15 Vehicle Crash Claims Five Lives And 50 Injured

[Rimmer]

15 Vehicle Crash Claims Five Lives And 50 Injured

5 people were killed and a least 50 injured in a multi-vehicle collision on the main Kabin Buri - Nakhon Ratchasima highway. The five fatalities were passengers on a bus en route from Chonburi to Korat.

Prachinburi, 22 December 2010, [PDN]: At 4.30 pm, on 21st December, the Wang khon Dang, Prachinburi police officers received notification of a multi-vehicle collision in which 5 people were killed and at least 50 injured. The accident occured on highway 304 at the 42-43 marker between Kabin Buri and Nakhon Ratchasima. Police and rescue teams rushed to the scene immediately.

Upon arrival, they found an 18-wheel trailer lying on its side on the pavement. Two pick up trucks had crashed into the 18-wheel trailer’s front end. Behind the two pick up trucks was another 18-wheel trailer which had crashed into them and was severely damaged.

Full story and pics: HERE

PATTAYA DAILY NEWS 2010-12-22

[newsfooter][/newsfooter]

[RedNIvar]

What a waste of precious lives. According to the story, most deaths came after the rescue crew showed up. They failed to secure the area and provide proper hazard signals(flares, warning lights, etc) to oncoming vehicles.

RIP to the dead.

[Fookhaht]

I've been on that road at least 2-3 times, traveling by bus. The road is mostly a narrow, two-lane highway with a lot of sharp curves and mountainous terrain. (Not sure about the exact stretch where the accident happened.)

If people would drive according to those conditions, it would be a beautiful scenic drive. But they don't. They drive just like they're on a straight, 6-lane, no-speed-limit expressway--passing each other on corners and at the brow of hills, speeding around corners until you swear you're only on two wheels (of the four), etc. For some reason, everyone's in a hurry and trying to make time, particularly the bus drivers and truck drivers. On that road a horrific accident like this was inevitable.

[ginjag]

I've been on that road at least 2-3 times, traveling by bus. The road is mostly a narrow, two-lane highway with a lot of sharp curves and mountainous terrain. (Not sure about the exact stretch where the accident happened.)

If people would drive according to those conditions, it would be a beautiful scenic drive. But they don't. They drive just like they're on a straight, 6-lane, no-speed-limit expressway--passing each other on corners and at the brow of hills, speeding around corners until you swear you're only on two wheels (of the four), etc. For some reason, everyone's in a hurry and trying to make time, particularly the bus drivers and truck drivers. On that road a horrific accident like this was inevitable.

This looks like the only part of the mountain section that is yet to be updated. The bus and another vehicle, didn,t see==or was NOT warned earlier enough, re. the hazard ahead. Although as a driver of 100,000 ks in Thailand--and much of it Udon to Jomptien.........................how often ( too regular ) do you suddenly come accross a Police check point===yes all of a sudden on a highway--no prior warning===or road works, my god surprise surprise...no cones 1 km before the hazard. Road safety is OUT of the question..... not normal.

[Cuchulainn]

Poor sods. This'll all be forgotten by next week (except for the families). I honestly think there is no hope whatsoever for the driving standards in this country. I sold my car a few years back and have vowed never to get behind a wheel ever again. Words fail me as to the selfishness and don't-give-a-dam_n attitude of drivers here.

[Kan Win]

What a waste of precious lives. According to the story, most deaths came after the rescue crew showed up. They failed to secure the area and provide proper hazard signals(flares, warning lights, etc) to oncoming vehicles.

RIP to the dead.

Not long after that, the driver of an air conditioned bus carrying a full load of passengers from Chonburi to Nakhon Ratchasima, failed to see the accident scene in time and in trying to avoid a collision the bus flipped over onto the side of the road close to a cliff..

The officials said 5 people were killed and at least 50 people were injuring. The killed and most of the injured were the passengers of the air-conditioned passenger bus.

Really Sad to read this and just after the Thais who lost their lives in Malaysia on Tour Bus.

