moe666 Posted December 7, 2011 Share Posted December 7, 2011 They execute people for corruption. In Thailand, your ability to be corrupt and get away with it puts you in line for endless future promotions. They admiringly, behind closed doors, call it "clever." What's needed is a deep-core change in values. Until that happens, no amount of legislation or attempted enforcement will matter one whit. Unfortunately, their religious and cultural systems haven't seemed to provide the catalyst for that needed change. deep-core change in values, so you want it to be just like the place you came from. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lannarebirth Posted December 7, 2011 Share Posted December 7, 2011 They execute people for corruption. In Thailand, your ability to be corrupt and get away with it puts you in line for endless future promotions. They admiringly, behind closed doors, call it "clever." What's needed is a deep-core change in values. Until that happens, no amount of legislation or attempted enforcement will matter one whit. Unfortunately, their religious and cultural systems haven't seemed to provide the catalyst for that needed change. deep-core change in values, so you want it to be just like the place you came from. The place I came from is becoming more like here, values wise, and it's still cold. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Considered Opinion Posted December 7, 2011 Share Posted December 7, 2011 Very sad. Let us not forget that these kind of accidents do happen in Europe, too. Perhaps not with the same trying regularity. :[ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
webfact Posted December 7, 2011 Author Share Posted December 7, 2011 Eight dead, scores hurt in Thai bus crash BANGKOK, December 7, 2011 (AFP) - A bus crashed and overturned in northern Thailand after the driver apparently fell asleep at the wheel, killing eight people and leaving dozens injured, police said Wednesday. The accident occurred on Tuesday night when the vehicle -- travelling from northern Chiang Mai province to Bangkok with more than 50 passengers -- slammed into the wall of a gas station, said Lampang police chief Pheera Temyam. "The road was straight. I guess the driver dozed off while driving which caused the accident," Pheera told AFP. The driver and seven passengers died and 49 others were injured, 20 of them seriously. No foreigners were thought to be among the dead. Traffic accidents are common in Thailand, and police said a bus crash on the same road in October killed seven people. -- (c) Copyright AFP 2011-12-07 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beetlejuice Posted December 7, 2011 Share Posted December 7, 2011 Some years ago a cousin of the girlfriend was a bus driver doing the Chiang Mai to Bangkok runs. He was based at the depot in Nongpakrang. This guy had a drinking problem and would regularly down half a bottle of cheap Thai whiskey before setting off for Bangkok. He said it was the only way he could face the long tedious 700 kilometres drive to Bangkok. The frightening part was that he was not alone and the drinking bouts would include his work colleges. As far as I know there are virtually no checks made on these drivers, they are pretty much left to get on with it, more or less they’re own bosses in charge of the bus and it`s passengers. If any vehicles are smashed or damaged due to accidents then the company just claims off the insurance. If passengers want compensation it is up to them to take out private prosecutions against the bus company, which can be costly and take years to conclude. I do know that accidents involving public transport happen more times than we know about, as most are either covered up or not considered news worthy enough to be of interest. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oberkommando Posted December 7, 2011 Share Posted December 7, 2011 They execute people for corruption. In Thailand, your ability to be corrupt and get away with it puts you in line for endless future promotions. They admiringly, behind closed doors, call it "clever." What's needed is a deep-core change in values. Until that happens, no amount of legislation or attempted enforcement will matter one whit. Unfortunately, their religious and cultural systems haven't seemed to provide the catalyst for that needed change. Good post, and the crux of the problem. With 1 million new cars sold on the domestic market every year, and no matching infrastructure, law enforcement or proper driver education, it gets worse every year. They have absolutely no hope of turning this problem around. Cars on my road do not even stop for children at the traffic lit zebra crossings. I've always maintained you see the real Thai behind the wheel when they feel they are protected in their vehicle; the arrogance, ignorance and child-like immaturity comes to the fore. The figures are nowhere even close to the actual numbers of people killed on the roads here, which are well in excess of 30,000 per annum and rising year on year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bridge2bridge Posted December 7, 2011 Share Posted December 7, 2011 oh well .... not the first crash and for sure not the last one , feel so sorry for those who put their lives in the hands of such drivers ...... Please show some COMPASSION to these poor people who by no fault of their own lost their LIVES. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SICHONSTEVE Posted December 7, 2011 Share Posted December 7, 2011 "before sliding into the fence and then the LPG Gas Station" Into a LPG gas station, no more no less, what an awful bad luck, There was no further repercussions from it crashing into the LPG station (no explosions or anything). