Woman driver who killed two in Chiang Mai gets suspended sentence, pays damages

[Kalasin Jo]

12 hours ago, MadMuhammad said:

It’s not a value of a life, just compensation to place responsibility and ease the pain of loss. Something that happens all over the world.
Why do westerners constantly overthink things here to suit a worn out and boring narrative ???? 

In the UK the amount is fixed at around £12,000 for loss of life at the moment (but I haven't checked) caused by the negligence of another plus funeral expenses plus financial loss of support for the deceased's financial dependants which requires proof and the calculations can be complex. Plus interest until payment, plus the claimant's reasonable legal costs to prove first negligence then to prove the financial dependency and it's duration, which includes investigation of the deceased's earnings, their stability and duration.

[emptypockets]

5 hours ago, moe666 said:

Some of you have been here a long time you still do not get it they look at all this very different than it is looked at in the west. You may not agree with it but how is that working out for you. If you want western justice you will need to go back home. 

My guess is that most of the posters have never been in Thailand for longer than a two week mongering holiday in Pattaya ten years ago, yet seem qualified to opine on the values of the country. The vast majority of forum members do not reside in Thailand at all. It really confounds me why someone living in a bedsit in Croydon/Clacton/Newcastle even feels the need to read this forum let alone comment. Why would a 'normal' person do that?

Comprehension is seriously lacking as well. The lady got sentenced to three years jail as well as a not insignificant sum of money in compensation. The suspension of the sentence does not let her off from her crime, it is done frequently in the West as well.

[richard_smith237]

5 minutes ago, emptypockets said:

My guess is that most of the posters have never been in Thailand for longer than a two week mongering holiday in Pattaya ten years ago, yet seem qualified to opine on the values of the country. The vast majority of forum members do not reside in Thailand at all. It really confounds me why someone living in a bedsit in Croydon/Clacton/Newcastle even feels the need to read this forum let alone comment. Why would a 'normal' person do that?

Comprehension is seriously lacking as well. The lady got sentenced to three years jail as well as a not insignificant sum of money in compensation. The suspension of the sentence does not let her off from her crime, it is done frequently in the West as well.

 

Perhaps try a poll - How many Posters Live in Thailand, how many live at home etc. 

 

1) In Thailand full time / Call Thailand home

2) In Thailand for more than 50% of the year

3) In Thailand for a few months a year. 

4) Visit Thailand for a couple of weeks every year

5) Visited Thailand once in the last 5 years

6) Visited Thailand once in the last 10 years

[emptypockets]

1 minute ago, richard_smith237 said:

 

Perhaps try a poll - How many Posters Live in Thailand, how many live at home etc. 

 

1) In Thailand full time / Call Thailand home

2) In Thailand for more than 50% of the year

3) In Thailand for a few months a year. 

4) Visit Thailand for a couple of weeks every year

5) Visited Thailand once in the last 5 years

6) Visited Thailand once in the last 10 years

Feel free to create one but I expect it would be an exercise in futility. This forum boasts, apparently, in excess of 300,000 members but in most polls I have seen they struggle to get over 100 respondents which may indicate the actual number of members actually living in Thailand.

[thailand49]

The police is the problem, judge and jury!  and no mental ability to the problem. The toll continues as long as you continue with this line of thinking.

[Catoholic]

putting someone in jail for a accident? that would be outrageous. she was sober, and most likely just going about her normal business now her life is in turmoil because she made a wrong turn...  the real crime is the 7.5% interest rate.

 

an eye for an eye leaves the whole world blind.  

[Torrens54]

Sad, very sad commentary on supposed values in a Civilised Country.

[Melbun]

17 hours ago, z42 said:

Disgusting. Only about money for the deceased's family.

Surely the authorities have a duty to punish reckless driving harshly as it is (or should be) a key component in reining in potential bad drivers.

 

I have read about people getting actual jail time and larger fines for defamation.

 

The justice system here proving yet again what a shower it is. Pitiful, truly pitiful.

Money buys anything in Thailand. Absolution of sin, removal of responsibility, abbreviated jail sentences, compensation for 'grieving' relatives, pussy, judges, et al. It happens everywhere, but more open in LOS. Not that bad really (if you have money that is !!)

Edited November 1, 2019 by Melbun

[Melbun]

5 hours ago, emptypockets said:

My guess is that most of the posters have never been in Thailand for longer than a two week mongering holiday in Pattaya ten years ago, yet seem qualified to opine on the values of the country. The vast majority of forum members do not reside in Thailand at all. It really confounds me why someone living in a bedsit in Croydon/Clacton/Newcastle even feels the need to read this forum let alone comment. Why would a 'normal' person do that?