Win

[housepainter]

I regularly travel that road and agree with much of what has been said.

It is a potential death trap and I never drive it at night. Leave earlier or stay over but I won't take my chances on there with night falling.

Thais are not trained in driving. Any driving test applied in Thailand is woefully inadequate and consider this; we are led to believe that 3 professional drivers were involved in this accident. I haven't read subsequent versions of this article but it says 5 bus passengers died and then fails to mention any bus being involved in the 5 vehicle pile up. In fact of 5 vehicles it accounts for 4 only.

I'm left to guess the rest.

And if it was an accident waiting to happen again as there was inadequate safety measures, signage, warnings and Thai rubber neckers then ....... welcome to Thailand.

Thais also notoriously tail-gate. They are impatient drivers who speed up behind you to sit on your bumper, merely feet off it, and wait for you to move over. They fail to signal, they fail to use their mirrors. Also, they inevitably fail to apply the mirror - signal - manouvre - strategy. They can not take bends safely as they either slow causing traffic to compact or they most usually drift dangerously off line. Yet in a straight line they will floor any pick up to the max.

The sight of a 'fast' car sends them crazy. The SUV BMV passed me yesterday followed by a Hinda Accord chasing hell bent after it. then it was whacky racers time as we had 2 pick-ups foot to the floor and an Altis. The only things missing were some numbers on the doors. Public road and private madness.

The fun and games going over the 304 mountains has to be experienced to be believed. Only overtake on a blind bend seems to be the way of thinking. There are hugely overladen trucks at crawl speed, and sometimes standing still, around blind bends. In contrast there are saloons flying at break neck speed past every other vehicle and then there are the slower pick-ups trying to overtake.

It is a recipe for disaster. It does cause disasters.

But that is Thailand. Every law and none applied.

And I will add this. My own driving skills far outstrip any Thai driver I have ever encountered. Be objective, as I am when I say that I have never seen a good Thai driver. I have seen only what I would call examples of normal safe driving for the road conditions. That's it at best.

And I, like many of you, spend my time behind the wheel driving defensively due to the inadequacy of the Thais.

And there is a myriad of awful, hopeless, clueless, dangerous driving to be seen anywhere. They don't know how to join or leave traffic safely. They stop anywhere without indication. God help you when they reverse as you best have a good book to read. And then there is the rush hour. Every hour it seems of everyday as they are always either in a hurry or doing 50 kph on a single lane. Farm trucks have no lights. Motorbikes have no lights but do have 3, 4 or 5 passengers. Helmets. Pardon me? Wroing way, u-turns and cutting across.

Then we see the result.

Cranage is a common sight.

I remember one morning were passed by an awfully driven speeding gold coloured pick-up on that very road. Sheer madness is the only way to describe the speeding and arratic driving. Later we were halted by a massive queue of traffic as an aciident had occurred at a set of traffc lights.

There, dead and hanging half in and half out of his pick-up and pinned in the mangled wreckage was the driver of the gold pick-up.

And I have absolutely no sympathy for them.

Speed costs lives. So too do under qualified drivers and they are the ones on the roads in Thailand.

Edited December 22, 2010 by housepainter

[ginjag]

I regularly travel that road and agree with much of what has been said.

It is a potential death trap and I never drive it at night. Leave earlier or stay over but I won't take my chances on there with night falling.

Thais are not trained in driving. Any driving test applied in Thailand is woefully inadequate and consider this; we are led to believe that 3 professional drivers were involved in this accident. I haven't read subsequent versions of this article but it says 5 bus passengers died and then fails to mention any bus being involved in the 5 vehicle pile up. In fact of 5 vehicles it accounts for 4 only.

I'm left to guess the rest.

And if it was an accident waiting to happen again as there was inadequate safety measures, signage, warnings and Thai rubber neckers then ....... welcome to Thailand.

