Thai police teaching students to respect the Highway Code - cops get kids to paint "safe" Zebra Crossing

[webfact]

Daily News Thai Caption: Zebra crossings are safe!

 

Daily News reported that the Royal Thai Police are teaching students to "cultivate values of respect for traffic rules".

 

Especially at Zebra crossings. 

 

This after a female opthalmologist was killed on such a crossing in Bangkok in February by a speeding POLICEMAN on a Ducati, notes ASEAN NOW.  

 

He's been convicted. But few in Thailand would suggest that Thais have learned their lesson about respecting the crossings. 

 

Yesterday Korat's Wang Nam Khiaw police led by Pol Col Pheerapong Thanaphochai along with Ban Thai Samakhee school director Pornthip Phujan were teaching students about respecting the rules. 

 

Picture: Daily News

 

Both in terms of being good pedestrians and good drivers. Kids were seen painting the markings on the road outside the school in Ban Thai Samakhee, NE Thailand.

 

Pheerapong said that RTP chief Pol Gen Suwat Chaengyodsuk and his deputy in charge of traffic Pol Gen Damrongsak Kittipraphat wanted everyone to follow traffic rules because of the amount of death and damage on the roads. 

 

So he was taking part in a national drive to teach cultural values and respect for the Highway Code and other traffic rules. 

 

ASEAN NOW notes that the media saw no irony in this.

 

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Picture: Daily News

 

Anyone who has spent time in Thailand will routinely see police disobeying traffic rules by going the wrong way or not wearing helmets.

 

And the force is perpetually criticised for doing very little law enforcement in this matter. 

 

The story smacked of "the pot calling the kettle black". 

 

While a caption on the photo in the article said that zebra crossings were safe - only a fool would believe that, we further suggest. 

 

On the plus side it is good that students are being taught something positive about the roads. 

 

Many underage routinely turn up for class illegally riding bikes without helmets only to be waved through by the cops. 

 

Occasionally they are made to do jumping jacks by the side of the road instead of paying fines. 

 

 

-- © Copyright  ASEAN NOW 2022-06-03

 

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[ezzra]

To go through a pedestrian crossing in Thailand you need to put your faith in god and the skills of a bull fighter in  Spanish Corrida dodging motorbikes and cars...

[Will B Good]

Apparently three kids were slightly injured as they painted these zebra crossings........ by drivers failing to stop.

Edited June 3, 2022 by Will B Good

[tomacht8]

Zebra crossings are death traps.

In Thailand, zebra crossings are only safe if a sufficiently large crowd crosses the street together. Crossing a crosswalk alone as a pedestrian is suicidal.

[Will B Good]

1 minute ago, tomacht8 said:

Zebra crossings are death traps.

In Thailand, zebra crossings are only safe if a sufficiently large crowd crosses the street together. Crossing a crosswalk alone as a pedestrian is suicidal.

Purely anecdotal, but watching major junctions at Asok, Nana, soi 22 .......jumping red lights is endemic for motorbike riders.......at soi 22, when the lights were down, they were even ignoring the police.

[tomacht8]

4 minutes ago, Will B Good said:

Purely anecdotal, but watching major junctions at Asok, Nana, soi 22 .......jumping red lights is endemic for motorbike riders.......at soi 22, when the lights were down, they were even ignoring the police.

If you want to survive in Thailand, it is one of the first things you should learn. Never hope that other road users will obey the traffic rules or have even learned them.

[ThailandRyan]

10 minutes ago, Will B Good said:

Purely anecdotal, but watching major junctions at Asok, Nana, soi 22 .......jumping red lights is endemic for motorbike riders.......at soi 22, when the lights were down, they were even ignoring the police.

The intersection at Rama 4 Rd and Sathon Thai Rd, is one of those you point out.  Instead of waiting at the line for the light many motorbikes drive into the center Area under the Belgian Thai Overcross while the lights red and Cue underneath, sometimes it seems like there are 100 or so stacked underneath.  Then as soon as the light for the opposing direction turns green they take off running the red light and almost getting struck by vehicles making the right turn, or U-turn legally.

[blackshadow]

ONLY in thailand EH !!!!!!??????

[proton]

After this kids underage drove off on bikes with no helmet, insurance or licence ????

[Orinoco]

A Zebra Crossing in Thailand is a Kill Zone.

The Dangerous, Selfish, Murderous, drivers and riders 

use this every day to show people how important they are.

Shameful on most levels.

Stop the clown show, it's just insulting to those who take care and care for others on the roads.  

 

 

[mancub]

Drivers here will, as a rule, only stop if pretty much forced to.

 

[hotchilli]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

Both in terms of being good pedestrians and good drivers. Kids were seen painting the markings on the road outside the school in Ban Thai Samakhee, NE Thailand.

I guess they gave up on trying to educate adults so start-em young.

