"Song Thaew" operators disagree with new no standing law - think it will lead to extortion

[BusyB]

I'm surprised Jingthing hasn't weighed in yet ...

[LukKrueng]

8 hours ago, webfact said:

For decades and more

More as in for centuries?

[bangon04]

5 hours 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. 

and maybe a seatbelt law for people in Songthaews........ that will work

[Xonax]

Song thaews should not be allowed in smaller sois with only one lane in each direction. They are upholding the traffic by driving 5-10 km/h and when they stop, they are blocking the whole lane, making the many impatient kamikaze-motorists eager to make a risky overtake in the often busy opposite lane.

[Salerno]

"The new chairman said he will help the army and police crackdown on drivers parking illegally, not using bus stops and straying from assigned routes. It has also been announced, much to the surprise of baht bus drivers, expats and tourists that standing in the baht bus or on the back of the baht bus will be banned. People who violate this law can be charged up to 3000 baht. It is unclear if the fine is the responsibility of the driver or the person standing on the back."

 

^ From 2018 

 

https://thepattayanews.com/2018/07/06/new-head-of-pattaya-baht-bus-council-to-enforce-the-rules-bring-new-rules-such-as-no-standing-on-the-back-of-baht-busses/

[peter zwart]

11 hours ago, webfact said:

But now Thailand is becoming more safety conscious

it is only in the implementation that things sometimes go wrong
 

[SuperSilverHaze]

11 hours ago, webfact said:

But now Thailand is becoming more safety conscious.

????

[BusyB]

1 hour ago, Xonax said:

Song thaews should not be allowed in smaller sois with only one lane in each direction. They are upholding the traffic by driving 5-10 km/h and when they stop, they are blocking the whole lane, making the many impatient kamikaze-motorists eager to make a risky overtake in the often busy opposite lane.

Well then that merely makes song thaews a lesson in patience and good road behavior for the kamikazes doesn't it? 

[mania]

16 hours ago, webfact said:

A new law announced 17th February will make it mandatory that passengers sit down.

Uh-Oh soon they will be limiting scooters to 4 people or less ????

[Wiggy]

On 2/21/2023 at 8:17 AM, 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.

Rubbish. Even at 10km/litre fuel consumption allowing for a stop/go operation (and it’s probably better than that being a diesel engine) and at 30 baht/litre they’d need to travel 260km a day to spend that much. 

[thaibeachlovers]

On 2/21/2023 at 2:30 PM, 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

BS. I'm as safety conscious as any, but I've traveled dozens of times standing on the back step of a songtheaw and been happy to do so as otherwise it would take twice as long waiting to get on one. If they make it sitting only, they are not going to double the number of songtheaws, as earning less per trip. They'll probably put up the fare to compensate.

 

PS I enjoyed standing on the back step giving a virtual finger salute to those health and safety wonks back home that are crushing everything fun to do in western countries.

 

[thaibeachlovers]

14 hours ago, Salerno said:

"The new chairman said he will help the army and police crackdown on drivers parking illegally, not using bus stops and straying from assigned routes. It has also been announced, much to the surprise of baht bus drivers, expats and tourists that standing in the baht bus or on the back of the baht bus will be banned. People who violate this law can be charged up to 3000 baht. It is unclear if the fine is the responsibility of the driver or the person standing on the back."

 

^ From 2018 

 

https://thepattayanews.com/2018/07/06/new-head-of-pattaya-baht-bus-council-to-enforce-the-rules-bring-new-rules-such-as-no-standing-on-the-back-of-baht-busses/

How can they blame the driver when they can't see in the back? Are they expected to start carrying conductors?

Just another spur of the moment badly thought out stupid policy by someone that likely never traveled in a songtheaw in his life.

[thaibeachlovers]

1 hour ago, Wiggy said:

Rubbish. Even at 10km/litre fuel consumption allowing for a stop/go operation (and it’s probably better than that being a diesel engine) and at 30 baht/litre they’d need to travel 260km a day to spend that much. 

Regardless, would you even get out of bed to do their job, given what they earn for doing it?

[thaibeachlovers]

14 hours ago, Xonax said:

Song thaews should not be allowed in smaller sois with only one lane in each direction. They are upholding the traffic by driving 5-10 km/h and when they stop, they are blocking the whole lane, making the many impatient kamikaze-motorists eager to make a risky overtake in the often busy opposite lane.

Oh dear, is this yet another farang that thinks they can tell Thais how to run their country.

To repeat the oft used phrase- if you don't like living in LOS, you know where the exit is.

 

Those slow songtheaws are providing a service for people, unlike the impatient morons that do risky overtaking and put pedestrians at risk.