Thais also notoriously tail-gate. They are impatient drivers who speed up behind you to sit on your bumper, merely feet off it, and wait for you to move over. They fail to signal, they fail to use their mirrors. Also, they inevitably fail to apply the mirror - signal - manouvre - strategy. They can not take bends safely as they either slow causing traffic to compact or they most usually drift dangerously off line. Yet in a straight line they will floor any pick up to the max.

The sight of a 'fast' car sends them crazy. The SUV BMV passed me yesterday followed by a Hinda Accord chasing hell bent after it. then it was whacky racers time as we had 2 pick-ups foot to the floor and an Altis. The only things missing were some numbers on the doors. Public road and private madness.

The fun and games going over the 304 mountains has to be experienced to be believed. Only overtake on a blind bend seems to be the way of thinking. There are hugely overladen trucks at crawl speed, and sometimes standing still, around blind bends. In contrast there are saloons flying at break neck speed past every other vehicle and then there are the slower pick-ups trying to overtake.

It is a recipe for disaster. It does cause disasters.

But that is Thailand. Every law and none applied.

And I will add this. My own driving skills far outstrip any Thai driver I have ever encountered. Be objective, as I am when I say that I have never seen a good Thai driver. I have seen only what I would call examples of normal safe driving for the road conditions. That's it at best.

And I, like many of you, spend my time behind the wheel driving defensively due to the inadequacy of the Thais.

And there is a myriad of awful, hopeless, clueless, dangerous driving to be seen anywhere. They don't know how to join or leave traffic safely. They stop anywhere without indication. God help you when they reverse as you best have a good book to read. And then there is the rush hour. Every hour it seems of everyday as they are always either in a hurry or doing 50 kph on a single lane. Farm trucks have no lights. Motorbikes have no lights but do have 3, 4 or 5 passengers. Helmets. Pardon me? Wroing way, u-turns and cutting across.

Then we see the result.

Cranage is a common sight.

I remember one morning were passed by an awfully driven speeding gold coloured pick-up on that very road. Sheer madness is the only way to describe the speeding and arratic driving. Later we were halted by a massive queue of traffic as an aciident had occurred at a set of traffc lights.

There, dead and hanging half in and half out of his pick-up and pinned in the mangled wreckage was the driver of the gold pick-up.

And I have absolutely no sympathy for them.

Speed costs lives. So too do under qualified drivers and they are the ones on the roads in Thailand.

The 5 persons that died were on the bus, the driver hit the crash scene. He wasn,t aware of the accident, but there were loads of people at the scene-with the police-and had to all run for it as the bus struck, must have been a nightmare. But why were not warnings given to oncomming traffic. ?????

[Credo]

As mentioned, it's sad when the rescue people don't secure the area. What could have been only a blip in the news is now a major loss of life. My condolences to the families and friends of the victims.

[lee68]

I regularly travel that road and agree with much of what has been said.

It is a potential death trap and I never drive it at night. Leave earlier or stay over but I won't take my chances on there with night falling.

Thais are not trained in driving. Any driving test applied in Thailand is woefully inadequate and consider this; we are led to believe that 3 professional drivers were involved in this accident. I haven't read subsequent versions of this article but it says 5 bus passengers died and then fails to mention any bus being involved in the 5 vehicle pile up. In fact of 5 vehicles it accounts for 4 only.

I'm left to guess the rest.

And if it was an accident waiting to happen again as there was inadequate safety measures, signage, warnings and Thai rubber neckers then ....... welcome to Thailand.

Thais also notoriously tail-gate. They are impatient drivers who speed up behind you to sit on your bumper, merely feet off it, and wait for you to move over. They fail to signal, they fail to use their mirrors. Also, they inevitably fail to apply the mirror - signal - manouvre - strategy. They can not take bends safely as they either slow causing traffic to compact or they most usually drift dangerously off line. Yet in a straight line they will floor any pick up to the max.

The sight of a 'fast' car sends them crazy. The SUV BMV passed me yesterday followed by a Hinda Accord chasing hell bent after it. then it was whacky racers time as we had 2 pick-ups foot to the floor and an Altis. The only things missing were some numbers on the doors. Public road and private madness.

