Accidents On The Roads

[onnut]

accidents on Thai roads, if you came accross an accident where someone was hurt would you stop and help?

I have heard many stories of people stopping to help others and then getting blamed for it because they are a Falang. my wife has told me in the past not to stop because of this.

so would you do the right thing and stop and help or would you drive on by?

[Boater]

one of the first things i was told when i arrived in Thailand is DO NOT HELP when you see a road traffic accident whether it be a car or motorbike

for example,

2 thais crash head on on two motorbikes, both serously injured, you the ferang behind who stops to help, YOU WILL get the blame, due to the two Thais will not have insurance and you will ( or Money )

or you witness a car crash, driver is very hurt, maybe say his arm is falling off, you patch the arm up to stop bleeding, he then loses his arm YOUR FAULT and you will get sued!

It is a very sad fact it works this way, but TIT

[mark5335]

I agree with Boater and I wouldn't stop.

Last year I witnessed a motobike and lorry accident during an evening thunderstorm up country. The motorbike tried to overtake the lorry on the inside, the lorry hit a bump and then knocked over the motorbike which would have been travelling at aroung 80 kmph. I saw the body fly into the air and the sparks from my rear view mirror.

The wife advised against stopping to help due to the risk that we could be wrongly accused since we were farangs. I had guilty feelings and checked with some farang office friends later on what they would do. They were unaminous in saying that particularly for a farang, you should stay clear of this type of trouble.

[PhilHarries]

This thread is likely to generate a heated discussion based on truths, myths and hearsay.

Firstly, it is also my understanding that the scenario described, the farang getting the blame, is the most likely outcome and thus I would be most unwilling to stop.

However, has anyone ever had any direct personal experience of being blamed for the accident? I am talking about direct personal, i.e. the person writing the facts here, experience not "a mate of mine....." or "a bloke down the pub....." or "a policeman told me....." sort of stuff.

But in any case in the absence of a raft of cases where it turned out okat for the farang I'd still rather not stop, if there are injuries you can always phone the police.

[monkfish]

one of the first things i was told when i arrived in Thailand is DO NOT HELP when you see a road traffic accident whether it be a car or motorbike

for example,

2 thais crash head on on two motorbikes, both serously injured, you the ferang behind who stops to help, YOU WILL get the blame, due to the two Thais will not have insurance and you will ( or Money )

or you witness a car crash, driver is very hurt, maybe say his arm is falling off, you patch the arm up to stop bleeding, he then loses his arm YOUR FAULT and you will get sued!

It is a very sad fact it works this way, but TIT

Does anybody have any evidence of this happening? I've only ever heard tales.

Anyway if I was the first to arrive at a traffic accident I would definitely stop and help, this would not necessarily mean stitching somebodies arm back on,

but could involve simply calling emergency services and securing the area. Wouldn't recommended using first Aid unless you have training, but it's not too

difficult.

Here are some tips just in case.

http://www.redcross.org.uk/standard.asp?id=48906

[TopDogger]

Yep, though no one was injured I was involved in a car smash in central Bangkok not so long ago.

BMW vs Pickup truck.

BMW - 1st class insurance.

Pickup - 3rd party.

The accident was 100% the pickup drivers fault, he swerved across 3 lanes of traffic without so much as indicating, lights were out, etc, etc. By the time the insurance guy showed up at the scene a police colonel was already there. The Thai guy refused to say anything OR draw down on the pad the direction of his car etc. So everyone ended up at the police station.

Back at the police station it seemed that there was no pressure on the Thai guy to say a word, and the police actually started threatening the driver of the Beamer with arrest for not carrying his passport if he would not sign it off as a 50/50 accident so each insurance company would pay for the damage to the other partys car. Even the insurance guy ended up agreeing to this.

The Thai guy ended up walking out of the police station laughing...........

[Thaddeus]

Here's a nice little piccy for you (taken about an hour after it happened)

Believe it or not, the driver of this thing that used to be a pick-up walked away without a scratch. It took him two days to call his insurance company at which point he claimed that the throttle had stuck full on.

The real reason it took him two days to call them was he needed that long to sober up.

If I had been there when it happened, would I have stopped? ..... er..... No way, as unfortunately in this culture, when someone fcuks up, the first thing they look for is someone else to blame. (and not solely for financial reasons)

Edited March 18, 2009 by Thaddeus

[Cuban]

I think the measure is "Will your efforts to help, an aid to the situation or simply confuse it?"

