Teen Involved In Fatal Bangkok Tollway Crash Stressed Out : Mum

[preechathan]

Why this case is getting so much attention:

1. The van is part of a major van route between Moh Chit and Rangsit and taken by thousands of people per week.

2. The photo of the 16 year old on her cell phone and her not helping the injured who were calling for help and water.

3. The victims were part of a growing educated class that is establishing itself in Thailand

4. Persons associated with Thammasat University, NSDTA, and AIT were injured or killed as a result of the accident.

5. It brings to attention the excess speeding that occurs on the tollway.

6. Safety of the vans (no use of seat belts).

7. Privilidged class possibly not getting penalized for their illegal actions.

8. Censorship of the media when an elite is involved.

9. Use of social networking sites where pictures and information can spread. Also a place where people can unite behind a cause.

10. Many people are jealous of what they perceived to be a girl who has led a rich and privileged upbringing and they are unhappy with their own life.

I am sorry, but that doesn't make the list.

[Tywais]

Posts with links to Bangkok Post have been removed as per forum rules.

31) All members are not allowed to quote news articles or material from bangkokpost.com or phuketwan inside topics on thaivisa.com. Posts containing quotes will be deleted from the forum. Links referring back to the sites are also not allowed and will be deleted.

[TechnikaIII]

Heres a thread where a couple of peopel are out of control.

People really need to take a deep breath and wait to see what comes out of the Police investigation before getting so riled up about 'Murder' and things of the like.

The online behaviour of plenty of users on things like facebook & whatever the other ones are called is disgusting.

Despite what you might think about this girl, her family or anyone else is highly irrelevant, 99% of the population involved in an incident like this would be 'extremely stressed' and I can imagine that with all this other online nonesense and shenanigans going on this would be overwhelming.

People need to grow up and let the official course of action take place & wait to see what is actually fact and not the made up rubbish of some vilian online.

ND, I think you are missing the value of this online outrage.

Without it, this crime could easily be swept under the rug by persons of influence. I am actually heartened to see this level of outcry over what happened. Several people are dead, and if people don't continue the pressure against this very influential family it is highly likely they will fall into the standard practice of using status and influence to sweep it all under the rug.

Of course let the official course of action continue as you say. But in the mean time, continue under the assumption that it is the girl's fault. (Don't forget it likely is. We may not be omniscient, but we aren't stupid.) Keep up the pressure on the family and the authorities. Don't give them a chance to treat this horror the same way they have all the others.

In the future, if official facts come to light that show the girl was not at fault, then everyone can modify their behavior at that time. But given the propensity of influential Thais to escape punishment for their crimes, I think it is not helpful to "let the official course of action" take place in a vacuum. This pressure and outrage is extremely helpful.

I hope everyone is able to keep it up.

However, I will agree with you that making up false evidence is not helpful, and that aspect of the outrage should be stopped.

... and I think one of the most important items of evidence will be the camera footage, whatever there is, and if it hasn't already gone to the highest bidder.

The van company have a vested interest in painting the girl black. But that accident happened at high speed, and involved TWO vehicles travelling at high speed. There would have been shared responsibility in this tragic event. I do pity the girl. Her burden is a heavy one, to carry forever, whether incarcerated or in 'freedom'. She can never escape this. I believe that shorter period of prison, to deal with the initial remorse, followed by a longer period of meaniful community service would be the most productive. Such as a nurse's assistant in an accident ward. The facts must come out, in full. Beyond that, no life sentence for her will achieve anything, and certainly will not bring back the dead.

The parents should also receive the punishment. They have failed equally, if not more so.

[neverdie]

ND.

Why you cannot understand people wanting to post opinons on a blog such as TV has got me baffeled. But you should take a look at the well put together post #65. It may help you.

And I think there are moderators on TV that control what people can and cannot post. Dont forget you are a poster just like all the rest of us. No need to take the "I know everything attitude" as I have noticed in the past.

I simply said, I don't think people should post documents or whatever that could prove to be unreliable in the circumstances, espeically given that it is already known that people are about making things up & posting them online. I said nothing more or less, ohh and I voiced my opinion.

As for your last comment above > grow up.

Edited December 31, 2010 by neverdie

[moskito]

Any idea of what type of medical treatment the girl is receiving? In the photo, she appears to be uninjured. Not all injuries are obvious at the time of an accident, however.

just a guess, but i think serious brain injuries....To be honest, if same happend in Germany (and I bet most european countries) she cant be hold responsible after an accident like this.