The fun and games going over the 304 mountains has to be experienced to be believed. Only overtake on a blind bend seems to be the way of thinking. There are hugely overladen trucks at crawl speed, and sometimes standing still, around blind bends. In contrast there are saloons flying at break neck speed past every other vehicle and then there are the slower pick-ups trying to overtake.

It is a recipe for disaster. It does cause disasters.

But that is Thailand. Every law and none applied.

And I will add this. My own driving skills far outstrip any Thai driver I have ever encountered. Be objective, as I am when I say that I have never seen a good Thai driver. I have seen only what I would call examples of normal safe driving for the road conditions. That's it at best.

And I, like many of you, spend my time behind the wheel driving defensively due to the inadequacy of the Thais.

And there is a myriad of awful, hopeless, clueless, dangerous driving to be seen anywhere. They don't know how to join or leave traffic safely. They stop anywhere without indication. God help you when they reverse as you best have a good book to read. And then there is the rush hour. Every hour it seems of everyday as they are always either in a hurry or doing 50 kph on a single lane. Farm trucks have no lights. Motorbikes have no lights but do have 3, 4 or 5 passengers. Helmets. Pardon me? Wroing way, u-turns and cutting across.

Then we see the result.

Cranage is a common sight.

I remember one morning were passed by an awfully driven speeding gold coloured pick-up on that very road. Sheer madness is the only way to describe the speeding and arratic driving. Later we were halted by a massive queue of traffic as an aciident had occurred at a set of traffc lights.

There, dead and hanging half in and half out of his pick-up and pinned in the mangled wreckage was the driver of the gold pick-up.

And I have absolutely no sympathy for them.

Speed costs lives. So too do under qualified drivers and they are the ones on the roads in Thailand.

I was recently, travelling with a thai freind of mine,from chaing mai to phuket.he had lived and driven in Germany for 16 years.It was a nightmare,he overtook and undertook and went through every red light we encountered.I said to him do you do this in Germany,and he said no of course not,so i said why do you do it here?,his reply was because you can,this is thai style.I flew home from phuket,never again. .

[gemini81]

with the exception of the head office dept of transportation at jatujak, upcountry 500 baht is still provided as a bribe for those who

"fail" their exam. Maybe most enraging to me is the light flashing at intersections as if they have bought the right of way, and it should just excuse bad driving.

Hope one day they learn to secure crash sites. last time I saw the rescue teams, they didnt even use flares or cones, and sickeningly enough, people had their cell cams and videos up close to the deceased. Well.....progress in slow steps, at least now at head office of the transport dept you can no longer "trade chickens for a driver's id" as the thais say...

[roatandon]

My comment is simple...I love Thailand, but I am always in fear for my life on the road here....enough said...

[crazydrummerpauly]

My comment is simple...I love Thailand, but I am always in fear for my life on the road here....enough said...

Now that is a suprisingly interesting sentence - and in its overall structure and its inclusion of a stark paradox, it can stand for literally thousands of contributions to ThaiVisa. Why ? Because time and time again Members say somethings of the type: I love Thailand, BUT ........ and the themes that follow the BUT are often so serious and demoralising that the question arises : So HOW CAN you love Thailand ? I relate to your thought entirely, but what happens in my brain is that after I add 'soi dogs' , 'tea money' ( and corruption at all levels ), 'double-pricing', bent officers of the law and judiciary, inadequate health-services in many rural areas, roads full of overloaded geriatric trucks, schools where very little constructive education occurs, etc etc.... then the 'I love Thailand' stance surely starts to wilt under the negative pressure ? To put it another way, how is it possible to love a country in which a person is "Always in fear for my life on the road" ? Your short sentence goes right to the heart of the contradictory feelings so many of us have about life in the LOS - thanks.

.

[selftaopath]

I've been on that road at least 2-3 times, traveling by bus. The road is mostly a narrow, two-lane highway with a lot of sharp curves and mountainous terrain. (Not sure about the exact stretch where the accident happened.)

