Video Shows Taxi Striking Pedestrian at Bangkok Crosswalk: Public Outcry Ignites Debate

[webfact]

 

Bangkok—On April 23rd, 2024, Thai social media users posted a video of a pedestrian being hit by a taxi while legally crossing the road at a crosswalk in front of Asiatique The Riverfront, Bang Kho Laem, Bangkok.

In response to the viral video of the accident, Wat Phraya Krai police officers publicly revealed the case details that the officers received via an accident report at 1:36 PM, on April 20th.

 

The video shows a dozen pedestrians waiting to cross the road.

 

The emergency services and police officers were dispatched to the accident scene and found a taxi driver, publicly identified only as Mr. Patsathi, 58, and a victim, publicly identified only as Mr. Thanat, 44.

 

By Kittisak Phalaharn

 

Full story: THE PATTAYA NEWS 2024-04-24

 

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[KhunLA]

Geez, it's even a crosswalk with illuminated signal ... W T F

 

Luckily the pedestrian bounced up, instead of getting run over.

[OneMoreFarang]

1. Nothing will change if the police doesn't fine all those riders and drivers who all the time ignore zebra crossings. The police is just too lazy to do their job.

 

2. Anybody who lives in Thailand should be aware that riders and drivers regularly ignore red lights. It seems for many red is only red if it was red for at least 5 seconds or something like that. And because that is as it is, it makes a lot of sense to wait a little after you have your green light. And look out for the bad guys, just to be sure.

In Thailand it is a very bad idea to walk if you see green only because in theory you should be able to do that. Don't do it! Watch first! At least if  you want to live a little longer.

 

It seems the driver was not arrested by the police right away. Why not? 

[Bangkok Barry]

So painting the area red around the crossing didn't work, then, in Me First Thailand. What a shame.

[hotchilli]

2 hours ago, KhunLA said:

Geez, it's even a crosswalk with illuminated signal ... W T F

Means nothing in Thailand... many drivers have no consideration for other people.

[sammieuk1]

Attention pedestrians! The killing zone is clearly marked in black and white, now red and white in this case 🤔

[rexpotter]

Considering Thai's only look one way before crossing a road....well

[herfiehandbag]

I've long suspected that the white parts of zebra crossings (crosswalks) were specifically there to make pedestrians a better target at night!

[JoePai]

Never be the first - or last !

[fredwiggy]

1 hour ago, sammieuk1 said:

Attention pedestrians! The killing zone is clearly marked in black and white, now red and white in this case 🤔

Attention pedestrians, the killing zone is 10 meters outside your front door!

[Srikcir]

To help save lives and injury, Thailand should provide new arrivals to Thailand a list of traffic laws that should be taken with a grain of salt or rice (ie., unlikely to be enforced). 

So at street level pedestrian crossings, it's stop, look 360 degrees, check any pedestrian signal lights, then run like hell while continuing to look 360 degrees.

[realfunster]

Whilst noting this crossing appears to have lights/signals and it would appear the driver simply wasn't looking - else he would have the seen the victim striding out, it's well overdue to have a single standardised zebra crossing project in Bangkok.

 

There appear to be several different types of crossing (lights/no lights/lights set up ridiculously high etc), which I think can lead to bad habits and confusion for both drivers and pedestrians. 

 

Examples off the top of my head would be the numerous crossings with no lights on Sukhumvit from Phrom Pong down to Pra Kanong where pedestrians are taking their lives in their own hands and drivers get accustomed to simply stopping out of "goodwill", getting into the habit of ignoring the pedestrian crossing road markings. Those markings should be ingrained to generate a vehicle stop (perhaps wishful thinking) or at least extreme caution. 

[twizzian]

Did the pedestrian even look, nope!
That little jump up just before impact probably saved his legs

[brianthainess]

6 hours ago, KhunLA said:

Geez, it's even a crosswalk with illuminated signal ... W T F

 

Luckily the pedestrian bounced up, instead of getting run over.

He seemed to jump up just before being hit, properly saved that from happening.

[Tropicalevo]

1 hour ago, realfunster said:

Whilst noting this crossing appears to have lights/signals and it would appear the driver simply wasn't looking

Probably looking for his next customer on his GRAB app.

[brianthainess]

On Koh Chang there is not ONE pedestrian crossing Sign anywhere on the whole Island, most have faded white paint, and when wet, impossible to see., bad enough in broad daylight. 