She just have to say she is suffering from a psychic trauma, sad but true.

On the other hand in Europe the parents can be jailed for neglect legal responsibility to care for their child!

Thailand should state an example here and make it popular, may be then in future Thaiparents will care a little bit more what their childrens do in their spare time...but i honestly doubt that, everything will be forgotten in a moth time.

If the family is really rich they have to compensate the familys of the death and injured too, with a minimum of 80% of their wealth, take them where it hurts them too.

Anyway, what ever is happend next, the deaths will not live again

[featography]

I am glad the girl is stressed out. atHe families of those hurt and injured are too no doubt. On the other hand I do not want to see a young girl's life totallh ruined for ever. She can hardly be blamed for taking advantage of the privaleges bestowed on her by her doting parents. Maybe 5 years working as a volunteer nurse's aid in the accident ward of a large hospital with the requirement that she travels there by public transport would help.

This is the today's winner.

The #1 best idea, ifffffff she is found guilty of causing the accident.

[Nisa]

Any idea of what type of medical treatment the girl is receiving? In the photo, she appears to be uninjured. Not all injuries are obvious at the time of an accident, however.

just a guess, but i think serious brain injuries....To be honest, if same happend in Germany (and I bet most european countries) she cant be hold responsible after an accident like this.

She just have to say she is suffering from a psychic trauma, sad but true.

On the other hand in Europe the parents can be jailed for neglect legal responsibility to care for their child!

Thailand should state an example here and make it popular, may be then in future Thaiparents will care a little bit more what their childrens do in their spare time...but i honestly doubt that, everything will be forgotten in a moth time.

If the family is really rich they have to compensate the familys of the death and injured too, with a minimum of 80% of their wealth, take them where it hurts them too.

Anyway, what ever is happend next, the deaths will not live again

I have a feeling it may partly to be to keep her safe both away from the public and from herself. But there were reports stating she had an eye, elbow and backside injury but nothing too serious was "reported".

[sirchai]

Any idea of what type of medical treatment the girl is receiving? In the photo, she appears to be uninjured. Not all injuries are obvious at the time of an accident, however.

Sorry, no idea about any injuries, but I've heard from a friend who lost a beloved one that the girl had left Thailand. Guess the family is rich enough to turn things in another direction.

Edited December 31, 2010 by cdnvic
fixed text formatting for readability

[JetsetBkk]

Some - most - of you keyboard tappers really need to get some air before your vent your frustrations in this topic.

As for this ridiculous statement:

The name says it all.

"Thephassadin na Ayutthaya

...I'd better tell my g/f to change her name.

[Puccini]

http://ireport.cnn.com/docs/DOC-534901

Tollway footage is attached and there are basically very few cars on the tollway.

Images are pretty gruesome and you can see that someone had meddled with the car to make it look less wrecked.

It stinks already.

The title of the linked hobby journalist's story says it all: "...but no justice". Here you have somebody unintelligent enough to consider it wrong that a couple of days after the accident no court decision has been made yet, for "justice" means a court decision.

[eltelboy]

So the girl was under age and had no driving license yet we are arguing whos fault it may have been. She should not have been driving in the first place, if this young inexperienced road user was respecting the law then the accident wouldn't have occured would it !

[Nisa]

Any idea of what type of medical treatment the girl is receiving? In the photo, she appears to be uninjured. Not all injuries are obvious at the time of an accident, however.

Sorry, no idea about any injuries, but I've heard from a friend who lost a beloved one that the girl had left Thailand. Guess the family is rich enough to turn things in another direction.

Why would she need to flee the country if like so many people claim , she is an elite and above the law here.

[Boater]

Any idea of what type of medical treatment the girl is receiving? In the photo, she appears to be uninjured. Not all injuries are obvious at the time of an accident, however.

Sorry, no idea about any injuries, but I've heard from a friend who lost a beloved one that the girl had left Thailand. Guess the family is rich enough to turn things in another direction.

Why would she need to flee the country if like so many people claim , she is an elite and above the law here.

see no evil, hear no evil

if she is not hear, easier to brush under the carpet....

[Puccini]

Any idea of what type of medical treatment the girl is receiving? In the photo, she appears to be uninjured. Not all injuries are obvious at the time of an accident, however.

just a guess, but i think serious brain injuries....To be honest, if same happend in Germany (and I bet most european countries) she cant be hold responsible after an accident like this...

If the sedan driver would have "serious brain injuries" it would be as a result of the crash, not before the crash and thus not an excuse for allegedly causing an accident.

