Pattaya: Elderly Foreigner dead in late night motorcycle smash

[Don Mega]

6 minutes ago, VYCM said:

What a rediculous suggestion, you're just going make the competent, well adjusted elderly road user to suffer. The DLT is not the most user friendly place to visit. 

I've had a license here since 2003, it's hot and cold, but one thing I've noticed over the years it's getting to be a horrible place to visit, the place has changed and rightly so, because as I have always said, the people coming here have changed. 

 

We need to educate the elderly that are struggling with their ability to ride the roads here in Thailand. 

 

Please, if your having doubts don't ride the bike, take the car or get a lift, if you get hurt or hurt others everyone suffers 

in your home country, what is the mandated  age were one must re-test to keep the licence ?

[emptypockets]

9 hours ago, gamesgplayemail said:

 

and then other old experts here are going to tell us that bikes are safe for oldies ????

 

 

As an oldie with decades of experience I can confirm that bikes can be safe. Unfortunately oldies with very little experience or the only experience they have had was forty years ago, not so much. See them everyday in Pattaya. The stupid ears exposed helmet, if they have one at all. Singlet,shorts, thongs. Bike parked at the 'local' for hours, riding against the traffic flow. Then they die. Then we go all RIP for them.

Apologies to anyone who knew this gentleman.

 

Edited February 22, 2020 by emptypockets

[emptypockets]

1 hour ago, Don Mega said:

in your home country, what is the mandated  age were one must re-test to keep the licence ?

Very much doubt if the old blokes ever had a bike license. Not in recent years anyway. But hey, this is Thailand, could never happen to me!

 

Having a license is no guarantee of ability or skill. It just means you passed a test, possibly decades ago.

Many jobs these days require retesting to prove competency and currency. Driving licenses do not until a certain age is achieved I believe. In other words you could get a license at 17, not ride a bike for 50 years and legally still be licensed no matter how bad you are.

Edited February 22, 2020 by emptypockets

[emptypockets]

1 hour ago, VYCM said:

What a rediculous suggestion, you're just going make the competent, well adjusted elderly road user to suffer. The DLT is not the most user friendly place to visit. 

I've had a license here since 2003, it's hot and cold, but one thing I've noticed over the years it's getting to be a horrible place to visit, the place has changed and rightly so, because as I have always said, the people coming here have changed. 

 

We need to educate the elderly that are struggling with their ability to ride the roads here in Thailand. 

 

Please, if your having doubts don't ride the bike, take the car or get a lift, if you get hurt or hurt others everyone suffers 

Having a license simply means you can drive/ride and meet the legal requirements. It does not infer competency at all. As the gentleman in the OP found out.

[impulse]

13 hours ago, tinca tinca said:

and also NOT WEARING CRASH HELMETS !!

 

There's a narrow window between a scooter wreck you'll walk away from regardless of no helmet, and one that's going to kill you even with a helmet.

 

Looking at the photos, this wreck falls into the latter category.  The kind where limbs are torn off and scattered all over the road.  (if that's a little graphic, then I've succeeded)

 

It's a tragedy, and one more data point.  Had he been in a car, he'd probably just be fighting with the insurance companies over a repair bill today.

 

[Yinn]

31 minutes ago, impulse said:

 

There's a narrow window between a scooter wreck you'll walk away from regardless of no helmet, and one that's going to kill you even with a helmet.

 

Looking at the photos, this wreck falls into the latter category.  The kind where limbs are torn off and scattered all over the road.  (if that's a little graphic, then I've succeeded)

 

No. His body look ok. (Ist photo)

 

 

Another elderly farang in a pick up hit this 17 year two day ago. (2nd photo)

https://www.thairath.co.th/news/local/east/1774958

 

 

 

[Thailaw]

19 hours ago, ianezy0 said:

Old age, alcohol and scooters do not mix.

RIP.

They do mix quite easily, especially for retired expats with little else to do; the brew can, however, be quite deadly....

[Isaanbiker]

With all respect to the poor victim, it seems that Thailand deserves the name No country for old men. I hope he'll rest in peace.

 

  It's frightening how many foreigners have died in the last weeks, not only in motorbike crashes. 

 

Here's a news report from February, 12th. 

 

The body of an unidentified foreign man was found floating in Pattaya Bay yesterday with an 8 kilogram rock tied to his neck. Pattaya City Police were notified of the incident at 1pm. It is the third case of an unidentified foreigner’s death in a week in the resort town. RIP> 

 

Source: https://thethaiger.com/news/pattaya/third-unidentified-foreigner-found-dead-in-pattaya

   

 

[Isaanbiker]

4 hours ago, emptypockets said:

Having a license simply means you can drive/ride and meet the legal requirements. It does not infer competency at all. As the gentleman in the OP found out.

