Drink driving still the universal killer - Thai men and shops blamed 

 

Picture: Naew Na

 

Naew Na published a report that quoted two anti-alcohol NGO leaders who laid the blame for the country's appalling drink driving statistics at the door of Thai men and shops that sell to minors and people already drunk. 

 

Chuwit Jantharot said that alcohol was one of the great killers. 

 

Penalties in Thailand are a joke and the public flout the law because they don't care about the penalties that are ridiculously lenient.

 

Too often it is just considered negligence rather than something serious like murder to kill when behind the wheel. 

 

Attempts to do anything are almost pointless given this atmosphere of indifference. 

 

He blamed Thai men mostly for the trouble and shops selling to minors, even when they are already patently drunk. 

 

Damron Chudecha from another NGO agreed about the need to crack down on the sellers as much as the users of alcohol. 

 

He cited some progress in the north of the country and urged the public to be the eyes and ears of the authorities.

 

By informing on the selling of alcohol to minors they could get 30% of fines, too, he stated. 

 

He also praised some national parks that had instituted bans on alcohol as a positive sign. 

 

Source: Naew Na

 

 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2019-12-30

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1 minute ago, webfact said:

He also praised some national parks that had instituted bans on alcohol as a positive sign. 

Why, do many people drive in national  parks  then?.......... think the wildlife  has  more to worry about from Fatboy and his  ilk

whats new, this has been the same for many years and continues because it is not policed. Maybe if they started to enforce the law instead of only talking about it we would see a change of attitude but as we are all aware it will never happen because the police refuse to leave their air conditioned offices unless they can get tea money

Edited December 30, 20196 yr by seajae

9 minutes ago, webfact said:

Too often it is just considered negligence rather than something serious like murder to kill when behind the wheel. 

If you kill someone whilst driving under the influence of alcohol then you should be charged with manslaughter and given a mandatory prison sentence. 

you can add telephone when driving and over speed . As example Rawai Phuket ,Wiset Road where  in the village car and motorbike drive at 100km/h and more .Why authorities are doing nothing ? easy and cheap to put speed bumps on the road , so they complain about road carnage , but they do NOTHING .

...and the blame game is on, again!

Will anything be learned?

Nope!

 

2 hours ago, webfact said:

Chuwit Jantharot said that alcohol was one of the great killers. 

Idiots who drink alcohol are the killers, who then blame alcohol for their actions and choices. As long as society accepts this there will be no change.

Drunk drivers certainly add to and make the problem worse.

 

But quite frankly, the standard of driving is so poor in general terms, even without drunks the accident rate would be enormous.

 

not just thai men; an ex, who drove a huge pick up, would regularly drive after drinking, i used to refuse to go with her. i was out just the other evening with a thai businesswoman, she drank almost a bottle of wine and set off home in her large BMW, i suggested she took a taxi but she assured me she would drive slowly!

Get the police to make sure the laws are upheld. Make the punishment fit the crime for

rich or poor

Stop selling alcohol at corner stores.

Instigate correct licensed shops to sell alcohol along with only licenced bars being able to operate

Ban Lao Kao fullstop Iif not killed on the road , liver cancer will 

24 minutes ago, natway09 said:

Get the police to make sure the laws are upheld. Make the punishment fit the crime for

rich or poor

Stop selling alcohol at corner stores.

Instigate correct licensed shops to sell alcohol along with only licenced bars being able to operate

Ban Lao Kao fullstop Iif not killed on the road , liver cancer will 

1.Get the police to make sure the laws are upheld. Make the punishment fit the crime for. What about when the police are as guilty of breaking the law regards drinking and driving as the public they are supposedly there to protect? which they usually are. They feel there is one law for the public and another for them!

2.Make the punishment fit the crime for

rich or poor.......................You are dreaming!

3. Stop selling alcohol at corner stores.................Why? They will just buy it elsewhere!

4.Instigate correct licensed shops to sell alcohol along with only licenced bars being able to operate........................It will not happen and will not be enforced if it does!

5.Ban Lao Kao fullstop Iif not killed on the road , liver cancer will ........................Yeah, good luck with that one!

Edited December 30, 20196 yr by Scouse123

shops selling to minors,

 

Where is the evidence for this dumb statement? Just sensationalism as usual.

It isn't Thai men or Thai shops which should bear th burden, it's the Thai culture and the governments the Thai paople pay to steer their country forward. At least that's the way it should be but isn't.

 

 

Expect more "sin" tax soon....Chang soon to be B200!

Bottom line:  The only safe driving limit is .00%.  https://www.verywellmind.com/why-you-should-never-drink-and-drive-67117#is-there-a-safe-bac-limit

5 hours ago, webfact said:

He blamed Thai men mostly for the trouble and shops selling to minors, even when they are already patently drunk. 

Shops are doing business, they're not in the business of judging or controlling peoples drinking habits.

Blame the populous for excessive drinking and causing violence/damage/carnage or whatever it may be!

So this worthless NGO is admitting the draconian taxes, laws on selling times and holidays, early bar closings, etc. have done zero to reduce the massacre.  Do you think Bozo looks behind his NGO paid for SUV, while he is talking to a lender on his mobile, before backing up?  Of course not.  Low intelligence=low self esteem=horrific driving.  Alcohol and lack of accountability do not help...

10 minutes ago, hotchilli said:

Shops are doing business, they're not in the business of judging or controlling peoples drinking habits.

