Do you wear a helmet when riding a motorcycle in Thailand?

[MalcolmB]

It seems every week we have a fellow Brit in the news here and back at home doing a GOFUNDME because of having a motorcycle accident in Thailand.

And of course most anccidents are not reported at all. 
Often the injuries in many cases would have been less severe if they were wearing a helmet.

 

Do you wear a helmet, or do you just go with the flow and When in Rome?

[khunJam]

Yes. And it’s a high quality arai and I bought my girlfriend a shoie. She religiously wears it now.

[khunJam]

7 minutes ago, MalcolmB said:

And of course most anccidents are not reported at all.

It is amazing how many farangs I see speeding and zigzagging through traffic with and without a helmet. Even with a helmet survival is not guaranteed and if it’s a heavy well insulated helmet the weight will break your neck and if it’s a flimsy Thai helmet it will jar your brain. So hey there you speedsters why risk being stupid when you can live another day.

[CharlieH]

Yes a decent full face helmet. Not the plastic nonsense that can be bought for 300bt.

[Hummin]

Guilty in smaller trips without helmet occasionally, but at once I bought my big bikes, it rarely happened even on scooters. I had full dainese protection, pants, boots and jacket while riding big bikes on tours. 

 

Coming from extreme sport environments, you know the rookies come for the freedom of doing ehat they want, with less safety equipment, but the longer you stay or survive in the sport, the more you take safety more serious, and use and do what you can to make sure you have top notch equipment. The less you know, and less you have seen, the more reckless you are. Newbie stupidity 

[richard_smith237]

100% always whenever departing outside of the Moobaan.

 

If going to a main road, I'll also wear Full Face Helmet, Jacket, Gloves, urban riding boots... 

 

If just nipping to a nearby 7-11 or the local football pitch I'll use the open face helmet,

 

I've never worn flipflops to ride and never ridden without gloves.

[quake]

Helmet every time.

25 years, riding / driving here. ( Honda wave)

flip flops, shorts, polo shirt, ray-bans, Thai open face helmet about 300 baht.

And a smile. 

Life is good. 

 

 

[novacova]

8 minutes ago, quake said:

Helmet every time.

25 years, riding / driving here. ( Honda wave)

flip flops,

Helmet for sure and badass cool looking flip flops are a must

[Seppius]

7 minutes ago, novacova said:

Helmet for sure and badass cool looking flip flops are a must

And at least one leg dangling in case you fall off, sometimes two if going round a corner.

[Keep Right]

Interesting poll and I am shocked that 28% do not wear a helmet in Thailand. I would really like to know why this is and whether these people have a death wish. Comment please.

[novacova]

4 minutes ago, Keep Right said:

Interesting poll and I am shocked that 28% do not wear a helmet in Thailand. I would really like to know why this is and whether these people have a death wish. Comment please.

I thought it would be a lot more than 28%. In the city it appears to be close to that, though in the rural areas it’s probably the inverse in this area of cm, 73% of which most are putting around at slow speeds. Can’t remember the last time I seen someone on a rodtsalong with a helmet, it’s quite rare.

[quake]

19 minutes ago, Keep Right said:

Interesting poll and I am shocked that 28% do not wear a helmet in Thailand. I would really like to know why this is and whether these people have a death wish. Comment please.

 

It's because they are more smart than us. 

[ColeBOzbourne]

My personal rule is: Do not ride motorcycles in Thailand. 

[quake]

29 minutes ago, Keep Right said:

Interesting poll and I am shocked that 28% do not wear a helmet in Thailand. I would really like to know why this is and whether these people have a death wish. Comment please.

 

One of the things I find just crazy here.

Is the amount of children coming out the school gates,  3 or 4 up , no crash helmets.

parents don't care, police don't care, 

No one cares at all.

Just mad.

 

 

 

[Liverpool Lou]

1 hour ago, MalcolmB said:

Do you wear a helmet, or do you just go with the flow and When in Rome?

