Locally famous Thai cyclist, Nirantra Phramthong, who had travelled to numerous countries with his bicycle, was struck by a ten-wheel truck and killed yesterday (Thursday), while riding along a road in Thailand’s north-eastern province of Nakhon Ratchasima. He was a 53-year-old native of Pran Buri district in Prachuap Khiri Khan.

 

The accident occurred at the construction site of an elevated road junction on the special highway linking Bang Pa In with Nakhon Ratchasima.

 

The truck driver told the police that he was not driving fast and did not see the cyclist until he felt his truck strike something.

 

Full Story: https://www.thaipbsworld.com/well-known-thai-touring-cyclist-killed-by-a-truck-in-nakhon-ratchasima/

 

-- © Copyright Thai PBS 2022-06-10

 

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Don’t..  Just don’t cycle on any of Thailands roads...   

 

There have been so many high-profile incidents... I wonder how many low profile incidents go unreported. 

 

There is something in the psychology of Thai drivers that makes cyclists invisible to them.

 

The speed differential between road traffic and cyclists is high enough that the ‘invisible’ cyclist is just mown down.

 

The only safe place to cycle in Thailand at the Skylane and dedicated cycle lanes away from roads.

Cycle lanes next to a road are not safe - people park on them etc.. and drivers will still drive into you there. 

So many high profile cases this year alone.... I see a crack-down coming... 

 

Cycle lanes will be painted... 

Thailand’s roads are the deadliest in Southeast Asia and among the worst in the world, according to the World Health Organization. 

 

Yeah, but apparently the WHO are falling over themselves to congratulate Thailand's non testing covid regime !

18 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

Don’t..  Just don’t cycle on any of Thailands roads...   

 

There have been so many high-profile incidents... I wonder how many low profile incidents go unreported. 

 

There is something in the psychology of Thai drivers that makes cyclists invisible to them.

 

The speed differential between road traffic and cyclists is high enough that the ‘invisible’ cyclist is just mown down.

 

The only safe place to cycle in Thailand at the Skylane and dedicated cycle lanes away from roads.

Cycle lanes next to a road are not safe - people park on them etc.. and drivers will still drive into you there. 

Yet I cycled from Bangkok to Phuket,  850lm without incident as well as hundreds of other practice rides. 

 

Cycling has a risk anywhere in the world, probably amplified in Thailand but it's not a cert you will be involved in an accident.

12 minutes ago, kingkenny said:

Yet I cycled from Bangkok to Phuket,  850lm without incident as well as hundreds of other practice rides. 

 

Cycling has a risk anywhere in the world, probably amplified in Thailand but it's not a cert you will be involved in an accident.

Perhaps you've been blissfully unaware of the lucky escapes you may have encountered, On the rare occasion I cycle 6 kms into town I always seem to meet the guy who either pulls out to T-bone me or the woman who overtakes me only to brake immediately in front ! ????

1 hour ago, richard_smith237 said:

Don’t..  Just don’t cycle on any of Thailands roads...   

 

There have been so many high-profile incidents... I wonder how many low profile incidents go unreported. 

 

There is something in the psychology of Thai drivers that makes cyclists invisible to them.

 

The speed differential between road traffic and cyclists is high enough that the ‘invisible’ cyclist is just mown down.

 

The only safe place to cycle in Thailand at the Skylane and dedicated cycle lanes away from roads.

Cycle lanes next to a road are not safe - people park on them etc.. and drivers will still drive into you there. 

I'm a veteran cycling tourist and have cycled in Thailand extensively. On roads with a lot of traffic and on highways I always cycled on the wrong side of the road for safety reasons. I was always on the extreme right side of the road and saw all the oncoming traffic and everybody saw me. The safest way to cycle in Thailand.

 

Many cyclists have been killed riding on the left by cars and trucks whose drivers didn't pay attention or fell asleep (after the use of too much yabaa or just plain too much driving). The dead cyclists never saw them coming ...

 

 

3 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

Cycle lanes will be painted... 

Waste of time.

We have a cycle lane painted on the ring road all round Samui.

It is usually full of parked vehicles - even with the black/white and red/white painting on the kerbs.

They are at the bottom of the tree,ahead of you are small scooters big bikes cars trucks etc.Realise this when you are a cyclist and  then think about it before you set out on your travels

Sometimes I think my prostate saved me. Until 2019 I used to ride up to 10000 Km a year, but had to stop as it was exacerbating my prostatitis. Mad drivers and Afib.... 

11 hours ago, yawg said:

I was always on the extreme right side of the road and saw all the oncoming traffic and everybody saw me. The safest way to cycle in Thailand.

But not all of the traffic in oncoming even when riding on the other side.

14 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

The truck driver told the police that he was not driving fast and did not see the cyclist until he felt his truck strike something.

It was only a matter of time..

