"The bodies keep mounting up on Thailand's roads" - damning report airing on UK TV

[Tidybeard]

I once asked a Thai friend why it was that in Thailand I never saw a police car pull over and stop a dangerous driver. Why I never saw a dangerous overloaded truck stopped, or any form of "on road" controls as witnessed in all other countries of the World.

The reply was that the senior police do not allow this kind of control, as they know that bribes will be taken, but it is impossible for them to know how much and to collect their share. So only official road blocks doing standard checks are allowed. These can be manned by senior officers who can ensure their cut.

Here in Samui - the police must be hurting, as there are no tourists to fine, and the Thais all know the times and places of the road blocks..... tea must be very scarce in the office. 

Anyone know if this is true ?

If it is - then there is no hope.  

[Deli]

The Brits rather should protect their country and avoid Zodicas arriving to their shores from France than commenting on Thai roads situation, which is none of their business.

[dave moir]

3 hours ago, Orton Rd said:

So how is it a 'largely inaccurate report', apart from the Police quote?

If you read it properly it says largely accurate!

[Jimbo2014]

Coronavirus death toll Thailand - 58, Road toll annual - 26000..... yet FA is being done about the roads!

[Thaijack2014]

The only true part of this video is that the deathtoll is high. But to compare it with the actions against covid, I think this is going too far. Even a country like Germany has more people die on the road then because of the virus and there the deathtoll of the virus is a few hundred times higher then in Thailand and the country is considered safe.

If Thailand were to deal with that they should just shut off all traffic. And apart from that... how often I see people driving wearing a mask but no helmet?

 

Like already mentioned above, the lack of proper training is according to me the main reason why there are so many accidents. The roads are not dangerous, it is the people on it who even don't know any basic traffic rules. I got my Thai drivers licence last year and it is just a joke. That licence doesn't proof anything. This is one of the few things the government should start changing. A requirement of a minimum amount of lessons and at an examn proof that you learned those lessons and not just some stupid parking and driving backwards.

 

 

[richard_smith237]

12 minutes ago, Jimbo2014 said:

Coronavirus death toll Thailand - 58, Road toll annual - 26000..... yet FA is being done about the roads!

 

Don’t be silly - people will soon need a ‘big bike' licence for anything over 400cc. That’ll solve the problem !

[RichardColeman]

Oh well, expect Thailand to block Sky News like the Daily Mail or something.

[ChrisKC]

So the concensus here is that all police are corrupt. Have you all met all the police? No! So stop being cynical and wrong,

[Chassa]

48 minutes ago, mberbae said:

The Policeman not taking bribes can be 100% true. I have been in cars where

bribes ( or, immediate payments for fines ) were offered. The policeman politely

instructed the driver to go to the police station to pay.

Many times for me.

[Benmart]

3 hours ago, Dmaxdan said:

Hats off to the volunteer paramedics. The real unsung heroes of Thailand's appalling road statistics.   

 

The police should hang their heads in shame. 

The police seemingly have no shame, honor or conscience, largely due to rampant corruption, mismanagement and the lack of consequence for malfeasance.

 

Centralized in Bangkok, they are not answerable to those they serve, and a lack of locally elected Governors adds to this pathetic and deadly situation because they currently have no control or influence over the mob.

 

Perhaps this documentary will cause so much loss of face and damage to the all important image, there may be some action, however slight.

 

 

 

 

[musicscene]

This creates a bad impression and damages the image of Thailand and rightly so.

If only all these news articles on Thailand road deaths could be the start of action to reduce the carnage.

Starting with the police doing their job.

All non licence drivers and riders will have no insurance. All riders without helmets and 3 or 4 on the bike again no insurance. All vehicles ignoring traffic rules and signs.

Arrest and charge them all and impound their vehicles

No bribes no tea money just do the job It would soon improve the roads.

Edited August 23, 2020 by musicscene

[CanterbrigianBangkoker]

The simple, sad fact is that many people just don't care. They drive however they want to and they know they can get away with it. Furthermore, a large number lack the mental capability to grasp the rules of the road or how to properly drive a vehicle. When you put untrained, ignorant people on the back of motorbikes or behind the wheels of cars, what you have is a recipe for disaster, and we see it time and again, probably well over 62 times a day, in fact - nationwide.

 

Without a) clearly defined rules of the road or any respect for them shown by those using the road, b) proper training from a young age to ensure driving proficiency and c) a proper police force who will enforce aforementioned rules, Thailand hasn't a snowball's chance in hell in reducing the dire numbers of road traffic accidents / fatalities. Since I've lived here the yearly death toll has never dropped, in some years it has actually increased.

