one of our group just told me that his wife called at 4:00 a.m. to tell him that his 12 yr old nephew was killed in a car/motorbike accident... his nephew's friend was driving the motorbike , was drunk, and a car hit them, instant death i think he said the car ran over the kid when the kid flew off the bike...

he will not go back to thailand to visit but has sent 30000 baht to the family

he gave orders to his wife to have his kids only goby car if they have to go somewhere (yeah right)

I'm sorry to hear that. Unfortunately in Thailand mai pen rai trumps personal responsibility every time.

cv

one of our group just told me that his wife called at 4:00 a.m. to tell him that his 12 yr old nephew was killed in a car/motorbike accident... his nephew's friend was driving the motorbike , was drunk, and a car hit them, instant death i think he said the car ran over the kid when the kid flew off the bike...

he will not go back to thailand to visit but has sent 30000 baht to the family

he gave orders to his wife to have his kids only goby car if they have to go somewhere  (yeah right)

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Bina I'm so sorry to hear of your friends loss

thanx, but u know, its wierd, he told me while we were all eating, sort of nonchalantly, and i know that the whole extended family live in the same mubaan ... i even have a picture of the child from when i visited his family almost two years ago... thai handling of grief is still not something i'm used to (i'm used to the very levantine israeli style : vocal, turmultous and long outward displays of emotion)... several months ago, one guy's elderly father died, he also didnt go back, was a bit moody for a few days, and that was that....

Everyone here in Thailand has known someone killed this way. But do to various factors (the heat is a major one) few motorcycle drivers wear helmets and almost none of those riding pylon. I have to turn my head every time I see a father and two or three unprotected children driving in Bangkok traffic.

It is normal to visit in the case of death but for those overseas this is really not practical as most times this will be finished in 3 days and the cost prohibitive. Display of any emotion is not a part of Thai culture. What really causes problems is that most will display opposite emotion as a counter measure and that is often taken as not caring while it really is the normal way to show care.

Motorcycles are treated with the same respect as bicycles (none) so the accidents are often and bad. But they are a fact of life and unlikely to be replaced. Probably the best that can be hoped for is use of helmets.

Edited September 4, 200520 yr by lopburi3

"hen awk hen jai".

Unfortunately too common.

Motorcycles are treated with the same respect as bicycles (none) so the accidents are often and bad.  But they are a fact of life and unlikely to be replaced.  Probably the best that can be hoped for is use of helmets.

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I don't mind motor cycles, it's the motorcyclists that I hate especially out in the provinces. They drive as if they are the only ones on the road. You have probably seen them coming out of a side road without even turning their heads to look a oncoming traffic. they have no sense of self preservation which is the first thing you learn when first driving a motorbike in the western world where, truly, car drivers never see you.

As long as young children are allowed to jump on the family bike and ride off to the village with no protective clothing and worse, no traffic education, then fatal accidents will prevail. the really sad thing is that these uneducated bike operators carry their bad habits into car driving in later life. Macho man in a pickup being a prime example.