If people would drive according to those conditions, it would be a beautiful scenic drive. But they don't. They drive just like they're on a straight, 6-lane, no-speed-limit expressway--passing each other on corners and at the brow of hills, speeding around corners until you swear you're only on two wheels (of the four), etc. For some reason, everyone's in a hurry and trying to make time, particularly the bus drivers and truck drivers. On that road a horrific accident like this was inevitable.

Thank you. And I can only think "of course." There is little policing done and hardly ever are consequences dolled out for inappropriate behavior/driving. This is LOS = Lack of Sanctions.

I would not have been surprised if the article stated the accident occurred b/c the police closed one lane for their typical "shake down." I have often needed to apply my brakes in almost an emergency fashion b/c the Boobs in Brown are standing in a high speed highway flagging card/trucks down.

[brahmburgers]

Traffic screw ups can happen just about anywhere there are roads and drivers. In Sacramento California, years ago, an elder woman was driving on a long bridge (Hwy 80, major truck route) and realized she was going the wrong direction. She made a U turn, it was very foggy / low visibility, and a gargantuan multi-vehicle pile-up ensued.

Sad indeed about the recent imbroglio and loss of lives reported here in the OP. To what extent it resulted from bad driving we don't really know - but the overall level of driving skills and road courtesy here in Thailand is abysmal.

[bangon04]

Traffic screw ups can happen just about anywhere there are roads and drivers. In Sacramento California, years ago, an elder woman was driving on a long bridge (Hwy 80, major truck route) and realized she was going the wrong direction. She made a U turn, it was very foggy / low visibility, and a gargantuan multi-vehicle pile-up ensued.

Sad indeed about the recent imbroglio and loss of lives reported here in the OP. To what extent it resulted from bad driving we don't really know - but the overall level of driving skills and road courtesy here in Thailand is abysmal.

One of the main differences between California and Thailand is that if you are hurt ina traffic accident, there is a very good chance that the rescue services and the emergency room in the hospital in California will save your life for you to drive again.

In parts of Thailand the hospitals are actaually OK for emergencies, but the ambulance will almost certainly kill you before you get there......

[selftaopath]

As mentioned, it's sad when the rescue people don't secure the area. What could have been only a blip in the news is now a major loss of life. My condolences to the families and friends of the victims.

While living in BKK I saw many accidents at the intersection of Thonglor and New Petchburi Rd. The typical response by the police - if any - was to have the motorcycle taxi riders direct (chaotically) traffic and numerous people milling around/stopping/pointing/injured being thrown in the back of pick up trucks etc. The police in Thailand are not accountable for anything in this country; much to the social decay evidenced in Lack of Sanctions/ Land of Scams = LOS.

[Thai at Heart]

I was stuck in the tailback on the Kabin Buri side of the hills. There were nearly 100s more accidents as the traffic came barrelling around the corners into stationary traffic on the road. There was not one sign put up to say there was an accident or stationary traffic.

[asiawatcher]

Basic driver education and speed limits enforced by hefty fines for those who go past them.

[ginjag]

Basic driver education and speed limits enforced by hefty fines for those who go past them.

Basic education for the police for a start, help the population, uphold the law, checks carried out with lane closure cones well in advance. MOST of all ADVANCED warning to traffic ==notifying them of accident ahead..............this should never be a problem.....it,s basic first thoughts...... drivers here in general are never given any training--they are self trained from day 1. Even if the bus driver in question was good or bad, he should have been notified of the accident ( time was available to close the road) then he would have had more chance to stop----but also had he been going slower he COULD have stopped in time surely.

[Bagwan]

I have used this road only twice, on both occasions when going to PrakhonChai. Then thankfully I discovered the 359 road and ran up the border via Ta Phraya. I have a friend who used it once. Thereafter when travelling to or via Korat he used motorways 7 and 9 and then road 2.

