Rip Off After Minor Traffic Accident

[HansO43]

Hi I would like to mention about a minor accident in traffic that happens to a friend of mine and that ends in a ripp off.

I know reading some topics about such cases that it sometimes is very hard to understand by us being foreigners and living here.

let me explain what happens to him.

He was riding on his motorbike heading for Karon beach from Kata.

When he was passing the Dino park, he suddenly felt that somebody hits him from behind. He looked back and saw a girl on a motorbike who lost control and went down. He stopped, parked his bike and looked after the girl trying to help her. There was no damage to his bike and also the bike of the girl has only a little scratch on the handgrip of her bike. She was not hurt either. Suddenly a lot of people came outside of a restaurant and start shouting to him and told him he has to pay 7,000 baht. He off course denied to pay this amount telling them that it was ridiculous, outraguous and that it was not even his fault. (btw he is also living here in Thailand already for a long time). He said that he would like to call for the police. Somebody told him that that was not a good idea, because the police would charge him also for 7,000 baht, put 5,000 baht in their own pocket and give the girl only 2,000 baht.

Anyway it ends up that he agreed to pay 4,000 baht unwillingly, but he also knows all the stories that you always have to pay whether guilty or not.

What actually you would recommend in a situation like this? Paying, or call the police and refuse to pay or what.

I have read in another topic that it is not true that you always have to pay when it is not your fault. I do not know, but it makes me feel sick. It can be a nice source of income by doing this a couple of times in a week and collect each time 4,000 baht.

[Penkoprod]

Ride away, and don't look back

[Forkinhades]

Failing to stop after an 'accident' is deportable, and imprisonment

[Kimera]

Strange story who does he think these people from the reasturant were? Where they on the scene quickly, was it a set up ? When you get threats and you feelyou are in the right , Call the tourist Police

[rfukata]

if this was a set up, it was orchestrated and staged pretty well by the girl - knowing that your friend was a long time resident and

probably stalked him. If the girl had any guilty conscious, the money issue would not have happened.

[LivinginKata]

Ride away, and don't look back

I have always been advised (by my Thai wife) that if my bike was not damaged and that I was not forced to stop due to the impact then it's best to drive on as if nothing happened. I suspect this might be hard to do in the heat of the moment as my instinct would be to stop and render assistance. A similar incident happened to my son while he was on holiday here, in that case he claims no contact was even made, but the other bike (a motor bike taxi) suddenly made a right turn (no signal) while my son was passing, the driver was startled and his bike (& pax riding side saddle) toppled over. My son was well by, but stopped to render assistance. Naturally it was all his fault, police were called, crowd witnesses, large claim made. He had not enough money, came home (with all in tow), asked to borrow some money (about 5,000 baht), I went down argued with the police and made it clear I knew the shop prices of a mirror and panel. Told them 1,000 baht was more than enough. Police knew I was right and told the guy to take the money being offered. End of story.

[bellagrego]

Your friend, like so many, is a mark, a dufus, and an idiot. Fear, and ignorance lead him to forget common sense and be a victim. It happens every day. Ride on or roll the dice, your choice. every situation is different, as is the police actions. In questionable non-clear cases , mitigate your less with a token payment.

[logbags]

Just keep going, if she falls off that is her problem. Just tell those people to piss off and mind their own business. Just people looking for a quick buck.

[singhapour]

Because you're in a touristy spot - I think best to call the tourist police. They don't WANT trouble and they want to gloss things over. You might give them 500 baht for their trouble and 2,000b to the girl that either scammed you or legitimately fell off her bike after hitting into you. In 5 years I've not seen a Thai run into the back of another Thai... was she wasted on something? Did you suddenly slow down for no reason?

With a group of Thais telling you to pay her 7,000b you can't ride away - someone will follow you and whenever you stop you might get the sense beaten out of you.

Best to call tourist police and plead your case.

Then, follow her when all is finished there - and do the same thing - and take your money back.