Having a license in Thailand doesn't mean anything.

 

It's way too easy to receive one, no schooling how brakes work and other important facts a motorbike rider should be aware of.

 

And not wearing a crash helmet is asking for troubles. Even a crash with 25 km/h can kill you. 

[NanLaew]

17 hours ago, herwin1234 said:

17 hours ago, RichardColeman said:

Seems to me that many farang that come here seem to lose all sense of noddle and turn into Thais - drink driving, no helmet, fast speed. 

lol. good grief. "turn into Thais". You cant make this stuff up. 

But he just did.

 

So yes, you can make this stuff up.

[scubascuba3]

9 hours ago, VYCM said:

What a rediculous suggestion, you're just going make the competent, well adjusted elderly road user to suffer. The DLT is not the most user friendly place to visit. 

I've had a license here since 2003, it's hot and cold, but one thing I've noticed over the years it's getting to be a horrible place to visit, the place has changed and rightly so, because as I have always said, the people coming here have changed. 

 

We need to educate the elderly that are struggling with their ability to ride the roads here in Thailand. 

 

Please, if your having doubts don't ride the bike, take the car or get a lift, if you get hurt or hurt others everyone suffers 

The DLT is a brutal experience, staff look stressed out. As for farang riders, lots of poor riders, yesterday i saw two bikes doing a U-turn without looking both ways, why do they do that?

[balo]

14 hours ago, steven100 said:

what the heck is a 73 yr old doing out speeding on a motorbike at 1.00am ....

what could possibly go wrong ....  

A lot of elderly posters on this forum will tell you this is normal and they should be allowed to ride a bike , any time of the day / night . 

Old habits never die, until it kills you.   

[billaaa777]

Quote

As an oldie with decades of experience I can confirm that bikes can be safe.

Ha, ha, ha, what a joke!!!

 

One more guy that's trying to convince himself that riding motorbikes in Pattaya is even close to being remotely safe. When in reality, he knows every time he takes his bike out for a cruse he is risking his life.

 

The only problem with his comment is that after he gets killed on his bike he won't be able to come back from the dead and post on here that he was totally wrong and nobody should ever ride a motorbike in Pattaya.

[UncleMhee]

12 minutes ago, billaaa777 said:

When in reality, he knows every time he takes his bike out for a cruse he is risking his life.

 

This applies in every country on the planet, is recognised and understood by everyone serious about their riding; irrespective of age or location.

[jacko45k]

12 hours ago, VYCM said:

What a rediculous suggestion, you're just going make the competent, well adjusted elderly road user to suffer.

It might be to keep the incompetent ones off the roads. Helping others not to suffer. It is commonplace in the West that a medical assessment is made for driver competency at particular ages, I do not see it as ridiculous. Some have to be forced off the roads. 

I know an elderly guy uses a Thai licence in Oz... because he can't get one there. 

[rvaviator]

16 hours ago, spiekerjozef said:

Adjust to the country you live in...

Personal responsibility - When in Rome ......  We all have to be responsible for our action.  Yes its a shame when 'our' action kill or maim a 3rd party.  Its up to each one of us to do what is 'right'.

[billaaa777]

Quote

This applies in every country on the planet, is recognised and understood by everyone serious about their riding; irrespective of age or location.

Here they come, one more person trying to somehow justify that driving a motorbike in Pattaya is safe.

 

While you are correct that driving a motorbike is unsafe regardless of where you live, you did forgot to mention that it is far more dangerous in a heavily congested city where there are NO traffic laws, the vast of the people on the road have had no training, in a county that has a notoriously high death rate when it comes to traffic accidents, and a high percentage of both the cars and motorbikes are driven by people that are intoxicated.

 

Did I miss anything, I am sure I did and maybe somebody will fill in the blanks.

Edited February 23, 2020 by billaaa777

[Rimmer]

Post and reply with link to forbidden news source removed

[Cricky]

14 hours ago, Don Mega said:

in your home country, what is the mandated  age were one must re-test to keep the licence ?

Yes, Thailand is very different to Australia. That's why we choose to live here.

 

I see too many grown adults arrive here as children, these guys riding scooters.

Probably never ridden a motorbike back in their home country, riding without helmet, DUI, speeding.

Some of these child like adults are elderly guys, this is why we are seeing so many elderly fatalities.

 

 

 

[Don Mega]

41 minutes ago, VYCM said:

Yes, Thailand is very different to Australia. That's why we choose to live here.

 

I see too many grown adults arrive here as children, these guys riding scooters.

Probably never ridden a motorbike back in their home country, riding without helmet, DUI, speeding.

Some of these child like adults are elderly guys, this is why we are seeing so many elderly fatalities.

