I helped out with a horrific motorcycle crash last night.

[spidermike007]

18 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

I don’t know which number to call, but, props to you for doing the right thing.

 

Some foreigners on this forum who believe they are ‘seasoned’ will tell us that we should never help, we will get the blame and incur costs etc…  

These types have only ever been seasoned on bar stool by other bar stool experts…. 
 

I too have helped at the scene of an accident in a similar manner (no cctv though). I saw the accident happen (drunk motorcyclist). Not even a hint of impropriety & many of those who also stopped or turned up followed my instructions to help light that road etc & turn on the flash lights on their phone, to go further up the road & slow approaching traffic as we were still in the middle of the road.

 

As soon as the ambulance left, so did I. BiB not interested in the Farang at the scene. 

There is no place for the level of cynicism you refer to. We have to assist whenever we can. Not doing so out of fear or simply not wanting to get involved is sad and pathetic. 

[richard_smith237]

24 minutes ago, Cake Monster said:

 

My Wife dragged me away protesting about leaving this poor Lady in the Car, but she was saying " if Police come they will arrest you because of what the Guy is shouting ".

 

BTW, I also do not waste time in Bars, or sitting on Bar stools.

 

What about your wife? 

 

As Neeranam mentioned, this degree of paranoia and distrust seems to be reserved for those perceived to be on the lower rungs of the socio-economic ladder….

 

 

 

 

 

[Cake Monster]

3 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

What about your wife? 

 

As Neeranam mentioned, this degree of paranoia and distrust seems to be reserved for those perceived to be on the lower rungs of the socio-economic ladder….

 

 

 

 

 

You ask a question about my Wife 

Why ?

As for distrust, I think that learning through experience is far superior to learning from the bottom of a glass in some Bar.

[richard_smith237]

4 hours ago, Neeranam said:

I think you should get out more. I've known farang to get beaten up by a mob for stopping to help. 

We’re you in the Woodstock bar on June 27th, 1997??? 
 

There was pished up old timer telling me the same thing !!!!! 
 

Never seen it,  never heard a first hand tale of it. Just the stories on Thaivisa com and at a bar here or there back in the day. 
 

 

[richard_smith237]

4 minutes ago, Cake Monster said:

You ask a question about my Wife 

Why ?

As for distrust, I think that learning through experience is far superior to learning from the bottom of a glass in some Bar.

 

It’s a difficult one to discuss without someone taking offense…

 

so… my mate has a wife, a lovely wonderfully loyal lady, she’s poorly educated from a poor background, used to hang around bars. She believes all kind of strange, irrational and wonderful things…  such as ‘never help in an accident you will be blamed’…. 
 

She grown up with an underlying fear of the police who are always perceived as being positioned above there on the socio-economic ladder. 
 

Another friend is married to a lady of moderate means, well educated, no fearful of the police, just distrusting of them. She is perceived as being above the NCO’s on the socio-economic ladder. 
 

I think you get my point. 
 

Those whose evolution is Thailand involves only exposure to those of limited means are more likely to be told such things as ‘never help’, ‘Farang are always blamed’ etc…. 

I hear the same things from the same types of foreigners…

 

Of course mileage varies, but as experience goes - I’ve never seen, directly heard of or know anyone who’s encountered such issues in Thailand. 
 

 

 

 

 

[2 is 1]

2 hours ago, Doctor Tom said:

How dumb is having so many numbers to remember, just plain idiotic and so typical of Thailand.  

Not so hard to remember 911! Other numbers are more direct to issue what you may have! If you are  like idiot farang who need tourist police all the time maybe good if you have direct number for tourist police! Dont know just saying.

Edited July 10, 2021 by 2 is 1

[Led Lolly Yellow Lolly]

2 hours ago, Led Lolly Yellow Lolly said:

I will not drive a vehicle here without cameras recording everything.

