Road Rage Shooting Wounds Thai International Airways Pilot

[Payboy]

Certain elements, yes. The entire society? Painting with a rather large brush aren't we?

New to Thailand, are we?

no, more than 20 years and I too find this statement not only ridiculous but in violation of forum rules. Suggest we drop the broad generalizatons and stick to the story.

Thanks - and you are entitled to your opinion too.

[gregb]

Certain elements, yes. The entire society? Painting with a rather large brush aren't we?

New to Thailand, are we?

no, more than 20 years and I too find this statement not only ridiculous but in violation of forum rules. Suggest we drop the broad generalizatons and stick to the story.

Thanks - and you are entitled to your opinion too.

Why are you picking on the Thais over this?

You've obviously never lived in Los Angeles. If someone didn't tell me this happened in Bangkok, I would have immediately assumed this was LA. Actually, Thai drivers are extremely well mannered, the culture is not nearly as morally bankrupt as the culture in the US, and if you want to see drivers acting like children with guns this is not even close to the best place to view that activity. I have been here over a decade, and rarely hear of road rage leading to shootings. I can't say the same thing about the states.

Everyone is entitled to an opinion. It's just that your opinion is wrong.

[Payboy]

It's just that your opinion is wrong.

That's also an opinion.

[Insight]

Can the driver of the Fortuner (no flocking surprises there) apply for the "Drive a car in the USA" advert that appears at the bottom of this thread?

[coma]

"Why are you picking on the Thais over this?

You've obviously never lived in Los Angeles. If someone didn't tell me this happened in Bangkok, I would have immediately assumed this was LA. Actually, Thai drivers are extremely well mannered, the culture is not nearly as morally bankrupt as the culture in the US, and if you want to see drivers acting like children with guns this is not even close to the best place to view that activity. I have been here over a decade, and rarely hear of road rage leading to shootings. I can't say the same thing about the states.

Everyone is entitled to an opinion. It's just that your opinion is wrong."

I agree with all of your statement GREGB except the bit in Bold Print.

Edited January 14, 2011 by coma

[midas]

I am sure this story will not suprise anyone. After all this is Thailand. Anyone who gets involved in road rage in Thailand has a death wish.

Seconded.

I see some of the most idiotic driving everyday on the way to work. Driving in Phuket is terrifying for the majority of the time and most of it is down to darn right stupid people. When you see something so stupid and dangerous that nearly KILLS people its difficult to hold your feelings in. It seems you must try very hard though because if you point out just how stupid or bad someones driving is, they may not take it as constructive criticism and decide that they must kill you.

I was told that when driving you must assume that everyone is an idiot. Here you must assume everyone is gun wielding,angry, psycho maniac nutters that are late for dinner.

Drive safe folks.

Just before Christmas i was in a city in China called Ningbo ( near Shanghai )

and on more than one occasion i saw this same " attitude " displayed by SUV

drivers towards pedestrians ! They have these sidewalks / bicycle lanes

in China not meant for cars but it doesnt stop the drivers of say

a shiny new Porche SUV who comes tearing along this

lane at a ridiculous speed with the headlights on I can assure you

pedestrians have no rights of way- just get the hell out of the way

[Lancelot]

When I am riding my motorbike, I sometimes get these SUVs behind me, blinding me with their high beams. I just pull over to the side and let them pass. They know they are blinding others... and they don't care.

What happened to "kreng jai"; consideration for others?

[MJP]

I am sure this story will not suprise anyone. After all this is Thailand. Anyone who gets involved in road rage in Thailand has a death wish.

It does actually. I thought road rage wasn't part of the Thai vocabulary. A cultural rarity.

[roiethome]

Flashing his lights back at the SUV was certain to inflame the situation. I find the best way to deal with this type of aggressive driving is to stay ahead of the offending vehicles, switch off the ignition, but NOT enough to bring the steering lock into play, and then brake hard, without the brake lights illuminating, this really makes them sh!t their pants and they back off. In UK I had a discrete switch mounted so I could disable the brake lights to deal with these idiots and those than insist on staying 3 feet off the tail of your vehicle.

[Norcan]

Flashing his lights back at the SUV was certain to inflame the situation. I find the best way to deal with this type of aggressive driving is to stay ahead of the offending vehicles, switch off the ignition, but NOT enough to bring the steering lock into play, and then brake hard, without the brake lights illuminating, this really makes them sh!t their pants and they back off. In UK I had a discrete switch mounted so I could disable the brake lights to deal with these idiots and those than insist on staying 3 feet off the tail of your vehicle.

I have had the manufacturers rear machine gun and oil slick generator options fitted to my car.

Next, I'm having the ejector seat and forward facing rocket launchers added.

Beat that then!

