Drink driving in Thailand: Thais have had enough - 60 year old drunk attacked after he kills "moo ping" vendor

[steven100]

17 hours ago, Neeranam said:

When I was an alcoholic, it would have been dangerous to drive without a drink. Just saying having limits makes no sense. 

 

 

what a strange comment 

[steven100]

2 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

Some drink to relax. Some drink to have a little fun. Some cannot stop once they start drinking. Some drink all the way into oblivion. 

thank you .....  at first I thought you'd forgot my reason 

[transam]

7 hours ago, Thunglom said:

When I see you've quoted me, I sometimes wonder why I bother even looking....what are you on about?

I suppose it is for some...................????

[Ralf001]

42 minutes ago, jacko45k said:

It is manslaughter...... ten years in jail might be a starting point. Too often innocent people die at their hands and I suspect a monetary payment to family and a slap on the wrist is the only result.... particularly if it was a Merc being driven!

Its drink driving causing death.

[Road Warrior]

well done these Thais / should have lynched  him  

[kimamey]

Assault isn't right but I can understand the anger.

 

Things might be different if the police were properly employed to do their job. From what I can tell they are underpaid and are allowed to make up their wages with fines or bribes. It's as if the main purpose of the Thai traffic police is to fund the traffic police rather than make roads safer. Look at all the food delivery drivers from Grab, Food Panda etc. All the ones I've seen have been wearing helmets so why are they so different from others. My guess is that it's a case of 'no helmet no job'. That may apply to having a licence as well. I think with the police the amount you pay if you have no helmet is pitched so the police still get a steady money stream rather than making people wear a helmet which would cut that supply. It doesn't help when police get to the stage of wearing a peaked cap, the cap becomes more important than their brain.

 

There's a tendency from posters on here, myself included to make fun of the situation. There's not much we can do about it so we may as well have a laugh. The fact is that alongside the friendly welcoming land of smiles there's a darker side. There are many deaths on the roads of men women and children. That will always happen but it could be cut with a bit of effort and responsibility. A proper police force with the correct funding to enforce the rules. A lot of what's needed in terms of regulation is already there is already there. Helmets, seat belts, not riding in the back of pickups, licences etc. A proper diving test would help and retesting if needed. If the police could work a bit more outside office hours and not just on roads big enough for all the police, cones and the table to take the money. No policeman ever needs to take money. Of course there's the young kids riding bikes with all the bad habits they've learnt off the parents.

 

The trouble is that faced with the choice of being responsible and making some effort in order to save lives or just not bothering Thailand as a nation seems to say " Nah too much trouble let them die". That may seem harsh and they probably don't link it directly but it's basically a lack of adult responsibility.

 

Before someone mentions the fact they believe they will be reborn I'd make 2 points. As far as I know in Buddhism life is important and rebirth isn't an excuse for a lack of care. get a big knife or a gun if you can and go up to a Thai as if to use it against them saying "don't worry you'll be reborn" and see how concerned they are. Try it on someone important. They wont have much security because it doesn't matter. It seemed to matter to those who assaulted the driver.

 

RIP to the vendor and sympathies the husband and family

[kimamey]

17 hours ago, tanner said:

Pedants are not funny !!.

Ar yoo shure abowt that

[kimamey]

20 hours ago, Doctor Tom said:

if they have one, which many don't.  No, take the vehicle and crush it, or legally re allocate it to a poor but deserving family, with no legal recourse possible for the previous owner, or auction it.  I could do with a cheap Everest, even if it needs a good deal of work  

That's the problem isn't it. It's the same with the points system they are thinking of which could involve the taking of a licence. If you aren't likely to get stopped by the police and if you do you just pay a few hundred baht and are allowed on your way then it won't work. Taking the vehicle is a good step so long as they don't have enough money to either own another or just buy one.

[Neeranam]

20 hours ago, kennw said:

Please also condemn the motor riders who also are major offenders, note that 80% of road deaths are motor bike victims. Every incident needs to be actioned upon, unfortunately there is more to be made from car drivers than others thus the focus. 

In not condemning anyone. 

Not sure what you mean, who is focusing on cars? 

[Neeranam]

8 hours ago, steven100 said:

what a strange comment 

Well thanks for telling me your thoughts. I'll keep you in mind next post. 

[Neeranam]

On 7/26/2022 at 3:32 PM, BKKBike09 said:

Where does it say the driver was an alcoholic? Regardless, no sympathy here (and in any case, some alcoholics would be better drivers, despite their blood alcohol level, than someone who'd just been on the lash). 

 

I don't think it does. 

I have sympathy for anyone with a disease, mental or physical, most people do.