Edited April 24 by brianthainess

[CanadaSam]

3 hours ago, twizzian said:

That little jump up just before impact probably saved his legs

 

I think more probably saved his life, not only his legs.  I hope the taxi driver gets booked for attempted manslaughter or some such serious charge.  The video is clear as day!

[transam]

Buffalo driver, should know better, remove his licence to operate a taxi......😏

Get back to ploughing fields.....

[Woof999]

That video is hard to watch for several reason. Other than the obvious - a human being hit by a car:

 

1.) It's just normal here. Thailand would be safer if pedestrian crossings were removed entirely. They give a false sense of safety.

2.) Nothing will change in my lifetime even though it's really not that difficult to make serious improvements.

[john donson]

red light, only a suggestion here...

 

better let the thai canon fodder go first

Edited April 24 by john donson

[snoop1130]

Bangkok taxi driver hits pedestrian at Asiatique

 

 

A man was hit by a taxi as he was crossing a crosswalk legally in front of Asiatique The Riverfront in Bang Kho Laem, Bangkok. The incident was captured on video and shared on Thai social media, causing widespread shock and anger.

 

According to details released by the local police, the accident occurred around 1:36 PM on April 23. When the emergency services arrived, they found the taxi driver, a 58-year-old man named Patsathi, and the victim, a 44-year-old man named Thanat.

 

Patsathi told police that he was driving along Charoen Krung road and didn't stop at the crosswalk in front of Asiatique The Riverfront, which led to him hitting Thanat, causing him injuries.

 

There was a mass reaction from Thai social media users after the video was shared. The users questioned whether the Thai laws for road traffic violations, which they believed are not strict enough. This has perhaps led people to not follow traffic laws strictly. The same thought was expressed by The Pattaya News, who stated that those who break traffic laws are not adequately punished.

 

The victim, Thanat, was quickly taken to a nearby hospital for urgent medical care. Meanwhile, police have begun their investigation. They have collected evidence from CCTV footage to help with the legal case.

 

Patsathi confessed to his mistake and this was recorded for evidence in a daily diary. The police are now waiting for a body examination report from the doctors treating Thanat, who is reported to be in stable condition, to proceed with legal action against Patsathi. This medical report will be crucial in ensuring that the correct legal steps are taken.

 

Caption: Picture courtesy of Pattaya News

 

-- ASEAN NOW 2024-04-24

 

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[VocalNeal]

Quote

As pedestrian safety is the responsibility of drivers and pedestrians, you must learn how to protect yourself from harm while walking on or near public roadways. Having the right-of-way at marked and unmarked pedestrian crossings does not mean you are safe. Irresponsible and distracted drivers may not always yield to pedestrians when they should. As a pedestrian, if you are involved in a collision with a car, right-of-way laws will not protect you from death or injury.

 

Quote

 

You must observe the following safety rules when seeking to cross the street at a marked or unmarked pedestrian walkway.

• Always wait for pedestrian traffic signals to display WALK or green before attempting to cross the road, where traffic signals are present.
• Do not assume that a green traffic signal means you can cross the road safely. Look right and left to check that all vehicles have come to a stop, as not every driver will obey the rules.
• Do not step out onto a pedestrian crosswalk to force a vehicle to stop. If the driver of that vehicle is unable or unwilling to stop, you could be injured or killed.
• Remain on the curb until it is safe to cross. Vehicles traveling too close to the curb could strike you if you wait on the street itself.
• Always yield to vehicles driving across the intersection when the pedestrian signal reads DON’T WALK or is red

https://www.epermittest.com/drivers-education/rules-pedestrians

Edited April 24 by VocalNeal

[riclag]

 Thai’s logic, roads are meant for vehicles .A zebra crossing is a westernized design on roads to inconvenience drivers.

 

Imop

[mancub]

28 minutes ago, snoop1130 said:

This medical report will be crucial in ensuring that the correct legal steps are taken.

Excuse me. but Why ?

[John Drake]

I've decided. There is a particularly dangerous pedestrian x-ing at the top of Phutthamonthon Sai 3 and Borom. Almost impossible to get across during the day going south. There's also a police station there. I'm going to start going into the police station and asking for an escort to get me across the road. Otherwise, impassable.