[dom samui]

NEVER STOP ! Go . Never Help : go ! Speed away. Then take a breath. Call the tourist police from a PUBLIC PHONE. End.

[HughJampton]

great isn't it. can't even offer assistance for fear of your well being. a sorry state of affairs.

[toptuan]

Almost exact thing happened to me. Hit from behind by a young girl. In this case, we both went down. Crowd from a restaurant gathered and held a instant kangaroo court. I got off with only paying 500 Baht. You don't argue against a crowd of 50 natives who are surrounding you, if you know what I mean.

Checking with Thai friends later, they all agreed that calling the local police would have really complicated the matter; possibly with a trip to the police station, possibly with a substantially higher "contribution," possibly with a loss of license if the contribution didn't materialize, etc. All agreed that settling the matter on the spot is always the easiest way to go in most parts of Thailand. The police are not usually there for your benefit and welfare, only their own.

Edited February 15, 2010 by toptuan

[stevenl]

Most of the time there is more to these stories than told intitially, especially with second hand stories.

Secondly: if this happens to you, you're being ripped of by a group of people. Of course you call the police straight away. Chalong police is good with these things IMO.

[salty]

Are there no Thai people with a sense of shame at these disgusting set ups.

[logbags]

Are there no Thai people with a sense of shame at these disgusting set ups.

Don't think this only happens to foreigners as it doesn't. Thais cop it as well. Don't think it is only in Thailand either. My Thai nephew backed into a Lebanese guys cars recently in Australia. His car was was a shambles, no duco on the back rims, dints all over it and he demands $300 for a tiny scratch. The excess to claim insurance is a minimum of $300 coincidently. I was filthy and gave him $200 telling him he was now my enemy. He is my next door neighbour.

Tradesmen are always trying to rip of my Thai family here. I have had to intervene on the behalf of Thai students so many times I cannot even remember. Landlords trying to pocket their bond, charging outrageous prices for gardening etc. It's just the state of the world at present. Political correctness doesn't allow us to speak a few home truths about these type of scumbags. You might upset someone.............

[NamKangMan]

Fall off your bike gentley and roll around screaming in pain. Say your leg is broken and your arm is broken and ask to call an ambulance. Tell everyone around that the person that hit you will have to pay thousands for your medical bills and your bike belongs to a Thai friend whose brother is a police officer. Watch them all run and ride off. Then just get up and ride off yourself. :D

[OZEMADE]

Are there no Thai people with a sense of shame at these disgusting set ups.

It is a common set up, dont stop. 10 times out of 10 nothing happens.

and you dont get deported for not stopping, where did that crap come from.

[WOOHOO]

Your friend, like so many, is a mark, a dufus, and an idiot. Fear, and ignorance lead him to forget common sense and be a victim.

Just keep going, if she falls off that is her problem. Just tell those people to piss off and mind their own business.

Nothing more amusing than forum hard men. Keep flexing those muscles fellas.

NEVER STOP ! Go . Never Help : go ! Speed away. Then take a breath. Call the tourist police from a PUBLIC PHONE. End.

Good advice, but I think to say never help, ever, is a bit dangerous. You need to use common sense and deal with each situation accordingly. Leaving someone bleeding to death because I couldn't be bothered to deal with what may well be a scam, isn't something that would sit too well with me.

Are there no Thai people with a sense of shame at these disgusting set ups.

No, They're all at it! My wife does it at least twice a month. Some members of her family do it daily. My Thai neighbour, only doesn't do it because he can't ride a motorbike, but he cheers and claps whenever he hears about it.

[chuppachops]

A thai went into the back of my mums car at Xmas at the traffic lights. The policeman was very helpful he sprayed the road, pulled the thai over made him ring his insurance, helped me ring my insurance he basicly sorted everything out for us . what a nice chap! Maybe theyre not all bad or maybe i was Lucky...

