Scottish holidaymaker’s scooter disaster in Koh Pha Ngan

[Umlungu]

19 minutes ago, khunPer said:

Firstly: Don't drive fast in Thailand, it's another traffic culture than you are used to.

Secondly: Don't use phone while driving.

Thirdly: Check what your insurance covers before even considering entering motorbike or scooter, even as pillion rider.

For the fourth: I wonder what happened to the mandatory motorbike insurance, which should cover the driver with some level of medical expenses, even when at fault. The insurance says: "Paid immediately without proof of liability... ...medical treatment up to 30,000 baht per person."

Thirdly - dream on, just for show, health insurance on the back of an arrival or departure tax, blah blah blah, try and claim that..... Documents? Who hands out the policy docs? Scooter hire? Immigration? Passport control? 7/11 perhaps?

[freedomnow]

4 hours ago, Classic Ray said:

They should print off the picture of his bandaged body and stick it up in every scooter hire shop. Might make people think twice.

Yes, good idea - am sure the owners will point it out just before getting their scooter finance paid off.

[BritScot]

5 hours ago, Robin said:

he is not the first and will not be the last holiday maker to  discover that riding a hired Thai bike can be dangerous.  There are enough warnings, so why did he think he was immune to any dangers?

Insurance companies are not stupid; they do not cover m/c riding, they know what the consequences are.

When your young you feel invincible! You take chances without thinking. It's called life!

[durian explorer]

Sorry to be negative, but it seems like the writing style of these articles is getting worse and worse. So much exaggerated and inappropriate hyperbole, obviously generated by AI by someone not guiding it properly. It's written as if it's a novel (a bad one at that) and not a news article. Really annoying.

[Ctkong]

2 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

 

Perhaps not making 'exact' eye contact...  but looking AT the car (where the drive sits) even if you can't see the driver, gives 'them' the impression you are looking at them and places you in their 'consciousness'...   that can make a difference - I think its a good part of defensive riding.

 

 

There is also another facet of this 'visibility' - if you are on a larger bike with 'gear' you are more noticeable...  my guess is becase in the 'subconciousness of the average Thai driver' you are not poor because you are on a bigger bike, have the gear etc and are thus differentiated from the average 'pauper' on a Honda-wave... 

... perhaps it was my own bias... however, when I switched from a Big Bike to a regular 300cc step through motorcycle (scooter) - I notice how the traffic around me was less aware, or rather less respectful of my road positioning... 

 

I also noticed the same thing in a car, when years ago I had an expensive 4x4 but also drove my Wifes tiny little thing from time to time - drivers were far more 'respectful' to me (or less assertive against me) when I was driving the 4x4... when I was driving the tiny little thing, other cars wouldn't give way as easily, would push through, cut me off etc...   in the big expensive 4x4 its almost as if I had more road respect... (all purely psychological, nevertheless it was noticeable. 

You are not mistaken in your observation. The unspoken truth in Thailand is that if you drive a luxury car be it a coupe, suv or sedan, traffic give way more often than not with the underlying belief that the driver is an influential person with powerful

friends who may create problem for you if anything untoward were to happen. 

moreover the maximum insurance payout of only a million baht may be insufficient if the accident involved luxury vehicles. 

[roo860]

4 hours ago, BritManToo said:

Thai government minimum m/c insurance will cover the first 30kbht of medical expenses for any vehicle accident, no questions asked, drunk, drugged, no helmet, no license. All you need to do is fill out a police report, and sign a few forms at the hospital cashier and they claim direct.

Absolutely 

[mikebike]

Just now, Ctkong said:

You are not mistaken in your observation. The unspoken truth in Thailand is that if you drive a luxury car be it a coupe, suv or sedan, traffic give way more often than not with the underlying belief that the driver is an influential person with powerful

friends who may create problem for you if anything untoward were to happen. 

moreover the maximum insurance payout of only a million baht may be insufficient if the accident involved luxury vehicles. 

Peeps definitely give way when I come rocketing thru with my old, decripid, hoopty... They don't care if it's 5 million baht or 5 baht 🤣🤣 WTF dude.

[Ctkong]

My missus also lamented that when she drive an suv, drivers tend to give way for her but when driving a Honda city, she got bullied frequently even by taxi drivers. 
It is what it is in Thailand road culture. You just gotta go with the flow. 

[NoDisplayName]

2 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

Just as the article says, it appears another driver just came out of nowhere and took him out.

 

Article says, he says, gofundme says.

 

Per the Yahoo link:

He continued: "I was on that and just going to the shop then the next thing I knew I was flying over the handlebars. I don't really remember it but a scooter came out of nowhere and I crashed into it. It was really scary. I was knocked out for a minute, they called an ambulance and then I rocked up in hospital.

 

I would like to see his TikTok stream for the minute leading up to the crash.  I assume he was paying more attention to his dozen of followers than to the road.  Otherwise why cut that part out?  Why not show the world how you were riding carefully when....

 

Well, I wasn't about to slam on the brakes
'cause I didn't have none to start with.
So I swerved to the left and what do I see,
some mushhead on a motorcycle headin' right at us
and I knew, at last,
me and my baby were about to meet
the leader of the pack.

 

I Want My Baby Back

Jimmy Cross

[rct99q]

After reading this article, I assumed Hemingway has risen from the dead!

[MalcolmB]

2 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

 

Who - the Thai or the Brit ????

 

 

 

 

 

What Thai?
I didn’t see any Thais mentioned in this story. 

[Pompeygeezer]

Every accident i read about the insurance company refuse to pay out.  Do they ever payout ffs!