Foreigner Kills Two Teenage Girls In Songkhla Crash

[Lemsta69]

1 minute ago, fredwiggy said:

What would be the main reason you don't trust foreign (every other country?) drivers? If you are Thai, surely, if you just watch the daily news, where you see mainly, snakes in houses, gold theft, Covid updates, monks going haywire, and, the daily road carnage, where ,mostly Thais, are getting killed at the rate of 65 a day, not including those that go to the hospital and die, that the roads here are very unsafe. In fact, Thailand is always in the top 5 of daily fatal accidents worldwide. Every driver on earth makes these kinds of mistakes sometimes, from either inexperience or frustration, rushing to go somewhere. How many foreign drivers have hit or almost hit you, especially seeing that scooter drivers here cut off and weave around traffic, and play with fire?

I've been "buzzed" by a couple of farang in big ol' trucks whilst walking along the road. you know those roads where there is no sidewalk and you have no choice but to walk in the street. Thai boys will go around you, farang "hold their line", maintain their speed and expect you to somehow disappear into a concrete wall. 

 

also lots of the same treatment from foreigners on motorcycles. mostly around Soi Buakhao in dear old Patts but also quite recently on Thaniya in Bangkok. they get so close that it would be so easy to push them off into the oncoming traffic if one where so inclined. it's like they've got a death wish or something. 

 

at any rate, I don't really care what you or the other farang apologists say. I don't trust farangs here full stop. guilty until proven innocent ????

[Lemsta69]

9 minutes ago, Eloquent pilgrim said:

So are you are an Aussie, but not here at the present time; just trying to understand your comment .... thanks 

I'm an Aussie, been coming here since mid-1997. lived in Astraya for 50 years so I think I know them reasonably well. FIGJAM is probably the best way to describe most Aussies. 

[fredwiggy]

1 minute ago, Lemsta69 said:

I've been "buzzed" by a couple of farang in big ol' trucks whilst walking along the road. you know those roads where there is no sidewalk and you have no choice but to walk in the street. Thai boys will go around you, farang "hold their line", maintain their speed and expect you to somehow disappear into a concrete wall. 

 

also lots of the same treatment from foreigners on motorcycles. mostly around Soi Buakhao in dear old Patts but also quite recently on Thaniya in Bangkok. they get so close that it would be so easy to push them off into the oncoming traffic if one where so inclined. it's like they've got a death wish or something. 

 

at any rate, I don't really care what you or the other farang apologists say. I don't trust farangs here full stop. guilty until proven innocent ????

So, it's just a few times then, out of the, how old are you?, and how any times have you been on the streets here? I've been here over 5 years, and have near misses daily, and a few that actually hit my clothes while I was on a scooter. No farangs by the way. Lived 62 years in the US, had a few accidents, but drove over 2 million miles and never had more than a few close calls, and none where my clothes were touched. Thai boys cut you off, not thinking that if they came in contact with your car, they might, as many do here daily, die from the impact or in the least, get hurt. There are more scooters here than most anywhere else besides India, and that in itself is a reason to not compete with an automobile. There are good drivers here for sure. It's just the majority that worries me, and others.

[richard_smith237]

3 minutes ago, Lemsta69 said:

I've been "buzzed" by a couple of farang in big ol' trucks whilst walking along the road. you know those roads where there is no sidewalk and you have no choice but to walk in the street. Thai boys will go around you, farang "hold their line", maintain their speed and expect you to somehow disappear into a concrete wall. 

Of course they do...    because ALL Thai’s will give you loads of room and ALL foreigners (farangs) drive in exactly the same inconsiderate manner, especially when in trucks ???

 

Don’t think you carry and bias yet ???? 

 

 

3 minutes ago, Lemsta69 said:

also lots of the same treatment from foreigners on motorcycles. mostly around Soi Buakhao in dear old Patts but also quite recently on Thaniya in Bangkok. they get so close that it would be so easy to push them off into the oncoming traffic if one where so inclined. it's like they've got a death wish or something. 

