Brit Accident Students Mother Call For Foreign Office To Issue Warnings On Thai Dangerous Roads

[Semper]

If you want the safety and comfort of home, then stay home.

I presume you're not married to a Thai.

[Semper]

If you want the safety and comfort of home, then stay home.

I presume you're not married to a Thai.

I mean, they can get rather 'hot-tempered' sometimes. At least my wife does.

[Sayonarax]

There is nothing dangerous about the roads in Thailand. It's the drivers that couse the accidents.

I guess you an 8 others don't ride motorbikes around Thailand and except that giant pot holes are apart of safe roads.

[Semper]

There is nothing dangerous about the roads in Thailand. It's the drivers that couse the accidents.

I guess you an 8 others don't ride motorbikes around Thailand and except that giant pot holes are apart of safe roads.

Oh, but I do. However I never try to beat the speed/time record from point A to point B. And you should always expect a pothole, parked car or someone is overtaking when going in to a blind bend.

This is after all Thailand and you should drive accordingly.

Edited May 26, 2012 by Semper

[Asiantravel]

as far as I'm concerned Thailand already has a bus company of this standard.

they just don't seem concerned about marketing themselves to foreigners but that doesn't

worry them because if you just turn up and try to book a seat on their first class

journeys you will find they are always full

On most journeys they have two drivers and if you read their website you will see their

drivers are regularly tested in all regards

http://www.nca.co.th/firstclass.php

Great info. I'd be very pleased to find out I was wrong and there is a market here for safer travel companies- even if they do cost more. I'll be looking them up next time I'm headed somewhere on a bus.

And if that's the case, perhaps there's a market for the "Lonely Planet Guide to Safer Travel in the Tropics"? You know, buses with 2 drivers, hotel rooms with smoke detectors, jet ski rentals with no scamming, and... I'd buy the book.

yes but you must bear in mind they don't go everywhere.

if your wife or girlfriend can translate this for you here is a list of where they go

http://www.nca.co.th/runway.php

but I highly recommend them. Their buses have automatic transmission

and you will find the journey comfortable and smooth.

actually just for something to do a few years back I obtained a heavy goods vehicledrivers licence

in Australia ( which includes buses ) although I have never worked as a driver.

So I naturally take an interest in the driver's style,disposition, their driving conditions etc

Regarding NCA drivers I am always struck by their consistency. i.e.They always drive at a consistent

speed and I have never noticed any of them take an unnecessary risks.

In fact I have never heard of NCA bus ever being involved in an accident.

Edited May 26, 2012 by Asiantravel

[Ulysses G.]

as far as I'm concerned Thailand already has a bus company of this standard.

they just don't seem concerned about marketing themselves to foreigners but that doesn't

worry them because if you just turn up and try to book a seat on their first class

journeys you will find they are always full

On most journeys they have two drivers and if you read their website you will see their

drivers are regularly tested in all regards

http://www.nca.co.th/firstclass.php

Great info. I'd be very pleased to find out I was wrong and there is a market here for safer travel companies- even if they do cost more. I'll be looking them up next time I'm headed somewhere on a bus.

And if that's the case, perhaps there's a market for the "Lonely Planet Guide to Safer Travel in the Tropics"? You know, buses with 2 drivers, hotel rooms with smoke detectors, jet ski rentals with no scamming, and... I'd buy the book.

yes but you must bear in mind they don't go everywhere.

if your wife or girlfriend can translate this for you here is a list of where they go

http://www.nca.co.th/runway.php

but I highly recommend them. Their buses have automatic transmission

and you will find the journey comfortable and smooth.

actually just for something to do a few years back I obtained a heavy goods vehicledrivers licence

in Australia ( which includes buses ) although I have never worked as a driver.

So I naturally take an interest in the driver's style,disposition, their driving conditions etc

Regarding NCA drivers I am always struck by their consistency. i.e.They always drive at a consistent

speed and I have never noticed any of them take an unnecessary risks.

In fact I have never heard of NCA bus ever being involved in an accident.

I try to always take NCA buses. They change drivers during the night, the drivers seem better and the buses are cleaner and more comfortable than most companies.