I've stopped to help on a number of ocassions, in one case a pickup turned over in a ditch, I along with many others turned the vehicle back the right way up - no injuries involved and many others on the scene. I felt it was right to stop and help because it was local people involved, my bothering to get my hands dirty was noticed and mentioned at a later date.

I've been more closely involved in an accident in a rural area, (I was the only sober driver with a car in the area, it was late at night) I ending up acting ambulance driver to get the person with broken bones to a hospital that could do something about it at 2am. Best actions of that night was to prevent 'helpful' locals offering the guy a large glass of whiskey to calm his nerves - at the hostpital the traffic police's first action was to smell his breath. That action alone ensured no police legal follow up for DUI and the Thai motor insurance paid up for the accident.

I've seen a serious car crash with probably serious injuries that I choose not to stop for. My reasons: there were oher people that had already stopped and clearly had mobile phones calling for local emergency services, this was far out in the wilds although a busy road - I doubted that a farang face would be able to intergrate into the efforts that were already underway.

I have some very basic medical training and know how to carry out basic procedures when dealing with road accident victims - approach from the front of the car - assess danger - stablize the neck (folded newspaper etc) - establish and maintain an airway as required - collar bone and chest injuries from the steering wheel seat belt etc. As I said basic stuff.

These ideas would be impossible to communicate with my limited Thai in an adrenaline fueled situation where the driving motivation for many wanting to help is remove the person from the car, regardless of whether the person is in danger or the act of moving them creates more injuries. To many Hollywood cars that explode 3 seconds after crashing.

If you do stop - to give aid and you have a Thai speaker with you - instruct them to make phone calls while you get on with the priority task at hand, (a camera is a good aid to recording the true facts at the time, history and eye witness facts can change given time) FWIW.

[timi2546]

accidents on Thai roads,..... are a Falang. ....

drive away and fast !

hearsay some yrs ago, one

nurse(farang) saw smth like this,

went to help but she was sued...

fair play and nice vacation if this is true.

[JimsKnight]

Was in Chiang Mai and a car turned sharply in front of a bike ahead of me. The girl was thrown off and knocked unconcious.

The car driver fcked off sharpish. Followed amid smoking tyres by the car behind it in hot pursuit.

I went to give first aid to the girl and was told to get lost in no friendly way by these low-life-looking thais already there who bundled her in a pick-up and took off towards the hospital.

Anti-farang was certainly the impression I got.

I will not stop in future.

[basjke]

This has nothing to do with farang.The law in thailand is that if you stop at an accident to give first aid and the victim for example dies the first aid provider will be held responsible.

[Flatouthruthefog]

This has nothing to do with farang.The law in thailand is that if you stop at an accident to give first aid and the victim for example dies the first aid provider will be held responsible.

I don't believe you. Quote your sources. And if you can't, stop being so fckin negative and callous toward your fellow man!!

I support all the remarks here of 'Cuban'. I posted here after my fellow UK friend and I rushed into an overturned bus on the CM-Doi Saket road last year and (I hope) helped many survivors.

I had no hesitation in giving a formal statement to the Thai police about the true culprit (a motorcycle rider, NOT the bus driver), nor giving them all my contact details.

Not only did they thank me, so, later, did friends of a local seelor driver, an innocent party who was injured, and weeks later the bus company whose driver was finally exonerated. As a farang with minimal Thai language, I had NO hassle. Only thanks!

If you can TRULY live with yourself after passing dead, dieing and injured people in the road and wrecked vehicles, all I can say is: accelerate! GO! Get back as soon as possible to your home planet! You have no place among real human beings.

[JimsKnight]

I'm sure you'd not be so hasty with your words if you'd been hammered with the damage / hospital bill my helpful friend...

Good on you for what you did, but understand the other side of the coin too

[madjbs]

There has never been a case that I have heard of from a direct source where an innocent passer by who has stopped to help has been blamed for the accident. It is very likely one of those silly farang myths that people like to throw around, in hope that if they say it enough times, people will believe it.

If you wouldn't stop at an accident where you are the only person present apart from the injured, then you better hope you are never in the same situation, being left to die. Disgusting behaviour.

If there are already people around to help, then there would be no need to stop.

[dotcom]

I would offer assistance if I felt it would be useful, especially if I am the first person on the scene.