 

 

 

I don't know what you are dribbling on about but it certainly does not answer my question which makes me wonder why you even quoted me.

Edited February 23, 2020 by Don Mega

[xylophone]

14 hours ago, VYCM said:

What a rediculous suggestion, you're just going make the competent, well adjusted elderly road user to suffer.

But according to you oldies shouldn't driving a motorbike..........and my post was referring to "competent, well adjusted elderly road users??? So they can ride a bike in your opinion?

 

As I and a couple of others have said, retesting those over a certain age with a test that means something, ie. reaction time, distance/speed stopping time, road code and handling of a bike would help.

 

Then of course over 50% of drivers here have no licence and the vast majority of m/c deaths are in the 15 to 24 (29), so stopping oldies en masse will save a life or two, but thousands of others will still die on the roads.

 

There is something very wrong here with no law enforcement as in checking for licences, crash helmets, and stopping kids of 12 or 13 riding a bike, not to mention riding 4 or 5 up. 

 

And anyone driving under the influence, oldies or not, should be banned, and I wonder how many of the oldies who die on bikes have had a drink or three?

 

It can be seen that "oldies on bikes" are an easy target, but how about folks on bikes who have been drinking, who have never passed a driving test in any country, who have never driven a motorbike before and who have not got a local licence or have got a physical disability, or of course don't wear a crash helmet........

 

Enforce the law and all accidents will decrease.

 

[Just Weird]

On 2/22/2020 at 4:20 PM, xylophone said:

why not force drivers over the age of 70 to undergo a new driving test?

Why not force drivers of your age to undergo a new test also?

 

On 2/22/2020 at 4:20 PM, xylophone said:

I've driven my motorcycle here for more than 13 years...I will continue driving my motorbike until I consider myself unfit to do so

Did you have a motorcycle licence in your own country before you came here?

Edited February 23, 2020 by Just Weird

[Just Weird]

On 2/22/2020 at 3:25 PM, steven100 said:

what the heck is a 73 yr old doing out speeding on a motorbike at 1.00am ....

Perhaps he couldn't sleep and was just going to the 7-11?

[Cricky]

8 hours ago, Don Mega said:

I don't know what you are dribbling on about but it certainly does not answer my question which makes me wonder why you even quoted me.

I answered your question post #50. 

 

If you have difficulty with English because it's not your first language try Google Translate. 

 

There is no need for hostility. 

I never dribble when commenting. 

 

[Don Mega]

9 hours ago, VYCM said:

I answered your question post #50. 

 

If you have difficulty with English because it's not your first language try Google Translate. 

 

There is no need for hostility. 

I never dribble when commenting. 

 

No, you did not answer my question at all.

 

The question you attempted to answer (but failed miserably) was post #31 not post #50 so it appears to be you that is struggling with English.

[gamesgplayemail]

On 2/22/2020 at 2:09 PM, VYCM said:

Yes I agree.

 

Unfortunately the majority of these elderly scooter riders are juveniles and shouldn't be on the roads.

 

Again and again we are seeing these elderly riders in accidents causing death. Too bloody often

 

Sad thing is we will see many comments from these elderly riders that think they know better.

I comment regularly on this subject and get a lot of hate comments because of my anti elderly rider comments.

 

Just as those not wearing helmets, their problem, I don't care anymore and feel nothing when they die.

This is destiny that made them so stupid not to be able to understand what we are explaining them.

And actually i prefer that they die riding motorbikes than cars, because in cars they could be dangerous for me also.

On bikes they only kill their stupid brain that was not useful anyway ????

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[gamesgplayemail]

On 2/23/2020 at 7:32 AM, billaaa777 said:

Ha, ha, ha, what a joke!!!

 

One more guy that's trying to convince himself that riding motorbikes in Pattaya is even close to being remotely safe. When in reality, he knows every time he takes his bike out for a cruse he is risking his life.

 

The only problem with his comment is that after he gets killed on his bike he won't be able to come back from the dead and post on here that he was totally wrong and nobody should ever ride a motorbike in Pattaya.

 

Let them do... they know better than us...

 

 

????

 

RIP in advance ❤️

 

 

[Vacuum]

On 2/22/2020 at 3:20 PM, Yinn said:

His body look ok.

So does the gal with the yellow shirt.

[ThailandRyan]

On 2/22/2020 at 7:48 PM, Don Mega said:

in your home country, what is the mandated  age were one must re-test to keep the licence ?

At 70, yearly retest for eyes, and a medical review by your doctor, State of California

[Cricky]

10 hours ago, Don Mega said:

No, you did not answer my question at all.

 

The question you attempted to answer (but failed miserably) was post #31 not post #50 so it appears to be you that is struggling with English.

English no problem for me. 

 

I did struggle with maths at school thou