5 hours ago, newnative said:

       My comment has received several negative replies, as I thought it would.  However, I wonder what the posts on the story would have been if, instead of slamming into a tree at high speed, they had slammed into a family walking on the sidewalk, killing 4, including a 6-months old baby.   When you are operating a vehicle that can easily maim or kill, you need to act responsibly at all times.  I stand by my comment and I'm glad no innocent bystanders were killed.  

 

Whoosh....over your head.

5 hours ago, newnative said:

       My comment has received several negative replies, as I thought it would.  However, I wonder what the posts on the story would have been if, instead of slamming into a tree at high speed, they had slammed into a family walking on the sidewalk, killing 4, including a 6-months old baby.   When you are operating a vehicle that can easily maim or kill, you need to act responsibly at all times.  I stand by my comment and I'm glad no innocent bystanders were killed.  

Answer the Question newnative did the female deserve to die as you suggest. 

On 10/21/2025 at 7:19 PM, TedG said:

Why did you say limit bikes to 30cc.  That would make a bike unridable. 

 

That's my POINT.....

 

You must have known my point, before replying to my comment....

 

Right?

 

 

On 10/20/2025 at 4:16 AM, MalcolmB said:

High speed motorcycles in Pattaya ridden by idiotic foreigners killed Larry and Barry yesterday.

 

unfrortunately they need protection from themsleves and this road fails to do that.

On 10/20/2025 at 4:28 AM, KhunBENQ said:

 

RIP

Two more avoidable deaths.

A race track for irresponsible wannabee MotoGP riders.

 

Potholes, bad surface on 2nd? Unlikely cause.

Sand/dirt/construction site exits, yes dangerous. That's why every bend should be taken cautious.

Stray dogs on 2nd?

Speed kills!

this bend as a high rate of accidents - or do you think it attracts stupid riders?

worth noting that there are no barriers armco or concrete on this stratch - only trees ... once you've lost control your chances of survival are considerably less when you have to encounter trees and lamposts.

2 hours ago, kwilco said:

this bend as a high rate of accidents - or do you think it attracts stupid riders?

Or come up too fast.   Does the curve have proper signage? 

7 minutes ago, TedG said:

Or come up too fast.   Does the curve have proper signage? 

"Cursed corner" - means there is a fault in the road design – this is the road, the surface, signage, and even lighting – but as Thailand seems to be devoid of road traffic engineers, these places continue unabated.

Just now, kwilco said:

"Cursed corner" - means there is a fault in the road design – this is the road, the surface, signage, and even lighting – but as Thailand seems to be devoid of road traffic engineers, these places continue unabated.

The next time I'm in Pattaya, I'm going to seek out that curve and take a look at it.  

 

I do agree that roads need better safety engineering. 

46 minutes ago, TedG said:

The next time I'm in Pattaya, I'm going to seek out that curve and take a look at it.  

 

I do agree that roads need better safety engineering. 

And I will check whether the 60 km/h signs on the tarmac are there or seen elsewhere.

17 hours ago, BarraMarra said:

Answer the Question newnative did the female deserve to die as you suggest. 

      No, she didn't 'deserve' to die--and nowhere in either of my posts did I say either the driver or the rider 'deserved' to die.   What I said was that it was fortunate that they hit a tree at reckless, high speed rather than, say, a family walking on the sidewalk.   And, I stand by those remarks.   

22 hours ago, Middle Aged Grouch said:

Do they all have the appropriate licence for the rented big bikes ? Of course, the rental shop is never involved. Unless of course it's also a foreigner. 

 

Was the bike a rental ?

2 hours ago, TedG said:

I do agree that roads need better safety engineering. 

I often feel that despite a reasonably built road, the style of driving here does not work well with the modern approach. An example might be merging, where two roads come together and one needs to give way... drivers appear that they would rather burn in hell than let traffic merge in.  Another, the ignorance of a yellow box or not blocking at crossroads, being a complete fail. 

Tragic.

 

Thailand is still number 1 in Asia for road deaths....and I think 6th in the whole world. 