[Asiantravel]

as far as I'm concerned Thailand already has a bus company of this standard.

they just don't seem concerned about marketing themselves to foreigners but that doesn't

worry them because if you just turn up and try to book a seat on their first class

journeys you will find they are always full

On most journeys they have two drivers and if you read their website you will see their

drivers are regularly tested in all regards

http://www.nca.co.th/firstclass.php

Great info. I'd be very pleased to find out I was wrong and there is a market here for safer travel companies- even if they do cost more. I'll be looking them up next time I'm headed somewhere on a bus.

And if that's the case, perhaps there's a market for the "Lonely Planet Guide to Safer Travel in the Tropics"? You know, buses with 2 drivers, hotel rooms with smoke detectors, jet ski rentals with no scamming, and... I'd buy the book.

yes but you must bear in mind they don't go everywhere.

if your wife or girlfriend can translate this for you here is a list of where they go

http://www.nca.co.th/runway.php

but I highly recommend them. Their buses have automatic transmission

and you will find the journey comfortable and smooth.

actually just for something to do a few years back I obtained a heavy goods vehicledrivers licence

in Australia ( which includes buses ) although I have never worked as a driver.

So I naturally take an interest in the driver's style,disposition, their driving conditions etc

Regarding NCA drivers I am always struck by their consistency. i.e.They always drive at a consistent

speed and I have never noticed any of them take an unnecessary risks.

In fact I have never heard of NCA bus ever being involved in an accident.

I try to always take NCA buses. They change drivers during the night, the drivers seem better and the buses are cleaner and more comfortable than most companies.

so do i but it's frustrating sometimes when I can never get a seat on a first-class bus.

to do so you have to book many days in advance. So there are obviously

enough Thai's who are willing to pay extra for comfort

But even the Gold class is comfortable and clean

Edited May 26, 2012 by Asiantravel

[Sayonarax]

There is nothing dangerous about the roads in Thailand. It's the drivers that couse the accidents.

I guess you an 8 others don't ride motorbikes around Thailand and except that giant pot holes are apart of safe roads.

Oh, but I do. However I never try to beat the speed/time record from point A to point B. And you should always expect a pothole, parked car or someone is overtaking when going in to a blind bend.

This is after all Thailand and you should drive accordingly.

Your just full of the right answers. You should be politician with ally our witty answers.

[hellodolly]

related topic:

London gap year students killed in Thailand coach crash

Full story: http://www.thaivisa....h/#entry4524245

of they were in a coach why warn against bus travel.

And what country is it 100% safe in.

[Semper]

related topic:

London gap year students killed in Thailand coach crash

Full story: http://www.thaivisa....h/#entry4524245

of they were in a coach why warn against bus travel.

And what country is it 100% safe in.

Coach=bus=large songtell (nearly).

Edited May 26, 2012 by Semper

[carra]

Yes it is present in everything we do, however all this woman wants to happen is that the risks are highlighted so more people are aware that using a bus in Thailand is statistically more dangerous than using a bus in the UK, due to long hours, lax enforcement of laws and regulations, poor safety standards, and a driving test that is far less strict than it should be, in fact does one need the equivalent of a PSV licence to drive passengers in Thailand?

However such a warning would be more useful if it were simply worded:

Absolutely every activity you engage in while in Thailand is more dangerous than the same activity back home. If it's something you can't do at all back home, then it's probably very dangerous.

So if you want to reduce your risks, don't leave the country. If you really want to be safe, stay in bed. All the time. But even then you're not really safe.

People might come here expecting some level of professionalism from a 'professional' (as in drives for a living rather than based on ability) driver when that is in reality missing, so it is only fair that when people are here they can expect much lower standards than in the UK rather than just 'different' standards.

If a warning saves lives and makes sure people are aware of dangers then its all good, maybe they will learn if the driver is a reckless bell whiff then they should get off the bus and make other arrangements rather than keep playing the lottery they are playing on that journey, it might make people do simple internet searches to find reputable companies that obey the laws and use them to reduce the risk of being killed or maimed because of some poor or reckless driving.