Edited January 14, 2011 by Norcan

[Teddy3943]

I said it so many times already: When you take part in the Thai traffic it's like going into a warzone where the war is going on forever!

And as long as the government doesn't take actions to end this situation it will be worse and worse.

[asiawatcher]

Notwithstanding the deadly aspect of this - the pilot is equally to blame - hope they get the road ranger though. And you see it every day - BMW traveling slowly in the fast lane and refusing to move over - wish I had a gun sometimes.

[midas]

I am sure this story will not suprise anyone. After all this is Thailand. Anyone who gets involved in road rage in Thailand has a death wish.

It does actually. I thought road rage wasn't part of the Thai vocabulary. A cultural rarity.

time to start manufacturing bumper stickers in Thailand like they had in

California in the 1990's that said " Dont shoot I will pull over "

[neverdie]

Cut me some slack.

Thats PRICELESS. Just a few short posts ago you were calling for a Thai Airways pilot to undergo psychological examination after surviving a serious shooting situation. Now your asking for others here to cut you some slack because you engaged fingers before brain.

Perhaps what this Thai Pilot should of realised is that its really not worth the bother when some idiot does something stupid on the road, you are generally best to just move out of the way & hopefully they will take themselves out somewhere or further up the road encounter someone with higher firepower. (I accept they normally injure other people before themselves). Its easier said than done sometimes & even superhumans like geriatrickid can make mistakes (I don't think we should call for his execution straight away).

I hope the scummy Fortuna guys come to grief very quickly.

[Lancelot]

Notwithstanding the deadly aspect of this - the pilot is equally to blame - hope they get the road ranger though. And you see it every day - BMW traveling slowly in the fast lane and refusing to move over - wish I had a gun sometimes.

I disagree. Trying to kill some one for flashing their bright lights is way over the top and inexcusable.

[ScubaBuddha]

Why are you picking on the Thais over this?

You've obviously never lived in Los Angeles. If someone didn't tell me this happened in Bangkok, I would have immediately assumed this was LA. Actually, Thai drivers are extremely well mannered, the culture is not nearly as morally bankrupt as the culture in the US, and if you want to see drivers acting like children with guns this is not even close to the best place to view that activity. I have been here over a decade, and rarely hear of road rage leading to shootings. I can't say the same thing about the states.

Everyone is entitled to an opinion. It's just that your opinion is wrong.

Well mannered? Have you ever driven in Thailand or America? Because it doesn't sound like it. If you mean that Thai drivers are well mannered in that they don't generally pull out a MAC 10 and spray down other drivers that overtake on a rise or bend, tailgate and cut them off, (all of which happen constantly in Thailand and much less rarely in the states) then I would agree. It is true, road rage is extremely rare when in Thailand only when considering the rude and inconsiderate/dangerous incident to road rage incident ratio. Apart from maybe the taxi's in a big city, drivers in the states are very well behaved. They have to be. Traffic laws are strictly enforced with meaningful punishments, unlike Thailand.

This country needs more road rage. It would save a lot of lives. If 90% of the drivers in Thailand drove the same way in the states they would get shot, beaten, or run off the road within a few days time.

.

Edited January 14, 2011 by ScubaBuddha

[Darkman]

At the end of the day your more likely to be killed by someone driving into you whilst they are talking on their mobile phone or playing with their gf's p*ssy than you are of being shot by an ars*h*le in an SUV. Sounds like the commercial pilot really wanted to be a fighter pilot.

[MJP]

I am sure this story will not suprise anyone. After all this is Thailand. Anyone who gets involved in road rage in Thailand has a death wish.

It does actually. I thought road rage wasn't part of the Thai vocabulary. A cultural rarity.

time to start manufacturing bumper stickers in Thailand like they had in

California in the 1990's that said " Dont shoot I will pull over "

I've heard of drivers deliberately crashing into other drivers to try and get claims, but road rage, no.

I mean the driving here is so bad, undertaking using the verge or hard shoulder, not indicating, not giving way, driving at curious speeds, road hogging, cutting people up is . . . normal. I mean if there was road rage like in certain western countries, the gutters would be brimming with blood. I just don't see what individual act of driving could instigate road rage when almost every act of driving should.

Only thing I like driving here is my mower.

[neverdie]

This country needs more road rage. It would save a lot of lives. If 90% of the drivers in Thailand drove the same way in the states they would get shot, beaten, or run off the road within a few days time.

Just recently someone in here was suggesting that theres no point having 'gun control' laws in place. They reakoned it infringed on peoples rights. Clearly its a real delight to be in places like Thailand and USA where nearly every sod is packing & shootings occur at the dropof a hat.

They need to build more jails and lock people away for good when they do stuff like this.

