Mechanic Killed In Bike Smash On Thai Holiday

[Boater]

A MECHANIC from Bitton died on holiday in Thailand when he was hit head-on in a collision while riding a motorcycle home after a night out with friends.

Jamie Jenkins, 32, was only a week away from coming home after a four-month trip when he died in the accident on February 1 last year.

​

1. 
   Jamie Jenkins
   

Mr Jenkins was riding a Yamaha motorbike on the popular holiday island of Koh Samui when he was hit head-on by a local Thai man riding another motorcycle.

An inquest held at Flax Bourton Magistrates' Court heard that the Thai man had inadvertently ridden into Mr Jenkins' lane, causing the accident in which both men died.

Reports from the Royal Thai Police found that no fault lay with Mr Jenkins, but that the accident had been caused by the other man's negligent driving.

http://www.thisisbristol.co.uk/Mechanic-killed-bike-smash-Thai-holiday/story-15480544-detail/story.html

[adweb00]

When i first arrived on samui id never seen a click or a wave etc etc Having ridden bikes my entire life i classed scooters as girls bikes as in australia they were all 50cc and didn't need a bike licence to ride one. Anything bigger like most country's you are taught how to ride what to do what not to do. Totally blew my mind when i saw these new scooters (well new in my mind) for what they are they go very well however coming from my riding background they handle like a shopping cart and my one ride was my last. Is absolute craziness that they are rented to anyone who shows a passport and that's just proven by these pointless deaths day in day out!! Adding alcohol and speed to it as well and it just gets worse!!! While riding last weekend i had a fellow ferang pull along side and say to me. Why don't you just pass these cars your holding up traffic!! Didn't even dignify it with a response and he shot off down the left hand side!! People that know how to ride understand left side suicide right side passing side!!! 5ks down the road the mouth hit a brand new hilux side on as it pulled out from behind a building. Hopefully he slows down now having felt what it's like to pick gravel out of your skin!!! Something needs to be done or lives will continue to be waisted!! Simple solution if u don't have a bike licence u get a 50cc scooter that's lucky to push 45 down a hill of course there will be accidents but im willing to bet know where near as many fatalities. Is good to see this young man was cleared and may he rest in peace. But we all know if the thai rider who caused this horrible tragedy due to alcohol and no doubt speed had of survived criminal charges wouldn't of even been mentioned!!!

[sbk]

do they mean 2011?

[necronx99]

do they mean 2011?

Yes,this is a news release from his local UK paper about the UK inquest findings.

[BigC]

Jamie Jenkins AKA Jenks was a very good friend of mine who would go out of his way to help other people.

RIP Jenks. i Shall be watching these news topics and make sure that no incorrect information or rumers get spread.

This inccodent happend about 1 year ago.

It is also important to pay respects to the Thai man who was coming in the opposite direction who was also killed in the collosion.

Very sad for all involved.

[robsamui]

When i first arrived on samui id never seen a click or a wave etc etc Having ridden bikes my entire life i classed scooters as girls bikes as in australia they were all 50cc and didn't need a bike licence to ride one. Anything bigger like most country's you are taught how to ride what to do what not to do. Totally blew my mind when i saw these new scooters (well new in my mind) for what they are they go very well however coming from my riding background they handle like a shopping cart and my one ride was my last. Is absolute craziness that they are rented to anyone who shows a passport and that's just proven by these pointless deaths day in day out!! Adding alcohol and speed to it as well and it just gets worse!!! While riding last weekend i had a fellow ferang pull along side and say to me. Why don't you just pass these cars your holding up traffic!! Didn't even dignify it with a response and he shot off down the left hand side!! People that know how to ride understand left side suicide right side passing side!!! 5ks down the road the mouth hit a brand new hilux side on as it pulled out from behind a building. Hopefully he slows down now having felt what it's like to pick gravel out of your skin!!! Something needs to be done or lives will continue to be waisted!! Simple solution if u don't have a bike licence u get a 50cc scooter that's lucky to push 45 down a hill of course there will be accidents but im willing to bet know where near as many fatalities. Is good to see this young man was cleared and may he rest in peace. But we all know if the thai rider who caused this horrible tragedy due to alcohol and no doubt speed had of survived criminal charges wouldn't of even been mentioned!!!

Sympathies to both of the people killed, and to their families.

To reply to adweb - a visitor here can be forgiven for not knowing that the left-hand side of the road is actually marked off with a painted stripe (usually hidden by sand and parked cars) as it is intended to be the bike lane.

It's one issue to be overtaking on the inside - which here is accepted and normal, unlike Australia. (In fact on Samui it is far more dangerous trying to overtake on the outside!) But it's another issue altogether to drive stupidly and without thought. Looks like adweb has confused the two.

