6 hours ago, rooster59 said:

They should therefore be considered separate to smaller bikes.

Yes - and ALLOWED on tollways and motorways!!!

"Have you any of these diseases sir" ?

"How dare you!, no I have not.........,..and especially not that one!

"For the first time the Department of Land Transport has acknowledged that most of the accidents on Thai roads are caused by people - the drivers and riders themselves.  "

 

What an amazing observation

5 hours ago, Xonax said:

What about preventing the many children and people without a licence from driving motorcycles.

Common sense answer but sadly it will not happen. There would be an uproar all over Isaan if that were to happen and frankly the police don’t want the hassle. Some stupid thirteen year old lost control of her bike with granny on the back and ploughed into the side of my legally parked empty car, no helmets btw. Did the police check she have a license? Road tax/insurance? No but asked to see all my papers.

Edited August 22, 20205 yr by Harry Fingerling

I can just hear the conversations with traffic police;

 

Is big bike, you no have big bike licence, you pay.

It's only a 397cc.

Says 400 on bike, you pay.

I have paper shows 397cc.

400 on bike, you pay.   

...............................  ฿฿฿฿฿฿฿฿฿฿฿฿฿฿

2 hours ago, Tchooptip said:

Many older expats with big bikes like Harleys or by the way any bike over 400cc won't be very happy, some have driven big bikes most of their lives and now they're going to have to pass I don't know what kind of ridiculous test! ???? 

Go in office -> round few beam->brake once-> pay 80 bth-> wait half houer-> done!

After you can easy haddle 1000 cc bike no problemas mate! Or if don't want all hassle only pay 250 and don't need do that drive sht! You are great driver if they say !

Education and law enforcement are key and critical to reducing the death rate.

As a rider of a motorcycle bigger than 400CC I actually agree and have no problem taking any test they like to give me on riding a large CC motorcycle.

 

That said I'm certain the vast majority of big bike riders killed on Thai roads were not at fault for their deaths. Much bigger issues here being ignored and this sounds like an insurance lobby more than a genuine attempt to solve the real and abominable amount of motorcycle deaths in Thailand. This is a sham attempt made to look like there is any genuine interest is resolving road death in Thailand.

6 hours ago, scubascuba3 said:

Weird that they scapegoat those with congenital disease, but the much bigger problem is drink, no helmet, no licence, speeding, how about law enforcement?

There seems to be an absence of mobile, trained and dedicated traffic police. The mindset of police checkpoints seems to be soley a means of collecting fines for non-existing violations such as speeding on certain highways in the absence of radar. So much for police reform.

This  for real  ?

They  say  most  accidents  are caused by people  -drivers  and riders  them selves??

Please  list  any  other way  accidents  are  caused ??

Maybe  Aliens  with ray guns??

As   for  big  bikes  400 cc  still pussy  bikes  

Most  of those  killed on bikes in Thailand  are  small  little  cc   bikes  anyway

This  big bike thing  will never work  not enough  caring police  to police it 

The real   big  bike  road bikes  600cc Plus  the  riders  can ride and care   about  the  power they  have  (most of the time)

But  law  of  numbers  so many bikes  some will be killed  yes  but nothing like the  ratio of  small cc  bike owners

These  laws  will never work  too  many  vehicles  on the road  in Thailand 

Each road trip is  a  brush with  possible  death on Thai roads

Good luck  Thailand !!

All they new law's only purpose is, to make more money they office! Don't even think othervice! All in position who can deside something is self centered! They new law's dont help nobody else than people who collect the new money!

Nobody monitor the law's anyway! Time when they do that, big head lines in news! Have to show system works! Even everybody know the truth! Police dont do nothing if can watch other direction and get more money in own pocket!

3 hours ago, Percy P said:

I ride BMW 1000c in England , If 400cc is classed as a big bike ,what would my 1000c cc bike be classed as.

Another big bike...but at least you managed to boast you had a 1000cc BMW...

4 hours ago, Formaleins said:

An I.Q Test would be better.

Imagine an IQ test on motorcyclists, and then only allow an IQ of more than 90, and THEN enforcing it.

How many Thai motorcyclists would be left on the roads? All road fatalities down by two thirds and about the lowest road fatalities in the world.