A spokesperson for the hospital where the teenager was treated gave details of the injuries for which she was treated: a slight injury to her mouth and one elbow.

[Maestro]

Posts about Moo Ham and Mu Ham and the replies to them have been deleted for being off topic.

[Nisa]

Any idea of what type of medical treatment the girl is receiving? In the photo, she appears to be uninjured. Not all injuries are obvious at the time of an accident, however.

just a guess, but i think serious brain injuries....To be honest, if same happend in Germany (and I bet most european countries) she cant be hold responsible after an accident like this...

If the sedan driver would have "serious brain injuries" it would be as a result of the crash, not before the crash and thus not an excuse for allegedly causing an accident.

A spokesperson for the hospital where the teenager was treated gave details of the injuries for which she was treated: a slight injury to her mouth and one elbow.

I don't believe it was a spokesperson. It was an unnamed person from the first hospital she was admitted ... privacy and her being a minor would prevent any credible hospital staff from speaking. In other words take that reports with a grain of salt as so many other things being said now about this topic.

But from family statements it appears she is talking and recalls the accident. So, I doubt any serious brain injury but since one needs to understand the charges against them and be competent to stand trial (at least in the US) then they can get off even if the severe brain injury occurred after. Then again she is 16-years old and at 18 is generally when the brain starts significant anatomical changes.

So, in a way all minors can be considered as having brain problems compared to an adult.

[troy04]

If I read this about this accident, then I wonder why they dont arrest the friend of her as well whom gave her the keys of her car to this young girl.

All the discussions are nice but she is not allowed to drive at all as she is to young and has no driving license. Also as the mother is telling that she is driving fast??? I never read that the mother is telling that her daughter is stupid to drive any way. I think if we made a crash like this without a driving license and without insurance that we can not walk away by a accident like this as we will go straight to the police station so why is this girl just walking away? If the girl is wrong what could be seen on the cameras (If this will not be deleted by accident) then in my opinion you cant give her a very high punisment as she is not old enough to release what she is doing. For me I find that they need to arrest her friend whom gave the keys to her and put her in jail, if she didnt gave the keys to her then this accident was probably not happening. I hope this will solved on a proper way and will not end under the carpet. So I hope justice will do their job. I really find it very sad for the family of the people whom are killed.

Maybe more speed control, higher fines not the laughing 400B, no insurance you loose your car, no driving license 2 years not allowed to drive a car, if they caught you straigh one month in jail.

right i agree, why they not talk about the girl who gave the key to her? maybe she's from an VIP family too?

[webfact]

16-year-old girl driver who crashed into van, leading to Don Mueang tollway tragedy, visits victims, gives helping money, expresses sorrow for incident /MCOT

[jfchandler]

Good summary and analysis below, Preechathan...

Quite a few interesting things here...

One English language newspaper names the girl and says police will charge her with reckless driving and causing death... But has absolutely no explanation from the police or the girls family about how/why the accident occurred.

The other English language newspaper doesn't name the girl at all, and includes claims from the family about how/why the accident occurred...but absolutely nothing from the police about how/why the accident occurred...

Either way, the girl was driving illegally/without a license, and her own Mom seems to be admitting she was speeding. But it's certainly possible (though not known publicly as yet) that the van driver in some way contributed to the accident... That wouldn't let the girl off... but it would spread the blame some...

At the moment, based on the publicly disclosed facts, we just don't know... except one thing. The girl never should have been driving in the first place.

Why this case is getting so much attention:

1. The van is part of a major van route between Moh Chit and Rangsit and taken by thousands of people per week.

2. The photo of the 16 year old on her cell phone and her not helping the injured who were calling for help and water.

3. The victims were part of a growing educated class that is establishing itself in Thailand

4. Persons associated with Thammasat University, NSDTA, and AIT were injured or killed as a result of the accident.

5. It brings to attention the excess speeding that occurs on the tollway.

6. Safety of the vans (no use of seat belts).

7. Privilidged class possibly not getting penalized for their illegal actions.

8. Censorship of the media when an elite is involved.

9. Use of social networking sites where pictures and information can spread. Also a place where people can unite behind a cause.

[kamluan]

"Why don't they take my life? Why don't I just die?" the girl was quoted as saying.

Well..if she dies or died in the exident she cant pay for her crimes!!

So she can want what she want but i hope she stay's alive so she can pay for her crimes.

And i hope that her parents can be hold responsible to,because if they had give her an education,

and learned what's wrong and right this never would happend.