Sad to read this story. I'm cycling at least twice a week and sometimes I think that I will die on Thailands roads. So many narrow escapes. I try to stay away from big roads like Petchkasem.

I doesn't help very much that most drivers are careful. One idiot is enough. 

 

14 hours ago, kingkenny said:

Yet I cycled from Bangkok to Phuket,  850lm without incident as well as hundreds of other practice rides. 

 

Cycling has a risk anywhere in the world, probably amplified in Thailand but it's not a cert you will be involved in an accident.

Hope that is not your last post ????

14 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

The truck driver told the police that he was not driving fast and did not see the cyclist until he felt his truck strike something.

Was he driving with his eyes closed?

13 hours ago, yawg said:

I'm a veteran cycling tourist and have cycled in Thailand extensively. On roads with a lot of traffic and on highways I always cycled on the wrong side of the road for safety reasons. I was always on the extreme right side of the road and saw all the oncoming traffic and everybody saw me. The safest way to cycle in Thailand.

 

Many cyclists have been killed riding on the left by cars and trucks whose drivers didn't pay attention or fell asleep (after the use of too much yabaa or just plain too much driving). The dead cyclists never saw them coming ...

 

 

How can you fall asleep on too much yaba? That's some pretzel science!

15 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

So many high profile cases this year alone.... I see a crack-down coming... 

 

Cycle lanes will be painted... 

Like the Zebra crossings?

you do what you love, period.   You love to ride a bicycle, you do it.  BUT you don't do it everywhere and anywhere.   During the day, roads you know, and traffic patterns you think you understand.   Touring in Thailand?  NO.  That you don't do.  Of course you can survive, just like you can survive 100-years in Pattaya without ever using a condom and only having sex with ladyboys.  BUT the odds are not in your favour.   You find a few nice roads to pedal on, and enjoy.  If those roads don't exist near you, bike inside I guess.  or move.  or figure something out that makes sense from a safety point of view.  I've "almost" (never know) been seriously hurt a number of times, just luck I wasn't I guess.  Once a flying truck tire came at me after it exploded off a truck.   lonely road, only the truck and me.  I could figure out what was going to happen and acted accordingly.  still, that tire was flying.   

and another road death by incompetent thai driving !!! so sad 

Why are Thai drivers unable to turn their head a few degrees and see if there's oncoming traffic?

7 minutes ago, bbko said:

Why are Thai divers unable to turn their head a few degrees and see if there's oncoming traffic?

They can.

Many don't, however, possibly as it may briefly interfere with their "me first" pursuit.

RIP poor fella.

@Tropposurfer was the first poster to offer his condolences after several other members went on and on about how cycling is safe or dangerous or how bad Thai drivers are.

 

RIP to the poor guy and best wishes to his family.

 

You can get killed on a bicycle in any country, and you can die in many ways here in Thailand.

Did he increase his chances of being hit by spending so much time on the roads here? Probably. But although it's safer to spend those hours on a keyboard telling everyone how to live their lives, at least this guy did what he enjoyed.

I cycle quite a lot on the outskirts of BKK, but I choose my times and my routes carefully. There's as much danger in riding a scooter back from the bar.

8 minutes ago, 2long said:

@Tropposurfer was the first poster to offer his condolences after several other members went on and on about how cycling is safe or dangerous or how bad Thai drivers are.

 

RIP to the poor guy and best wishes to his family.

 

You can get killed on a bicycle in any country, and you can die in many ways here in Thailand.

Did he increase his chances of being hit by spending so much time on the roads here? Probably. But although it's safer to spend those hours on a keyboard telling everyone how to live their lives, at least this guy did what he enjoyed.

I cycle quite a lot on the outskirts of BKK, but I choose my times and my routes carefully. There's as much danger in riding a scooter back from the bar.

RIP. He died doing what he loved to do.

 

Made it even to Finland:

 

https://www.pkank.fi/teksti/sitkea-pyorailija-perilla-6.19.7585.fe10d6986b

 

18 hours ago, kingkenny said:

Yet I cycled from Bangkok to Phuket,  850lm without incident as well as hundreds of other practice rides. 

 

Cycling has a risk anywhere in the world, probably amplified in Thailand but it's not a cert you will be involved in an accident.

I agree...  its not a cert.. but it gives me sufficient reason not to ride a bicycle on Thailands roads, yet I do ride a motorcycle - I think the speed differential between cyclists and vehicles with drivers not paying attention is too great....   it seems the cyclists just get driven over... 

 

Reading of all the cycling deaths in Thailand, particularly of those higher profile examples may lead to confirmation bias that Thailand is so dangerous as we don’t get news of all these cycling deaths in the elsewhere such as China, Vietnam, Philippines, Malaysia and South American countries.... 

 

But... it just seems that there is an overwhelmingly large number of cycling deaths on the roads in Thailand, it seems disproportionately high compared to population numbers.