[Bagwan]

It must be 40 years ago when I took a touring holiday along the Loire Valley. To comply with French traffic regulations I had to purchase a red light reflecting triangle with sides of about 45 centimetres and a support leg at the back of it.. This was to be used in case of breakdown or accident and was to be placed in the road a suitable distance in the rear so that traffic travelling in the same direction were were given ample warning. I should think that the minimum distance should be 70 metres. It means of course that a degree of cooperation is required from other road users so that the warning triangle always be placed behind the last vehicle in a queue. I am not sure that Thai motorists would conform to this even though it is clearly in their own interest - and of others.

Making this Thai law and having to display it when renewing tax and insurance would help, as would a hefty fine for not using the thing when it is necessary. Placing a small branch of a bush or tree in the road 20 metres from a broken down truck is useless.

[sting123]

It must be 40 years ago when I took a touring holiday along the Loire Valley. To comply with French traffic regulations I had to purchase a red light reflecting triangle with sides of about 45 centimetres and a support leg at the back of it.. This was to be used in case of breakdown or accident and was to be placed in the road a suitable distance in the rear so that traffic travelling in the same direction were were given ample warning. I should think that the minimum distance should be 70 metres. It means of course that a degree of cooperation is required from other road users so that the warning triangle always be placed behind the last vehicle in a queue. I am not sure that Thai motorists would conform to this even though it is clearly in their own interest - and of others.

Making this Thai law and having to display it when renewing tax and insurance would help, as would a hefty fine for not using the thing when it is necessary. Placing a small branch of a bush or tree in the road 20 metres from a broken down truck is useless.

If you want to fully comply with french law, you must have more than that.

Anyway, do not compare what can not be compared. Culturally, french believe they do have only one life, so they selflessly take care of it. Thais, as any good boodhist believers, know they do have many lifes and are not overhelm by the feeling they will loose something big if they loose it.

I am sure the 5 thais persons who died during this accident would wholeheartly agree with me ! (as their respective familly would do!) If not, then it might mean something is wrong , but being a foreigner (and loving Thailand while I fear everytime I drive ....) I am not qualify to pin point what might (or might not) be wrong (assuming it might or might not be related even remotly with the Power that are/will be /were).

Post written with a sardonic mind, so read it at the second level; and R.I.P. for those who passed away.

[cup-O-coffee]

I regularly travel that road and agree with much of what has been said.

It is a potential death trap and I never drive it at night. Leave earlier or stay over but I won't take my chances on there with night falling.

Thais are not trained in driving. Any driving test applied in Thailand is woefully inadequate and consider this; we are led to believe that 3 professional drivers were involved in this accident. I haven't read subsequent versions of this article but it says 5 bus passengers died and then fails to mention any bus being involved in the 5 vehicle pile up. In fact of 5 vehicles it accounts for 4 only.

I'm left to guess the rest.

And if it was an accident waiting to happen again as there was inadequate safety measures, signage, warnings and Thai rubber neckers then ....... welcome to Thailand.

Thais also notoriously tail-gate. They are impatient drivers who speed up behind you to sit on your bumper, merely feet off it, and wait for you to move over. They fail to signal, they fail to use their mirrors. Also, they inevitably fail to apply the mirror - signal - manouvre - strategy. They can not take bends safely as they either slow causing traffic to compact or they most usually drift dangerously off line. Yet in a straight line they will floor any pick up to the max.

The sight of a 'fast' car sends them crazy. The SUV BMV passed me yesterday followed by a Hinda Accord chasing hell bent after it. then it was whacky racers time as we had 2 pick-ups foot to the floor and an Altis. The only things missing were some numbers on the doors. Public road and private madness.

The fun and games going over the 304 mountains has to be experienced to be believed. Only overtake on a blind bend seems to be the way of thinking. There are hugely overladen trucks at crawl speed, and sometimes standing still, around blind bends. In contrast there are saloons flying at break neck speed past every other vehicle and then there are the slower pick-ups trying to overtake.

It is a recipe for disaster. It does cause disasters.

But that is Thailand. Every law and none applied.

