Popular Post webfact Posted February 21, 2023 Popular Post Share Posted February 21, 2023 Picture: Thai Rath Thai Rath reported an announcement about restraining passengers in the Government Gazette that referred to song thaews - the ubiquitous form of passenger transport in Thailand that has two rows of seats in the back of a converted pick-up. A new law announced 17th February will make it mandatory that passengers sit down. For decades and more passengers - especially in the rush hours - have stood up and even hung precariously off the back of such vehicles. Picture: Thai Rath But now Thailand is becoming more safety conscious.But that is not pleasing the drivers. They say they are having to pay between 800-1000 baht a day for fuel and need as many passengers as they can get. They also believe that trying to stop passengers standing will be impossible. Picture: Thai Rath And that could lead to another inevitability in Thailand - involvement of the police in roadside "fund extraction". Thai Rath online went to Thonburi where one driver wanted the transport authorities to intervene and protect their businesses from officialdom. And allow people to stand and hold on tight instead. -- © Copyright ASEAN NOW 2023-02-21 - Cigna offers a range of visa-compliant plans that meet the minimum requirement of medical treatment, including COVID-19, up to THB 3m. For more information on all expat health insurance plans click here. The most versatile and flexible rental investment and holiday home solution in Thailand - click for more information. Get your business in front of millions of customers who read ASEAN NOW with an interest in Thailand every month - email [email protected] for more information 1 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post JayClay Posted February 21, 2023 Popular Post Share Posted February 21, 2023 A rule like this really needs to go hand-in-hand with a price increase to compensate the drivers for lost trade. 4 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geoffggi Posted February 21, 2023 Share Posted February 21, 2023 9 minutes ago, webfact said: They also believe that trying to stop passengers standing will be impossible. It will be if they don't try, once it becomes the norm & people realise it is for their own safety maybe some will understand .........LOL 2 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post CanadaSam Posted February 21, 2023 Popular Post Share Posted February 21, 2023 (edited) Generally, when implementing a new law like this, to "improve safety", they give statistics of how many deaths / injuries in the previous years. I'd like to know how many. Edited February 21, 2023 by CanadaSam 4 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Tropicalevo Posted February 21, 2023 Popular Post Share Posted February 21, 2023 Yet another law that is impossible to follow. Akin to the tinted window law. How on earth is a driver supposed to stop passengers from standing up? Unenforceable! 3 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
worgeordie Posted February 21, 2023 Share Posted February 21, 2023 41 minutes ago, webfact said: And allow people to stand and hold on tight instead. Just waiting for some pickup driver behind to be looking at his phone, and go into the people standing on the back ,with all the accidents here ,it must have happened already, regards worgeordie 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post FritsSikkink Posted February 21, 2023 Popular Post Share Posted February 21, 2023 35 minutes ago, Tropicalevo said: Yet another law that is impossible to follow. Akin to the tinted window law. How on earth is a driver supposed to stop passengers from standing up? Unenforceable! You can only standup outside the vehicle, the part where you enter. Very easy to follow unless you have a greedy driver who wants to transport more people than the vehicle should. 2 1 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elkski Posted February 21, 2023 Share Posted February 21, 2023 (edited) But in January in the village some children had to stand on the crowded truck with a bed just like this. 200 baht/ mo. Looked like 30 children so the guy will make 28x200 5600 or 400 baht less for 2 hours work for school days. But they will need a new additional driver for 2 kids more.. Edited February 21, 2023 by Elkski Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post JayClay Posted February 21, 2023 Popular Post Share Posted February 21, 2023 1 hour ago, FritsSikkink said: You can only standup outside the vehicle, the part where you enter. Have you ever travelled in a sawngthew before? 3 1 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post EVENKEEL Posted February 21, 2023 Popular Post Share Posted February 21, 2023 I'm not a song thaew kinda guy, but thee few times I have I'd rather stand up than sit next to smelly, fat foreigners. 1 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woof999 Posted February 21, 2023 Share Posted February 21, 2023 A law is almost meaningless without consistent enforcement. Enforce the existing multitude of traffic laws and safety here will improve dramatically. Little point in adding new laws unless the only intention is to keep law makers employed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post internationalism Posted February 21, 2023 Popular Post Share Posted February 21, 2023 as all songthaews are on gas, which cost 1-3b per km, it's not possible that they spend 800-1000b daily. They operate on short routes and in congested areas of cities, stop frequently every few hundred metres. Some operate only during pick hours, taking school kids and workers to and from. Cities will have to upgrade their services to minibuses, buses and the other means, including boats. Fund them, maitain and properly control it's use. 2 3 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FritsSikkink Posted February 21, 2023 Share Posted February 21, 2023 (edited) 51 minutes ago, JayClay said: Have you ever travelled in a sawngthew before? Yes, in Phuket and Chiang Mai loads of times, in Surat Thani a couple of times. Edited February 21, 2023 by FritsSikkink Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post JayClay Posted February 21, 2023 Popular Post Share Posted February 21, 2023 54 minutes ago, FritsSikkink said: Yes, in Phuket and Chiang Mai loads of times, in Surat Thani a couple of times. You should be well aware, then, that they frequently have people standing inside them. In fact one of the pictures in the OP has people standing inside. 