Children orphaned as drunk ten wheel trucker kills parents - they were all in the back of a pick-up

[Bert got kinky]

7 minutes ago, VocalNeal said:

Not necessarily. But hey please apply for Big Joke's job.

Not necessarily

Which is why I stated most likely and not definitely.

 

[blackshadow]

7 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

This was only a family of poor people... So no need for the big guns to get involved with announcements of a nationwide ‘crack-down’....    (before I’m flamed yes, that was sarcasm btw) 

 

... Seriously though...  every day it becomes more apparent that those in positions of decision making power really do not care enough to impact any change whatsoever. 

We see a lick of paint on the odd pedestrian crossing, a periodic spat of alcohol check-points (agree 100% with the comments posted by ‘bert got kinky’).

- We do not see any efforts to educate people on road safety (or any safety for that matter).

- We do not see any increase in 'on the road policing' of driving standards.

- We do not see any severe penalties for those who break laws.

- We do not see any proactiveness whatsoever.

- We do see only a reaction whenever there are tragic but fully preventable consequences.

- We do see the laziest possible manner of policing with automatic camera fines’ (which ppl don’t pay).

- We do see the laziest possible manner of policing with intermittent check points.

- We do see those who break laws frequently getting away with it with bribes.

- We do see that money can wash away the consequences of breaking laws.

- We do see those in authority (police) breaking the very same laws they are supposed to uphold.

 

 

 

well written.....

[1sickpuppy]

8 hours ago, IvorBiggun2 said:

It's not that the family were poor, you speculate, it's the fact that Thais see travelling in the back of a pickup as being acceptable, that is the worrying point here. Education education education.

How do you educate an idiot?

 

[IvorBiggun2]

5 minutes ago, 1sickpuppy said:

How do you educate an idiot?

Where it hurts. In his pocket.

[PETERTHEEATER]

11 hours ago, webfact said:

The driver of the pick-up and his wife suffered only minor injuries.

 

But a family of four travelling in the bed of the pick-up were thrown onto the road along with their possessions.

Very confusing. The parents survived? There were four passengers in the bed of the pickup, two were killed?

[rickudon]

Although tragic, this accident is not the fault of the pickup driver. As has been said, for many it is the only way to transport your extended family around, not everybody can afford a car.

Secondly, many countries allow passengers in the back of Pickup trucks - it is legal in 20 states in the USA! If i had to choose between the back of a pickup truck and a motorcycle, no way would i choose 2 wheels. Motorbikes and passengers would have stood no chance in this accident.

The issue is Thai driving standards and lack of enforcement of rules.

[IvorBiggun2]

24 minutes ago, PETERTHEEATER said:

Very confusing. The parents survived? There were four passengers in the bed of the pickup, two were killed?

The parents died. They were in bed of the pickup. A man and woman in the cab survived.

[aussienam]

9 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

"We see a lick of paint on the odd pedestrian crossing"

In relation to pedestrian crossings, they are just severe death traps.  

Mentality of Thai drivers is to not stop for anyone on a crossing.  

 

If you are brave enough to stop at a crossing then look out because there is a good chance you will be hit from behind. Anyone crossing with blind faith of driver's doing the right thing may well end up in a body bag. 

 

Another thing I have noticed is the relatively new traffic lights at zebra pedestrian crossings (in Pattaya). 

 

Typically, driver's usually don't stop, albeit it causes some to stop (I did the other day and an irate Thai driver behind me blasted his horn at me and then raced through).

 

Also, the design of the pedestrian traffic lights at crossings is terribly thought out.  The lights are way too high up so motorists lilely do not usually notice the light phase change (who was contracted to make these?  No idea.  Obviously no proper working committee to use best practice models). 

 

The stop line is too close to the crossing so if you are at the line you cannot see the lights change. 

 

When the pedestrian light has turned red and countdown timer for a green light is due it takes several seconds later for the green light to activate (one over 10 seconds).  This causes impatience and drivers will just drive through. 

  

Other countries, when approaching a pedestrian crossing there are warning signs and also may be flashing lights too upon approach (at non-traffic light crossings).  

