British biker, 83, is killed in a horror crash in Thailand after car pulls out in front of him

[RandiRona]

18 hours ago, Harveyboy said:

did i miss something here it said motorbike on motorway.? i thought bikes were not allowed on motorways.  

RIP mate very sad 

Not sure where he died but driving a bike in Thailand is just playing a Russian roulette.

Unsurprisingly, an estimated 70%-85% of road traffic-incidents in Thailand involved a motorcycle. Since motorcycles are much cheaper than cars, many young adults drive - often without receiving proper training and obtaining a license. Additionally, it was reported by the World Health Organization that just over half of motorcycle drivers wore helmets and only 20% of their passengers used helmets while on the road.

[RandiRona]

19 hours ago, Boomer6969 said:

To assert this you must be over 83, and still able to remember..

You are as much fun as 69 is ????

[RandiRona]

19 hours ago, Guderian said:

I'm thinking of upgrading to a cement truck, lol!

or any of those Tanks which they didnt roll for long and are possibly getting rust.

[ThailandRyan]

26 minutes ago, Nemises said:

Why do Westerner's risk their lives sharing the roads on motor cycles with these idiots?

 

Answer: due to financial reasons.

 

A wealthy motor cycle enthusiast would stick to tracks, trails etc.

 

If you ride on these roads sorry to hear that you moved here without enough finances.

Your way of base in your beliefs.  Many of us own cars and bikes...try again

[ThailandRyan]

6 minutes ago, RandiRona said:

Not sure where he died but driving a bike in Thailand is just playing a Russian roulette.

Unsurprisingly, an estimated 70%-85% of road traffic-incidents in Thailand involved a motorcycle. Since motorcycles are much cheaper than cars, many young adults drive - often without receiving proper training and obtaining a license. Additionally, it was reported by the World Health Organization that just over half of motorcycle drivers wore helmets and only 20% of their passengers used helmets while on the road.

Your forgetting that more people drive motorbikes here than cars.  Enforce the laws and things would not happen as much as they do know.  Why laws are not enforced is pretty obvious to someone who has lived and worked elsewhere.

[RandiRona]

Just now, ThailandRyan said:

Your forgetting that more people drive motorbikes here than cars.  Enforce the laws and things would not happen as much as they do know.  Why laws are not enforced is pretty obvious to someone who has lived and worked elsewhere.

I agree, That is why avoiding bike wont make you statistics in a country where human life is of no consideration. Since you like reading ????

The Issue of Road Safety in Thailand (arcgis.com)

 

[Moonlover]

Hats off, or should I say helmets off to Keith William McVeighty. I am full of admiration for a guy who continued to the very end doing what he enjoyed doing the most.

 

There are far too many mambi pambis in this modern world who are so risk averse that they daren't get out of their arm chairs least they should come to some harm. To them I say 'it will be the chair that kills you'.

 

My motto is 'Live life to the full. as much as you can for as long as you can' and if one day it kills you, so be it. It will have been worth it.

 

''Can any of you, by worrying, add a single hour to your life?'' Guess who said that.

[Nemises]

1 hour ago, ThailandRyan said:

Your way of base in your beliefs.  Many of us own cars and bikes...try again

Sorry to hear that you are forced to share the road on your motor bike with idiots. I sincerely wish you good luck with that (I'll stick to my very big pick up here).

 

With every loss of a fellow motor cyclist's life I give thanks that I have the financial means to enjoy my motor bikes (plural) well away from Thailand's deadly roads.

 

 

 

 

[bolt]

I will continually tell people  “Bad drivers DON’T see Motorbikes. “ it’s a simple as that

Nothing else to say

RIP Keith

[Road Warrior]

sad - RIP UK CHAP ...... but regretfully common place to pull out from side roads .normally done by Thais

[bolt]

I was considering downsizing my Fortuner due to maintenance & fuel costs, but every time I see a story like this I ask myself “Size really does matter”, better protection better visibility  

The roads and the drivers are utterly terrible, I’m keeping my BIG SUV

[ThailandRyan]

1 minute ago, bolt said:

I was considering downsizing my Fortuner due to maintenance & fuel costs, but every time I see a story like this I ask myself “Size really does matter”, better protection better visibility  

The roads and the drivers are utterly terrible, I’m keeping my BIG SUV

Just upsize to the Mercedes G63

[bolt]

10 minutes ago, ThailandRyan said:

Just upsize to the Mercedes G63

my boy is fine

[Rimmer]

An inflammatory post has been removed

[Excel]

13 minutes ago, bolt said:

my boy is fine

Except the G63 was designed as an SUV whereas the Fortuner is simply a pick-up with a tarted up back on it. Chalk and cheese my friend, chalk and cheese.