[redwood1]

You guys what to know why the powers that BE hate the baht buses?

 

They hate the baht buses free-wheeling ways..

They hate that baht buse dont stick to set routes..

They hate they dont stop in set places..

They hate they dont run on schedule..

They hate that they are so cheap

They hate that you can pay with cash and dont need a ticket..

They hate that people enjoy and like them...

They hate that they are so convient for people...

They hate that they are unique work so well..

 

 

They like transport that is the same as every other country

They like ridged time tables

They like set stops

They like tickets

They like limited seating....Numbered seatting...

They like every thing highly controlled, highly regulated, 24/7/365

 

 

 

[connda]

Not to worry.  It's unenforceable.  

[pedro01]

Well, if you remove the base that they stand on and the bars they hang on to - they won't have a choice

[Neeranam]

On 2/21/2023 at 9:00 AM, 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!

It's not the responsibility of the driver, but the police. 

If the police start fining people, the law will be followed.

[Neeranam]

They could put people on the roof, to get extra fares.

[Skallywag]

1 hour ago, redwood1 said:

want to know why the powers that BE hate the baht buses?  .....

Then why did the City of Pattaya issue more than 560 licenses for songthaew drivers here?  More rediculous is the number of "orange vest" motorcycle taxis.  Although in reality I have no idea if the drivers are the ones on the licences.  

[stoutfella]

On 2/21/2023 at 8:30 AM, 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

But isn't wearing crash helmets when riding a motorcycle also good for people's safety, but how many Thais have yet realised that?

[Geoffggi]

7 minutes ago, stoutfella said:

But isn't wearing crash helmets when riding a motorcycle also good for people's safety, but how many Thais have yet realised that?

I didn't say it was foolproof, but I did say Maybe ....................LOL

[thaibeachlovers]

3 hours ago, pedro01 said:

Well, if you remove the base that they stand on and the bars they hang on to - they won't have a choice

Apparently never used one where the "base" is the step to get onto the vehicle, also used frequently ( by myself included ) to stand on while the vehicle is doing 100 kph on the highway. Feel the freedom, love LOS!

The bars to hang onto run the length of the back and are for the sitting passengers to hold onto. How are you going to get rid of them? Have you ever actually used one in a different city from Pattaya? They are not the same elsewhere.

[jacko45k]

6 hours ago, Wiggy said:

Rubbish. Even at 10km/litre fuel consumption allowing for a stop/go operation (and it’s probably better than that being a diesel engine) and at 30 baht/litre they’d need to travel 260km a day to spend that much. 

That is a very optimistic number for an ancient baht bus operating stop start with up to 10 people on it at times......

[Neeranam]

22 hours ago, stoutfella said:

But isn't wearing crash helmets when riding a motorcycle also good for people's safety, but how many Thais have yet realised that?

Not good for hairstyle.

[Neeranam]

On 2/21/2023 at 4:50 PM, BusyB said:

I'm surprised Jingthing hasn't weighed in yet ...

me too

[Wiggy]

On 2/22/2023 at 10:03 AM, thaibeachlovers said:

Regardless, would you even get out of bed to do their job, given what they earn for doing it?

If they don’t like it they can get another job. 

[ozimoron]

On 2/21/2023 at 11:32 AM, EVENKEEL said:

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.

I'm not much of one either. I prefer to walk and chose my condo location based on the ability to walk everywhere. When I do take one I prefer to stand on the back platform, it's a nice experience.

 

The police proclaimed a crack down on this practice well before covid, it didn't last long. It's not new. Sad really.

 

Still, I thought it was funny when I did take a song thaew last weekend from walking street up to soi 6 about 2 am last Tuesday. A drunken Thai woman in her late 50's kept nodding off and resting her head against a young Russian guy's shoulder. He was visibly irritated and started to lean forward to avoid her. Soon after they both got off at the same stop but headed off in different directions. It provided some entertainment for me.

[ozimoron]

23 hours ago, Neeranam said:

It's not the responsibility of the driver, but the police. 

If the police start fining people, the law will be followed.

Last time they did it the fine was 500 baht. Drivers were proactively telling passengers to sit down as many prefer to joy ride on the platform even when the song thaew isn't full.

[thaibeachlovers]

On 2/21/2023 at 3:37 PM, FritsSikkink said:

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.

When it's normal to transport more people than can fit on the seats they provide stools to sit on ( not in Pattaya ). The songhteaws between Chiang Mai and Lamphun were absolutely packed when they left Chiang Mai, and I usually stood on the back step, as I was too tall and hit my head on the roof inside.