Surely it makes sense to wear a helmet with so many moronic drunk drivers who mistakenly claim that they are driving safely (whilst being intoxicated) on the road?

[FolkGuitar]

I won't ride without a helmet, a GOOD full-face helmet with the strap fastened!

We see too many chalk marks on the roads. I can replace a leg, or replace a hand.

I can't replace a head.

[spidermike007]

The only way to survive here on the road, is to be patient, have eyes in the back of your head, drive with caution, and always, and I mean always watch out of the other guy. Chances are, he does not have much driving skill, nor patience, nor reason, nor common sense. You cannot be too careful on the road here. Especially considering that the toy police offer no traffic safety, prevention, enforcement of the law, or concern toward the prosecution of very reckless drivers. 

 

Those of us with driving skill, and a strong desire for not only survival, but the avoidance of terrible injury, are constantly scanning the road, in front of us, beside us, and behind us. There are an exceptionally high number of reckless fools on these roads, and it is the only way to preserve our lives, and those of our families, and friends, who may be driving with us, and depending on us.

 

Many of us drive motorcycles or scooters here, and it is dangerous getting on the roads with some of these other drivers.

Getting on a scooter, or a motorcycle anywhere in Thailand, much less Phuket, Phangan, Dark Tao, or Samui without a very good helmet, is like playing Russian Roulette with three or four bullets in the chamber. It is absolutely asking for problems. The degree of recklessness here is astounding.

 

And many foreigners come here thinking "how much trouble could I get in on a little scooter, on a tropical island"? Well, the answer is alot. The amount of foreigners who are killed on the Southern islands is staggering. Most are not reported in the media. I had a friend who worked for Samui rescue for many years, and said the numbers were about 30-60 a month, on Samui, Phangan and Koh Tao. The official number is about 3 a month. Rider beware. Use as good a helmet as you can afford, and do not use these eggshells pieces of crap. They crack at the first impact, and what lies underneath them? Your skull, which is very delicate.

 

 

[BuddyPish]

If I'm going up and don the gridlock of Asoke then no, I don't bother.

If I'm going anywhere where I'll be getting up to speeds above 30kph then the lid goes on without fail.

I'm fixing to get a Bimmer next year so the latter scenario won't be an issue. 

Rather arrive late due to traffic than dead.

[scubascuba3]

i wear a Shark open face most of the time around Pattaya, Shark full face for longer rides.

 

Low IQ people don't wear helmets

[MalcolmB]

40 minutes ago, Liverpool Lou said:

Surely it makes sense to wear a helmet with so many moronic drunk drivers who mistakenly claim that they are driving safely (whilst being intoxicated) on the road?

A recent poll should most people on this forum drink drive.

[SAFETY FIRST]

Helmet 👍

 

[pomchop]

43 minutes ago, spidermike007 said:

The only way to survive here on the road, is to be patient, have eyes in the back of your head, drive with caution, and always, and I mean always watch out of the other guy. Chances are, he does not have much driving skill, nor patience, nor reason, nor common sense. You cannot be too careful on the road here. Especially considering that the toy police offer no traffic safety, prevention, enforcement of the law, or concern toward the prosecution of very reckless drivers. 

 

Those of us with driving skill, and a strong desire for not only survival, but the avoidance of terrible injury, are constantly scanning the road, in front of us, beside us, and behind us. There are an exceptionally high number of reckless fools on these roads, and it is the only way to preserve our lives, and those of our families, and friends, who may be driving with us, and depending on us.

 

Many of us drive motorcycles or scooters here, and it is dangerous getting on the roads with some of these other drivers.

Getting on a scooter, or a motorcycle anywhere in Thailand, much less Phuket, Phangan, Dark Tao, or Samui without a very good helmet, is like playing Russian Roulette with three or four bullets in the chamber. It is absolutely asking for problems. The degree of recklessness here is astounding.