Bias again... only foreign motorcyclists ??  Thai’s don’t ride with any degree of recklessness?

 

3 minutes ago, Lemsta69 said:

at any rate, I don't really care what you or the other farang apologists say. I don't trust farangs here full stop.

If you are projecting they have the same intelligence as yourself, I too would be extremely cautious !!!... 

 

3 minutes ago, Lemsta69 said:

guilty until proven innocent ????

 

A clear way to out yourself has lacking any intelligent thought whatsoever. 

 

 

This ‘anti farang thing' you have going is seriously out there towards the realms of derangement.

 

 

 

 

 

[2009]

So sad.

 

We all know the roads are dangerous and accidents happen. That's why helmets and seatbelts save lives.

 

They shouldn't have been in that position.

[BarraMarra]

The lack of understanding of how to ride a bike or drive a car in Thailand is all too familiar from cutting you off pulling out Infront of you failing to indicate so you have to guess which way they're going to go. Experience and Road knowledge is the key factor riding around on a bike in Thailand for example if you decide you're going to make a U-Turn you must check the rear mirrors if you see a vehicle behind you judge his speed once you have indicated your turning right to approach the U-turn gap make sure you have a good distance in front of it. Once you have decided to proceed check the speed and distance of oncoming vehicles if you realize you have time do the maneuver commit. Sadly most Thai road users be it bikes or cars cannot judge distances and speeds or hazard perception ie if you approach a junction most will slow down in case someone decides to pull out infront of you, they will not have seen you or will simply just pull out and ignore you. That is Hazard Perception sadly these girls did not have these skills or experience.  I myself always bring my Hero7 helmet Cam for a few hundred Baht this camera will save you a lot of money in the event of an accident if you have video evidence of the accident if the perp was at fault.

[Stocky]

1 hour ago, BarraMarra said:

That is Hazard Perception sadly these girls did not have these skills or experience. 

Have you actually looked at the video clip?

The driver pulled out when the motorbike was almost on him, the poor girls had zero chance. A classic case of a driver looking right, nothing, looking left traffic - wait from the traffic to pass - then go! He failed to look to his right again, and two girls died because of that omission. 

[BarraMarra]

Im not blaming anyone involved for the record if the driver failed to look he made a terrible mistake costing two young girls their lives. We have all made mistakes it happens Stocky. Poor judgment or lack of thought cost these two young girls their life. However if these girls knew a hazard that could arise from this area on the Rd the rider should have slowed down enough to break and avoid it not just plow on,

Edited September 6, 2022 by BarraMarra

[richard_smith237]

3 hours ago, Stocky said:

5 hours ago, BarraMarra said:

That is Hazard Perception sadly these girls did not have these skills or experience. 

Have you actually looked at the video clip?

The driver pulled out when the motorbike was almost on him, the poor girls had zero chance. A classic case of a driver looking right, nothing, looking left traffic - wait from the traffic to pass - then go! He failed to look to his right again, and two girls died because of that omission. 

I think thats what he means by hazard perception...     But, it would be quite impractical to come to a halt and give way to every vehicle at the side of the road which looks like it may pull out, additionally, doing so adds to the risk of another vehicle hitting you from behind. 

 

Could the girls have avoided this accident???...  Sadly, only with 20/20 hindsight. 

Could they have avoided death, perhaps by wearing a helmet and riding more slowly when there was a car at he side of the road looking like it may pull out, again 20/20 hindsight. 

 

This is perhaps one of those incidents where even riding defensively we are at great risk.

 

Personally, when riding a motorcycle I do not like seeing vehicles at the side of the road, I much prefer that there is another vehicle between me and them which makes ‘us’ more visible. 

 

 

 

 

[richard_smith237]

3 hours ago, BarraMarra said:

Im not blaming anyone involved for the record if the driver failed to look he made a terrible mistake costing two young girls their lives. We have all made mistakes it happens Stocky. Poor judgment or lack of thought cost these two young girls their life. However if these girls knew a hazard that could arise from this area on the Rd the rider should have slowed down enough to break and avoid it not just plow on,

Somewhat impractical...  do we slow down and come to a near halt every time there is a car on the side of the road which is positioned as if it could pull out ???