Problem is it isn't possible to ensure anything of the sort, whether from "internet search" or whatever, just being on the roads in Thailand is 5000% more risky than doing so back home, even if you're driving yourself in a brand new car just certified by your most trusted mechanic.

People die, sure the family and friends are upset, but bottom line life is cheap here, deal with it.

So people should just accept it?

How dare this bereaved woman ask the FCO to highlight the extra dangers to try and save more lives, you are right, we should be outraged that she has spoken up, if she wanted her child to live she should have locked him up at home and wrapped him in cotton wool.

The fact is you can minimise the dangers if you are prepared to or educated to, however cheap life is here the faults should not just be accepted as a quirk of Thailand. it does no harm to highlight issues and if it saves just one life where someone chooses to get a bus being driven recklessly which may then go on and crash due to the retard driving it, then that is a good thing.

Some people care and some people think it can make a difference, Deal with that

[BigJohnnyBKK]

They were off to Laos and Cambodia. The roads there are much.much worse. More deaths in Thailand because there are more people. Should every country who's roads are not up to British standards have a warning? Where does one stop? I am intrigued.

It's not the roads that are the problem, it's the drivers - little education, no real testing, non-enforcement of laws being fundamental problems.

yes but you must bear in mind they don't go everywhere.

if your wife or girlfriend can translate this for you here is a list of where they go

http://www.nca.co.th/runway.php

I tried Google translate and some of the city names came back "New York - Boston"! Oh well. . .

[BigJohnnyBKK]

However such a warning would be more useful if it were simply worded:

Absolutely every activity you engage in while in Thailand is more dangerous than the same activity back home. If it's something you can't do at all back home, then it's probably very dangerous.

So if you want to reduce your risks, don't leave the country. If you really want to be safe, stay in bed. All the time. But even then you're not really safe.

-----

Problem is it isn't possible to ensure anything of the sort, whether from "internet search" or whatever, just being on the roads in Thailand is 5000% more risky than doing so back home, even if you're driving yourself in a brand new car just certified by your most trusted mechanic.

People die, sure the family and friends are upset, but bottom line life is cheap here, deal with it.

So people should just accept it?

How dare this bereaved woman ask the FCO to highlight the extra dangers to try and save more lives, you are right, we should be outraged that she has spoken up, if she wanted her child to live she should have locked him up at home and wrapped him in cotton wool.

The fact is you can minimise the dangers if you are prepared to or educated to, however cheap life is here the faults should not just be accepted as a quirk of Thailand. it does no harm to highlight issues and if it saves just one life where someone chooses to get a bus being driven recklessly which may then go on and crash due to the retard driving it, then that is a good thing.

Some people care and some people think it can make a difference, Deal with that

My point is simply to make sure that people understand no matter what you as a consumer might try to do to minimize the risks they will remain many many times higher than what you would automatically get without doing anything back home.

Making people simply feel safer than they really can get isn't doing them a service is it?

Adding the warning I suggest, in conjunction with any others will save lives by letting people know that if they really want to be (relatively) safe they're better off avoiding traveling backpacker-style around Thailand.

[Semper]

There is nothing dangerous about the roads in Thailand. It's the drivers that couse the accidents.

I guess you an 8 others don't ride motorbikes around Thailand and except that giant pot holes are apart of safe roads.

Oh, but I do. However I never try to beat the speed/time record from point A to point B. And you should always expect a pothole, parked car or someone is overtaking when going in to a blind bend.

This is after all Thailand and you should drive accordingly.

Your just full of the right answers. You should be politician with ally our witty answers.

You're obviously from a nanny-state country where you can blaim the government for all traffic accidents. As I said before, it's the drivers not the condition of the roads that are to blaim. 90% of the drivers here and any other country are not capable of driving a vehicle and should not be allowed to drive on the roads. I mean, you can't drive 200km/h on a road that's full of potholes, flooded with water, snowy or icy conditions etc. But people do this constantly and then they blaim the government for not keeping the roads tip top when they have an accident.