 

And many foreigners come here thinking "how much trouble could I get in on a little scooter, on a tropical island"? Well, the answer is alot. The amount of foreigners who are killed on the Southern islands is staggering. Most are not reported in the media. I had a friend who worked for Samui rescue for many years, and said the numbers were about 30-60 a month, on Samui, Phangan and Koh Tao. The official number is about 3 a month. Rider beware. Use as good a helmet as you can afford, and do not use these eggshells pieces of crap. They crack at the first impact, and what lies underneath them? Your skull, which is very delicate.

 

 

Agree...and big myth is also that you don't need to wear it when near to home.  WRONG.  An accident can happen at the end of your driveway.  Some think you don't need helmet unless you are speeding down the road.  WRONG.  When your head hits the concrete it will not be a good result even if you are going 5 mph.  Sadly there are many many deaths and near deaths all over Thailand every single day that could have been prevented or mitigated somewhat with a good helmet. 

 

And of course there is the "it's my business" brigade some of whom have to be taken care of by hospitals or families for decades ruining other people's lives because they could not be bothered to wear a good helmet.

[Liverpool Lou]

45 minutes ago, MalcolmB said:

1 hour ago, Liverpool Lou said:

Surely it makes sense to wear a helmet with so many moronic drunk drivers who mistakenly claim that they are driving safely (whilst being intoxicated) on the road?

A recent poll should most people on this forum drink drive.

So what?  Doesn't surprise me, neither does it surprise me that you seem to think that because most people in your meaningless AN-member "poll" do it, that makes intoxicated driving ok.

[Will B Good]

 

 

If I were ever to have a lobotomy and get a bike over here, I'd certainly wear a helmet to protect what brain I had left.

[roo860]

4 hours ago, MalcolmB said:

It seems every week we have a fellow Brit in the news here and back at home doing a GOFUNDME because of having a motorcycle accident in Thailand.

And of course most anccidents are not reported at all. 
Often the injuries in many cases would have been less severe if they were wearing a helmet.

 

Do you wear a helmet, or do you just go with the flow and When in Rome?

'Fellow Brit' my arse, you're certainly not one, but have to try to  slag them off at every chance you get, troll.

[impulse]

Asking the wrong question.  With scooters being 20-40x as hazardous on a per km basis, and helmets only reducing that risk by 40%, the real safety Rubicon is crossed when you throw a leg over a seat instead of buckling into a ton of steel.

 

I'll always take a car (or the BTS or MRT) if those choices are reasonably available.  But I realize that's not always practical.

 

Not that I don't hop on motosai scooters for short trips down sois where taking a taxi just isn't practical.  In those cases, I look at the helmet they may (or may not) have on offer, and make a judgment call.  Usually, they're as good as nothing.

 

[rattlesnake]

3 hours ago, Seppius said:

And at least one leg dangling in case you fall off, sometimes two if going round a corner.

 

Sometimes the leg is stretched out on the opposite side they are turning. Such obvious skill, what could possibly go wrong?

[rattlesnake]

3 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

100% always whenever departing outside of the Moobaan.

 

If going to a main road, I'll also wear Full Face Helmet, Jacket, Gloves, urban riding boots... 

 

If just nipping to a nearby 7-11 or the local football pitch I'll use the open face helmet,

 

I've never worn flipflops to ride and never ridden without gloves.

 

Regarding the jacket, do you choose a particular material to make it bearable with the heat? Even a zip-up sweater makes me feel very uncomfortable. Maybe it's just a case of getting used to it…

[MalcolmB]

4 hours ago, Liverpool Lou said:

So what?  Doesn't surprise me, neither does it surprise me that you seem to think that because most people in your meaningless AN-member "poll" do it, that makes intoxicated driving ok.

What makes it ok is that I never hurt anyone. 
And never have. 
 

[chickenslegs]

23 minutes ago, MalcolmB said:

What makes it ok is that I never hurt anyone. 
And never have. 
 

And never will ???