[richard_smith237]

5 hours ago, Gottfrid said:

Hope we get to hear the result of the investigation into the case, but probably not as usual. However, that would not have any bearing on you people, as you would only dismiss it as bad work of dumb people, right?

On ‘you people’...  meaning ??...    anyone who disagrees with you, the British ?

 

On every comment so far on this thread you’ve managed to come up with some ‘strange stuff’ which only highlights oddity and bias... 

 

Do you believe the incident could have been motorcyclists fault ?....  

[bolt]

10 minutes ago, Excel said:

Except the G63 was designed as an SUV whereas the Fortuner is simply a pick-up with a tarted up back on it. Chalk and cheese my friend, chalk and cheese.

I said I'm fine with my SUV. 

[richard_smith237]

2 hours ago, Nemises said:

Why do Westerner's risk their lives sharing the roads on motor cycles with these idiots?

 

Answer: due to financial reasons.

 

A wealthy motor cycle enthusiast would stick to tracks, trails etc.

 

If you ride on these roads sorry to hear that you moved here without enough finances.

 

This is just a dumb comment...  You think the only people who ride motorcycles do so because they can’t afford a car ?????... nothing to do with convenience or simple enjoyment ?

 

 

There are so many people with both cars and motorcycles....   money is not the reason for many.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[richard_smith237]

2 hours ago, Gottfrid said:

3 hours ago, Bday Prang said:

Its a common to most nationalities  Thais are a perfect example

Yep, that´s the way to go. Defending until the bitter end. ????

In some kind of way, it just looks like you unknowingly made yourself a poster boy for my opinion. ???? 

Mean while you are the clear poster boy for creating something idiotic out of nothing....

 

Your comments possess an anti-British bias which causes you to assume anyone defending the deceased as being ‘British and over defensive’... but the reality is many are simply recognising that the motorcyclist was not at fault... nationality is utterly irrelevant, training and experience are the relevant factors, as may be age. 

 

You are looking for an issue with doesn’t exist...  all you are doing with every comment is highlighting with greater confirmation that your opinions are an oddly unhinged.

 

 

[Excel]

11 minutes ago, bolt said:

I said I'm fine with my SUV. 

No, you stated "my boy is fine". I guess many of us thought you were talking about your dog in the back of that pick-up conversion ????

[richard_smith237]

2 hours ago, KhunLA said:

15 hours ago, soi3eddie said:

As a biker in Thailand, cars are your second worst danger after trucks. 

I disagree, as I expect humans to do something stupid, and drive very defensively, worldwide.

 

When on my scooter, it's the dogs & monkeys that worry me, as may cut across my path without warning, completely unexpected, if seeing something of interest on the other side of the road.

 

Defensive driving is the key.  Notice all those pick up trucks loaded down with wares, coconuts, pineapples plowing the motorways, avoiding the left hand lane, along with many other trucks.   Knowing they are traveling at speed, and won't be able to stop on a sip baht, if someone should suddenly appear in their lane. 

 

Thai drivers simply driving defensively, annoying as it can be sometimes, when you are trying to cruise at that 120 kph limit.

 

Nobody in there right mind cruises at speed in the left lane, or hugs the left side of that lane, especially if passing market area or side street.  That uncommon common sense again.

As someone who both rides motorcycles / scooters and drives cars in Thailand I find it is scooters who present the greatest risk - at least in the city.

.... Idiots on scooters take chances far more than any other road user - when driving I an simply surprised that I didn’t clip a scooter on a regular basis when cutting me up etc...   

.... when riding a motorcycle / scooter, these other scooters are downright dangerous hovering in our blindspot, nipping to the small gap you are leaving infront of you etc... o

 

I find that it is other scooter riders which cause me greater concern on the roads than the cars which for the most part are conciencoius of motorcycles; with the exception of delivery and works pickups and the odd ‘clocked’ lowered pickup belching out black smoke...  

 

 

On the open road - the risk then becomes speed....  as other vehicles do stupid stuff without looking when our rate of closer is such that scrubbing off some speed takes seconds rather than milliseconds. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[FriendlyFarang]

2 hours ago, Nemises said:

Why do Westerner's risk their lives sharing the roads on motor cycles with these idiots?

 

Answer: due to financial reasons.

 

A wealthy motor cycle enthusiast would stick to tracks, trails etc.

 

If you ride on these roads sorry to hear that you moved here without enough finances.

I guess you just don't enjoy riding bikes.

I have a car and two bikes. I only take the car if I have to carry a lot of stuff, or if it's raining and I can't wait for the rain to stop. In all other cases I will take a motorbike.

[richard_smith237]

2 hours ago, RandiRona said:

I agree, That is why avoiding bike wont make you statistics in a country where human life is of no consideration. Since you like reading ????

