Tourists on a motorcycle: Australian couple killed in horror collision in Krabi

[Jingjock]

It appears that no one has mentioned that in two headlines it says

Australians, then it says Austrians, by there names I would say the latter to be correct.

[toofarnorth]

On 2/5/2020 at 8:05 AM, Time Traveller said:

This story says it's Australians. The topic header says it's Austrians. Embarrassing thais still don't know the difference between those countries. 

 

Spot on my wife the same . While here ...............It could of been a panic situation that occured and reaction was to go to the side one is used to.   I found myself on the wrongside of a motorway in Fance several years ago  , in a little town somewhere and missed the left turn written up high on a wall , found myself going up an off ramp to the motorway , didn't give it a thought 'till I saw 3 lanes of traffic coming my way. Relax just for a second.............................

[Tigger01]

On 2/4/2020 at 2:33 AM, bbi1 said:

Just tourists? Why not just ban all foreigners from riding scooters & motorcycles in Thailand.

I have no problem with riding a motorcycle in Thailand or anywhere else, ive been riding for over 40 years so am experienced, however i have seen plenty of people riding in Asian countries who clearly have no clue how to ride and are an accident waiting to happen. People who rent the bikes should carry out appropriate checks!!! 

[Lacessit]

On 2/4/2020 at 5:05 AM, MadMuhammad said:

Be buggered if I’m riding as far to the left as possible, just asking to be cut off or put into the gutter

 

????????Suicide   Right side????????

i was always taught this riding back home. Passing on the right here is not really ideal here but the concept is the same

 

There’s no hard and fast rule for riding safely here. Ride to the conditions and the traffic around you, same as anywhere. Don’t take unnecessary risks and ride like everyone is trying to kill you more than usual 555 

 

Bikes are as safe as you want to make them IMO not for novices or those that lack the ability to concentrate for long periods 

 

Well, I've been driving a scooter here for 10 years accident-free with my methods. How about you?

Agree with your last comment, except how does one get to be experienced without being a novice first?

[BRUFC]

On 2/4/2020 at 7:41 PM, milesinnz said:

I am a foreigner when in Thailand. I have a motorcycle in Thailand, and one in Cambodia, as well as one in my home country. I have been riding motorcycles 50 years, and never had an accident since I was 16, and that was only extremely minor. I have ridden thousands of kms in Thailand, and out of any country, I really enjoy riding a bike in Thailand.. Because some people make stupid and ill informed comments, there should be a ban on people making comments on any Internet based forum...

I don't want to nitpick (I do really otherwise I wouldn't be posting this, lol) but you say...' Because some people make stupid and ill informed comments, there should be a ban on people making comments on any Internet based forum...'

OK, why are we here then? Close the forums....no comments allowed. I'm sorry, I don't care if they're stupid, ill informed or making valid points...just NO comments allowed on an internet based forum. So there!....... OR.... within the rules, anyone may post anything, anyone may disagree with anyone else....it's the essence of debate. It's why we READ all this stuff, because we can't all sit together and debate it face to face.

[balo]

They are Austrians I think....

[Just Weird]

On 2/4/2020 at 8:16 AM, saakura said:

Tourists from western nations should be banned from riding scooters and motorcycles in Thailand as they would have no idea of the dangers on the roads here.

Or perhaps drivers in Thailand should be warned periodically to be very wary of the danger from tourists from western nations as they could put the lives of locals at risk as the Australian couple did in this case.  There was no suggestion that "dangerous Thai roads/drivers" had anything to do with these deaths.

[Just Weird]

On 2/4/2020 at 10:40 AM, geriatrickid said:

On 2/4/2020 at 8:22 AM, ThreeEyedRaven said:

Based on where his vehicle is, on the correct side of the road his story seems to stand up, and he didn't run away, a pair of firsts. Sadly tourists unused to riding a motorbike, or with any concept of the danger of Thailands roads will continue to rent one without a licence because of money. 

Perhaps the vehicle was moved to allow the vehicle flow.

What?  Why would it have been moved from a position that stopped the traffic flow to another position that completely stopped the traffic flow with the woman's body still on the roof?

[cornishcarlos]

I wonder how one body ended up on the roof of the pick up and the other was a few meters in front of the pick up ?? 

Surely by pure physics, both should have gone in the same direction !! Maybe not...

Still lots of unanswered questions, unless it's been explained in a previous post that I didn't see...

[Olmate]

1 minute ago, cornishcarlos said:

I wonder how one body ended up on the roof of the pick up and the other was a few meters in front of the pick up ?? 

Surely by pure physics, both should have gone in the same direction !! Maybe not...

Still lots of unanswered questions, unless it's been explained in a previous post that I didn't see...

Stick to the pasties, never seen a slow motion of the forces involved in such an impact?

[cornishcarlos]

2 hours ago, Tigger01 said:

I have no problem with riding a motorcycle in Thailand or anywhere else, ive been riding for over 40 years so am experienced,

 

You can certainly minimize the risks involved through your gained skills and experience.

However, you will never be able to allow for the incompetence, inexperience, stupidity etc of the person driving the vehicle that will kill you before you even see it coming.

Which is a much to common occurrence on the roads here. Video today of the monk and his driver getting flat packed by a speeding truck !!

It's a lottery out there...

[cornishcarlos]

5 minutes ago, Olmate said:

never seen a slow motion of the forces involved in such an impact?

 

Nope... 