 

 

Edited August 23, 2020 by CanterbrigianBangkoker

[gazza4]

3 hours ago, Dmaxdan said:

Hats off to the volunteer paramedics. The real unsung heroes of Thailand's appalling road statistics.   

 

The police should hang their heads in shame. 

Shame? Police? 

[Laughing Gravy]

I wonder what the spin on this one will be from the authourities.

 

"Farang not understand Thai culture and driving".

 

"We will set up a committee to find a solution".

 

 

[Burma Bill]

4 hours ago, rooster59 said:

The bodies keep mounting up on Thailand's roads".

Sa Kaew, August 2019 - 11 dead at the scene! (posted with respect):-

 

[Crusader]

Absolutely nothing is done to try and stop the terrible death toll.  Regularly I see motorcycles being ridden by students - who obviously do not have legal licences - and often three on a bike - riding right past police on duty.  They seem to come out in force twice a month to collect their 'tea money' - then even stopping drivers for no reason...so why cannot they be out in force every day?  

[malibukid]

country full of morons

[Chongalulu]

53 minutes ago, Deli said:

The Brits rather should protect their country and avoid Zodicas arriving to their shores from France than commenting on Thai roads situation, which is none of their business.

So international news is a foreign (pun alert) concept to you then ? I expect British tourists killed on Thai roads is none of their business either? 

[Chongalulu]

29 minutes ago, ChrisKC said:

So the concensus here is that all police are corrupt. Have you all met all the police? No! So stop being cynical and wrong,

So,by your metric you would have to meet Kim Jong ill,or all jihadist terrorists etc. before having an accurate opinion ? Doh!

[VocalNeal]

1 hour ago, Tidybeard said:

I once asked a Thai friend why it was that in Thailand I never saw a police car pull over and stop a dangerous driver. Why I never saw a dangerous overloaded truck stopped,

So you have not be observant on the Bangkok-Chonburi motorway? They stop poorly secured loads almost everyday.

[Chiang Mai Bill]

Speed cameras would slow down city traffic -- but fines could only be imposed on those who have registered their cars -- but, unfortunately, collecting fines would be open to ''corruption'' by the collectors.

 

Speed traps would slow down traffic -- but, unfortunately, collecting fines would be open to ''corruption'' by the collectors.

 

Immediate confiscation and scrapping speeding vehicles would slow down traffic-- but, unfortunately, collecting fines would be open to ''corruption'' by the collectors.

 

The country has too many corrupt officials and corruption is an accepted ''norm'' -- and has such poor governments that it is impossible to curb road accidents!

 

 

 

 

[digger70]

4 hours ago, rooster59 said:

The bodies keep mounting up on Thailand's roads"

This isn't going to get any better if the Government doesn't get Serious. 

It the government took the road carnage as serious as they do the Wuhan Flu there wouldn't be 62 deaths a day but maybe 15/20

 This can be done if they Force the cops to do their jobs 24/7 like western countries to come down hard on law/rule  breakers .

[b2bme]

3 hours ago, colinneil said:

What a priceless comment.... A policeman that does not accept bribes, he must be the only 1 in the whole country.

Notice his name is not mentioned.

To be fair Colin, in my 23 years driving in Thailand I have many stories to tell, but I have come across 2 (maybe 3) that refused a bribe and wrote me a ticket. Good on them. I was the one at fault.

Plenty of others though that got cash in the hand.

 

[Chongalulu]

A fairly shallow puff piece by Sky focusing on a creepy collection of ‘memorabilia' as a tawdry tabloid drawer to a serious story . The fact remains the public in general aren’t seriously interested in addressing the issues,as neither are the police nor the government. The root cause is cultural and (poor) educational so expect no change.

[robert888d]

Thailand cannot lose face.

There will be an official claiming it is fake news and saying the figures are false in a few days. Mark my words.

[Aussie Col]

What sort of parent lets a 10 year old ride a motor a motorbike?

Look around see how many kids riding motorbikes bikes must still be in junior school

[jesimps]

5 hours ago, colinneil said:

What a priceless comment.... A policeman that does not accept bribes, he must be the only 1 in the whole country.

Notice his name is not mentioned.

He should be bottled in vinegar.

[whitfield]

The policeman who doesn't collect bribes for his boss would soon lose his job.

[jesimps]

2 hours ago, hotandsticky said:

 

 

"Learned"

The moral to this is never make a grammatical cockup whilst criticising someone's grammatical cockup.

[0815]

5 hours ago, Orton Rd said:

So how is it a 'largely inaccurate report', apart from the Police quote?

They didn't ask/tell how many expats and tourists are bribing the police or have crashes.