 

Just to illustrate that point, I remembered driving past a nasty accident last week in Chiang Rai, dead body on the road, covered in a sheet but the hand and arms hanging out for anyone driving past to look at, congealed blood all over the road. . . I attached it to this post.

 

Edited July 10, 2021 by Led Lolly Yellow Lolly

[FarFlungFalang]

1 hour ago, FritsSikkink said:

I would have called the police. Did she even understand him, did he speak Thai? Could she understand English?

Like he said he couldn't remember the number so I'm not saying he able to do much apart from just being there, you may have been of more assistance than he was as some don't handle shock as well as others and some just don't know what to do.I was second on the scene of pickup that smashed into a tree a few years ago and surprised myself by being able to get inside before the others trying to get the drivers door open, I just went in through the windscreen and checked his pulse, there was none that I could find and then the ambulance arrived as we were only 400 meters from the local hospital.The tradies tool chest he had in the tray was hard up against the dash having flattened the passenger seat lucky there was no passenger.I think he fell asleep or had a heart attack.

[Neeranam]

1 hour ago, richard_smith237 said:

We’re you in the Woodstock bar on June 27th, 1997??? 
 

There was pished up old timer telling me the same thing !!!!! 
 

Never seen it,  never heard a first hand tale of it. Just the stories on Thaivisa com and at a bar here or there back in the day. 
 

 

Good chance actually , but I wasnt an old timer then. 

 

[Neeranam]

If you read the Thai news, you'll often see "driver fleed the scene". 

Why do you think they do this, and why is it not a serious offense as in the UK? 

[BritManToo]

2 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

There is no place for the level of cynicism you refer to. We have to assist whenever we can. Not doing so out of fear or simply not wanting to get involved is sad and pathetic. 

Why?

What do I care if someone I don't know is dead or alive?

Walk on by ..........

[Neeranam]

5 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

Why?

What do I care if someone I don't know is dead or alive?

Walk on by ..........

Would you like everyone to have this attitude? What if you had an accident?

[BritManToo]

1 minute ago, Neeranam said:

Would you like everyone to have this attitude? What if you had an accident?

Up  to them!

I don't really worry about other people's attitudes, same as I don't care if they live or die.

I mean, it's nice that there are caring and helpful people around, but I ain't one of them.

[ChrisKC]

Just stopping at the scene of an accident is not my thing either. I saw what happened when I was 100 meters away and immediately saw the biker hit by a car and was lying in a heap. I arrived a few seconds later nearly first but the car driver took his time getting out and when doing so was doing nothing. In the meantime, traffic was queuing up behind and people start coming out of the woodwork to gawp!

 

I could have stopped bleeding or create a splint for a broken arm or leg had that been necessary but it was only a few minutes before the ambulance arrived.

 

I have been here a long time and aware that blame is easily apportioned in scapegoat fashion but I would not allow that to stop me helping in some caring way.

 

At the risk of being boring, about 12 years ago, I was parked, stopped, engine not running on the canal road in a safe place in Chiang Mai. I felt a movement in my car and thought I had left it in gear. A second later, I tried to get out of the car and the door wouldn't open; there were the handlebars of a motorbike sticking out from beneath and two girls, without helmets, lying in the road. To cut a long story short one of the girls had a head injury that required her to be hospitalized. An ambulance arrived real quick but in the meantime, the police had arrived and being told by a so-called witness that he saw me drive into them while turning left into the Canal road - lying toerag!!!

 

I was lucky, a Professor and his wife (farang) saw what happened and told the police I was not remotely to blame .

 

I visited the hospital shortly afterwards and spent some time with the two girls and their father. I went home and thought little of it until I would make another hospital visit in a couple days.

 

But I received a phone call from the Hang Dong police and I had to go and see them. But what happened is not what you think!

They wanted to me sign a declaration that I wouldn't sue the girls for damage to my car or seek compensation from them! I signed it and never heard anything except a week later the girl had left hospital and would make a full recovery. The girls told me they were sorry, but their father was very angry and wanted me to pay them. I said I was sorry for what happened but if he wanted to pursue the matter we can go back in the police station! The end!

