i have asked this question a couple of times before on another board and no one had any comments so maybe it's a stupid question... but why is it that the Thai taxi drivers go so far as to CUT OUT the seatbelts from the back seats of their taxis??? isn't it bad enough that they drive like maniacs? is this some sadistic way of preventing us from feeling safer also?

girlx, I dont think its a case of them cutting them out . Amazingly most new cars dont come with rear seatbelts, so apparently it must not be law for rear passengers to wear a seat belt . With my car i was amazed that it did not come with rear seatbelts,and didnt even think about it assuming that all cars would have them. So it was a quick trip down to the dealer and they were fitted for around 6000 baht. A small price to pay when it could be the differance between life and death.

wow that's ridiculous that new cars don't have them! i have never heard of that... but in some cases i have actually seen a scrap of seatbelt left indicating that they had been cut out of taxis!

I guess they are trying to trim production costs . Always amazes me that some Thais don't understand wearing a seatbelt in the back . An unbelted adult or child in the back is a danger to themselves ,and those in the front ,in an accident or sudden stop. My wife's family still do not understand why I strap my kid firmly in a carseat . I think some kinda road education is the answer.

Cobber - r u sure that most new cars don't come with seatbelts? I've just been shopping for a new car, checked out every model at the lower end of the scale and they all came with rear seatbelts.

The only model i can think of, and i think its produced exclusively for taxis, is the Toyota Corolla Limo. This is basically the no-frills version of the Toyota Corolla Altis. I can' t remember of the top of my head but it would be plausible that this model doesn't have rear seatbelts. I guess when they say no-frills they really mean it.

On a side note. I was told by a Bkk cabbie that taxi drivers dont like to wear their seatbelts, especially late at night, because a mugger who got in the cab would use it to strangle him. He reckoned it wasn't uncommon.

I have seen many taxis that HAS the actual belt on the side but the LOCKs where you sit have been removed (or have been pushed under the seats so impossible to use). Cheers!

Cobber - r u sure that most new cars don't come with seatbelts? I've just been shopping for a new car, checked out every model at the lower end of the scale and they all came with rear seatbelts.

The only model i can think of, and i think its produced exclusively for taxis, is the Toyota Corolla Limo. This is basically the no-frills version of the Toyota Corolla Altis. I can' t remember of the top of my head but it would be plausible that this model doesn't have rear seatbelts.  I guess when they say no-frills they really mean it.

On a side note. I was told by a Bkk cabbie that taxi drivers dont like to wear their seatbelts, especially late at night, because a mugger who got in the cab would use it to strangle him. He reckoned it wasn't uncommon.

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tom,Sory perhaps i should have said some, rather than most dont come with rear seat belts as standard items. Obviously the expensive imported cars would have them. My car is a bare bones Soluna and most of the extra-cab type Pick-ups dont have them.

I believe that the Altis is made in China so it would be a fair bet that rear seat belts are not standard.