[MangoKorat]

Again, down to the police and their total lack of enforcement.  Repeating myself but anyone familiar with the crossing at Nana? The intersection between Sukhumvit Road and Soi's 3 & 4?

 

I was hit there a few years back, a foreign couple were killed there,  there is a 'green man' light and the traffic, mainly taxis, ignore it all day long, right in front of a manned police box. What really got to me was that in my case, the copper did actually come out of his box, not to assist me - he wanted to arrest me for dragging the taxi driver out of his car!! Not a word said to the taxi driver.

 

One could ask why there is a 'public outcry' about this incident when the same probably happens scores of times every day in Bangkok - its par for the course.

[itsari]

10 hours ago, OneMoreFarang said:

1. Nothing will change if the police doesn't fine all those riders and drivers who all the time ignore zebra crossings. The police is just too lazy to do their job.

 

2. Anybody who lives in Thailand should be aware that riders and drivers regularly ignore red lights. It seems for many red is only red if it was red for at least 5 seconds or something like that. And because that is as it is, it makes a lot of sense to wait a little after you have your green light. And look out for the bad guys, just to be sure.

In Thailand it is a very bad idea to walk if you see green only because in theory you should be able to do that. Don't do it! Watch first! At least if  you want to live a little longer.

 

It seems the driver was not arrested by the police right away. Why not? 

The reason for not being arrested right away is because the pedestrian was not a doctor.

[OneMoreFarang]

32 minutes ago, MangoKorat said:

Again, down to the police and their total lack of enforcement.  Repeating myself but anyone familiar with the crossing at Nana? The intersection between Sukhumvit Road and Soi's 3 & 4?

 

I was hit there a few years back, a foreign couple were killed there,  there is a 'green man' light and the traffic, mainly taxis, ignore it all day long, right in front of a manned police box. What really got to me was that in my case, the copper did actually come out of his box, not to assist me - he wanted to arrest me for dragging the taxi driver out of his car!! Not a word said to the taxi driver.

 

One could ask why there is a 'public outcry' about this incident when the same probably happens scores of times every day in Bangkok - its par for the course.

 

Police and taxi drivers all belong to the same organized organization... 

[richard_smith237]

8 hours ago, realfunster said:

Whilst noting this crossing appears to have lights/signals and it would appear the driver simply wasn't looking - else he would have the seen the victim striding out, it's well overdue to have a single standardised zebra crossing project in Bangkok.

 

There appear to be several different types of crossing (lights/no lights/lights set up ridiculously high etc), which I think can lead to bad habits and confusion for both drivers and pedestrians. 

 

Examples off the top of my head would be the numerous crossings with no lights on Sukhumvit from Phrom Pong down to Pra Kanong where pedestrians are taking their lives in their own hands and drivers get accustomed to simply stopping out of "goodwill", getting into the habit of ignoring the pedestrian crossing road markings. Those markings should be ingrained to generate a vehicle stop (perhaps wishful thinking) or at least extreme caution. 

 

In 'developed' nations, there are also various types and styles of crossings...     thus, whilst lack of consistence could be used as an excuse I doubt that it would make any difference as the underlying cultural trait of 'do anything but slow or stop' and 'only slow & stop as a last resort' will not change'  until a cultural shift towards road safety itself and pedestrian safety is 'forced'....    and I mean forced because its ingrained in the Thai culture not to be considerate of anyone outside of the primary *circles of influence then I expect little will change...  

At least until huge fines and effective policing is enforced at every crossing.

 

*the circules of influence have been discussed before.

1) - Inner Circle - Family and closest friends and loved ones - Thais are extremely giving

2) - Second Circle - Acquaintances and colleagues - Thais are polite and somewhat considerate

3) - Outer Circle - Everyone else - Complete indifference, don't care as if they don't exist

 

This explains why Thai's can be so kind and polite face to face as we enter the 'second circle' yet can be treated with complete indifference and disregard when in the outer circulce - i.e. such as crossing a road and someone driving and it does not enter their consciousness to be careful about us.

 

 

Perhaps this method of crossing the road (below) would force us into the second circle of drivers who'd otherwise not see us.

 

 

[richard_smith237]

25 minutes ago, itsari said:

The reason for not being arrested right away is because the pedestrian was not a doctor.

 

The same reason there was no national outrage a few weeks back for the 10 year old girl who was shot over a land dispute.