo. It had two wheel nut studs broken , i pointed to the wheel and the drive just shrugged his shoulders and drove off,

Edited May 12, 20197 yr by Thongkorn

How about vans having  a speed monitor attached? What about enforcing tourist & school van drivers to have a license & health checkup? 

What about vans having an annual safety maintenance check-up ( including the breaks and tires and installation of seat belts? 

Again, this is all hot air from the government with no enforcement.

13 minutes ago, toenail said:

How about vans having  a speed monitor attached? What about enforcing tourist & school van drivers to have a license & health checkup? 

What about vans having an annual safety maintenance check-up ( including the breaks and tires and installation of seat belts? 

Again, this is all hot air from the government with no enforcement.

Yellow plate vans have a check twice a year. They seem to be quite strict regarding tyres, brakes, seatbelts etc.

2 hours ago, Cake Monster said:

Only 15 small children ?

My stepdaughter used a van in Pattaya that started at the beginning of term with 12 kids from kinder Garden to M3, and as the term went on the numbers increase to 18 or more every day.

The driver even had 3 kids on the front passenger seat, and yes ! you guessed it , no seat belts at all.

School said they had to do it as the vans were not cost effective ( Thai speak for " we need to make more money from the vans " )

 

Can believe it. It is that sort of ignorance of safety that is more  pertinent than the age of a  vehicle. On a single occasion that I used the services of a Government operated van for a journey of  30 kms it ended up with 22 adult people in total including those perched on  folding  stools extracted from under the  normal seats. Midway the 3 passengers in the front were  squeezed  into the  back  to accomodate a monk !

As  said...it was the first and last  choice of transport.

Yet in retrospect I actually enjoyed the  rooftop bus experience  in Nepal  lodged in with  luggage and locals as we  careered along high mountain roads while  discussing political preferences. lol

Admittedly that was  choice  children do not  get  to make for themselves.

 

Worthless new rule - 1 year old van could have a serious defect. What they should do is introduce a proper safety check - along the lines of a UK MOT, not the current check that takes about 10 minutes. Vans and other vehicles that are likely to cover large distances should be checked more regularly.

12 hours ago, Nowisee said:

Amazing how they focus on the age of the van, as if that has played in any of the magnificent accidents that have occurred with the infamous "vans of death".

Deflecting blame has won out again over reality. 

 

 

Did you read the OP, it is about the insurance payout. Vans older than 10 years will not have insurance basicly, it does help to read the story

12 hours ago, essox essox said:

how does a person entering a van KNOW the age of it??

There are vans driving in Bangkok that still say (in Thai) that they are going to “World Trade Centre”. Didn’t they change the name to Central World in 2001 or 2002? So those vans are all at least 17 years old.

14 hours ago, Dumbastheycome said:

If that regulation extends  to school transport then my neighbor could have a problem. He uses an old Isuzu that has to be at  20 years old!!

No, school children are the equivalent to cattle or pigs being led to the slaughter. Not applicable. 

What happened to the 80 kilometer speed limit...

 

Nothing!

 

Yet more wasted words to the wind.

Atypical Thai revenue raising scheme that does not protect the passengers or public.Vans over 10 years should be RED stickered and taken off the road.This will solve the problem and force the owner into updating his vehicle, ensuring the passengers are covered by insurance and the public are marginally safer.

The idiots behind the wheel is a different issue that applies to all Thai vechicles on the road.

Am I able to see from the Registration (Tax) sticker on the van how old it is before I get in ?

So fitting GPS didn't stop the carnage. They did fit them, didn't they? 

Same rule should apply for taxis as well