Edited July 10, 2021 by ChrisKC
missing word

[ChrisKC]

23 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

Why?

What do I care if someone I don't know is dead or alive?

Walk on by ..........

Good job Doctors and nurses don't think like that. And at first glance, how do you know you don't know them??

 

The idea of stopping and helping is when nobody else is around or believe we have something to offer the situation.

 

Telling us you don't care is callous and not very endearing but I know your reply will be, you are not looking for endearment

 

Why has this topic, that suggests some humanity is still within some of us, creating such conflict and cynicism?

 

Please Britman Too and others, I don't want to hear it!

 

 

[richard_smith237]

49 minutes ago, Neeranam said:

If you read the Thai news, you'll often see "driver fleed the scene". 

Why do you think they do this, and why is it not a serious offense as in the UK? 

Because in such circumstances it is a flight response of a driver who is usually floating somewhere between three-sheets-to-the-wind and inebriated semi-consciousness….  
 

If I’m not mistaken Thai law allows for the parties involved in an accident To report within 24 hrs. 
 

Certainly fleeing the scene is something tolerated by the Police and to a certain extent expected by society. 
 

 

[Led Lolly Yellow Lolly]

1 hour ago, ChrisKC said:

At the risk of being boring

Nothing boring about people telling of real world experiences. Please continue.

[bbabythai]

6 hours ago, FarFlungFalang said:

He was there to show she wasn't alone and that help was at hand, which might not seem like much to you but you weren't there to help so he did the best he could.What you see as worth is up to you.What would you have done if it was you who saw the accident?Would you have decided it wasn't worth it?It's not easy for everyone to deal with a situation such as this in a manner that is to your liking.Don't under estimate the value of comfort as a form of assistance in situations like this because you feel it's worthless.The woman is someone's daughter, mother, sister or friend so I'm sure others would say it was worth it even if you don't.

I was shocked by fritsisinked comment. Quite a cynical guy I suspect

[AlexRich]

22 hours ago, 2 is 1 said:

When i hit soi dog whit motorpike i get right away help from locals front of accident place. Ok it was in our village and people know me but help was great! Guy even bring me right away big class of Laokhao and Chang lol. Same time when i drink "medicine" he clean my wounds. Hes wife get her own motor and go to pick up my wife and father in law . After i m not bleed like water tab anymore my wife drive me hospital.

What if the Police came? Do you want to be drinking?

[ericthai]

5 hours ago, Led Lolly Yellow Lolly said:

I would advise the same but probably for different reasons. It's in my DNA to help out someone in extremis, but the truth is, a lot of people that die on the roads here are probably better off dead (from the perspective they've eliminated themselves from the risk pool that threatens the safety of my own children day in day out).

If there is a child involved in the accident, I'll stop and help. I would do it in front of my dashcam so everything is recorded.

 

Regarding the blame game, I've been posting on this forum since it was founded under various guises. Of all the h0r$#$#!t comments I've read here over the decades (500 Baht fine, slapped wrist, every cop at a price) I don't think I've seen any of them come to pass in the real world, maybe I've been lucky. Back in the UK many years ago, my own dumbphvck sister managed to pin the blame on a family of dark people in Leicester after she caused an accident. It went to court, my sister won, but had no grounds to win. It was a disgrace. I've had a lot of dealings with the police in Thailand through my work, and for the most part they seem to do the best they can in a difficult environment (i.e. good cops failed by a bad system). . .

 

I posted here a month or two ago about my house getting robbed, including the CCTV footage. In that topic I read all this nonsense he'd be fined, slapped, and home by tea time. He was arrested the day after the robbery, he's still in prison today, and I expect he'll be there for years. That is the reality. . .

 

I'm a farang, he's Thai. Do you all get it?