[connda]

When I am riding my motorbike, I sometimes get these SUVs behind me, blinding me with their high beams. I just pull over to the side and let them pass. They know they are blinding others... and they don't care.

What happened to "kreng jai"; consideration for others?

On Thanon Thai there's no Kreng Jai!

BTW, it's not like I haven't seen road rage stupidity that included flying bullets in the USA. It happens!

But with that said, at least in the US, the vast majority of drivers display some semblance of road courtesy. However in Thailand it's every man, woman, and unlicensed 16 year old girl for themselves. Given just about everyone's lack of respect for everyone else on the road, I'm surprise there aren't more violent road rage incidents than there are. I'm I painting with a broad brush? Yep! But if the shoe fits.....

[apalink_thailand]

Even if the pilot driving the car was emotionally charged (I would be also, in such a charged scenario), it's f*cked-up to think someone shot at him. Those shots were meant to kill. The pilot was lucky to survive with just a shoulder wound.

Let's hope the perpetrators are found and, if convicted, are put away for a loooooong time behind bars. No leniency, no early release.

I suspect that the SUV owner wears Brown and is basically untouchable. The pilot should consider himself lucky.

[chuang]

Just before Christmas i was in a city in China called Ningbo ( near Shanghai )

and on more than one occasion i saw this same " attitude " displayed by SUV

drivers towards pedestrians ! They have these sidewalks / bicycle lanes

in China not meant for cars but it doesnt stop the drivers of say

a shiny new Porche SUV who comes tearing along this

lane at a ridiculous speed with the headlights on I can assure you

pedestrians have no rights of way- just get the hell out of the way

Not only in Ningbo city...it's almost in every chinese city..

[MJP]

Just before Christmas i was in a city in China called Ningbo ( near Shanghai )

and on more than one occasion i saw this same " attitude " displayed by SUV

drivers towards pedestrians ! They have these sidewalks / bicycle lanes

in China not meant for cars but it doesnt stop the drivers of say

a shiny new Porche SUV who comes tearing along this

lane at a ridiculous speed with the headlights on I can assure you

pedestrians have no rights of way- just get the hell out of the way

Not only in Ningbo city...it's almost in every chinese city..

. . . and UK city . . .

. . . and US city . . .

[MaiChai]

Enforces the point: you should avoid confrontation in Thailand. Better to loose a little face to the other party and let it go rather than get shot.

[Reallush]

I don't know what you're all talking about the pilot.. but thats a normal reaction for some thai..

but the point is, that there are LOADS of these lunatics driving around.

I wouldn't be surprised if it was some drug abusing retard pulling the trigger again.which of course... bought his driving licence for 500 baht or doesn't even have it..

for all who drive the Thai roads... Please stay calm when an idiot wants to pass you or whatever...you never know these days what they have been eating or if they are armed..

I almost got into such a thing myself because of such a madman's doing

[MJP]

Enforces the point: you should avoid confrontation in Thailand. Better to loose a little face to the other party and let it go rather than get shot.

Nice!

[connda]

I don't know what you're all talking about the pilot.. but thats a normal reaction for some thai..

but the point is, that there are LOADS of these lunatics driving around.

I wouldn't be surprised if it was some drug abusing retard pulling the trigger again.which of course... bought his driving licence for 500 baht or doesn't even have it..

for all who drive the Thai roads... Please stay calm when an idiot wants to pass you or whatever...you never know these days what they have been eating or if they are armed..

I almost got into such a thing myself because of such a madman's doing

I know what you mean. When I first started driving here, the mrs and I were driving down the road on my motorcycle when a shiny SUV pulls out from the right, crosses traffic driving backwards, and then stops with the SUV blocking the two left lanes of traffic. I hit the horn while I was braking. Both the driver and passenger rolled down their windows and just start screaming -- and the look on their faces was just unbridled rage. Over what? Someone on a Honda 125 beeped at them? I racked it up to excess alcohol, yaa baa, and who know what else as I gingerly drove around them and exited the scene.

Three years later, I find I let that sort of stupidity go when I see it. There are wayyyyy too many screwed-up drivers here in the LOS.

[Losangels]

I suspect that the SUV owner wears Brown and is basically untouchable. The pilot should consider himself lucky.

Or perhaps Green, which is more untouchable.

[random]

I suspect that the SUV owner wears Brown and is basically untouchable. The pilot should consider himself lucky.

Or perhaps Green, which is more untouchable.

or perhaps yellow which is even moire untouchable that then brown and green, unless they are in cambodia

[Briggsy]

What kind of person in Thailand can afford a brand new Fortuner, carries a handgun and is willing to shoot it at strangers? who are driving BMW's!!!

This must be someone that is very sure of their ground like the son of a politician or top cop.