Korean cycling champ ‘killed on Chiang Mai road’

By THE NATION

 

 

Self-styled online accident investigator Sasirin Pokpun claimed on Facebook on Friday (January 30) that a member of South Korea’s national cycling team had been struck and killed on a Chiang Mai road.

 

Sasirin posted photos of the accident scene on Mae Rim-Samerng Road leading to Mount Mon Jaem in Mae Rim district.

 

She said the Korean national team is training in Thailand from January 18-February 25, and cited unnamed witnesses as saying one of the team’s members – an Asian youth cycling league champion – had been struck down by a pickup truck at about 10am on Wednesday and died at the scene soon after.

 

Sasirin asked anyone who happened to be passing the scene at that time in a vehicle with a dashboard camera to contact her via Line ID 'thunderxxx' so she could try and determine how the accident happened.

 

Source: https://www.nationthailand.com/news/30381303

 

-- © Copyright The Nation Thailand 2020-01-30

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You have to be crazy to come here to the most dangerous roads in the world to ride your bicycle around in the mountains . RIP .

4 minutes ago, webfact said:

She said the Korean national team is training in Thailand from January 18-February 25,

Another sad tragedy.

I wouldn't have thought that the world's second worst country for traffic accidents and deaths, was a good place for cyclists to train on.

R.I.P.

over the past 10 years, a number of cyclists have been killed in Chiang Mai. 

I often cycle there, the 7-11 start then up the back road to Mon Jairm, then down the front road and back past the Botanic gardens loop  is a very popular route. Lots of Thai cyclists using it on a Sunday morning.

Edited January 30, 20206 yr by BritManToo

I wouldn't have gone bicycling here unless forced at gunpoint.

38 minutes ago, webfact said:

Sasirin asked anyone who happened to be passing the scene at that time in a vehicle with a dashboard camera to contact her via Line ID 'thunderxxx' so she could try and determine how the accident happened.

So he did a runner ?That's unusual, he may come forward when he's sobered up

Has anyone ever been killed on a motorbike here?  Whenever there's a bicycling fatality reported in ThaiVisa all the curmudgeons  pop out of the woodwork to condemn the stupidity of anyone who would dare to bicycle in Thailand but strangely they remain silent about the stupidity of riding a motorbike here.  It's almost as if they have a grudge against anyone who is fit enough to exert themselves physically.

Poor thinking and organisation of the Korean National Team's Management when the whole World knows how dangerous Thailands roads are.  Heads will roll back in Korea methinks.

1 hour ago, suzannegoh said:

Has anyone ever been killed on a motorbike here?  Whenever there's a bicycling fatality reported in ThaiVisa all the curmudgeons  pop out of the woodwork to condemn the stupidity of anyone who would dare to bicycle in Thailand but strangely they remain silent about the stupidity of riding a motorbike here.  It's almost as if they have a grudge against anyone who is fit enough to exert themselves physically.

Well said, although I have to add, my experiences of riding that area, is to avoid.  Too many f@ckwits in minibuses & pickups.  I avoid Samoeng loop completely now, same the climb up to Doi Suthep.  Plenty of quieter roads with bigger climbs to ride.  

Edited January 30, 20206 yr by Samuel Smith

24 minutes ago, Samuel Smith said:

Well said, although I have to add, my experiences of riding that area, is to avoid.  Too many f@ckwits in minibuses & pickups.  I avoid Samoeng loop completely now, same the climb up to Doi Suthep.  Plenty of quieter roads with bigger climbs to ride.  

It's really that bad now? I remember it being quiet but I used to go in the evenings. If that's the case then Chiang Mai is over for cyclists (as if the smoke wasn't enough).

Again, more news so damning of Thailands dangerous roads. 

 

If its not a Bus rolling down a ravine or driving on the wrong side of the road, its a Lorry with brake failure, a pickup driver blaming the rain, a tailgating idiot, a drunken <deleted>, an idiot tourist without a licence on a moped  (thank you Yinn), grannies on sailors with a parasol, Speedboats full of tourists crashing into each other or a large fishing vessel colliding with massive ferry.... 

 

Deadly carelessness putting the lives of innocents in danger seems to be present in every facet of travel here... 

1 hour ago, suzannegoh said:

Has anyone ever been killed on a motorbike here?  Whenever there's a bicycling fatality reported in ThaiVisa all the curmudgeons  pop out of the woodwork to condemn the stupidity of anyone who would dare to bicycle in Thailand but strangely they remain silent about the stupidity of riding a motorbike here.  It's almost as if they have a grudge against anyone who is fit enough to exert themselves physically.

This.  I wonder if the deaths rates from drinking and smoking in dank bars in Pattaya rises to the level of cyclists dying on Thai roads?  I'll take my chances living rather than rotting. 

16 hours ago, BritManToo said:

I often cycle there, the 7-11 start then up the back road to Mon Jairm, then down the front road and back past the Botanic gardens loop  is a very popular route. Lots of Thai cyclists using it on a Sunday morning.

Seems also a popular route for pickups.

Seen then driving around in Chiang Mai with a mini van as a follow car blocking your front view making it very difficult to nearly impossible to pass them.

A platoon occupying the roads like they are theirs.

It was waiting for an accident to happen.

Who on earth would have a training camp on the most dangerous roads in the world?

Still a very sad thing to happen.

R.I.P. young man.

17 hours ago, keith101 said:

You have to be crazy to come here to the most dangerous roads in the world to ride your bicycle around in the mountains . RIP .