 

 

 

 

It's luck of the draw if you run into a good cop or a bad cop. Depends where you are and what type of cop you're dealing with. Like everywhere some ok but, unfortunately in Thailand the majority are not ok.

 

I've had both great dealings with Thai police and terrible ones. Had a cop stop me for speeding and shows me a picture of a car when I have a truck. Kept me there for 5mins before I decided enough of wasting my time and gave 200B, on my way. Had an employee steal from our company, police came investigated and arrested the guy. Had police help when my car broke down. My first girl friend in Thailand had an issue with her sister getting into a fight with a neighbor. Both girls were taken down to the police department and in jail. My girlfriend got a call from the police saying if she could come up with 15K her sister would be out and everything would go away. My girlfiend paid up and the police let her out "on bail" and the investigation was never completed, always delays as promised.

 

So you been very lucky. I wont stop there as it's not just the police, the whole govt is corrupt. Getting permits, documents etc handled in a timely manner usually requires a donation or you wait for weeks, Ignoring rules, making up their own rules. I used to think it was because I'm an expat, but my Thai friends that own companies they have the same issues with the government officials. I've found most of my thai friends try to follow govt rules, but when it becomes a hassle they give up and do what they want and ignore regulations and the government ignores that they dont follow the rules. It's just one big merry-go-round. 

[2 is 1]

27 minutes ago, AlexRich said:

What if the Police came? Do you want to be drinking?

Like i say was in own village. Head of police is my friend. We go fishing together and drink together whit boys.

[Neeranam]

14 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

If I’m not mistaken Thai law allows for the parties involved in an accident To report within 24 hrs. 

For the reason that it is often dangerous to stop at the scene. 

[richard_smith237]

2 hours ago, Neeranam said:

17 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

If I’m not mistaken Thai law allows for the parties involved in an accident To report within 24 hrs. 

For the reason that it is often dangerous to stop at the scene. 

Enabling drunk drivers to escape instead of talking the real issues.

 

Obviously with family in the car etc there are time when stopping could expose them to danger. But for the most part it’s perfectly save to stop & if we are the first on the scene at an accident or involved in an accident  then we definitely should. 
 

Each situation is individual - there are times when I may not stop to help if I felt it was unsafe for my family or myself. 
 

But to suggest I would never stop to help because I’m scared the police would try and profit from me for an accident which I’m not involved with is just a pathetic excuse for selfish people. 
 

Dash-cams obvious add an element of security.
 

If I were that bothered or fearful of the BiB Or people who could ‘attack’ because of an accident, I would never remain here. 

 

 

Edited July 11, 2021 by richard_smith237

[thaibeachlovers]

On 7/10/2021 at 4:13 AM, richard_smith237 said:

I don’t know which number to call, but, props to you for doing the right thing.

 

Some foreigners on this forum who believe they are ‘seasoned’ will tell us that we should never help, we will get the blame and incur costs etc…  

These types have only ever been seasoned on bar stool by other bar stool experts…. 
 

I too have helped at the scene of an accident in a similar manner (no cctv though). I saw the accident happen (drunk motorcyclist). Not even a hint of impropriety & many of those who also stopped or turned up followed my instructions to help light that road etc & turn on the flash lights on their phone, to go further up the road & slow approaching traffic as we were still in the middle of the road.

 

As soon as the ambulance left, so did I. BiB not interested in the Farang at the scene. 

If anyone is intending to be a good Samaritan one should learn to do proper first aid. Not knowing to secure the site first can lead to helpers getting hurt, and moving an accident victim wrongly can cause permanent paralysis.

If one doesn't know what to do the best thing is to just try and protect the injured from further injury and call an ambulance.

Speaking with my first aider hat on, but others may disagree.

[thaibeachlovers]

On 7/11/2021 at 3:06 AM, ericthai said:

It's luck of the draw if you run into a good cop or a bad cop. Depends where you are and what type of cop you're dealing with. Like everywhere some ok but, unfortunately in Thailand the majority are not ok.