 

Just found one though..

https://www.independent.ie/videos/world-news/shocking-dash-cam-footage-shows-head-on-collision-of-car-with-motorcycle-in-the-uk-38851563.html

 

And this one..

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4735456/Pillion-driver-somersaults-air-motorbike-crash.html

 

Seems to me that fwd momentum takes control !!

[metisdead]

The topic title has been corrected to match the header of the OP.  Posts commenting on this have been removed. 

 

Some troll posts and the replies have been removed. 

[Olmate]

17 minutes ago, cornishcarlos said:

 

Nope... 

 

Just found one though..

https://www.independent.ie/videos/world-news/shocking-dash-cam-footage-shows-head-on-collision-of-car-with-motorcycle-in-the-uk-38851563.html

 

And this one..

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4735456/Pillion-driver-somersaults-air-motorbike-crash.html

 

Seems to me that fwd momentum takes control !!

Scary stuff.

[cornishcarlos]

1 minute ago, Olmate said:

Scary stuff.

 

Exactly, but I find it hard to work out how the 2 bodies went in different directions !! It looks like a huge impact...

[Olmate]

4 minutes ago, cornishcarlos said:

 

Exactly, but I find it hard to work out how the 2 bodies went in different directions !! It looks like a huge impact...

Suggest as the bike impacts ,the  bike rear rises up the front buries in to the Ute.The pillion is thrown up and forward, the rider driver stays with the bike . My guess.

[MadMuhammad]

15 hours ago, Lacessit said:

Well, I've been driving a scooter here for 10 years accident-free with my methods. How about you?

Agree with your last comment, except how does one get to be experienced without being a novice first?

I’m very glad to hear that you’ve survived such a long period without a scratch, good for you.
As I said there is no hard and fast rules fo safety. Maybe I should have clarified, the stick to the left method maybe fine for many pottering around town on a scooter (still not for me though) but travelling anywhere at any sort of increased speeds it is fraught with danger IMO. It narrows your window for evasive action and stopping area considerably should you be involved in an emergency situation. 
 

Personally I’ve been visiting for 8 years and residing here for 2. I’ve done thousands of kilometres on scooters and big bikes all over Thailand. The only rule rule I follow stringently is to keep myself safe at all times, no matter how everyone else is doing it. 
 

Yes, you must start somewhere I agree. If you want to learn how to ride a motorcycle CORRECTLY south east Asia is on the bottom of the list of places to learn IMO. Again it’s a generalisation as a warning, not a law written in stone. 
 

When it comes to accidents I’ve been there and done that. 4 months in hospital, 4 years of rehab and a lifetime of pain so I’m now acutely aware of safety. 
 

All the best for your continued health and safety my friend 

[DannyCarlton]

On 2/4/2020 at 7:32 AM, Old Croc said:

Very strange, because people from one of the most multicultural countries on earth are usually all named Bluey Patterson or Digger Smith.

Well <deleted> me with a wet wallaby, there's me thinking that they were all called Bruce and Sheila.

[Old Croc]

2 hours ago, DannyCarlton said:

Well <deleted> me with a wet wallaby, there's me thinking that they were all called Bruce and Sheila.

So 50's!

It's like calling a Brit Nigel, when we know the most popular name there is Mohammed.

[tropo]

On 2/4/2020 at 8:33 AM, bbi1 said:

Just tourists? Why not just ban all foreigners from riding scooters & motorcycles in Thailand.

Why stop there. Ban all motor vehicles too, and revert back to horse and cart.

[Lacessit]

3 hours ago, MadMuhammad said:

I’m very glad to hear that you’ve survived such a long period without a scratch, good for you.
As I said there is no hard and fast rules fo safety. Maybe I should have clarified, the stick to the left method maybe fine for many pottering around town on a scooter (still not for me though) but travelling anywhere at any sort of increased speeds it is fraught with danger IMO. It narrows your window for evasive action and stopping area considerably should you be involved in an emergency situation. 
 

Personally I’ve been visiting for 8 years and residing here for 2. I’ve done thousands of kilometres on scooters and big bikes all over Thailand. The only rule rule I follow stringently is to keep myself safe at all times, no matter how everyone else is doing it. 
 

Yes, you must start somewhere I agree. If you want to learn how to ride a motorcycle CORRECTLY south east Asia is on the bottom of the list of places to learn IMO. Again it’s a generalisation as a warning, not a law written in stone. 
 

When it comes to accidents I’ve been there and done that. 4 months in hospital, 4 years of rehab and a lifetime of pain so I’m now acutely aware of safety. 
 

All the best for your continued health and safety my friend 

Maybe I should have specified when traveling on the left as I do, I rarely get above 30 km/hr, and then only if I don't have any side streets or built up areas to contend with. I'd agree it would be suicidal to be doing 80-100 km/hr on the LHS in many circumstances.

I'm a scooter rider. Wouldn't think of getting on a bigger bike, I know my limitations.

I got my first scooter license in Oz at age 64. Was quite amused when I passed, with the highest written test score out of a group of 20 people, most of whom were much younger than me. About 5 of them failed. Wasn't so hot on the various riding tests, which I expected.

My Thai scooter license test consisted of a medical which seemed to establish I could breathe and had a pulse, followed by identifying which colors a test set of traffic lights displayed. That confirms your observation the bar for competence in SE Asia is set very low.

Thanks for your nice thoughts, likewise to you.