[stevenl]

A thai went into the back of my mums car at Xmas at the traffic lights. The policeman was very helpful he sprayed the road, pulled the thai over made him ring his insurance, helped me ring my insurance he basicly sorted everything out for us . what a nice chap! Maybe theyre not all bad or maybe i was Lucky...

No, that is the way things normally go. But one can't complain about that, right?

[crusty]

Time for a farang to tell the other side. Last December driving North near Club Med, a bus had stopped next to me to turn right while I continued to proceed in the inside lane, when two girls on a bike pulled out of the road on the right unseen by me and I ran into them. I stopped and helped the girls up when a few Thai guys came up to help. They said it was not my fault, no damage to the bike and advised me to be on my way before the police arrive.

[ScubaBuddha]

I'm in agreement that the folks that appeared and asked you for money were greedy little fcukers seizing an opportunity to extort you, like the A-hole that stole the Cathay pilots mobile after he got his foot lopped clean off by a passing speeding motorbike. The restaurant people would have kept much if not most of any money they got you to agree to pay the girl. I don't think the girl was in on it. This greedy trait is much more common with the Thai's in Phuket than most other places in Thailand, as they all come here from other provinces to suckle on the tourism teet.

Despite the possibility of causing more problems, if it's clear that you can't walk away, better to call the police. At least then you have someone in a "official" capacity present and while your financial safety my still be in jeopardy, at least your physical safety should be reasonably assured. Just keep smiling and repeating, "Oh no, not my fault, I not pay." They extortor/police/whoever will get board and piss off eventually.

A lot of the this comes from the long tradition in Thailand that the person who has the money pays. Talk to any hi-so Thai and they will tell you. It's not exactly that you are farang, it's that you are farang and thus presumably have more money than the Thai.

Time for a farang to tell the other side. Last December driving North near Club Med, a bus had stopped next to me to turn right while I continued to proceed in the inside lane, when two girls on a bike pulled out of the road on the right unseen by me and I ran into them. I stopped and helped the girls up when a few Thai guys came up to help. They said it was not my fault, no damage to the bike and advised me to be on my way before the police arrive.

How funny. I was also driving north at club med when two Italian girls having just rented a motorbike pull out from rental shop and run hard straight into the right side of my back tire despite my efforts to avoid them. Skinny short girl driving, fat girl riding pillion=so much momentum momentum skinny girl can't stop drifting across the lanes into me. And they were moving pretty fast. The sound of two girls and a motorbike hitting the ground at 30-40kph is a sound you don't forget. I manage to stay up, no damage to my bike. Lots of damage to their brand new bike, lots of their skin left on the roadway. A security guard rides the bike back 20m to the rental shop with skinny girl on back. Fat girl passes out and falls to the ground a second time, (luckily her helmet is still on,) so the Thai's from a massage place give her a hand massage until Ambulance arrives. No police, so I leave, but not before giving my business card to the skinny Italian girl, since I don't want to be guilty of leaving the scene of an injury accident I was involved in, which is a felony where I am from. She was already saying it wasn't my fault anyway. I never heard of her again. I guess I should be surprised the bike owners didn't try to get money from me. I'm sure they were to busy getting the money from the girls, whom I'm sure paid dearly, I don't think anyone but me and the skinny girl was even aware she hit me.

[acoustic25]

when i was staying in chiang mai i came out of a 7/11 and just as i had walked out the door this thai man drove into this guys bikes which was off the pavement. the bike happend to belong to a western guy,a falang anyways. he asked me to stay to be a witness, so i agreed. the police turned up and charged the falang 15,000 baht. didnt take any notice of what i was saying. even tho the bike was under the jeep, the thai man said it was the falangs fault. haha. if you had any commen sence the police would put 2 and 2 together.....

he couldnt do anything but pay the fine, nothing else he could do.

bad times

[neverdie]

I've never had a motorcycle accident, in Thailand.