And I will add this. My own driving skills far outstrip any Thai driver I have ever encountered. Be objective, as I am when I say that I have never seen a good Thai driver. I have seen only what I would call examples of normal safe driving for the road conditions. That's it at best.

And I, like many of you, spend my time behind the wheel driving defensively due to the inadequacy of the Thais.

And there is a myriad of awful, hopeless, clueless, dangerous driving to be seen anywhere. They don't know how to join or leave traffic safely. They stop anywhere without indication. God help you when they reverse as you best have a good book to read. And then there is the rush hour. Every hour it seems of everyday as they are always either in a hurry or doing 50 kph on a single lane. Farm trucks have no lights. Motorbikes have no lights but do have 3, 4 or 5 passengers. Helmets. Pardon me? Wroing way, u-turns and cutting across.

Then we see the result.

Cranage is a common sight.

I remember one morning were passed by an awfully driven speeding gold coloured pick-up on that very road. Sheer madness is the only way to describe the speeding and arratic driving. Later we were halted by a massive queue of traffic as an aciident had occurred at a set of traffc lights.

There, dead and hanging half in and half out of his pick-up and pinned in the mangled wreckage was the driver of the gold pick-up.

And I have absolutely no sympathy for them.

Speed costs lives. So too do under qualified drivers and they are the ones on the roads in Thailand.

Simply a few thoughts...

This is about as good an observation as I have ever read. It seems that an influx of western technology may play a part in challenging the archaic cultural defects that have heretofore allowed Thai people to get away with behaviors that are the result of a self-willed mentality (Future Shock). Thais lack self-discipline, I believe. They also love power. Not just money and "face", but literal power that they can manipulate with the flick of a wrist or the thrust of a foot. An internal combustion engine can certainly increase their endorphin and heart rate levels, and give an undisciplined person a false sense of superiority. Thais love their vehicles and spend painstaking time making them clean and sticking fashionable decals on them as a form of identity. It is almost like their vehicles are an extension of their person.

DISCIPLINE

'"In its most general sense, discipline refers to systematic instruction given to a disciple. To discipline thus means to instruct a person to follow a particular code of conduct "order." Usually, the phrase 'to discipline' carries a negative connotation. This is because enforcement of order - that is, ensuring instructions are carried out - is oft "Discipline is the instant willingness and obedience to all orders, respect for authority, self reliance and teamwork. The ability to do the right thing even when no one is watching or suffer the consequences of guilt which produces pain in our bodies, through pain comes discipline." --United States Marine Corps'

I think there is a lot to be said about observing traffic in any country, and using that behavior as a possible indicator into the psyche of the individuals operating the vehicles; their personality and level of self discipline to "do the right thing when no one is watching".

I believe that any Thai would be hard put to defend their undisciplined behavior once they get behind a wheel or set of handle bars. Watching them drive is shocking to the senses. Engaging in the activity of driving in their midst is like "running with the bulls": stay out of the way, get caught up with it, or get crushed. Lemmings all! No discipline!

This event is simply one more in a long and never ending series of similar events. It is the collateral damage that a people are willing to pay for the right to be ungoverned and self-willed. Regrettable? I am not so sure anymore. How can one have sympathy for flat out stupidity that is repeated on a daily basis. The laws of physics respect no culture.

The difference between Thailand and Western countries is that in Western countries, accidents occur even though people are doing their best to drive safely in a disciplined manner. In Thailand, however, accidents occur as a result of complete stupidity, no discipline and no regard for safety as it relates to the laws of physics and the effects one will suffer if they challenge those laws.

I have been on mini van rides where the asshol_e driver tried to pass going around the bend., at night, downhill, with no shoulder on the road. He was immediately disciplined by the western passengers for driving like an idiot. It took a bit longer to get home, but we did get home. For those who have regret for these people, I suggest you take a ride with them, and say not one word of discipline when they drive like idiots. That will test the measure of how sorrowful you feel for them in actuality, instead of being shallow and "decent".