And, yes adweb, these scooters drive like shopping trolleys. But come here and rent a big bike with all the expectancy and training of your 'riding background', then slap it confidently into the first bend and see what happens when you try to put your knee to the ground on the roads here.

You're quite right when you talk about the lunacy on the roads. But statistically it's the Thais that top the accident list, not the farangs. Not that that's of any comfort when people get killed . . .

R

Edited March 11, 2012 by robsamui

[animatic]

Also most visitors don't know about the Asian driving style,

or merging like schooling fish and panic when it happens in front of them.

They also get on a small road and figure it is slow and no traffic

and forget about being on the correct side and suddenly must

do a get out of the way emergency maneuver. Down they go.

I see this almost daily.

The Samui ring road is actually for practical purposes 7 lanes, not 2.

Going left to right (facing headed North)

1 ) Southbound bike turning right/West in North lane

And right/East turn waiting lane on far left ( rather than deadly center line waiting)

2 ) Shared Northbound bike lane and northbound car inside passing lane

3 ) Northbound Car lane, and

2 speeds of Northbound Bike passing bike lanes.

Faster towards center slower near edges

------------------------------------------------

4 ) Unmarked center lane over lapping center line for passing

by larger / faster / drunker drivers in vehicles

or for uninitiated fools on bikes trying to turn right/East

This is also the oncoming bike passing lane for slow cars.

------------------------------------------------

5 ) Southbound Car passing lane and,

2 speeds of Southbound Bike passing bike lanes.

Faster towards center slower near edges

6 ) Shared Southbound bike lane and

Southbound car inside passing lane

7 ) Northbound bike turning Right/East in South lane

And right/West turn waiting lane on far left ( rather than deadly center line waiting)

Lanes 1 and 7 make sense if you've been here awhile, but freak out the tourists big time.

Tourists tend to ride small bikes in lanes 2-3 / 5-6 with no consideration

that they aggravate local drivers who try to pass in bad places because they are aggravated.

And they tend also to ride in the least safe lane 4

which means a local on a bike bike passing a car the other way

will expect them to get out of the way, but the tourists don't know this.

This is the most often cause of head on bike accidents here, that I have seen.

And I suspect this is what happened to Jenks. RIP.

Edited March 11, 2012 by animatic

[adweb00]

When i first arrived on samui id never seen a click or a wave etc etc Having ridden bikes my entire life i classed scooters as girls bikes as in australia they were all 50cc and didn't need a bike licence to ride one. Anything bigger like most country's you are taught how to ride what to do what not to do. Totally blew my mind when i saw these new scooters (well new in my mind) for what they are they go very well however coming from my riding background they handle like a shopping cart and my one ride was my last. Is absolute craziness that they are rented to anyone who shows a passport and that's just proven by these pointless deaths day in day out!! Adding alcohol and speed to it as well and it just gets worse!!! While riding last weekend i had a fellow ferang pull along side and say to me. Why don't you just pass these cars your holding up traffic!! Didn't even dignify it with a response and he shot off down the left hand side!! People that know how to ride understand left side suicide right side passing side!!! 5ks down the road the mouth hit a brand new hilux side on as it pulled out from behind a building. Hopefully he slows down now having felt what it's like to pick gravel out of your skin!!! Something needs to be done or lives will continue to be waisted!! Simple solution if u don't have a bike licence u get a 50cc scooter that's lucky to push 45 down a hill of course there will be accidents but im willing to bet know where near as many fatalities. Is good to see this young man was cleared and may he rest in peace. But we all know if the thai rider who caused this horrible tragedy due to alcohol and no doubt speed had of survived criminal charges wouldn't of even been mentioned!!!

Sympathies to both of the people killed, and to their families.

To reply to adweb - a visitor here can be forgiven for not knowing that the left-hand side of the road is actually marked off with a painted stripe (usually hidden by sand and parked cars) as it is intended to be the bike lane.

It's one issue to be overtaking on the inside - which here is accepted and normal, unlike Australia. (In fact on Samui it is far more dangerous trying to overtake on the outside!) But it's another issue altogether to drive stupidly and without thought. Looks like adweb has confused the two.

And, yes adweb, these scooters drive like shopping trolleys. But come here and rent a big bike with all the expectancy and training of your 'riding background', then slap it confidently into the first bend and see what happens when you try to put your knee to the ground on the roads here.

You're quite right when you talk about the lunacy on the roads. But statistically it's the Thais that top the accident list, not the farangs. Not that that's of any comfort when people get killed . . .

R

Oh you are 100% right wouldn't even dream about getting to the speed needed to where id be leaning in that hard!! Is a rare occasion that im out of 3rd gear!!