Many years ago whilst taking a short break in Phuket in the evening after a meal I rode my hire motorcycle towards the resort I was staying at. I decided to stop on a section of road above a small beach to look at the water. I got off the motorcycle and put it on its stand before tripping backwards and falling down a small set of stairs (no I wasnt p1ssed, I dont drink). Anyway fortunately my helmet saved me from head injury but my shoulder was broken in the fall. As I was making my way back up the stairs in a great lot of pain a very intoxicated thai lady decided that she was going to make her way off with my motorcycle, which was still parked at the top of the stairs with the key in the ignition. BARE WITH ME THIS GETS BETTER.

Anyway, hearing the bike start I commenced to run and ran onto the road behind my motorcycle, which the lady had managed to stall but was still rolling downhill away from me. In a last ditch effort to stop her I managed to knock her from the motorcycle causing her and my motorcycle to crash onto the roadway, naturally injuring her & damaging the bike.

So now Ive got a busted shoulder, damaged bike and a p!ssed idiot woman getting angry with me & all I wanted to do was look at the water.......in any such case you will never guess which is the first person to drive onto this scene......yep, two cops on a motorcycle .

Anyway, naturally it all got very interesting and at one point the cops were trying to extort money out of me, blaming me for the 'accident', which I can tell you was NO BLOOOODY ACCIDENT! I stood my digs, I remained Polite, calm and firm and after about 30 minutes of negotiations I was allowed to leave the location and I never heard from anyone else ever again.

As for the bike, upon arriving back at my resort I told two of the workers there my 'story' and when they had stopped laughing they organised for the bike to be repaired for 1000 baht & the bike rental shop was none the wiser.......I then spent several months going through rehabilitation for my broken shoulder.

Moral to the story , if your going to fall down the stairs, don't just wear a helmet, wear body armour as well & don't leave you key in your bike .

[eljeque]

You win Story of the Day!

[kurnell]

Why do I read so many stories like this on this forum when I have never encontered this sort of rip off, nor have any of my friends in over 17 years of living in Thailand? Guess I am just lucky eh?

[cotambear]

No, They're all at it! My wife does it at least twice a month. Some members of her family do it daily. My Thai neighbour, only doesn't do it because he can't ride a motorbike, but he cheers and claps whenever he hears about it.

Nothing bad ever happens in woohoo world.

[bustersizemore]

Most of the time there is more to these stories than told intitially, especially with second hand stories.

Secondly: if this happens to you, you're being ripped of by a group of people. Of course you call the police straight away. Chalong police is good with these things IMO.

Yes, I agree that he's getting ripped off by a "group" of people.

"Call the police straight away" ..."Chalong police is good with these things"...

Please inform us as to your personal experiences or information that this advice is based upon? First-hand stories only please... 

[WOOHOO]

No, They're all at it! My wife does it at least twice a month. Some members of her family do it daily. My Thai neighbour, only doesn't do it because he can't ride a motorbike, but he cheers and claps whenever he hears about it.

Nothing bad ever happens in woohoo world.

Today my waterproof camera wasn't as waterproof as it was supposed to be and drowned, and as I mentioned in another thread, I was served a San miguel light instead of a normal San miguel. A very bad day in Woohoo world.

Anyway, how was I supposed to react to a ridiculous comment such as "Are there no Thai people with a sense of shame at these disgusting set ups" Did nothing about that sentence strike you as being wrong when you read it??

[billythehat]

No, They're all at it! My wife does it at least twice a month. Some members of her family do it daily. My Thai neighbour, only doesn't do it because he can't ride a motorbike, but he cheers and claps whenever he hears about it.

Nothing bad ever happens in woohoo world.

Today my waterproof camera wasn't as waterproof as it was supposed to be and drowned, and as I mentioned in another thread, I was served a San miguel light instead of a normal San miguel. A very bad day in Woohoo world.

Anyway, how was I supposed to react to a ridiculous comment such as "Are there no Thai people with a sense of shame at these disgusting set ups" Did nothing about that sentence strike you as being wrong when you read it??

No, probably not with Mr Bear, as he was not the author of that perfectly legitimate statement. Mr Salty should be able to help you out with your query.