But unfortunly some rich thai families really think that they can do everything and respect nobody!!.....and mostly they can.

i dont wish bad to the girl but she need to pay like everybody else.

Specially her parents need to feel it they are the source and knewed for sure that her 16 old daughter sometimes drives in a car.

[jfchandler]

The other major English language newspaper besides The Nation reported that the girl had failed to show up for an interview with police that had been set up by her family, and that's what led to the police issuing the Jan. 5 summons to her. If that report is accurate, that's not getting off to a very good start.

I can't speak for everyone but I think I can speak for many... I don't hate this girl or have any prejudice against her family or her class in society. I just want what anyone should want... those found responsible for any crime to be punished in accord with the law, and for the victims and their families to get justice from the Thai legal system.

Even if the case followed the legal letter of the law, given that the girl is a minor, I'm doubtful she'd be in for much if any of a jail sentence. Her parents as adults, however, might well be in for a lot of litigation, unless they manage to make the whole mess fade away.

I have seen numerous comments by the haters about her good looks, the way she stood in the photo, her name, her skirt, her parent's occupation as well as numerous imagined assumptions about her upbring, thought process and so on which to any person with common sense are coming out of jealousness and not any thoughts or concerns with the Thai Justice System.

Edited December 31, 2010 by jfchandler

[Nisa]

"Why don't they take my life? Why don't I just die?" the girl was quoted as saying.

Well..if she dies or died in the exident she cant pay for her crimes!!

So she can want what she want but i hope she stay's alive so she can pay for her crimes.

And i hope that her parents can be hold responsible to,because if they had give her an education,

and learned what's wrong and right this never would happend.

But unfortunly some rich thai families really think that they can do everything and respect nobody!!.....and mostly they can.

i dont wish bad to the girl but she need to pay like everybody else.

Specially her parents need to feel it they are the source and knewed for sure that her 16 old daughter sometimes drives in a car.

I don't think breaking the law (feeling above it) or disrespect is something relegated to the rich in any way shape or from but they are attributes that can be attributed to many kids/minors. We know nothing about this family to making judgments about what they think or the kind of family they are. A 16 year old driving without a license is not all that uncommon and is done by kids all over the world all the time but most don't result in this kind of tragedy. Most of the time these kids are good kids and often grow up to be well respected people in society.

As for paying like everybody else, the families are going to be compensated well and this would not be the case if the driver was poor and I would venture to bet that a minor would go to jail, even if poor, for this kind of accident. The laws for minors are not designed to punish as they are for adults. But she may get jail time because of all the haters who are making this into something they are clueless about and are somehow already convinced she is not only fully responsible for the accident but that she and her family set out, or at the least could care less, to kill 9 people because they could get away with it due to their last name. Yet, common sense tells us the further thing away from a typical 16-year old's mind is consequences or that these things will happen to them.

[jayboy]

I have seen numerous comments by the haters about her good looks, the way she stood in the photo, her name, her skirt, her parent's occupation as well as numerous imagined assumptions about her upbring, thought process and so on which to any person with common sense are coming out of jealousness and not any thoughts or concerns with the Thai Justice System.

Really I haven't seen any such comments.Did you make them up?

I have seen a lot of concern however at how wealth and privilege in Thailand often evades justice.Whether this is a factor in this case is hard to say (let's see how the investigation pans out), but it's clear most Thais won't tolerate poor behaviour by the elite anymore.To his credit the PM has emphasized the law is blind.

[swerver]

The Civic sedan's insurer may offer up to Bt1 million compensation for each death.

Surely the Civic's insurance is null and void if the driver doesn.t possess a valid driver licence???

You are absolutely correct

A business lady I happen to know her sister was driving the lady’s car on an errant, put on the right blinker to make a right turn into a street and while making the right turn a speeding motorcycle driver comes racing up from behind and smashes right into the right side of the car.

Traffic police comes, motorcycle driver in the wrong, should have passed on LH side of the car.

Insurance Rep. comes, ask for Driver License and notice it is expired. Informed there is no Insurance coverage because driving with expired driver license.

The car owner had to pay the motorcycle driver for injuries and damage to motor cycle and to ad insult to injury to pay for car repairs.

Now this broth is underage 15 or 16 doesn’t make any difference. Has never had a Drivers License or tested for Depth Perception (something 60% of Thais with Thai Driver License we tested in the company I worked with in Saudi Arabia showed deficient Depth Perception and did not qualify for company driver license) her mother makes it public known she is a speed maniac, so she must have been driving for much longer than the day of the accident, and then comes the Insurance Company making it public known it will pay a million Thai Baht to each killed person for a total of: nine (9) million. By doing this the Insurance Company admits it is on the hook and by doing so has to pay the total cost of the accident.