[Sayonarax]

You're obviously from a nanny-state country where you can blaim the government for all traffic accidents. As I said before, it's the drivers not the condition of the roads that are to blaim. 90% of the drivers here and any other country are not capable of driving a vehicle and should not be allowed to drive on the roads. I mean, you can't drive 200km/h on a road that's full of potholes, flooded with water, snowy or icy conditions etc. But people do this constantly and then they blaim the government for not keeping the roads tip top when they have an accident.

So you can honestly tell me you've never driven down any road at set speed (Set by the government for your safety) in Thailand only to find a giant pothole or raised obstruction on the road causing you to swerve or hit said pot hole? I wasn't agreeing or disagreeing with any comment about drivers ed or the safe driving ethics of most Thais. If you learnt some comprehensive reading skills you might of seen that, but instead you refer to me as coming from a nanny state which seems to be popular reference or slur on TV now a days. But to be ignorant to the fact that the road condition's and quality isn't a factor in road fatalities is about as stupid as a the nanny-state comment you made.

[oldsailor35]

What people need to be warned about, is the incompetent drivers who man these busses. Their very low standard and lack of driver training. With virtually no responsibility to their passengers to the point of the often 'run aways' by bus accident drivers. And the attitude of both Police and Government where public service vehicles are concerned.......mai pen lai !

[Semper]

You're obviously from a nanny-state country where you can blaim the government for all traffic accidents. As I said before, it's the drivers not the condition of the roads that are to blaim. 90% of the drivers here and any other country are not capable of driving a vehicle and should not be allowed to drive on the roads. I mean, you can't drive 200km/h on a road that's full of potholes, flooded with water, snowy or icy conditions etc. But people do this constantly and then they blaim the government for not keeping the roads tip top when they have an accident.

So you can honestly tell me you've never driven down any road at set speed (Set by the government for your safety) in Thailand only to find a giant pothole or raised obstruction on the road causing you to swerve or hit said pot hole? I wasn't agreeing or disagreeing with any comment about drivers ed or the safe driving ethics of most Thais. If you learnt some comprehensive reading skills you might of seen that, but instead you refer to me as coming from a nanny state which seems to be popular reference or slur on TV now a days. But to be ignorant to the fact that the road condition's and quality isn't a factor in road fatalities is about as stupid as a the nanny-state comment you made.

The "set speed" as you mentioned is the maximum allowed speed, not your safety speed. They don't tell you that you have to use the maximum speed everywere or all the time. Like in blind bends, reduced visibility etc. were one should normally slow down but many drivers don't do this and things happens.

[aussiebebe]

I have enormous sympathy to the mothers who lost their sons, RIP, good luck to them getting their foreign office to give more warnings. However, I think they are asking a little to much - I've been driving in Thailand, mostly Bangkok, for over five years now and it's not that crazy. The worst things I see are people not stopping for pedestrians and not indicating but it's generally ordered if compared with, say, India as seen in

video from youtube. Edited May 26, 2012 by aussiebebe

[Sayonarax]

You're obviously from a nanny-state country where you can blaim the government for all traffic accidents. As I said before, it's the drivers not the condition of the roads that are to blaim. 90% of the drivers here and any other country are not capable of driving a vehicle and should not be allowed to drive on the roads. I mean, you can't drive 200km/h on a road that's full of potholes, flooded with water, snowy or icy conditions etc. But people do this constantly and then they blaim the government for not keeping the roads tip top when they have an accident.

So you can honestly tell me you've never driven down any road at set speed (Set by the government for your safety) in Thailand only to find a giant pothole or raised obstruction on the road causing you to swerve or hit said pot hole? I wasn't agreeing or disagreeing with any comment about drivers ed or the safe driving ethics of most Thais. If you learnt some comprehensive reading skills you might of seen that, but instead you refer to me as coming from a nanny state which seems to be popular reference or slur on TV now a days. But to be ignorant to the fact that the road condition's and quality isn't a factor in road fatalities is about as stupid as a the nanny-state comment you made.

The "set speed" as you mentioned is the maximum allowed speed, not your safety speed. They don't tell you that you have to use the maximum speed everywere or all the time. Like in blind bends, reduced visibility etc. were one should normally slow down but many drivers don't do this and things happens.

Troll on sir. If you not willing to answer that roads and conditions are or are not contributing factor, then there's no discussion here.