 

 

17 hours ago, yawg said:

I'm a veteran cycling tourist and have cycled in Thailand extensively. On roads with a lot of traffic and on highways I always cycled on the wrong side of the road for safety reasons. I was always on the extreme right side of the road and saw all the oncoming traffic and everybody saw me. The safest way to cycle in Thailand.

 

Many cyclists have been killed riding on the left by cars and trucks whose drivers didn't pay attention or fell asleep (after the use of too much yabaa or just plain too much driving). The dead cyclists never saw them coming ...

I gave up and sold my bicycle.  It's not fun driving when you are constantly aware that the hairs on your back stand up every time you here a vehicle approach from behind you.
And the way many Western cyclist drive doesn't help.  That "I have as much right to the road as cars" attitude can and will get you killed.  Most Thais I've ridden with drive with a pretty healthy respect of the danger. 

For myself.  I'm done with it.  I've got a spinner in the house for doing interval training.  That's good enough.

30 minutes ago, 2long said:

@Tropposurfer was the first poster to offer his condolences after several other members went on and on about how cycling is safe or dangerous or how bad Thai drivers are.

 

RIP to the poor guy and best wishes to his family.

Have you sent your thoughts and prayers, or just posted on an anonymous forum that his family and friends will not read ?

 

The discussion is as important as the compassion, perhaps more so to anyone reading who may choose to cycle around Thailand - such discussions give them greater pause for thought.

 

30 minutes ago, 2long said:

You can get killed on a bicycle in any country, and you can die in many ways here in Thailand.

Did he increase his chances of being hit by spending so much time on the roads here? Probably. But although it's safer to spend those hours on a keyboard telling everyone how to live their lives, at least this guy did what he enjoyed.

I think the probability of an incident cycling on the road in Thailand is far far higher than the probability in the UK (for example) the driver training and respect for others and smaller vehicles is far far higher in the UK, its pretty much non-existent here. 

 

Your comment is also somewhat flawed... those belting away at their keyboard may also be cycling, running, footballing, golfing, etc etc and doing plenty of other things they love... we can’t do these things all day long..  there is also time for the keyboard. 

 

30 minutes ago, 2long said:

I cycle quite a lot on the outskirts of BKK, but I choose my times and my routes carefully. There's as much danger in riding a scooter back from the bar.

A completely flawed comparison....    Anyone riding drunk back from the bar is an utter fool, yet plenty do  it, plenty have serious incidents. 

 

I’ve ridden a bicycle in Bangkok - its just silly....  as you mention, times and routes have to be carefully chosen. I used to ride a bicycle to Benjakitti park to cycle, or along the Khlong towards Ruam-Rud to Polo Football...    the road parts were just horrible. 

I ride a motorcycle (and drive a car)... riding a motorcycle is far far save for the simple reason of speed differential...  Riding a bicycle we just get ‘bullied’ out of the way by faster vehicles and stupid drivers, the motorcyclists are the worst making life quite dangerous.

It was a motorcyclist (taxi) who make me drop the bike... Over took me, cut-me up, stopped dead in front of me to let his passenger off... didn’t leave me much chance, front wheel just went away from me ( damp road / poor girl) and I was lucky enough to just ’step off’ and not get hurt - Motorcyclist wai’d and said sorry - All ok then.. grrr... 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thai roads are pretty dangerous for everyone.  People on bicycles are at greater risk.  Probably best to stay off of the main roads and use secondary roads with less traffic and lower speeds.  Wearing high-vis clothing will help as will flashing lights at all times.  Don't cycle at night in traffic.

The one thing I always notice when the subject of road deaths in Thailand comes up, is that no one hardly ever mentions the fact that Thai people do not undergo the driving/riding education/training that exists in nearly every other country.

The latest attempt is to fill in, on line, a questionnaire, and you get a number of goes. Then you get a certificate to be presented to the office, and after the usual braking test etc, you get a licence.

The upshot of this system, combined with lack of enforcement, is that the standard of driving on the actual roads is not predictable.

So no one has standardised road behaviour protocols, no one can predict what will happen at any time.

Powerful education tools like adverts on tv, saying keep your lights down not on high, and safety, do not exist. Not to mention traffic police, lack of.

This sadly demonstrates the lack of willpower in the govt to change anything.

Very sad the Thai bicyclist was killed here, especially having ridden in many countries. I love bicycling and even rode the West coast of America. The most dangerous thing was lumber trucks on the Oregon coast, as trucks are here. Back in the 1950’s when I was thirteen, I rode for two weeks around England staying at Youth Hostels. I never even had a close call from any car or truck. It was a wonderful time. Here, I only ride on designated bike paths with no traffic. The noise of engines spoils the enjoyment of the countryside for me. A bicycle is the purest form of travel besides a sailboat.