 

Motorbikes are the number 1 cause of death of teenagers in Thailand too.

 

So sad

 

17 minutes ago, FruitPudding said:

Tragic.

 

Thailand is still number 1 in Asia for road deaths....and I think 6th in the whole world. 

 

Motorbikes are the number 1 cause of death of teenagers in Thailand too.

 

So sad

 

 

Thailand has to be #1 at something!

At this point I think Thai government has a lot of blame at its feet...especially Pattaya Phuket local govts but also on islands. They continue to allow people to rent motorcycles to foreigners. Disallowing this. Allowing only those farang licenced in Thailand to own and drive would be a step forward. I'd even go so far as to say only O visas not B. B visas just short time teachers dependent on a job to remain in the country

10 hours ago, TedG said:

The next time I'm in Pattaya, I'm going to seek out that curve and take a look at it.  

 

I do agree that roads need better safety engineering. 

 

 

I know this bend but if you want to check it out go to street view on Google Maps – you can see a recent photo of the curve.

 

Poor road design and traffic engineering are a hallmark of Thai road safety.

 

The world is full of "bad drivers" (not an expression I find helpful) – but road safety is a public health issue - it is about implementing systems to protect road users from themselves and each other. You can come of a motorbike at high speed on a race track and just dust yourself down and walk away – but if they planted trees and placed lamp posts around, the situation would be very different.

It is the RESULTS of a crash in Thailand that makes their road injury figures so high – not a proliferation of stupidity that is a world problem.

 

On 10/20/2025 at 4:56 AM, johng said:

Yes..potholes and bad surfaces,but as you say speed kills and I  would say it's the major cause of this particular crash.

 

 

It's not a cause, it's a facctor.

12 hours ago, KhaoHom said:

At this point I think Thai government has a lot of blame at its feet...especially Pattaya Phuket local govts but also on islands. They continue to allow people to rent motorcycles to foreigners. Disallowing this. Allowing only those farang licenced in Thailand to own and drive would be a step forward. I'd even go so far as to say only O visas not B. B visas just short time teachers dependent on a job to remain in the country

 

I don't think making up new rules for the Thai authorities will have much effect. There are laws already in place, but they aren't enforced; the road design is questionable; we don't know how roadworthy the machine was; we don't know how educated the rider was. We also don't know how effective the first responders and emergency services were, and the whole accident won't be evaluated properly.

 

At that time of the morning, traffic was probably quite light, so the temptation to throw caution to the wind was there....

 

The road itself is a wide 3-lane road with markings of questionable value painted all over it. The biker had just gone through a pedestrian crossing that is controlled by lights – we don't know if he was required to stop or even if he stopped.

All over the road are 60 kph limits, although I don't see any signs on poles. There were signs on poles with arrows indicating a bend.

It is possible he had slowed for the lights and decided to roar off and lost control of the front wheel ....... IF that was the case, he would have hit the kerb, and the rest is history – there's nothing there to absorb the energy of a road incident.

 

I get very concerned when I see the new "fad" in Thailand for painting all sorts of information on the road itself.

Firstly, they get ignored, as there is little or no enforcement – e.g., cameras or follow-up to any fines or penalties.

Secondly, painting on asphalt can interfere with the traction properties of the road surface, especially if it is wet or damp. Road markings in Europe all have to pass a coefficient of friction test before they are permitted to be used.

 

I'd say there is a very good chance that speed was a factor in this, but unfortunately the road design is very inefficient at absorbing all that energy and a human body is even less so, with tragic results

 

Any evaluation of this incident is likely to be perfunctory. We are unlikely ever to know what really happened. It would also be nice to know if the rider was licensed, experienced, DOI or anything else that may have lead to this incident

Is this the curve in question? 

25 minutes ago, TedG said:

Is this the curve in question? 

 

 

THe bike ended up near here – https://maps.app.goo.gl/Qfd6seXRn7eu1zEH8

 

 

by the concrete paving slabs in the median

I never drive by myself.Never drive motorcycle or cars in Thailand.I take a taxi to where im going.

