Scottish man becomes latest victim of Thailand’s perilous roads

[snoop1130]

 

A sombre chapter was added to the tragic toll of Thailand’s perilous roads today, as a 48 year old Scottish man became yet another victim. The unfortunate incident unfolded when Robert Griffin, a shipping officer from Fife, lost control of his white Honda Click motorbike, resulting in a head-on collision with another motorcyclist in Krabi, a province in southern Thailand.

 

The fateful collision occurred as the Scottish man was on his way to local shops in Krabi’s Ao Nang district. His motorbike veered into the opposite lane, leading to a head-on crash with a motorcycle-and-sidecar vehicle. The impact caused Griffin’s motorbike to spin off the road. Police officers discovered him unconscious and severely injured at the roadside around 10am.

 

Despite the efforts of paramedics, Griffin’s severe head injuries proved fatal, and he was pronounced dead at the scene. Griffin, who had been visiting Thailand for a holiday, had only arrived in the country the day before the tragic incident.

 

The driver of the other vehicle remained at the crash site, cooperating with police officers and paramedics.

 

The Scottish man’s unnamed Thai wife expressed shock over the incident. She told the Thai media that he had flown in from Scotland for one of his regular holidays in Thailand, arriving just a day before the accident. She recounted her disbelief, admitting she had always urged him to exercise caution while riding the motorbike.

 

By Bob Scott

Caption: Picture courtesy of Asia Pacific Press

 

Full Story: https://thethaiger.com/hot-news/road-deaths/road-of-sorrow-scottish-man-becomes-latest-victim-of-thailands-perilous-roads

[KannikaP]

pissed?

[transam]

6 minutes ago, KannikaP said:

pissed?

I doubt it, at 10am...

[sidjameson]

The wife constantly urging caution if reported accurately suggests he was reckless in some way.

[richard_smith237]

From the linked article <<The absence of a helmet exacerbated the severity of his injuries, particularly the severe brain trauma he sustained on impact.>>
 

Tragic, but what can you say when he wasn’t even wearing a helmet ?? 

[Dan747]

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), Thailand has one of the highest rates of road traffic deaths in the world, with the majority of fatalities involving motorbikes. The Thai Health Promotion Foundation reports that, on average, about 70 people die each day as a result of road accidents in Thailand. Of these fatalities, 74% are motorbike riders and passengers. According to the Department of Land Transport, there were 22,134 motorbike accidents in Thailand in 2020, resulting in 19,226 injuries and 6,142 deaths.

[transam]

5 minutes ago, bob smith said:

i was drunk at half 9 this morning!!

I don't doubt that............????

[anchadian]

28 minutes ago, transam said:

I doubt it, at 10am...

You need help then.

 

RIP to the Scottish guy

[transam]

1 minute ago, anchadian said:

You need help then.

 

RIP to the Scottish guy

Why..?  ????

[2long]

His motorcycle veered into the opposite lane = he rode on the wrong side of the road, against oncoming traffic. Or am I misreading something?

[Denim]

56 minutes ago, snoop1130 said:

Despite the efforts of paramedics, Griffin’s severe head injuries proved fatal

Does sound like he was not wearing a helmet.

 

An almost identical accident happened here in Petchabun a couple of years ago. Didn't make the news anywhere. Swedish guy only here a week wandered into oncoming lane and died in head on collision.

No helmet.

 

9 out of 10 foreigners I see riding around here don't  wear a helmet. Presumably they think on a short journey with little traffic a helmet is over the top. A very foolish assumption. 

 

 

[anchadian]

29 minutes ago, transam said:

Why..?  ????

Oops.  I must have been drunk, I was referring to Bob Smith's post.

[transam]

1 minute ago, anchadian said:

Oops.  I must have been drunk, I was referring to Bob Smith's post.

OK....????

[bignok]

Scots are also British. So another Brit in the news.

[circa02]

Nightmare, I think many of us with a bike have been guilty of nipping the shops without a helmet especially if you've adopted Thainess and will take the bike 350metres rather than just walk, becoming more conscious of it recently with the amount of attention local accidents are getting on social media.