[swm59nj]

It’s always good for the young students to learn something. 
But while they were doing it.  I’m surprised that a vehicle didn’t try to race through the area.  Even though I was obviously closed off

[jingjai9]

I stop for Zebra crossing but sometimes the people will stay at the curb and not cross. They are not sure what to do. I can understand why. Last Wednesday I was out driving and I saw two women crossing the street at a zebra crossing. They were three-fourths of the way across the street when a car turned the corner, drove right up to them and sat on his horn until they ran out of his way. I felt sorry for the ladies. 

 

I am not sure which would be more difficult, to get consistent, evenly enforced traffic rules in Thailand or remedy the gun problems in the U.S> which would you make book on? 

 

[ikke1959]

Policemen who teach respect the high way code.... Why don't they start by learning the codes first.. Many make the same mistakes as the rest of the country....

[tomacht8]

They will never learn or obey the rules at the crosswalk. It would be safer to eliminate almost all of the crosswalks.

Edited June 3, 2022 by tomacht8

[RJRS1301]

Are these the same people we see sometimes riding 3 up in uniform without helmets??

[Aussieroaming]

There is no such thing in Thailand as a safe zebra crossing, the RTP are deluding a younger generation. 

[dinsdale]

Seatbelts: When police are arond. Cabin rearview mirror: Make up/ preaning. Red lights: Suggestion. Pedestiran crossing: (zebra crossing? Good old USA. Personally I've never seen a zebra cross at a zebra crossing just pedestrians.) speed up.

[richard_smith237]

36 minutes ago, RJRS1301 said:

Are these the same people we see sometimes riding 3 up in uniform without helmets??

... down the pavement (sidewalk)... yes... 

[Gillyflower]

In Chiang Mai I often use the crossing near the foot bridge.  There are lights there.  I'm more scared of bikers than the cars.  They just don't stop.   Another thing I have noticed,  As soon as the person who pushed the button has crossed they go.....they don't seem to realise that whilst the light is red they have to stop.  If you come whilst it is red and you are not the one to push the button....too bad for you.

When I was a kid in Oz, some nearly 80 years ago, every term in primary school, a policeman came to teach us road drill plus how to behave in public buses, trains and trams.

 

 

[Burma Bill]

To be fair, it is not only Thailand. Have you ever tried to cross the road on a pedestrian crossing in Vietnam and Cambodia? I have.

 

Vietnam:

 

Cambodia:

 

Both stock photos.

[RJRS1301]

3 minutes ago, Burma Bill said:

To be fair, it is not only Thailand. Have you ever tried to cross the road on a pedestrian crossing in Vietnam and Cambodia? I have.

 

Vietnam:

 

Cambodia:

 

Both stock photos.

Yes, that ius an adventure all of it's own,make sure you have few locals either side of you and use them as cover

Edited June 3, 2022 by RJRS1301

[Gandtee]

Do the police realise that doing these virtually useless publicity photo op stunts, they are opening themselves up to even more public ridicule? What they need to do is get out on the streets and enforce laws that are already in place to stop people being run down on pedestrian crossings. Tackle the law breakers. Not the victims. Respect is earned. Not a given right.

[BritManToo]

13 hours ago, Gillyflower said:

In Chiang Mai I often use the crossing near the foot bridge.  There are lights there.  I'm more scared of bikers than the cars.  They just don't stop.   Another thing I have noticed,  As soon as the person who pushed the button has crossed they go.....they don't seem to realise that whilst the light is red they have to stop.  If you come whilst it is red and you are not the one to push the button....too bad for you.

When I was a kid in Oz, some nearly 80 years ago, every term in primary school, a policeman came to teach us road drill plus how to behave in public buses, trains and trams.

 

 

Thailand is not Australia (thank God).

Different country, different rules, adapt or die (literally).

 

Personally, I prefer Thailand and accept it how it is.

[Andre0720]

When police start doing some work, things just get more ridiculous here

[markclover]

Nice day for the students.  Now they have to sit soaked in sweat for the rest of the day in stuffy classrooms.

[BangkokReady]

17 hours ago, hotchilli said:

I guess they gave up on trying to educate adults so start-em young.

Unfortunately, the children are also educated that rules mean nothing and only the appearance of rules matter.

 

Smile, take a photo, then do whatever you want.

Edited June 4, 2022 by BangkokReady

[mikebell]

Meanwhile whilst the police were giving art lessons 30+ road users were killed.

[RJRS1301]

1 hour ago, Gandtee said:

Do the police realise that doing these virtually useless publicity photo op stunts, they are opening themselves up to even more public ridicule? What they need to do is get out on the streets and enforce laws that are already in place to stop people being run down on pedestrian crossings. Tackle the law breakers. Not the victims. Respect is earned. Not a given right.

Looks like unpaid labour to me