Not to mention that the 2.5PM air pollution in Chiang Mai is horrendous! Bringing the Korean national team for training in the north of Thailand during sugar cane burning season is as stupid as it gets. 

59 minutes ago, terminatorchiangmai said:

Seen then driving around in Chiang Mai with a mini van as a follow car blocking your front view making it very difficult to nearly impossible to pass them.

A platoon occupying the roads like they are theirs.

It was waiting for an accident to happen.

Who on earth would have a training camp on the most dangerous roads in the world?

Still a very sad thing to happen.

R.I.P. young man.

from what source could you determine their riding formation? 

18 hours ago, keith101 said:

You have to be crazy to come here to the most dangerous roads in the world to ride your bicycle around in the mountains . RIP .

 

I cycle in Thailand by mountain bike almost every day; sometimes on busy roads and I'm alone ...
it is not on the side of Chiang Mai; whatever happens to me sometimes.

 

To come back to the subject, when we are several, a few dozen, we always have with us a police car which follows us and which is therefore our safeguard and a few people in motorbikes and reflective vests on our sides.
so I don't understand why the cycling team in Korea was not using the same method

I ride bike 5-6 times a week for 5 years.  I find Thai motorists to be more accomodating and respectful than some places I've biked in the US.

But I wouldn't tour down a hiway.

For some strange reason it,s almost always a pick-up truck, driven by someone who is not even looking in front of him. I remember the poor guy who was cycling around the world, and he made it as far as Chiang Mai ????

18 hours ago, webfact said:

Sasirin asked anyone who happened to be passing the scene at that time in a vehicle with a dashboard camera to contact her via Line ID 'thunderxxx' so she could try and determine how the accident happened.

So the vehicle that hit him didn't hang around?

18 hours ago, keith101 said:

You have to be crazy to come here to the most dangerous roads in the world to ride your bicycle around in the mountains . RIP .

You mean the most dangerous drivers in the world.

 

16 hours ago, suzannegoh said:

Has anyone ever been killed on a motorbike here?  Whenever there's a bicycling fatality reported in ThaiVisa all the curmudgeons  pop out of the woodwork to condemn the stupidity of anyone who would dare to bicycle in Thailand but strangely they remain silent about the stupidity of riding a motorbike here.  It's almost as if they have a grudge against anyone who is fit enough to exert themselves physically.

I havent

16 hours ago, suzannegoh said:

Has anyone ever been killed on a motorbike here?  Whenever there's a bicycling fatality reported in ThaiVisa all the curmudgeons  pop out of the woodwork to condemn the stupidity of anyone who would dare to bicycle in Thailand but strangely they remain silent about the stupidity of riding a motorbike here.  It's almost as if they have a grudge against anyone who is fit enough to exert themselves physically.

Spot on :In Siam other than planes and trains (and stationary bicycles in gyms) all transport is hazardous : buses tumble down ravines because of 'brake failure', vans go at breakneck speed on suicide missions, and have you attempted crossing a road at a zebra crossing in Bangkok (you gotta put your life on the line to get to the other side), just walking on sidewalks in the capital ain't that safe either unless you have a superb reaction time jumping out of the way of those lovable wins. 

That's why there are no Thai cycling champions I suppose.

 

Passed these guys several times last week on the Khlong Chonlaprathhan Road they had a tour bus with warning lights on at the rear of the pack but I'm not surprised one of them got hit its a Grand Prix circuit without rules????Rip

16 hours ago, suzannegoh said:

Has anyone ever been killed on a motorbike here?  Whenever there's a bicycling fatality reported in ThaiVisa all the curmudgeons  pop out of the woodwork to condemn the stupidity of anyone who would dare to bicycle in Thailand but strangely they remain silent about the stupidity of riding a motorbike here.  It's almost as if they have a grudge against anyone who is fit enough to exert themselves physically.

At least motorbikes are capable of keeping up with traffic. Bicycles, which are not, and their riders, often think they own the road. 

I lived in Korea for years, I know very well how they feel about "others". I wouldn't be the least bit surprised to learn the bike rider was well into the motarized vehicle laneway. 

A few years ago MotoGP rider Nicky Hayden was killed whilst riding his bicycle in Italy.

 

I must have missed the plethora of Italian road safety naysayers.????

16 hours ago, trainman34014 said:

Poor thinking and organisation of the Korean National Team's Management when the whole World knows how dangerous Thailands roads are.  Heads will roll back in Korea methinks.

 

Not to mention the ambient air pollution levels in the CM region at this time of year. If the motorists don't get you, the toxic air will!!!  Hard to fathom their choice of location and time of the year.

 

Having spent a lot of time cycling all over the world, CM is not attractive to me at all. I once saw the Malaysian team going up the Samoeng Rd and they had guys next to each other like they owned the road and I put the horn on them. How stupid and arrogant. The guy gave me the finger. Back in the states we always rode single file, and the guy in back would come up to the front for a while to block the wind, a continual process. Side by side forget it and I seee farangs in CM doing it. Crazy to me.

18 hours ago, suzannegoh said:

Has anyone ever been killed on a motorbike here?  Whenever there's a bicycling fatality reported in ThaiVisa all the curmudgeons  pop out of the woodwork to condemn the stupidity of anyone who would dare to bicycle in Thailand but strangely they remain silent about the stupidity of riding a motorbike here.  It's almost as if they have a grudge against anyone who is fit enough to exert themselves physically.

I agree with your post and gave it a "Like"...however for many, riding a motorbike is a necessity as is their only means of transport. Cycling for fun, exercise or competition is not really a necessity.