[roo860]

Just now, circa02 said:

Nightmare, I think many of us with a bike have been guilty of nipping the shops without a helmet especially if you've adopted Thainess and will take the bike 350metres rather than just walk, becoming more conscious of it recently with the amount of attention local accidents are getting on social media.

Nope, never.

[bignok]

Under 800m i walk.

[riclag]

RIP 

[bignok]

Ao Nang is super busy these days. Looks horrible now. Hard to park a car there. Sounds like he spun out hit a 3 wheeler. Maybe wet road.

[BarraMarra]

9 minutes ago, bignok said:

Scots are also British. So another Brit in the news.

Reported for flaming as usual from our resident Brit Basher.

[aussienam]

1 hour ago, richard_smith237 said:

From the linked article <<The absence of a helmet exacerbated the severity of his injuries, particularly the severe brain trauma he sustained on impact.>>
 

Tragic, but what can you say when he wasn’t even wearing a helmet ?? 

Yep. Exactly. Meanwhile, after riding around Pattaya town today, I see scores of farangs without helmets. Each one is potentially a rejected insurance claim and a desperate Go Fund Me plea on social media of they don't die.

Sure, many Thais flout the law, but repercussions are not as severe (financially), albeit possibly another brain oozing out of a cracked skull on a roadway. 

[richard_smith237]

17 minutes ago, circa02 said:

Nightmare, I think many of us with a bike have been guilty of nipping the shops without a helmet especially if you've adopted Thainess and will take the bike 350metres rather than just walk, becoming more conscious of it recently with the amount of attention local accidents are getting on social media.

So many foreigners ‘go native’….
… for me it’s 100% helmet whenever on a bike on any road anywhere…

& full face when going further than ‘nipping to the 7-11….

 

9 minutes ago, aussienam said:

Yep. Exactly. Meanwhile, after riding around Pattaya town today, I see scores of farangs without helmets. Each one is potentially a rejected insurance claim and a desperate Go Fund Me plea on social media of they don't die.

Sure, many Thais flout the law, but repercussions are not as severe (financially), albeit possibly another brain oozing out of a cracked skull on a roadway. 

I’m less sympathetic towards foreigners who’ve caused themselves harm through not wearing a helmet for they know better, whereas Thai’s have been let down by authorities (road safety education & enforcement).

 

 

 

[Moonlover]

1 hour ago, sidjameson said:

The wife constantly urging caution if reported accurately suggests he was reckless in some way.

My wife cautions me to be careful and slow down every time I take the motorcycle out, even though she knows that I am a very experienced and careful rider. Some wives care you know!

 

Reading his profile, he doesn't sound like the reckless sort to me, but he had flown in from Scotland the previous day. Fatigue and jet lag could well have been contributing factors.

[Scott]

Posts violating community guidelines removed.

 

[JeffersLos]

What do these people think is going to happen to their head if they come off their scooter?

[The Fugitive]

45 minutes ago, aussienam said:

Yep. Exactly. Meanwhile, after riding around Pattaya town today, I see scores of farangs without helmets. Each one is potentially a rejected insurance claim and a desperate Go Fund Me plea on social media of they don't die.

Sure, many Thais flout the law, but repercussions are not as severe (financially), albeit possibly another brain oozing out of a cracked skull on a roadway. 

Three recent instances in my Thai family (neice once, nephew twice) of moto accidents. In all three they were treated without argument under their 30 baht scheme. However, as Road Traffic Accidents are not covered by Thai National Health Service they later received bills for the cost of their treatment.  

[nauseus]

2 hours ago, sidjameson said:

The wife constantly urging caution if reported accurately suggests he was reckless in some way.

Don't be such a dunce.

[ICU Kid]

2 hours ago, Dan747 said:

Thailand has one of the highest rates of road traffic deaths in the world

Hub of Death

[Screaming]

I have been told that I sound like a broken record but here goes: Riding a motorbike in Thailand is a death wish.

[proton]

Riding bikes here is almost a death wish indeed, one killed about every 30 mins????