PHOTO: Khunanont Klinsuwan

 

By Goong Nang(GN)

 

Pattaya – A 23-year-old sedan passenger was found dead outside the taxi she hired after the driver collided with a pickup truck in Banglamung yesterday morning (April 19th).

 

The Nongprue Police were notified of the accident at 4:30 A.M. on a road near the railway in Soi Nern Plubwan, Nongprue sub-district.

 

First responders arrived at the scene to find a damaged white sedan on the side of the road. The body of Ms. Lalita Sangsawang, 23, who was a taxi passenger, was found on the road outside the sedan. The sedan driver, Mr. Maruwan Taeloa, 30, had sustained only very minor injuries, however, declined to speak to the press. Maruwan was a hired taxi driver from an online mobile ride application, although the exact company was withheld pending further investigation. It was unclear if Ms. Lalita had been wearing a seatbelt.

 

Join our daily ASEAN NOW Thailand Newsletter - Click to subscribe

 

Full story: https://thepattayanews.com/2022/04/20/23-year-old-taxi-passenger-dies-following-two-vehicle-accident-in-pattaya-taxi-driver-suffers-only-minor-injuries/

 

-- © Copyright The Pattaya News 2022-04-20

 

- Cigna offers a range of visa-compliant plans that meet the minimum requirement of medical treatment, including COVID-19, up to THB 3m. For more information on all expat health insurance plans click here.

 

- Follow ASEAN NOW on LINE for breaking COVID-19 updates

Always wear seatbelts, no matter who is driving and whether you are in front seat or back! Seat belt save lives... RIP Lata!! 

Edited April 19, 20224 yr by RandiRona

38 minutes ago, webfact said:

It was unclear if Ms. Lalita had been wearing a seatbelt.

The fact that she was found outside of the vehicle strongly suggests that she was not. When I was driving here I sometimes had to be quite firm with some Thai passengers, including family about fastening their seatbelts. Some didn't even know how to.

Was this at the junction of Nerm Plab Whan and The Railway line Bypass Rd? I find it hard to figure out from the picture. Those junctions have flashing lights and people race through at night.

1 hour ago, webfact said:

Mr. Maruwan Taeloa, 30, had sustained only very minor injuries, however, declined to speak to the press.

To avoid slurring his words.

59 minutes ago, Moonlover said:

The fact that she was found outside of the vehicle strongly suggests that she was not. When I was driving here I sometimes had to be quite firm with some Thai passengers, including family about fastening their seatbelts. Some didn't even know how to.

Maybe she was trying to jump out of the taxi as the driver was acting like a lunatic ?

3 hours ago, webfact said:

The body of Ms. Lalita Sangsawang, 23, who was a taxi passenger, was found on the road outside the sedan

It baffles me why people refuse to put on their seat belts. 

 

Is it not cool or its too much of an effort. 

 

The vehicle manufacturers fit out their cars with safety equipment and people refuse to wear them. 

 

Now she's dead, family and friends no longer have this young woman in their lives, sad for all. 

 

 

I almost never put on a belt in the back seat. Time to change.

57 minutes ago, SAFETY FIRST said:

It baffles me why people refuse to put on their seat belts. 

 

Is it not cool or its too much of an effort. 

 

The vehicle manufacturers fit out their cars with safety equipment and people refuse to wear them. 

 

Now she's dead, family and friends no longer have this young woman in their lives, sad for all. 

 

 

TBH, if not the law, I probably wouldn't wear one, except when driving on the highway at speed.

 

Have yet to need the seat belt in 50 yrs of driving, and no airbag was ever deployed.  Been in a few nasty crashes as a youngin', cars totaled, with no injuries.

 

Those inexperienced drivers or who fail at defensive driving ... wear your seatbelt.

1 minute ago, KhunLA said:

TBH, if not the law, I probably wouldn't wear one, except when driving on the highway at speed.

 

Have yet to need the seat belt in 50 yrs of driving, and no airbag was ever deployed.  Been in a few nasty crashes as a youngin', cars totaled, with no injuries.

 

Those inexperienced drivers or who fail at defensive driving ... wear your seatbelt.

I hear what you're saying but you just don't know the qualifications, the skill set of an unknown driver and the drivers around you driving the streets. 

 

Click, clack front and back. 

 

If she had of worn her belt she may still be here. 

 

3 minutes ago, SAFETY FIRST said:

I hear what you're saying but you just don't know the qualifications, the skill set of an unknown driver and the drivers around you driving the streets. 