Comprehension is seriously lacking as well. The lady got sentenced to three years jail as well as a not insignificant sum of money in compensation. The suspension of the sentence does not let her off from her crime, it is done frequently in the West as well.

To get diversity of opinion stupido !! Else if you are living there full time you won't see the wood for the trees and your opinion is extremely coloured.

[The Deerhunter]

19 hours ago, z42 said:

Disgusting. Only about money for the deceased's family.

Surely the authorities have a duty to punish reckless driving harshly as it is (or should be) a key component in reining in potential bad drivers.

 

I have read about people getting actual jail time and larger fines for defamation.

 

The justice system here proving yet again what a shower it is. Pitiful, truly pitiful.

She is so lucky she was not a Falang.

[Srikcir]

23 hours ago, webfact said:

Woman driver who killed two in Chiang Mai gets suspended sentence, pays damages

Another example of social inequality in Thailand and undemocratic flaw of its judicial system - the inappropriate intermixing of a civil case with a criminal case with (ultimately) adjudication based on ability to pay.

While both require evidence for judgement and may share the same evidence, a criminal case requires a degree of evidence "beyond the shadow of doubt" for conviction while a civil case only requires a degree of reasonable evidence without the limit of certainty for a court ruling.

In fact Thailand does have in the Courts of First Instance among its eight different divisions, a division between Civil Courts and Criminal Courts. https://www.nyulawglobal.org/globalex/Thailand.html#CourtsofFirstInstance

It would seem that the present case should be tried in two different court divisions: civil vs criminal.

Why wasn't it?

[ebean001]

this accident was a lot more complicated then what it seems. I can understand her feeling of 'not guilty'. A complete investigation might show some results that are surprising. One piece of evidences is how easy the 'wall' crumbled. many more pieces of information.

[ChakaKhan]

17 hours ago, Donut21 said:

Mine s Bank account.

 

I was thinking of wearing a shirt saying ATM..withdraw money from zipper....

[ChakaKhan]

18 hours ago, cnx101 said:

Better than millimeter I suppose 

Call me lucky....besides I was in the pool!  it was cold...

[wgdanson]

11 hours ago, emptypockets said:

Feel free to create one but I expect it would be an exercise in futility. This forum boasts, apparently, in excess of 300,000 members but in most polls I have seen they struggle to get over 100 respondents which may indicate the actual number of members actually living in Thailand.

I think TV is similar to many other internet organisations eg Microsoft, Google, Facebook etc. Once you are in, you are in. There is no way to leave and have ALL your past data completely removed.   Or is there?

[MadMuhammad]

17 hours ago, Teddy3943 said:

By all over the world you mean the monkey countries, where drivers don't properly learn how to drive, have to proof their skills and have to do exam in the traffic law. I think your nickname tells the truth...

Nice casual racism there, good job. 
I had a catastrophic traffic accident in Australia. I almost lost my life yet the other driver received a ticket for not giving way. I’m now permanently disabled. 
I sued and received a large pay out as compensation, something just mom could have done had I died. We settled out of court.

How is that different that what happened here? 

[MadMuhammad]

16 hours ago, KenKadz said:

Please explain what is the value of life in Thailand?

Very ambiguous question. The ‘value’ is the same as anywhere else, every family feels the same pain of loss. But that doesn’t suit your narrative does it.....

[MadMuhammad]

11 hours ago, Kalasin Jo said:

In the UK the amount is fixed at around £12,000 for loss of life at the moment (but I haven't checked) caused by the negligence of another plus funeral expenses plus financial loss of support for the deceased's financial dependants which requires proof and the calculations can be complex. Plus interest until payment, plus the claimant's reasonable legal costs to prove first negligence then to prove the financial dependency and it's duration, which includes investigation of the deceased's earnings, their stability and duration.

I had a catastrophic traffic accident in Oz. 2 week coma, 4 months in hospital, 64% full body disabled. The other driver wasn’t injured. Compulsory vehicle insurance covered ICU, surgeries, rehab, mental health, home assistance appliances, 80% of my salary plus many other things I can’t remember. 
Including compensation when I sued the other driver the final bill was close to $2milAUD. The difference between a lifetime living in the spare room at my kind and leading a full life 

I’m covered for life for anything accident related as well

Edited November 2, 2019 by MadMuhammad

[bristolgeoff]

Pay the money to the family sorted.thai justice served next case now please.anywhere else goal time.welcome to thailand

[meechai]

17 hours ago, moe666 said:

Some of you have been here a long time you still do not get it they look at all this very different than it is looked at in the west. You may not agree with it but how is that working out for you. If you want western justice you will need to go back home. 

