Helicopters on Standby for New Year Accidents

UPDATE : 29 December 2009

As road accidents are taking toll during the New Year holidays, the Royal Thai Police join force with both state and private agencies to reduce the fatalities by providing helicopters to transfer the injured.

The Royal Thai Police, in cooperation with the Public Health Ministry, the Defense Ministry, the Interior Ministry and the Bangkok Hospital, aim to reduce fatalities from road mishaps during the New Year long weekend by preparing helicopters to airlift accident victims to hospital as quickly as possible.

Helicopters of the Royal Thai Police have been put on standby at their bases in every region of the country while the Bangkok Hospital has also arranged for a number of choppers to take care of accident victims in the central region.

In case of a serious accident, helicopters together with medical staff and essential equipment, will travel to the scene, pick up the injured and fly them to hospital in a bid to reduce the death rate.

The Public Health Ministry hopes to reduce road accidents by at least five percent from last year and more than 10,000 rescue teams have been prepared for the New Year road safety alert.

-- Tan Network 2009/12/29

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Oh they have it so backwards. Why don't they reduce the fatalities by preventing the accidents??

So typical to deal with the problem after instead of prevent it.

ARREST DRUNK DRIVERs. Set up check points and for F*'s sake don't announce where they are going to be.

Edited December 29, 200916 yr by MisterMan

So bangkok hospital are going to fly people to hospital and treat them for free, not a chance no money you die more PR crap.

What a bloody joke... even if they had a fleet of a 100 choppers it still wouldn't be enough, TIT, say no more...

Were would it land? I hardly have enough room to drive my Honda CRV let alone land a helicopter?

One night I was pulled over at a police check point. I was behind a Benz that an older Thai man was driving. If you want to call it driving. He was all over the road and was totally drunk. When he pulled into the police check point he opened his door and vomited all over the ground. Being good police they quickly helped him back into his car and sent him home before they got in trouble. It was a nice Benz. They then gave me shit for an half an hour but couldn’t get me to pay a dime being I had not drinking anything except a glass of Pepsi. Ohhhhhhhhh I love this silly place.

If a single life is saved by this effort then its worthwhile.

Cynical armchair politicians and drs on here would welcome this for a loved one.

This must only be for road traffic accidents outside of the cities and built up areas. It does not stop the problem of transporting casualties by road (in ambulances) in the cities. Other road users do not give way to emergency vehicles with siren and/or blue lights flashing. As every farrang already knows, every second counts for some casualties, LET THEM PAST!

Or give propper training to ambulance drivers, then give them the right to nudge cars out of their path.

If a single life is saved by this effort then its worthwhile.

Cynical armchair politicians and drs on here would welcome this for a loved one.

as long has the single life has the money to pay for it and, and the loved one had a credit card or insurance which many times they do not. i am cyniccal because i was in casualty when thai man bought in. nobody would touch him the doctor sat there playing game on laptop while the road accident victem passed away without a single bit of treatment. i had to leave hospital via another door as main entance had relatives trying to get in. security guards kept them out saying no money, no insurance no treatment. so the the thought of a free helicopter ride and free treatment makes me cynical

could you imagine the Bill for this !

must be only for the elite or ferang with health insurance

This is only for the elite. They carry a special card with private emergency contact numbers.

This is only for the elite. They carry a special card with private emergency contact numbers.

r u serious about this?

If a single life is saved by this effort then its worthwhile.

Cynical armchair politicians and drs on here would welcome this for a loved one.

Still better to have the helicopters available.

I had a friend die a month ago today on the roads.

This is only for the elite. They carry a special card with private emergency contact numbers.

r u serious about this?

1000%... It's called a good health insurance policy.

Boarding passes please

This is only for the elite. They carry a special card with private emergency contact numbers.

r u serious about this?

1000%... It's called a good health insurance policy.

Boarding passes please

I'm being facetious.

I lived in the states for over 15 years... most important number is 911. Motorists there will yield or give way to emergency vehicles (those who do not will be cited)... when was the last time you saw this happen in Bangkok / Thailand.

Why don't they spend the money on PROPER ambulances and adverts/notices for drivers failing to yield or give way to them. Most of the ambulances in Bangkok are a joke, make-shift pickup trucks, and the rest are just vans PRETENDING to be ambulances. Hire someone from the UK/HK/SG/JP medical services (NOT VOLUNTEERs) to do it right.

It might not be obvious to most people, here is the idea: if you can't bring the injured to the doctors, then bring the doctors to the injured. The first hour is the "golden hour". <<sigh>>