 

Click, clack front and back. 

 

If she had of worn her belt she may still be here. 

 

I would not hop in a Thai taxi at 0400 hrs, or take one that needs to drive on the highway at speed.

 

I trust very few drivers; my brothers, and my wife & kid here (since I taught them)

I drive myself, or I don't go.

Another modified agricultural utility vehicle involved. 

 

Needless to say my bias against these idiots will take over so I will refrain from further comment. 

 

RIP the young woman. 

4 hours ago, Moonlover said:

The fact that she was found outside of the vehicle strongly suggests that she was not. When I was driving here I sometimes had to be quite firm with some Thai passengers, including family about fastening their seatbelts. Some didn't even know how to.

I just tell anyone in the car I am driving that it isnt moving until seat belts are on them. At first they may resist but I just wont turn the engine on and they soon get the message.

13 minutes ago, Photoguy21 said:

I just tell anyone in the car I am driving that it isnt moving until seat belts are on them. At first they may resist but I just wont turn the engine on and they soon get the message.

That's a very good policy. Stick with it.

Just now, Moonlover said:

That's a very good policy. Stick with it.

I have never moved from it. It is there and it is staying there

1 hour ago, Enzian said:

I almost never put on a belt in the back seat. Time to change.

In BKK you'll find them tucked under the seat cushion???? 

1 hour ago, KhunLA said:

TBH, if not the law, I probably wouldn't wear one, except when driving on the highway at speed.

 

Have yet to need the seat belt in 50 yrs of driving, and no airbag was ever deployed.  Been in a few nasty crashes as a youngin', cars totaled, with no injuries.

 

Those inexperienced drivers or who fail at defensive driving ... wear your seatbelt.

This must be one of the stupidest posts I have read on Asean Now.

And @Khun LA just laughs. Sad.

Edited April 20, 20224 yr by KannikaP

1 hour ago, Enzian said:

I almost never put on a belt in the back seat. Time to change.

Too right. Think back a few years. Who was the only person to survive the crash that killed Princess Diana and why did he?

7 minutes ago, Moonlover said:

Too right. Think back a few years. Who was the only person to survive the crash that killed Princess Diana and why did he?

By that logic you should only get in a taxi if it is a Mercedes-Benz. 

59 minutes ago, Mr Meeseeks said:

Another modified agricultural utility vehicle involved. 

 

Needless to say my bias against these idiots will take over so I will refrain from further comment. 

"Another modified agricultural utility vehicle involved".

 A pickup that apparently wasn't the cause of the accident.

28 minutes ago, KannikaP said:

1 hour ago, KhunLA said:

TBH, if not the law, I probably wouldn't wear one, except when driving on the highway at speed.

 

Have yet to need the seat belt in 50 yrs of driving, and no airbag was ever deployed.  Been in a few nasty crashes as a youngin', cars totaled, with no injuries.

 

Those inexperienced drivers or who fail at defensive driving ... wear your seatbelt.

Expand  

This must be one of the stupidest posts I have read on Asean Now.

The "stupidest"?  Really?   Someone, don't know who, posted a link to a confirmed paedophile rapist's video, I'd say that takes the prize.

1 hour ago, Photoguy21 said:

I just tell anyone in the car I am driving that it isnt moving until seat belts are on them. At first they may resist but I just wont turn the engine on and they soon get the message.

My message is the same, but it  is as a passenge to the car's driver.

I don't close the back seat door until my belt is on as closing the door to most drivers means '"Hit the gas".

 

If there is not a working seat belt, I get out and refuse the ride.

 

 

Most of my time in SEA has been in Vietnam.

Many drivers are aware their seat belts in back don't work and aren't the least bit concerned.

 

I give them 1 star reviews and cite the reason and that I refused tbe ride.

I don't know if it changes the driver's

attitude, but both Grab and Be respond to me within 24 hours, which makes me feel that they do the same to the driver.

 

Edited April 20, 20224 yr by JimmyJ

Not wearing seatbelts is Thai fatalism at its best.

 

However that attitude could easily be changed if proper education and enactment/enforcement of seatbelt laws were applied. 

 

Don't hold your breath though. 

 

Is wearing a seatbelt in the back of a vehicle law in Thailand? I know it is in Singapore and elsewhere. 

 

 

2 minutes ago, Mr Meeseeks said:

Is wearing a seatbelt in the back of a vehicle law in Thailand?

No, only the front passengers are legally required to belt-up. If it were not the case how would you fit upwards of 15 seat belts into the bed of a pick-up ? ????