 

In such circumstances the act of slowing down could trigger the car to believe the motorcycle (or vehicle) is giving way and ‘trigger’ the other car to go...  Or as I mentioned, slowing down without reason may cause another accident from behind. 

 

This was just a normal road on a normal day and a car pulled out straight into the road without looking properly, tragic and terrible consequences. 

 

 

I’m not sure what ‘realistic’ driving habits these girls could have employed to prevent the incident ?

Helmet? yes... would it have made a difference ??

Slower riding, perhaps?

Coming to a halt, just in case, yes... but when riding around its highly impractical too.

 

 

 

[Tailwagsdog]

On 9/5/2022 at 6:58 AM, SAFETY FIRST said:

Very sad story, driving standards are very different to those in Australia. 

 

Doesn't matter if you are in the right

or what speed the bike was traveling

or how many passengers

or not wearing a helmet,

or whether it was roadworthy.

 

Any accident in Thailand, if a child is injured you are at fault and liable. 

Yes they are in Oz, however he was an Oz driver and failed in his actions. I suspect he didn't check his blind spot ...and that was fatal. 

Always check yer blind spot !!!

Regards BD

Gold Coast

Australia

[Andre0720]

On 9/5/2022 at 7:00 AM, Gecko123 said:

Article says family was on holiday which raises possibility that car was a rental. If so, keeping my fingers crossed that rental company has a policy which will kick in over whatever limits driver took out. Most automobile coverage back home has a territorial restriction to the home country (or maybe adjacent countries). This is a nightmare scenario in terms of potential automobile liability in Thailand, especially if you're a foreigner who may be perceived as having deep pockets. Most policies here have per person and aggregate caps on death and injury losses, which are sometimes shockingly low. Check your coverage and look into raising your liability limits would be my advice.

 

Edit: I don't think incarceration is likely in the case of simple negligence, but agree the prospect of a demand for money over and above an insurance payout is very real.

A Thai lady selling clothes at the market was absent for 3 market days last week. She then told me that her brother had been killed, got bumped on his motorbike by a car. She said the car was at fault, and that his brother's family would receive 500,000 Bahts.

She was tired, she was sad, and it is well known why this carnage is allowed to continue...

 

 

 

[NanLaew]

17 hours ago, Stocky said:

Have you actually looked at the video clip?

The driver pulled out when the motorbike was almost on him, the poor girls had zero chance. A classic case of a driver looking right, nothing, looking left traffic - wait from the traffic to pass - then go! He failed to look to his right again, and two girls died because of that omission. 

Also keep in mind that a head-on view of a scooter or motorbike presents a very narrow object that can be missed when the time isn't taken to look and look again or, if the drivers vision is partially obscured (dark tinted glass or an 'A' pillar thickened by those useless tinted wind deflectors) or the drivers vision just isn't what it used to be.

[BarraMarra]

17 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

Somewhat impractical...  do we slow down and come to a near halt every time there is a car on the side of the road which is positioned as if it could pull out ???

 

In such circumstances the act of slowing down could trigger the car to believe the motorcycle (or vehicle) is giving way and ‘trigger’ the other car to go...  Or as I mentioned, slowing down without reason may cause another accident from behind. 

 

This was just a normal road on a normal day and a car pulled out straight into the road without looking properly, tragic and terrible consequences. 

 

 

I’m not sure what ‘realistic’ driving habits these girls could have employed to prevent the incident ?

Helmet? yes... would it have made a difference ??

Slower riding, perhaps?

Coming to a halt, just in case, yes... but when riding around its highly impractical too.

 

 

 

I didn't say " Come to a Halt," I said slow down in case A vehicle decides to pull out.  It's easier and safer to slow down in case some idiot decides to pull out you will have time to avoid it. There is a saying especially concerning traveling around Thailand " Expect the Unexpected "