[animatic]

When i first arrived on samui id never seen a click or a wave etc etc Having ridden bikes my entire life i classed scooters as girls bikes as in australia they were all 50cc and didn't need a bike licence to ride one. Anything bigger like most country's you are taught how to ride what to do what not to do. Totally blew my mind when i saw these new scooters (well new in my mind) for what they are they go very well however coming from my riding background they handle like a shopping cart and my one ride was my last. Is absolute craziness that they are rented to anyone who shows a passport and that's just proven by these pointless deaths day in day out!! Adding alcohol and speed to it as well and it just gets worse!!! While riding last weekend i had a fellow ferang pull along side and say to me. Why don't you just pass these cars your holding up traffic!! Didn't even dignify it with a response and he shot off down the left hand side!! People that know how to ride understand left side suicide right side passing side!!! 5ks down the road the mouth hit a brand new hilux side on as it pulled out from behind a building. Hopefully he slows down now having felt what it's like to pick gravel out of your skin!!! Something needs to be done or lives will continue to be waisted!! Simple solution if u don't have a bike licence u get a 50cc scooter that's lucky to push 45 down a hill of course there will be accidents but im willing to bet know where near as many fatalities. Is good to see this young man was cleared and may he rest in peace. But we all know if the thai rider who caused this horrible tragedy due to alcohol and no doubt speed had of survived criminal charges wouldn't of even been mentioned!!!

Sympathies to both of the people killed, and to their families.

To reply to adweb - a visitor here can be forgiven for not knowing that the left-hand side of the road is actually marked off with a painted stripe (usually hidden by sand and parked cars) as it is intended to be the bike lane.

It's one issue to be overtaking on the inside - which here is accepted and normal, unlike Australia. (In fact on Samui it is far more dangerous trying to overtake on the outside!) But it's another issue altogether to drive stupidly and without thought. Looks like adweb has confused the two.

And, yes adweb, these scooters drive like shopping trolleys. But come here and rent a big bike with all the expectancy and training of your 'riding background', then slap it confidently into the first bend and see what happens when you try to put your knee to the ground on the roads here.

You're quite right when you talk about the lunacy on the roads. But statistically it's the Thais that top the accident list, not the farangs. Not that that's of any comfort when people get killed . . .

R

Rob I agree. The Samui driving customs are NOT LIKE HOME.

So you can't expect things to be like home and get angry.

The 'mouth' above got the pass inleft thing ok,

but not the they pull out infront of you and you must avoid them thing.

They will also open a car door into a travel lane without looking at all.

Lots of subtle and not so subtle customs.

Also people will just buy a car and start driving, no plates or drivers ED,

maybe basic insurance or not, and drive soooooooo slow because

the car mortgage is twice their houses value. But their status just went up.

You're not in Kansas anymore Dorothy.

My local motto for Samui roads.

Drive like a Thai or die like a soidog.

Not every Thai of course, just the majority.

Watch them and you will see.

YOU must adapt to the local customs,

they will NEVER adapt to you,

so if you don't YOU will lose.

Edited March 11, 2012 by animatic

[BigC]

The rules are that there are no rules. you can only use your common sense.

first rule is do not drive drunk better to pay a drunk taxi i suppose. i dunno. probably not. End of the day no one is invinsable and you can only do what you can.

so do not drive drunk. if you did get in a taxi and the driver was drunk if he did crash and the injuries were minor at least u would not be at fault.

wear a crappy helment all times not just to avoid police.

try to get your head raround the road knoldege. constamt check over you shoulders when ever u manover. On a motor bike.

expect the un expected like some drunk person might just do a random U turn with out looking.

if ytou are a driver then be aware of bikes.

i do not really stop to let cars or bike go on teh road any more because fopr ecample if you stop to let a car go. then the bike comes up the inside without a thought and has a near collosion due to your kindness. or some impatiant person shall over take u whilst you are letting someone go. then smash.

Also be wearing for pot holes. good reason to keep the speed down. specially n the rain where u cannot see the holes in the flooded areas.

keep something that you can pay people quickler to clear a situation shoudl one arise. the quicker u get out and the police stae that everything is clear then case closed the quicker the better.

The most thing that we can do as vistors is just use our common sense. as i say before it is a shame that we have to rely on the police to look after us. to fine us then we complain. then at the same time everyone who has paid a fine agrees that helmets should be worn..

also carry your driving lisence on u at all times.

It is part of samui's charm is its lawlessness but if we come here and enjoy the freedome then we have to accept the way it is and take steps to protect ourselves. each person fro themselves.

it is the same for Thais they have just as much if not more problems than us. Just sometimes some of them are looking for a short cut forang to bail them out of some of their problems.

most of them are in debt. allot of them are working very hard in the heat for low pay.

so u have to look at both sides of the coin. i agree that the system is not fair when it comes to forangs being second class citerzerns but it is what it is.