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pisico Posted December 7, 2011 Share Posted December 7, 2011 Draconian laws would have to be brought in, in order to institute changes in road safety here in Thailand. For starters, owners / directors of such bus companies should be made criminally liable if safety standards are found to be lax, such as overdriving hours, over kilometers etc. If laws exist, Draconian as you suggest, and they are not enforced, what is the purpose of having them? Furthermore, laws that will not be applied when someone at the top of the food chain is affected, serve no purpose to the greater good of a nation. I lived in Brazil for 6 years and saw numerous avoidable accidents like this one but, in spite of having laws in the books, they were not enforced. Buses were not inspected by the authorities in charge; payment to the inspector was de rigueur. Even entire fleets of buses did business nationwide without being registered or licensed, much less inspected. In the 80s Brazil had a Third World mentality (has nothing to do with the traditional alignment of their international stance) and everybody knew that with money, not even that much money at that, one could get out of compliance with the laws. Thailand is in the same frame of mind and time slot 30 years later. Corruption, as a bypass of the laws, rules. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fookhaht Posted December 7, 2011 Share Posted December 7, 2011 They execute people for corruption. In Thailand, your ability to be corrupt and get away with it puts you in line for endless future promotions. They admiringly, behind closed doors, call it "clever." What's needed is a deep-core change in values. Until that happens, no amount of legislation or attempted enforcement will matter one whit. Unfortunately, their religious and cultural systems haven't seemed to provide the catalyst for that needed change. deep-core change in values, so you want it to be just like the place you came from. Too much assuming. The place I came from is just as shallow when it comes to "form with without substance." Catholic priest pedophiles, for example. So, really, what's your point? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimbeam1 Posted December 7, 2011 Share Posted December 7, 2011 Very bad, but another in a long stream of such accidents. Sad... RIP the dead and quick recovery to the injured. And new laws to stop this stupidity and enforcement of the laws. Company is translated "New Persistence Tour Co." Seems like nothing will stop them over working drivers including laws and enforcement. I agree RIP the dead and speedy recovery for the injured. As for the rest. Sadly money talks. You can bet it has verbal diarrhea right now? jb1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tiffer Posted December 7, 2011 Share Posted December 7, 2011 Very sad. Let us not forget that these kind of accidents do happen in Europe, too. Ah! But it is the frequency that differs... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TeddyFlyfisherDavis Posted December 7, 2011 Share Posted December 7, 2011 Draconian laws would have to be brought in, in order to institute changes in road safety here in Thailand. For starters, owners / directors of such bus companies should be made criminally liable if safety standards are found to be lax, such as overdriving hours, over kilometers etc. Dude...We are not in the USA.....Welcome to S/E Asia....Quote..." But it's the way we have always done it " .....Try driving in Cambodia... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimbeam1 Posted December 7, 2011 Share Posted December 7, 2011 Two years ago we took a VIP bus from Korat to Chiang-Mai. Don't know the name of the company, it was one picked at rondom from the bus station. We stopped four times going up, 3 times to change driver. Once for the passangers to get out to eat and that was only a 20 min break. That was my only critasim. The journey was 12hrs. At Chiang-Mai bus station a week later for the homeward journey, I noticed the drivers when clocking on also takiing breathaliser tests. For sure if the drivers were not fit to drive, it was purely down to them, not the company. jb1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toybits Posted December 7, 2011 Share Posted December 7, 2011 Many people think they can overcome drowsiness with a can of red bull or M-150. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fookhaht Posted December 7, 2011 Share Posted December 7, 2011 Many people think they can overcome drowsiness with a can of red bull or M-150. Well, if Carabou Daeng says so, that's it then. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fookhaht Posted December 7, 2011 Share Posted December 7, 2011 Draconian laws would have to be brought in, in order to institute changes in road safety here in Thailand. For starters, owners / directors of such bus companies should be made criminally liable if safety standards are found to be lax, such as overdriving hours, over kilometers etc. Dude...We are not in the USA.....Welcome to S/E Asia....Quote..." But it's the way we have always done it " .....Try driving in Cambodia... So is there a balance between accepting the way it is, or trying, in some measure, to change it? What's your point? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TinoThailand Posted December 7, 2011 Share Posted December 7, 2011 Yea i hate busses anyway, small and big. They say there are 2 drivers on the long tracks but this is not always true. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fookhaht Posted December 7, 2011 Share Posted December 7, 2011 (edited) Yea i hate busses anyway, small and big. They say there are 2 drivers on the long tracks but this is not always true. Two drivers on long-haul? In 8 years only saw that about 2 or 3 times. Except, of course, Nakorn Chai Air, where it is standard. Hail to NCA. Edited December 7, 2011 by Fookhaht Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SanSaiExPat Posted December 7, 2011 Share Posted December 7, 2011 Very bad, but another in a long stream of such accidents. Sad... RIP the dead and quick recovery to the injured. And new laws to stop this stupidity and enforcement of the laws. Company is translated "New Persistence Tour Co." Seems like nothing will stop them over working drivers including laws and enforcement. "Seems like nothing will stop them over working drivers including laws and enforcement" That is a totally presumptuous comment. You have no idea of how many hours this driver was on duty. You have no idea what this company's safety record is. It is just a typical knee jerk anti business statement. Get your facts before you start making unfounded allegations. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TinoThailand Posted December 7, 2011 Share Posted December 7, 2011 Yea or a new driver jumps in somewhere who worked a full shift already and just took a piss and a smoke... Yea i hate busses anyway, small and big. They say there are 2 drivers on the long tracks but this is not always true. Two drivers on long-haul? In 8 years only saw that about 2 or 3 times. Except, of course, Nakorn Chai Air, where it is standard. Hail to NCA. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TinoThailand Posted December 7, 2011 Share Posted December 7, 2011 Red... Bull... Shit... :jap: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TinoThailand Posted December 7, 2011 Share Posted December 7, 2011 Very sad. Let us not forget that these kind of accidents do happen in Europe, too. That is right, but when you compare the death toll on the roads of Thailand of about 18.000 per annum, not counting those, who die in a hospital after they have been taken there (estimated at 2000 persons per annum), with i.e Germany less than 4.000 deaths per annum, there should be more law enforcement. It is not enough to control motorcycle riders and fine them 200 THB, if they do not wear a helmet! BTW, the police of Thailand does not supply the public with concrete figures since 2005. It may have to do with the rise of the traffic density.... 400 Baht now Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sirchai Posted December 7, 2011 Share Posted December 7, 2011 This is the 3rd time I've heard this company having fatalities in such a short span of time. Just don't go on this bus company use Nakorn Chai Air they have a better record. Have you ever thought about that most Thais can't afford to drive with a NCA bus? Sad but true. Time for some changes.....RIP. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrdome Posted December 7, 2011 Share Posted December 7, 2011 While trains can crash as well, I'd love to see a comparison figure of people killed taking buses while taking trains. Has anyone ever seen this before? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eurozhongguo Posted December 7, 2011 Share Posted December 7, 2011 Although it is an undeniabel fact that Thai road safety is lacking and that Thai drivers can be somewhat dangerous, Thais are still little angels behind the wheel compared with the Chinese. It always beats me how anyone can ever stay alive on Chinese roads. The Chinese even speed up when they see people crossing the road at pedestrain crossings to see if they can maul them down. I wish I were joking, but I am sorry to say that I am not. I wouldn't dare to drive in China, but I do it regularly in Thailand without much hassle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
khaowong1 Posted December 7, 2011 Share Posted December 7, 2011 Sad, but all too common here. Thailand is a great country, but third world in many ways Many ways, many ways? You are being kind. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lovetotravel Posted December 7, 2011 Share Posted December 7, 2011 Although it is an undeniabel fact that Thai road safety is lacking and that Thai drivers can be somewhat dangerous, Thais are still little angels behind the wheel compared with the Chinese. It always beats me how anyone can ever stay alive on Chinese roads. The Chinese even speed up when they see people crossing the road at pedestrain crossings to see if they can maul them down. I wish I were joking, but I am sorry to say that I am not. I wouldn't dare to drive in China, but I do it regularly in Thailand without much hassle. I was in China during the SARS epidemic. All my friends thought I was crazy. I told them the number of people killed by SARS is less than the number of people killed in traffic accidents...per hour...in China. I had a huge risk of dying on the road, and a minimal risk of dying from SARS. Even though Thailand has a problem with traffic fatalities, it's much better than many, many, many other countries: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_traffic-related_death_rate Glad I'm not in Libya! Though Sweden and the UK seem to do quite well! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ALFREDO Posted December 7, 2011 Share Posted December 7, 2011 -Tino Thailand- In Patong No Helmet = 300 Baht and a 30 Minutes waiting time in the Police station until its your turn to pay, as there are always some new fish in the net! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Payboy Posted December 7, 2011 Share Posted December 7, 2011 -Tino Thailand- In Patong No Helmet = 300 Baht and a 30 Minutes waiting time in the Police station until its your turn to pay, as there are always some new fish in the net! Alternatively a contribution to the mia noi fund is still between 50 - 100 baht for no helmet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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