Sometimes i go 5-600 km away from Bangkok.Allways taxi or a flight.

52 minutes ago, norsurin said:

I never drive by myself.Never drive motorcycle or cars in Thailand.I take a taxi to where im going.

Sometimes i go 5-600 km away from Bangkok.Allways taxi or a flight.

Cheaper with taxi if you do not need car everyday or travelling often. 

 

For 1,2 million,- you get 200 roundtrips Pattaya - Hua HiN as an example. Then I didn’t calculate gasoline, service or tires. 

4 hours ago, norsurin said:

I never drive by myself.Never drive motorcycle or cars in Thailand.I take a taxi to where im going.

Sometimes i go 5-600 km away from Bangkok.Allways taxi or a flight.

so you never get to see Thailand

 

5 hours ago, norsurin said:

I never drive by myself.Never drive motorcycle or cars in Thailand.I take a taxi to where im going.

Sometimes i go 5-600 km away from Bangkok.Allways taxi or a flight.

There seems to be a paradox here - Many foreigners in Thailand insist that “all Thai drivers are crazy,” so they refuse to drive themselves — and instead hire a taxi, which, by their own logic, must be driven by one of those same “mad” drivers.

7 hours ago, kwilco said:

 

I don't think making up new rules for the Thai authorities will have much effect. There are laws already in place, but they aren't enforced; the road design is questionable; we don't know how roadworthy the machine was; we don't know how educated the rider was. We also don't know how effective the first responders and emergency services were, and the whole accident won't be evaluated properly.

 

At that time of the morning, traffic was probably quite light, so the temptation to throw caution to the wind was there....

 

The road itself is a wide 3-lane road with markings of questionable value painted all over it. The biker had just gone through a pedestrian crossing that is controlled by lights – we don't know if he was required to stop or even if he stopped.

All over the road are 60 kph limits, although I don't see any signs on poles. There were signs on poles with arrows indicating a bend.

It is possible he had slowed for the lights and decided to roar off and lost control of the front wheel ....... IF that was the case, he would have hit the kerb, and the rest is history – there's nothing there to absorb the energy of a road incident.

 

I get very concerned when I see the new "fad" in Thailand for painting all sorts of information on the road itself.

Firstly, they get ignored, as there is little or no enforcement – e.g., cameras or follow-up to any fines or penalties.

Secondly, painting on asphalt can interfere with the traction properties of the road surface, especially if it is wet or damp. Road markings in Europe all have to pass a coefficient of friction test before they are permitted to be used.

 

I'd say there is a very good chance that speed was a factor in this, but unfortunately the road design is very inefficient at absorbing all that energy and a human body is even less so, with tragic results

 

Any evaluation of this incident is likely to be perfunctory. We are unlikely ever to know what really happened. It would also be nice to know if the rider was licensed, experienced, DOI or anything else that may have lead to this incident

 

Thank you for your reply. Well thought through and nothing to bicker about. You know a great deal about the roads. 

 

I think the solution is just getting farang off the bikes in Bangkok, Pattaya and Phuket. Outside these provinces maybe more lenient , but we also read of deaths upcountry. 

 

1 Close the rental shops

2 Only O visa holders

4 hours ago, kwilco said:

so you never get to see Thailand

 

Seen alot of Thailand.Lived in rural Thailand before.

3 hours ago, norsurin said:

Seen alot of Thailand.Lived in rural Thailand before.

I

What surprises me is how many expats spend years here without really learning much about the country — especially those who never look beyond the walls of their own backyard.

The fact is, many people simply don’t feel confident driving in Thailand, and that’s perfectly fine. But instead of just accepting that choice, some try to shift the blame — suggesting the problem lies with Thai drivers, when in reality they don’t fully understand how driving here actually works.

Poodle along on a Honda 125 no pomplem 

16 minutes ago, 3NUMBAS said:

Poodle along on a Honda 125 no pomplem 

I think the word is "pootle" - but you show an alarming lack of awareness.