The Issue of Road Safety in Thailand (arcgis.com)

 

There are more facets at play regarding road safety stats.

 

75% of road deaths are motorcyclists. 

 

Contributing factors: Not wearing helmets, young riders, riding at night, speeding, alcohol.

 

IF a ‘trained’ foreigner is wearing a good helmet, riding carefully, in the day time and not while drunk, their risk is not represented by the 75% road deaths being motorcyclists as much of that stat is taken up by those taking far higher risk on a daily basis....

 

.... The risk for that ‘careful rider’ is closer to the risk profile they’d face in their home country... still probably higher, but not as elevated as the stats may show. 

 

Of course, events like this happen with confirm our bias that motorcycling is deadly in Thailand and it can be, it can be anywhere... but so is driving a car.

 

In Thailand I don’t think the ‘true risk profile’ to me while I am riding is represented by the 75% motorcyclist road deaths..... I don’t ride at night, while drunk, in the wet, I don’t speed, I don’t assume...  that doesn’t mean nothing will happen.... but by not doing the stupid stuff I see others doing my risk profile when riding is already a lot lot less.

 

While riding a motorcycle in Thailand does come with elevated risk, that risk is not as elevated as some seem to be making out.... 

[bolt]

16 minutes ago, Excel said:

No, you stated "my boy is fine". I guess many of us thought you were talking about your dog in the back of that pick-up conversion ????

my vehicle is listed as a "Medium SUV" 

I take it you have some psychosomatic issue with Fortuner or is it with Toyota.

take a deep breath and let us know why 

[Excel]

5 minutes ago, bolt said:

my vehicle is listed as a "Medium SUV" 

I take it you have some psychosomatic issue with Fortuner or is it with Toyota.

take a deep breath and let us know why 

Medium SUV eh. Is that as in medium but not quite well done ? ????

[bolt]

2 minutes ago, Excel said:

Medium SUV eh. Is that as in medium but not quite well done ? ????

please explain your Issue with Fortuner and or Toyota.

I'm curious

perhaps you can start a new topic since this thread is really about the tragedy that happened with Keith 

[Excel]

Just now, bolt said:

please explain your Issue with Fortuner and or Toyota.

I'm curious

perhaps you can start a new topic since this thread is really about the tragedy that happened with Keith 

Yes apologies to all for digressing from the topic so will end this digression now  but in the meantime  perhaps you should start a new thread  "How I lost any sense of humour after I bought a Fortuner"  ????????????

[transam]

2 hours ago, Nemises said:

Sorry to hear that you are forced to share the road on your motor bike with idiots. I sincerely wish you good luck with that (I'll stick to my very big pick up here).

 

With every loss of a fellow motor cyclist's life I give thanks that I have the financial means to enjoy my motor bikes (plural) well away from Thailand's deadly roads.

 

 

 

 

I am sure we are all humbled by you having a few quid, I have my cap in hand Sir.....????

[PEE TEE]

On 6/14/2022 at 8:06 AM, carvets said:

I don't know for sure what the Thai law is for pulling out from a side street , but it was explained to me years ago that Thais believe if you are on the main road then it's your responsibility to avoid vehicles pulling out from side streets as you have a better view of what's happening . I don't know if this is true but it terrifies me to think it's possible . Very sad for the 83 yo involved . 

According to the lonely planet book back a while its said the bigger the vehicle  has the right of way in there eyes but don't know about the Chinese i hope she gets a long time in a Thai jail  

[TropicalGuy]

On 6/14/2022 at 7:56 AM, MadMuhammad said:

RIP Keith ???????? doing what you loved right till the end, mate. 
 

Going by his past achievements I would hope old mate Keith would not have been a mentally numb, decrepit, bar stool minder.
Either way some of the ridiculousness that happens on the roads here is beyond belief, even for those with the quickest of reflexes and years of experience 

Yes Indeed. I am super ultra defensive on my motorbike. No driving after sunset. Maximum distancing. Perpetual Motion. 360 degree look constantly. Assuming the craziest worst things from everyone etc. 

 

Yet STILL mad near misses. One woman pottering along on her small bike in outer part of inner lane.

Some deep instinct told me NOT to overtake conventionally & I passed  her at speed on her left (short side) she then suddenly veered right across two lanes ….passing exactly where I would  have been…..dead or paralyzed for sure… both of us????

Another time I slammed on both brakes whilst steering just  inside another loon lady (with child) who pulled right across a high sided truck ( traffic / low speed) as I was overtaking it????

 

Biggest Hazards are crazy left side Pull Outs ( like with poor Keith) & Rear Enders at Traffic Lights ….at which I NEVER Stop; Left Turn U Turn Left Turn tactic. ????