But due to the language barrier you might have problems. Think how you would feel if it was you lying in the road?

One thing a person can do is to alert oncoming traffic to the problem until the authorities arrive.

God I hate lookey loos who creep by an accident site to get a good look.

[LivinLOS]

If I was the only person, there of course.. fuc_k the rules.. Someone may be hurt.

If there were others and my assistance was not going to be practical ?? Or I could render assistance only until the first opportunity to pass that responsibility to another. Yes, I would do the minimum amount possible, probably by alerting Thais to the problem rather than dealing with the problem.

If I felt that others were there not even stopping is best. Sad but true.

As to being blamed for an accident I didnt do.. No its not happened to me personally, mostly because I have taken great care not to let it or put myself in that position.. However one of my favorite bars sits on a accident black spot t junction where scooters prang every other day.. I have seen two thais collide with each other, bash bikes and get scratched up... this tourist stopped to offer assistance and help. As a crowd formed of Thais I advised to tourist to clear out and as I did so could hear the Thais conversing and blaming the farang (who arrived maybe 30 seconds after the accident) he left the scene just as the crowd started to pick up on this story and a policeman arrived a minute or two later.. I clearly heard them both make up a story involving a speeding reckless farang that they swerved to avoid and it was all his fault. They both knew this to be a complete fabrication, with nothing much to gain from it, except face saved and blame assigned to a non Thai. The way this false reality was silently agreed upon and then made real was a firm reminder exactly how it works.

[indothai]

People don't stop because they just don't care. Be it in an area full of farangs or not. I've seen an accident happen before my eyes and no one stopped to help, (car vs taxi motorcycle).

Crowds will form, but if you look carefully, they are just watching... not helping... simply put... they don't care.

I grew up in the west, one thing i've learned was to provide assistance to those in need. In most part of SE Asia, I think the concept is the opposite?

If it was me in trouble, I should hope someone would give a sh1t to stop and help.

[patklang]

I ran out from a bar a few years ago in Pattaya.The thai guy had been hit by a tourist bus and stopped at the scene.The young thai guy died in my arms,he must have been about 18 yo.The 2 thais that came out wanted to take his helmet off but i stopped them as he could have had head/neck/spine injuries.He let out a gurgle sound and died.I went back in the bar to carry on drinking as the police had arrived and had plenty of witnesses.

[neverdie]

This happened to me earlier this year. A couple on a motorcycle went wizzing past me when approximately 50 metres in front of me their bike hit a wet patch of road.....the water apparently having leaked from a truck ahead. The came off the bike & the lady passenger collided heavily with a raised footpath....she was down and out for the count....the rider also sprawled across the road.

I was the first to stop & render assistance & thank goodness I did because the next batch of traffic came speeding along shortly after & we were able to help slow down the traffic & assist the injured couple. After a short time other people also came to our assistance & within minutes Police and Rescue were on scene.

Had we not been there, perhaps they could have been rundown by the next group of traffic because visibility on the corner wasnt that great & vehicles travelling very quickly along that stretch. We told the authorities what we saw before proceeding on, they were very appreciative.

I guess YOU have to live with the decisions YOU make but I wouldnt want to think that someone may have died because I simply didnt stop to try and render assistance.

If theres already people on the scene helping etc, then I'm not going to stop.

[yumidesign]

accidents on Thai roads, if you came accross an accident where someone was hurt would you stop and help?

I have heard many stories of people stopping to help others and then getting blamed for it because they are a Falang. my wife has told me in the past not to stop because of this.

so would you do the right thing and stop and help or would you drive on by?

as much as i hate to admit as it is "The Kingdom" i would not stop but call the number on my mobile for emergency services. as luck would have it i have not been put in a position to make this decision in a real life situation

[BigSnake]

Now I GOT it after all these years in the land of smiles, now I KNOW why the speeding Thai bus/truck drivers FLEE the Scene, they have no Farangs to BLAME for the accidents!!

[pj123]

There has never been a case that I have heard of from a direct source where an innocent passer by who has stopped to help has been blamed for the accident. It is very likely one of those silly farang myths that people like to throw around, in hope that if they say it enough times, people will believe it.

I tend to agree. I would like to hear a first hand account of this happening, I recently witnessed an accident in Bangkok and stopped to help the victim. Other people also came to help, an ambulance was called and when the police arrived I left the matter in their hands.