When taking a look at the friend’s Civic insurance policy it may even show: OWNER/DRIVER ONLY (because the policy premium is lower) and here he lets a “friend” drive the car who doesn't even have a drivers license.

In Thailand as well as everywhere else in the world when starting to stir in a pot of shit it is going to create a foul smell.

I don’t know which is the most honest country in the world - government, populace - or even if there is one, but Thailand isn’t it. A cynical view of foreigners is that they deserve what they get. Leery in their homelands, they become naive when they settle in Thailand. Seduced by the Thai smile, they foolishly believe that it signifies candor. By the time they learn better, they are lucky to still have their shirts. If there is a place to be especially wary, Thailand is it.

[Nisa]

I have seen numerous comments by the haters about her good looks, the way she stood in the photo, her name, her skirt, her parent's occupation as well as numerous imagined assumptions about her upbring, thought process and so on which to any person with common sense are coming out of jealousness and not any thoughts or concerns with the Thai Justice System.

Really I haven't seen any such comments.Did you make them up?

I have seen a lot of concern however at how wealth and privilege in Thailand often evades justice.Whether this is a factor in this case is hard to say (let's see how the investigation pans out), but it's clear most Thais won't tolerate poor behaviour by the elite anymore.To his credit the PM has emphasized the law is blind.

You are right .. I thought I was on another thread about this topic when I posted that.

[jayboy]

But she may get jail time because of all the haters who are making this into something they are clueless about and are somehow already convinced she is not only fully responsible for the accident but that she and her family set out, or at the least could care less, to kill 9 people because they could get away with it due to their last name. Yet, common sense tells us the further thing away from a typical 16-year old's mind is consequences or that these things will happen to them.

You cannot be serious and I should be careful on the evidence of your post about flinging around "clueless" epithets..As yet the facts are unclear.If however after due process the girl gets gaol time, that will be the considered decision of the Thai justice system, and has nothing to do with the "haters".If she is not the party to blame, she will be set free although we already know she was driving illegally.The question of whether the killings were unintentended is completely beside the point, whether the driver is 16 or 66.I do feel a certain sympathy for this girl and many attacks have been unfair.Your comments frankly don't strengthen her case, actually the opposite.

[JemJem]

I can't believe some of the comments here.

Sure this accident was terrible and 9 people where killed.......but.....on the same day 27 people where killed (including this 9 unfortunately people) in accidents on the streets and nobody cares about them.

It's all about going after a young girl, making things up like boater, creating chatter and rumors, maybe she do this and maybe she's gone already.....

Did someone think that this Girl is a human being too ?

Yes, she did a big mistake and caused a horrible accident, but that doesn't justify such a witch hunt. There is a law in place and that law will handle this case.

Remember, the next one causing a terrible accident could be you and than you sure hope things going different than in this case.

I don't see any 'witch hunt' in the forum regarding the girl (except maybe 1-2 messages that were a bit extreme). People want justice to prevail, man. People (well, at least, the heavy majority of people) are sick and tired of the rich and the well-connected getting away with crimes. You can hardly call that 'witch hunt', can you ?

[neverdie]

You cannot be serious and I should be careful on the evidence of your post about flinging around "clueless" epithets...

Indeed very good advice which is almost guaranteed to fall on deaf ears

[Scott]

I don't know if the Driver's License issue affects insurance. I had a rather nasty accident some years back and was sent to the hospital. Vehicle was very badly damaged. Insurance paid everything, including the hospital costs (accident was my fault, by the way). I was fined 200 baht for driving without a license and 200 baht for causing an accident.

[TAWP]

I have seen numerous comments by the haters about her good looks, the way she stood in the photo, her name, her skirt, her parent's occupation as well as numerous imagined assumptions about her upbring, thought process and so on which to any person with common sense are coming out of jealousness and not any thoughts or concerns with the Thai Justice System.

Really I haven't seen any such comments.Did you make them up?

I have seen a lot of concern however at how wealth and privilege in Thailand often evades justice.Whether this is a factor in this case is hard to say (let's see how the investigation pans out), but it's clear most Thais won't tolerate poor behaviour by the elite anymore.To his credit the PM has emphasized the law is blind.

A note: a LOT of vitriol has been posted on Twitter and Facebook. A lot of worse things than here, due to the lack of moderation.