 

 

 

 

 

[Purdey]

Songkhran and new year are the two periods when Thai people just have to go back to see their parents. Of course, they can say they will are not able to visit mum and Gran but then we get TV documentaries about parents and grandparents left alone in a village for Songhran. 

 

For those who can't afford a train or bus ticket, they don't have much choice than to accept a free ride in a pickup. 

 

As the trains are government owned, the better answer would be to make trains free for the two time periods when they are most needed. I saw that expressways are free on certain public holidays already. If not free then trains could be heavily subsidized to sell 50 baht tickets. Adding goods wagons, they might get a lot more people on charging just 20 baht. 

 

I realize that Thai trains don't go everywhere and are prone to breaking down but they are safer than pick up truck flat beds. 

[Elkski]

Sad.  RIP.  2 injured children parent less.   Such a preventable tragedy.  

2 issues here. Dunk driving of which Thailand is surely 30 years behind the Western countries.  It can't happen overnight.  It takes lots of educational announcements, strict enforcement and penalties.  

And seat belt use.   This will take 20 years to catch up.  Big problem is Thailand has let it's economy expand with it being accepted that families of 4 or 5 only need a scooter.  Or trucks can haul people.   Just look at the trucks in Bkk with 30 workers being hauled to construction sites from the camps.   One widow I dated who had bought a new truck with cash, (courtesy of the American father of her 3 children) let her 3 children and 2 dogs ride in the back of her truck with a topper.  I tried to stop this but failed.  I couldn't even get the kids to buckle up when they ride in the cab.   I think it's almost hopeless.   

[Burma Bill]

4 hours ago, Bangkok Barry said:

But out nearest hospital isn't 200 kms away. That seems to me to be an exaggeration.

With the greatest respect again, I said our Provincial Hospital (for major surgery and other specialized treatment) was a round trip of 200 kms - 100 kms in each direction. 

[spidermike007]

It is the PLSP syndrome. Prayuth lip service to the people. A promise is made, and two weeks later, all is forgotten. It has been like this for 8 long years. Mr. Insincerity. There is no follow up in his game. And likely no intention to follow up. Does he care? At all? Certainly not about traffic safety. So much could be done to improve on "worst in the world" status. 

[Orinoco]

No one cares.

Thais are to selfish on the roads to care about others.

Me, Me and more Me.

The true face of Thailand, is seen every day on the roads.

 

They all show respect for the dead at the temple on the day of the funeral

shame they all don't show that level of respect on the roads to each other

every day.

 

Third world Thailand. you should be ashamed of yourselves with the way you behave.

 

 

 

 

[Ralf001]

8 hours ago, rickudon said:

Although tragic, this accident is not the fault of the pickup driver. As has been said, for many it is the only way to transport your extended family around, not everybody can afford a car.

Secondly, many countries allow passengers in the back of Pickup trucks - it is legal in 20 states in the USA!

 

Riding in the back of a pickup is not legal in Thailand.

 

Thailand is not in the USA.

 

[4MyEgo]

19 hours ago, Bert got kinky said:

Effective and active policing would most likely have prevented this accident.

Amen to that, just got back from an overseas trip and as soon as I started to drive the rental car, not more than 5 kilometres away, there they were 8am, 2 lanes closed and pulling over trucks at the port doing breatherlizers.

 

Real police, real law enforcement on the streets, not like here, it's all about staying in the office or visiting other interests that they own like Karaoke bars etc.

 

My wife just renewed her license, had to see the Dr for a medical, receptionist said 60 baht, gave her a signed form with the Dr's signature, fill in the form and give to registry she said. Wife downloaded an app and watched the motor registry video while I was driving the car, she answered the 4 questions, went into the registry paid and received her license.

 

We all know what goes on here, we shake our heads in disgust and try to stay alive on the roads because it's an unlawful sh-t fight out there, and there will be no change with the current force that runs the show out there.

 

RIP to the deceased an Buddha give strength to those kids who were robbed of their parents so early in life.

 

As for the truckie, what can I say, nothing is going to bring back those kids parents.

[hotchilli]

21 hours ago, webfact said:

Police are waiting on reports before charging the trucker.