6 hours ago, scubascuba3 said:

Weird that they scapegoat those with congenital disease, but the much bigger problem is drink, no helmet, no licence, speeding, how about law enforcement?

hope they do not consider a moving hairline an congenital condition.

Playing the telephone while driving is up there together with drunk driving and utter stupidity , in my country if they catch you playing with the phone or not handsfree calling gives you a 300€ fine . But they can never do that here becaise there is a total lack of enforcement + how the !@#$% can they see if someone is busy with the phone with those teinted windows . 

Start with the disease of alcoholism.

5 hours ago, Captain_Bob said:

"Big Bike confirmed as 400cc up"

 

Sales of 350cc bikes up 200%!!! ????️

Can't think of any 350cc bikes sold here,

Cappy.

They just need to make laws and enforce them, it's like buying an exercise dvd and just sitting down with a bottle of beer and watching it instead of actually getting off your <deleted>.

7 minutes ago, Asking for a friend said:

Start with the disease of alcoholism.

"I'll drink to that !!!"

7 hours ago, scubascuba3 said:

Weird that they scapegoat those with congenital disease, but the much bigger problem is drink, no helmet, no licence, speeding, how about law enforcement?

It's an incorrect translation. "Roke prajam tua" (โรคประจำตัว) is chronic disease, not congenital. 

5 hours ago, Chassa said:

399cc

Isn't the CBR 400rr actually 399cc? 

A couple of troll posts have been removed

2 hours ago, khunjeff said:

Although the dictionary translates it as "congenital disease", when Thai doctors ask whether you have "roke prajam tua", they're actually referring to "chronic conditions" - heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, or anything else that you're stuck with for the rest of your life. 

Exactly right. 

Instead of improving driving skills and education about road safety the Thai government's response is.... ban something...  people with illnesses.

 

Wait for the list of diseases. It will be illogical. There will be no evidence that people with those diseases cause accidents.... rather than low skilled unaware drivers.

 

Banning things is the easy option and seems to please their PM. Dumb!

Quote

The latest plan is to prohibit anyone with a congenital disease (roke prajam tua) from driving. 

what sense does that make? there are many congenital diseases that don't impair driving at all

Edited August 22, 20205 yr by tgw

When I took my motorbike test here in 1983 on a 400 there were disqualifying diseases, the only one I remember for sure was Elephantiasis. I think epilepsy was another but they should give this plenty of thought before deciding instead of the usual foot in mouth afterwards. 

 

"... The latest plan is to prohibit anyone with a congenital disease (roke prajam tua) from driving.  ..."

 

No driving while Caucasian.

8 hours ago, KhunBENQ said:

Still amazing that a near non existing tutoring session/office yard test allows you to drive motorbikes up to 400ccm.

Even a "teenage bike" (Honda Wave/Click etc) can easily make up to a 100 km/h (~60 mph).

Compare that to rules in a nanny state (like Germany).

I agree, but even in Germany 400cc bikes fall into the second highest category.

No problemo. Just means there will be more people driving without a license now

Gives new meaning in Thailand to the two words in conjunction with one another “Big Joke.”  Yeah, ban people with congenital disease from driving because they’re the cause of all the mayhem on the roads.  What a big joke in its ridiculousness.   I’ve been in Thailand for 10 years and am still amazed at the stupidity of some laws, rules, regulations, and policies that are in place or considered by the government and other institutions.

 

I was riding as a passenger in the front seat the other day with a friend driving.  My friend was doing the correct speed on the road (about 65 km/h) and had to come to a full stop because some idiot was barreling towards us in our lane head-on.  This driver was passing two other cars which he started passing prior to a bend in the road (from his position).  By the time he came out of the bend, there we were with him coming straight at us.  Whilst flashing his headlights at us (apparently to warn us), he managed to speed up and pass the cars he was along side of and get into his own lane, without much distance left between his car and our car.  To say the least, it was all a bit tense.  I guess the guy had Huntington's disease or some other congenital disease.  Damn, wish the new measure of banning driver’s with a congenital disease was already in place.  Could of saved my friend and I from a hell of a scare.

 

I’m leaving Thailand for good next week after being an expat in Thailand for 10 years total.  Getting away from drivers on Thai roads and inane--and insane, laws, etc.--will be two—of many—benefits of the return home.