Edited April 20, 20224 yr by Excel

1 hour ago, Liverpool Lou said:

2 hours ago, Mr Meeseeks said:

Another modified agricultural utility vehicle involved. 

 

Needless to say my bias against these idiots will take over so I will refrain from further comment. 

"Another modified agricultural utility vehicle involved".

 A pickup that apparently wasn't the cause of the accident.

I'm not so sure.... It seems it was one of those cross roads with amber flashing lights. 

 

Both went through the junction...  the pickup driver states he was unable to slow in time which implies he was driving too fast through amber flashing lights.

The driver of the sedan (which I assume is  Grab-car) may not have looked, but approached the junction first so high right of way (which doesn’t really mean anything here anyway). 

 

So... the judgement by Mr Meeseeks can’t be proven as anything other than confirmation bias, however, I’d go along with his opinion and based on the photos assume that this was ‘another pickup being driven recklessly’.... 

 

 

 

Regarding the wearing of seatbelts... 

 

I’ve refused to get in Grab-Cars and Taxi’s before (plenty of times) because they didn’t have seatbelts. 

It's just not worth it, even with a small accident. 

 

But, many Thai’s just don’t want to use them. They use them in the front seat because the the car makes a noise if they don’t. I don’t know why car manufacturers don’t make this so in rear seats too. 

 

That said: In laws don’t use seatbelts in their car. They do in mine, right from the very start I insisted. The still struggle to work out how to use a seatbelt which boggles the minds. 

 

I’ve threatened to kick a work colleague out of my car because she refused to put on a belt in the rear seat. I didn’t care (she was an utter idiot). I told her I don’t care about her safety, but I have an accident which will fly around the car and injure someone else. I stopped told her to get out, or put on the belt. 

 

It also astonishes me how many ‘hi-so’s’ I see...  nice expensive cars, S’classes, XC90’s, Aphards etc... and the kids are climbing the seats....    they have masks on though !!!  

 

 

---------

 

And on to this accident....  It looks like the pickup collided with the rear quarter of the sedan. 

I think even with a seat belt this cold have been extremely serious (or fatal), high speed side impact to the rear quarter.... head / neck injury... 

 

 

3 hours ago, KhunLA said:

TBH, if not the law, I probably wouldn't wear one, except when driving on the highway at speed.

 

Have yet to need the seat belt in 50 yrs of driving, and no airbag was ever deployed.  Been in a few nasty crashes as a youngin', cars totaled, with no injuries.

 

Those inexperienced drivers or who fail at defensive driving ... wear your seatbelt.

You do realise that many drivers who didn’t wear their seatbelts are no longer here to state.....  “ I never wore my seatbelt and I’m ok”....

 

The same goes for crash helmets... “I never wore a crash helmet and I’m still here”....    

 

Being lucky is not sensible justification or reason not to wear a seatbelt (or helmet) !!!...  its a rather stupid reason really... 

15 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

You do realise that many drivers who didn’t wear their seatbelts are no longer here to state.....  “ I never wore my seatbelt and I’m ok”....

 

The same goes for crash helmets... “I never wore a crash helmet and I’m still here”....    

 

Being lucky is not sensible justification or reason not to wear a seatbelt (or helmet) !!!...  its a rather stupid reason really... 

Agreed.

 

In the same wave length as

"Well, Grandma smoked a pack of cigarettes a day and lived to 102", therefore it's ok to smoke cigarettes.

29 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

Being lucky is not sensible justification or reason not to wear a seatbelt (or helmet) !!!...  its a rather stupid reason really... 

Being careful is.  Before law mandated, If I thought I was at risk, I'd wear it.  Usually not local around town driving.  Nobody actually goes fast enough.   On highway at speed, of course.

 

Where I am now, I rarely drive over 50 kph, that's kms not mile p/h, as does everyone else.  More like 35ish.  Same when I lived in Udon Thani, within ring rd, about the same speeds, if lucky.  Wouldn't wear if not mandated.  On the ring rd, or out to the house, via highway, yea, why not, as you never know.

 

Actually the conversation, and y'all comments are a bit irrelevant, as been wearing for about the last 30+ yrs, if not 40.

 

If you're going to get in a taxi @ 0400 hr ... yea, you should have had your seatbelt on. 

Uncommon common sense.

8 hours ago, webfact said:

Maruwan was a hired taxi driver from an online mobile ride application, although the exact company was withheld pending further investigation.

With B or G?

Guess the company is not too interested to have it's name revealed.