Blame the populous for excessive drinking and causing violence/damage/carnage or whatever it may be!

I almost entirely agree with you but shops are in the business of trading within the terms of their licences which, presumably, prohibit them from selling alcohol to minors.

5 hours ago, webfact said:

Drink driving still the universal killer - Thai men and shops blamed 

Killers are all those who have the power to do something but do NOTHING!
Alkhol drunk in reasonable quantities can also be a medicine!

6 hours ago, webfact said:

Chuwit Jantharot said that alcohol was one of the great killers. 

NO, idiots getting into a car or on a bike after a skinfull is the great killer

1 hour ago, ParkerN said:

It isn't Thai men or Thai shops which should bear th burden, it's the Thai culture and the governments the Thai paople pay to steer their country forward. At least that's the way it should be but isn't.

 

 

It is neither the Thai Male, or the Shops that sell the Booze to the Drivers that are to blame for the this Annual Carnage.

The blame sits squarely at the feet of the Government, not just this one, but all the previous Governments that have either ignored the problem, or are incapable of actually doing anything to stop this wanton slaughter of so many People.

They should all hang their Heads in Shame that they do not do anything to protect their Citizens.

TWO so-called NGO's spouting utter codswallop, bet they belong to same group that say Guns kill people . 

Of course people buy alcohol NOT JUST MEN , drunks buy it as well . Corner shops sell it as well as everyone else who feels they can, sheer lack of enforcement about the sale of alcohol same as sale of Benzine by some shops completely contrary to the law.

 

The country has laws barely enforced for sale of Alcohol, Drugs, yet we still see the mayhem daily, why, because in 16 years here, I have NEVER seen a Police roving Patrol anywhere, in a town, in a VILLAGE I am sure half the local Police do not know where it is , one resident told me they do not make any money in the villages, missing the point they are paid anyway .

 

Sadly these events take place every year and the figures rise or fall by a small amou8nt , and STILL the Government of the DAY refuses to accept it is a major part of the problem . Thai people need to learn the hard way now like children, fine them so much, remove their licences and lock them up , then when families are hurting they might learn, but I am sure deep down they will blame someone, never themselves ! 

 

 

Blaming drink driving alone is quite simplistic. Speeding, driving tired, not wearing seatbelts and the use of mobile phones while driving are equally to blame. Drink driving is responsible for about 25% of accidents yet receives far more focus than, in reality, is justifiable. The focus should be on all five high risk actions.

More enlightened countries already do this.

They can hammer the drink driving thing to death, but it gets to a point where any significant change in the numbers do not occur. There will always be an element of society who will drink and drive. In any free society that is.

It needs a wholistic approach. 

 

4 hours ago, losername said:

I almost entirely agree with you but shops are in the business of trading within the terms of their licences which, presumably, prohibit them from selling alcohol to minors.

I agree with you in what you say, the 7-11's, Lotus lek, CJ's  etc have to be aware of ages but I've seen bone idle parents send their younger kids to the local mom & pop shop to buy more beer.. they are willing to sell to anyone!

5 minutes ago, hotchilli said:

I agree with you in what you say, the 7-11's, Lotus lek, CJ's  etc have to be aware of ages but I've seen bone idle parents send their younger kids to the local mom & pop shop to buy more beer.. they are willing to sell to anyone!

Or dad is too drunk to get off the motorbike, he just drove,going the wrong way to the store, with at least one kid on the back..headlights?  helmets?  Mai Ben Rai.

Edited December 30, 20196 yr by moontang

3 hours ago, Khun Paul said:

I have NEVER seen a Police roving Patrol anywhere, in a town, in a VILLAGE

I've not been here quite that long, but I absolutely second that observation. I have only ever seen the police at one of their checkpoints, usually within 100 metres or so of a police station, and then only in daylight hours.

 

And that, as so many have pointed out, is the nub of the problem. There is no enforcement, because there is no money to be made from it.

People on this forum should use a dashcam and record their next long distance drive. Thai drivers drive as if they want to die. I don't know, maybe their wife is a massive pain in the ass or they can't get their lao khao addiction under control. Thai drivers pull out into oncoming traffic without looking, drive like children, go way too fast and are generally inconsiderate - no wonder so many of them end up as powder in the local wat.

I blame the police for it but i better speak to my dog since he's not that lazy.

12 hours ago, Dmaxdan said:

If you kill someone whilst driving under the influence of alcohol then you should be charged with manslaughter and given a mandatory prison sentence. 

But they were drunk and didn’t know what they were doing.

 

This is a valid excuse that is widely accepted here.

 

Money exchanged for the family plus a cut for the police and it’s over. 

4 hours ago, emptypockets said:

Blaming drink driving alone is quite simplistic. Speeding, driving tired, not wearing seatbelts and the use of mobile phones while driving are equally to blame. Drink driving is responsible for about 25% of accidents yet receives far more focus than, in reality, is justifiable. The focus should be on all five high risk actions.

More enlightened countries already do this.

They can hammer the drink driving thing to death, but it gets to a point where any significant change in the numbers do not occur. There will always be an element of society who will drink and drive. In any free society that is.

It needs a wholistic approach. 

 

 

All of what you say is arguably true, however all of the factors you describe collectively add up to a lack of basic driving ability, which boils down to teaching.

 

If you've ever been to a Thai driving school, then you;ll know what real laughter is.