Taxi driver in Bangkok drives with baby in car seat in the front 

 

Picture: Sanook

 

Reporters from Thai media Sanook caught up with a taxi driver in the Pak Kret area of Nonthaburi on the outskirts of Bangkok after a social media post showed him driving around with a baby in a car seat in the front.

 

The post from the pink cab came from a poster who said they had a mixture of smiles and tears and called for people to phone the taxi driver to use his service. They left his cell phone number.

 

Much comment followed. 

 

Sanook met Kittipong Jindawong, 42, outside Central in Chaeng Wattana. 

 

He said that his baby called Kay had been travelling with him like this since 3 months. The baby was now 7 months. 

 

His shift each day is 7 am to 10pm and he prepares milk for the infant in the morning and gets drinks at 7-Eleven. 

 

Picture: Sanook

 

There was no one to look after the baby and he wanted to get close to her and form father and child bonds. 

 

Some customers ride and others see the baby and turn him down.

 

The child mostly sleeps while he is driving. 

 

Reporters suggested there was a Covid threat and Kittipong said that the baby had a face shield but had ripped it off. 

 

He didn't want any drama or donations, just customers to give him a call and use his cab so he can pay the rent. 

 

Sanook said that the mother of the child works in a hospital pharmacy and takes care of the baby on her days off. 

 

Apart from the possibility of contracting Covid they made no further comment on the safety of children and babies in the front of cars.

 

Thaivisa notes that in many western countries the authorities would take a keen interest in the case from a safety standpoint. 

 

Especially as this was not a private vehicle but a city taxi!

 

As an example, in the UK children can travel in car seats in the front only if there is no space in the back. 

 

Responding to a FAQ about whether children's car seats can go in the front the answer at www.childcarseats.org.uk states:

 

"Yes, though it is safer for children to travel in the rear of the car. If you must put a foward-facing seat in the front when there is an airbag present, make sure that the car seat is as far back as possible and the child seat is securely held to maximise the distance between the child and the airbag".

 

In the Sanook picture the child is facing rearwards and the seat is in line with the driver. It was not reported if the taxi had an airbag.

 

Thaivisa also notes that many car manufactures put signs in their cars to say that children should not travel in car seats in the front. 

 

Source: Sanook

 

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Kinda terrifying how he’s got that car seat all messed up. I get he’s trying to make a living but damn if he hits anything that kid is gonna rocket through the windshield. Probably doesn’t even have the passenger airbag switched off. 
 

 

5 minutes ago, Mama Noodle said:

Kinda terrifying how he’s got that car seat all messed up. I get he’s trying to make a living but damn if he hits anything that kid is gonna rocket through the windshield. Probably doesn’t even have the passenger airbag switched off. 
 

 

 

What passenger airbag?

 

Yeah, get it people are poor, trying to make a living and that there aren't always handy solutions for this. But still, see stuff like that or worse, and got to wonder what they think - 'we'll just make another one if this one's gone?". More like it doesn't register, or if it does then "how to do?".

 

Welcome to the LOS.

 

At least it's better than a baby being held my by the mother or grandmother or another kid on a motor scooter, I see this every single day, no helmets, no cover from rain etc etc etc.

 

Got to feel for the parents in the situation they are in, and driving a taxi from 7am till 10pm is hard, been there, done that, without a baby in the front or back for that matter.

He is obviously doing what he can...  Mother works too, its got to be difficult for them. 

 

I hope at the bare minimum he can be educated to fit that car seat correctly and ensure the passenger side air-bag is turned off. 

 

I would hope that the work place of the mother can offer some facilities where the child can be brought into work which would be safer for the child than being in a car all day.

 

That said, while this draws attention, much more serious are those who carry infants on motorcycles although I’m sympathetic to the need and no alternative. I’m not sympathetic to any person in a car who does not place their infant i a car seat.

 

 

 

Just doing ' The Knowledge ' early so he can follow in dads footsteps.

If you note the dad is sitting with the seat belt BEHIND him - so neither he nor the baby is likely to survive any major accident (bump).  So sad but safety clearly is not a major issue in LOS.  I'm always (pleasantly) surprised when I can find a working seat belt as a passenger in a taxi ????

This is Thailand, and the child has to travel some way or another with its Father, as there will be an issue for him with child care.

There is no completely safe way of fixing a Child Seat in a Car, but having seen some of the " Industrious " way that Thais take care of Children on Motorcycles, in Cars and Pickup Trucks, this man is doing a good Job IMO.

4 hours ago, Mama Noodle said:

Kinda terrifying how he’s got that car seat all messed up. I get he’s trying to make a living but damn if he hits anything that kid is gonna rocket through the windshield. Probably doesn’t even have the passenger airbag switched off. 
 

 

If you supply the location of the switch on here a TV reader will be able to relay the information to the taxi driver.

4 hours ago, Mama Noodle said:

Kinda terrifying how he’s got that car seat all messed up. I get he’s trying to make a living but damn if he hits anything that kid is gonna rocket through the windshield. Probably doesn’t even have the passenger airbag switched off. 
 

 

Sometimes you gotta just live a bit before you die... good luck to the guy.

On 2/10/2021 at 5:09 PM, PETERTHEEATER said:

If you supply the location of the switch on here a TV reader will be able to relay the information to the taxi driver.

I think that's a Toyota Corolla. It should be right next to the radio. There's always an amber light on indicating if the passenger air bag is on or off.

 

Anyway, I think this is wonderful. Well done. Simply a great father. Many Thai men, and many all over the world in fact, are well known to split once they get a lady pregnant, laying the burden upon the grandparents.

And thirty years ago virtually no one was using car seats and life was not that bad.

On the plus side, he's not a high-rise window washer, or a canal boat or bus driver.