 

I've had both great dealings with Thai police and terrible ones. Had a cop stop me for speeding and shows me a picture of a car when I have a truck. Kept me there for 5mins before I decided enough of wasting my time and gave 200B, on my way. Had an employee steal from our company, police came investigated and arrested the guy. Had police help when my car broke down. My first girl friend in Thailand had an issue with her sister getting into a fight with a neighbor. Both girls were taken down to the police department and in jail. My girlfriend got a call from the police saying if she could come up with 15K her sister would be out and everything would go away. My girlfiend paid up and the police let her out "on bail" and the investigation was never completed, always delays as promised.

 

So you been very lucky. I wont stop there as it's not just the police, the whole govt is corrupt. Getting permits, documents etc handled in a timely manner usually requires a donation or you wait for weeks, Ignoring rules, making up their own rules. I used to think it was because I'm an expat, but my Thai friends that own companies they have the same issues with the government officials. I've found most of my thai friends try to follow govt rules, but when it becomes a hassle they give up and do what they want and ignore regulations and the government ignores that they dont follow the rules. It's just one big merry-go-round. 

I was in an hotel van traveling to Pattaya and saw a horrific truck accident ( no other vehicle involved ). I wanted to stop and help the driver but the van driver refused to do so, though he did call for help. It's not just farangs that won't stop to help.

 

In Saudi during orientation they told us to never try to help an accident victim as it would then become our fault and we would suffer.

One needs to know the local customs before leaping into action.

[tomyami]

I lived in pattaya assisting a thai accident victim can cost its a roll of the dice really especially when you dont speak thai and the police arrive and if it gets to court thai will win you pay all costs.

Have many examples, drunk motorcyclist+sidecar delivering beer crashed into a mates parked pickup truck he died on the spot police want to charge my mate for bad parking and then accused him of parking in a badly lit spot, he got a lawyer nothing paid out.

 

Where driving is so careless among many thais and the police dont care unless an ATM shows up, its a hard call glad this worked for you, but anyone who says helping is right thing to do as advice when in thailand is wrong unless he will act as guarantor

[bbabythai]

On 7/10/2021 at 3:43 PM, Doctor Tom said:

How dumb is having so many numbers to remember, just plain idiotic and so typical of Thailand.  

I agree. How am I supposed to remember all those numbers. what a joke

[bbabythai]

On 7/10/2021 at 7:53 PM, ChrisKC said:

he girls told me they were sorry, but their father was very angry and wanted me to pay them.

Unbelievable that its 100% not your fault as indicated by the creditable witness. The father was just after a money grab?? Give him the middle finger. 

 

I stopped to take a photo of rice paddies once in nakon nowhere. 2 teen girls were on a bike (no doubt playing with their phone whilst riding) and slammed up the back of my pickup. Police and crowds arrive. ONe of the went to hospital. Police that night said I should go visit her tomorrow which i didnt do. Back to the station a few days later. They were all there no doubt expecting a money grab. I immediately raised my tone a bit and said I want petrol money compensation as its an hour from my home. I said the girls riding were illegal with no license and parents should not allow this. They didnt ask for any money as they saw my ugly / angry face. End of story. 

[Doctor Tom]

5 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

I was in an hotel van traveling to Pattaya and saw a horrific truck accident ( no other vehicle involved ). I wanted to stop and help the driver but the van driver refused to do so, though he did call for help. It's not just farangs that won't stop to help.

 

In Saudi during orientation they told us to never try to help an accident victim as it would then become our fault and we would suffer.

One needs to know the local customs before leaping into action.

A very sad state of affairs, but the sensible thing in Thailand is to never get involved, ever.  

[canthai55]

8 hours ago, bbabythai said:

I agree. How am I supposed to remember all those numbers. what a joke

Do you have a fone ?