[Bagwan]

It must be 40 years ago when I took a touring holiday along the Loire Valley. To comply with French traffic regulations I had to purchase a red light reflecting triangle with sides of about 45 centimetres and a support leg at the back of it.. This was to be used in case of breakdown or accident and was to be placed in the road a suitable distance in the rear so that traffic travelling in the same direction were were given ample warning. I should think that the minimum distance should be 70 metres. It means of course that a degree of cooperation is required from other road users so that the warning triangle always be placed behind the last vehicle in a queue. I am not sure that Thai motorists would conform to this even though it is clearly in their own interest - and of others.

Making this Thai law and having to display it when renewing tax and insurance would help, as would a hefty fine for not using the thing when it is necessary. Placing a small branch of a bush or tree in the road 20 metres from a broken down truck is useless.

If you want to fully comply with french law, you must have more than that.

Anyway, do not compare what can not be compared. Culturally, french believe they do have only one life, so they selflessly take care of it. Thais, as any good boodhist believers, know they do have many lifes and are not overhelm by the feeling they will loose something big if they loose it.

I am sure the 5 thais persons who died during this accident would wholeheartly agree with me ! (as their respective familly would do!) If not, then it might mean something is wrong , but being a foreigner (and loving Thailand while I fear everytime I drive ....) I am not qualify to pin point what might (or might not) be wrong (assuming it might or might not be related even remotly with the Power that are/will be /were).

Post written with a sardonic mind, so read it at the second level; and R.I.P. for those who passed away.

I do not want to comply with French law. What I am saying is that a proper warning sign at a sensible distance for those following would be a good idea. If Thais do not care whether they live or die, or give any lip service to road safety, why do they stick a pathetic piece of foliage in the road to warn people at a distance when it is far too late to avoid an incident? They obviously understand the principle but their application of the same is pathetic..

[ginjag]

It must be 40 years ago when I took a touring holiday along the Loire Valley. To comply with French traffic regulations I had to purchase a red light reflecting triangle with sides of about 45 centimetres and a support leg at the back of it.. This was to be used in case of breakdown or accident and was to be placed in the road a suitable distance in the rear so that traffic travelling in the same direction were were given ample warning. I should think that the minimum distance should be 70 metres. It means of course that a degree of cooperation is required from other road users so that the warning triangle always be placed behind the last vehicle in a queue. I am not sure that Thai motorists would conform to this even though it is clearly in their own interest - and of others.

Making this Thai law and having to display it when renewing tax and insurance would help, as would a hefty fine for not using the thing when it is necessary. Placing a small branch of a bush or tree in the road 20 metres from a broken down truck is useless.

If you want to fully comply with french law, you must have more than that.

Anyway, do not compare what can not be compared. Culturally, french believe they do have only one life, so they selflessly take care of it. Thais, as any good boodhist believers, know they do have many lifes and are not overhelm by the feeling they will loose something big if they loose it.

I am sure the 5 thais persons who died during this accident would wholeheartly agree with me ! (as their respective familly would do!) If not, then it might mean something is wrong , but being a foreigner (and loving Thailand while I fear everytime I drive ....) I am not qualify to pin point what might (or might not) be wrong (assuming it might or might not be related even remotly with the Power that are/will be /were).

Post written with a sardonic mind, so read it at the second level; and R.I.P. for those who passed away.

I do not want to comply with French law. What I am saying is that a proper warning sign at a sensible distance for those following would be a good idea. If Thais do not care whether they live or die, or give any lip service to road safety, why do they stick a pathetic piece of foliage in the road to warn people at a distance when it is far too late to avoid an incident? They obviously understand the principle but their application of the same is pathetic..

Safety is the word, But no safety is taught. If it was taught would it get through to most. I fear not. most would think it was boring to learn. A sad state of affairs. just to add, when I first came to Thailand and came accross a green bush on the road--I actually thought it was growing out of the tarmac. We all I think,and feel the waste of lives here, then we shake our heads, and say why !!!!