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kidneyw Posted February 21, 2023 Share Posted February 21, 2023 1 hour ago, internationalism said: as all songthaews are on gas, which cost 1-3b per km, it's not possible that they spend 800-1000b daily. Many rent their vehicles, adding to the daily cost. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimHuaHin Posted February 21, 2023 Share Posted February 21, 2023 4 hours ago, worgeordie said: Just waiting for some pickup driver behind to be looking at his phone, and go into the people standing on the back ,with all the accidents here ,it must have happened already, regards worgeordie Happened already. Just over 9 years ago I was travelling on the green song thaew from Khao Ta Kiab towards the city. About 100-150 metres before Bangkok Hospital Hua Hin some idiot crashed into the back of the song thaew, injuring an elderly couple standing on the back platform close to where I was standing (the elderly man was bleeding from a cut to his mouth) (no major damage to the song thaew). Pressed the "stop" button, the useless driver just kept on driving and stopped at Maraket Village, where the angry driver exited the cabin, to be confronted with some upset passangers and now two elderly bleeding people. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post redwood1 Posted February 21, 2023 Popular Post Share Posted February 21, 2023 (edited) I do not drive so I have used the baht buses counless times over many years... I have never seen a single misfortune befall anyone standing-up and riding.... Nor do I recall reading about anyone in the news who was sanding and and fell off because they were stand-up......Nope.....Not a single news story.... Please take notice they give no numbers or incidents to back-up the so called danger of riding standing.............Why not?........Most likely because they dont have any.....No doubt someone somewhere has fallen off sometime.....But I bet 1000s of more people have been hit crossing the road than ever fell off a baht bus...... So in this case I would say its high time to ban people from ever crossing a road.... Edited February 21, 2023 by redwood1 3 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redwood1 Posted February 21, 2023 Share Posted February 21, 2023 The only way to stop people from standing up is to remove the whole platform people use to step-up into the baht bus......And if this is removed then a baht bus would be useless.... 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post rwill Posted February 21, 2023 Popular Post Share Posted February 21, 2023 Where I live at least 80% of people on motorbikes don't wear helmets. They should pass a new law requiring them to do so. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hotchilli Posted February 21, 2023 Share Posted February 21, 2023 5 hours ago, webfact said: They say they are having to pay between 800-1000 baht a day for fuel and need as many passengers as they can get. Profit over safety again. The reason you have seats are for people to sit down and restrict the weight of your vehicle to which it was designed to carry. But I understand that concept goes above most Thais heads. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hotchilli Posted February 21, 2023 Share Posted February 21, 2023 5 hours ago, Geoffggi said: It will be if they don't try, once it becomes the norm & people realise it is for their own safety maybe some will understand .........LOL What Thais think is safe and what actually is safe is about as wide as the wealth gap. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony M Posted February 21, 2023 Share Posted February 21, 2023 Of course it's potentiallly dangerous. But is it any more dangerous than 10 people or more in the back of a pick-up, or 3 or 4 people on a motorcycle ? It looks a bit like a "tourist tax", as I doubt if many, or any, locals will be fined for doing it. But easy money when it's busy time on the roads. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post timendres Posted February 21, 2023 Popular Post Share Posted February 21, 2023 I love riding standing on the platform on the back! 6 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post redwood1 Posted February 21, 2023 Popular Post Share Posted February 21, 2023 1 minute ago, timendres said: I love riding standing on the platform on the back! I agree......I always stand-up, even if there is no one else on the baht bus .....Unless I have groceries, then I sit.... 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Srikcir Posted February 21, 2023 Share Posted February 21, 2023 In 2017 passengers will no longer be allowed to ride in the back of pickup trucks. Did that work? Was it enforced? But it seems as soon as it was announced, it was amended to allow up to six people to sit in the pickup bed. Then five years later Thai Police considered a "sub-law" for limiting number of passengers to three to be sitting IN THE BACKSEATS of a pickup. Again no mention of statistical support. Just officials seemingly trying to gain attention with "ideas." 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JackGats Posted February 21, 2023 Share Posted February 21, 2023 I think this is a sensible new regulation. Songtaews stopping and beckoning you to get on board though there are no seats left are a nuisance. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redwood1 Posted February 21, 2023 Share Posted February 21, 2023 (edited) They would like nothing more than to get rid of all baht buses.....And they have made a number of attemps here and there to replace them with mini-vans but it has always ended in failure.......But I bet they will keep trying.... Edited February 21, 2023 by redwood1 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CLW Posted February 21, 2023 Share Posted February 21, 2023 How about switching to busses? Probably too advanced for this corrupted third world country.... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ignore it Posted February 21, 2023 Share Posted February 21, 2023 RTP Extortion Authority is recommending song thaews be required to install seat belts and shoulder harnesses. Drivers who fail to enforce their use subject to 5 years in prison or a 500 bhat fine. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PETERTHEEATER Posted February 21, 2023 Share Posted February 21, 2023 34 minutes ago, rwill said: Where I live at least 80% of people on motorbikes don't wear helmets. They should pass a new law requiring them to do so. Standing up on a motorcycle is a traffic violation.....???? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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