With two counts of manslaughter.. I hope

This madness on Thai roads has to stop.

[hotchilli]

19 hours ago, Will B Good said:

Drunken, irresponsible driver and flat bed truck loaded with family that don't stand a chance in an accident.....such a criminal waste of life

Welcome to Thailand... 

[Chongalulu]

19 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

This was only a family of poor people... So no need for the big guns to get involved with announcements of a nationwide ‘crack-down’....    (before I’m flamed yes, that was sarcasm btw) 

 

... Seriously though...  every day it becomes more apparent that those in positions of decision making power really do not care enough to impact any change whatsoever. 

We see a lick of paint on the odd pedestrian crossing, a periodic spat of alcohol check-points (agree 100% with the comments posted by ‘bert got kinky’).

- We do not see any efforts to educate people on road safety (or any safety for that matter).

- We do not see any increase in 'on the road policing' of driving standards.

- We do not see any severe penalties for those who break laws.

- We do not see any proactiveness whatsoever.

- We do see only a reaction whenever there are tragic but fully preventable consequences.

- We do see the laziest possible manner of policing with automatic camera fines’ (which ppl don’t pay).

- We do see the laziest possible manner of policing with intermittent check points.

- We do see those who break laws frequently getting away with it with bribes.

- We do see that money can wash away the consequences of breaking laws.

- We do see those in authority (police) breaking the very same laws they are supposed to uphold.

 

 

 

Summed up by recognizing there’s a tacit agreement between Thais and the authorities in that they want to behave irresponsibly on the roads and the authorities,as it doesn’t impact them,leave them to it. It’s not simply fear of penalties in U.K. that stop drunk driving,it’s socially unacceptable.

[AhFarangJa]

17 hours ago, TheFishman1 said:

I remember years ago they said riding the back of a pick up was illegal but seeing how the police never enforce anything this will continue to happen TIT

If I remember correctly ( very hard at my age......), when the Government brought in the ban there was a huge outcry that they were discriminating against the poorer people, who had no choice when going to market, etc. The Government backed down, and said, o.k., only a maximum of six, and no sitting on the edges of the pick up.

If anyone knows more, please correct me.

[brewsterbudgen]

1 hour ago, AhFarangJa said:

If I remember correctly ( very hard at my age......), when the Government brought in the ban there was a huge outcry that they were discriminating against the poorer people, who had no choice when going to market, etc. The Government backed down, and said, o.k., only a maximum of six, and no sitting on the edges of the pick up.

If anyone knows more, please correct me.

I think your memory's correct. Initially the ban was lifted for Songkran, but then quietly never reinstated. Not that there was much chance of it ever being enforced anyway!

[fresher]

19 hours ago, NorthernRyland said:

What does education do if people don't care? Thai people know right and wrong but they don't care. Following the rules is inconvenient so why bother if there are no consequences?

Thai people? It's all nationalities. Everyone. Just look and you will see many Europeans/North Americans/Australians and other non-Thais also blatantly breaking the rules. It's about failure of enforcement. Which in turn is a failure of Government.

[Harveyboy]

20 hours ago, keithkarmann said:

If you ban people in the back of pickups you have to ban many other types transportation. Like the flimsy motorcycle side cars, no more than two on a motorcycle etc, no more travelling on top of trucks, no more school children hanging off the back of songthews, the list goes on and on and nothing is going to change and the carnage will continue until the people in charge of transporting people start treating people as humans and not animals. I have a video somewhere of a pickup converted into a double decker to enable it to carry about 20 workers.

Many times workers travelling in the back of pickups is done to save money and greatly increase profits. 

 

yes ban workers on the back of pick ups and the building industry would come to a close

[brewsterbudgen]

2 minutes ago, Harveyboy said:

yes ban workers on the back of pick ups and the building industry would come to a close

It might also mean banning songthaews too!  That wouldn't go down well in Pattaya.

[johncat1]

The laws are there but Thailand does not have a police force capable of enforcing them. The courts are just as bad.

[IvorBiggun2]

38 minutes ago, johncat1 said:

The courts are just as bad.

Unfortunately the courts are chock a block backlogged with land disputes.