Not so sure......

 

Live here many years & see it more as cause & effect

 

They constantly bemoan having the deadliest roads in the world with 60 or so dead every day

Always a new promise to improve

 

Then they treat this type of offense/offender like this? Well I see it as cause & effect then.

They get the roads they deserve

 

You also assume its is all good with all Thai families? I assure you it is not.

Many times a so called Hi So hits a so called Lo So & that family is lucky to see 100k baht if anything at all.

(Not surprisingly in this case 200k for 2 people is all that has actually been paid so far)

 

Often they are usually just told was their relatives fault by the first bought & paid for cop on the scene

They are not looking at it differently they want justice but none is available for "them"

 

 

 

Edited November 2, 2019 by meechai

[hotchilli]

17 hours ago, KenKadz said:

Please explain what is the value of life in Thailand?

Zero

[metisdead]

A post using ALL CAPS has been removed, please turn off your Caps Lock when posting. 

[Derek B]

On 11/1/2019 at 11:37 AM, trainman34014 said:

In any developed country it would have been 'Causing death by dangerous driving' and she would most likely recieve a sentence of 5-7 years in Jail for causing the deaths of two innocent people !

In a developed country the barrier over the bridge would of done it's job hopefully. I wonder if an assessment of the design & it's construction has taken place since the incident.

[TKDfella]

4 minutes ago, Derek B said:

In a developed country the barrier over the bridge would of done it's job hopefully. I wonder if an assessment of the design & it's construction has taken place since the incident.

Not the point. The driver is responsible for driving said vehicle not how well the bridge etc is constructed. Likewise, the bridge builders are not responsible for driver's abilities...and they were not on trial.

[Derek B]

21 minutes ago, TKDfella said:

Not the point. The driver is responsible for driving said vehicle not how well the bridge etc is constructed. Likewise, the bridge builders are not responsible for driver's abilities...and they were not on trial.

Okay...........but the risk to other road users is still there unchanged even if the guilty party gets the death sentence on this occasion.

 

[Derek B]

Road safety is not all about a driver's ability alone. If a bridge is built sooner or later for whatever reason what passes over the bridge may end up falling off the bridge so the inclusion of a sound barrier would make a lot of sense. In this case a lesson sadly learnt which one would hope the authorities pick up on. Having said that most of the bridges passing over the Chiang Mai moat just have a high kerb. This incident took place where a concrete structure just crumbled.

Edited November 2, 2019 by Derek B
typo

[foxzami]

thais  have to  vbe  the  worst drivers in the  world. They take  no notice of  driving laws  overtake  with their motorbikes  each side of  your  vehicle  speed  at  dnagerous levels  Fail  to  stop  at pedestrian  crossings  whch in other  countries  drrivers  will lose  their licence  instantly.  The  number of  deaths on  the roads  says it all  showing  the  irresponible  and reckless  way  they drive  and  value  life

[Jonathan Swift]

On 11/1/2019 at 8:43 AM, MadMuhammad said:

It’s not a value of a life, just compensation to place responsibility and ease the pain of loss. Something that happens all over the world.
Why do westerners constantly overthink things here to suit a worn out and boring narrative ???? 

the more that westerners overthink the smarter they think they are. I would ask one of those smartasses exactly how much money each life is worth, and describe their formula rationale in detail, and then apply their conclusions to each type of circumstance, ability of the perpetrator to pay (awarding 5,000,000 baht and then expecting an average working Thai person to pay?), each local economy,  etc. That's why we have legal actions, courts, judges, as imperfect as that may be. The court is faced with an impossible task, as illustrated by the westerner's comment, and that is to come up with a monetary figure for a human life. In the face of this impossibility, the court is required to do at least SOMETHING. 

[KenKadz]

7 hours ago, MadMuhammad said:

Very ambiguous question. The ‘value’ is the same as anywhere else, every family feels the same pain of loss. But that doesn’t suit your narrative does it.....

Might consult an actuarial - mortality table.

[roo860]

If a bit of driver awareness was shown by both parties, then this incident could possibly been avoided.