33 Dead As " Seven Dangerous Days " Of New Year's Break Begin: Thailand

[NoshowJones]

No passing will be allowed on these seven roads.

OK what about the drivers who drive too slow? I mean too slow, these drivers can be as dangerous on the road as the speedsters.

You'll probably find that the drivers you're accusing of driving too slowly are driving at the speed limit.

No chance Tropo, where I live, there are drivers driving clapped out old trucks at around 20 and 30 mph on roads that are not even busy. I am not talking about built up areas. It is not uncommon to see very slow drivers on the main Highway here.

[NoshowJones]

]It won't matter how hard the driving test is, to drive safely, you need a lot of common sense. That is one thing most Thais do not have, especially on the roads.

LOL. The common sense in your country is probably just the sense to not get booked. Take away all traffic law enforcement in your own country and let's see how much common sense most drivers display.

(or are you just Thai bashing?)

I've got to admit, you are talking a lot of sense here Tropo, but no, I am not Thai bashing, but in the seven years I have been here, I have noticed most of the Thais definitely do lack common sense, and not just on the roads.

[Mosha]

12000 in Thailand do not even cover the deaths on motorbikes in year. It is the official statistics but the total number road fatalities is MUCH higher.

I think the 12000 is dead/died at the scene of the accident.

[MaxLee]

First Car Buyer scheme:"Wow I've got a new car, I must show off, now f****** off outa the way everyone!!!

[NoshowJones]

Its not just Thailand.

Check out road deaths in Uk,so far over the festive season.

They have a stringent testing process in place.

Yes, UK in 2011 approx 2,000 road deaths and population of 62,641,000, compared to around 12,000 in Thailand with a population of 69,518,555. Huge difference.

Yes, but about 70% of fatalities in Thailand involve motorcyclists. How many motorcycles to car ratio is there in the UK?

[tropo]

]It won't matter how hard the driving test is, to drive safely, you need a lot of common sense. That is one thing most Thais do not have, especially on the roads.

LOL. The common sense in your country is probably just the sense to not get booked. Take away all traffic law enforcement in your own country and let's see how much common sense most drivers display.

(or are you just Thai bashing?)

I've got to admit, you are talking a lot of sense here Tropo, but no, I am not Thai bashing, but in the seven years I have been here, I have noticed most of the Thais definitely do lack common sense, and not just on the roads.

Well, let's just stick to the roads for now. Back at home every single improvement in driver safety came on the back of expensive road safely campaigning and law enforcement. Common sense was not an issue.

Some good examples;

Safety belts. Common sense would suggest bucking up is a good idea. People didn't buckle up so they spent millions on road safety campaigns (including road signs) and started fining people for not wearing them.

Mobile phones. Common sense would suggest that it's safer not to use one when driving. They had to introduce penalties to stop this activity.

Fines alone wasn't doing the job, so they introduced a point deduction system and loss of licence.

That wasn't enough - so they put red light and speed cameras all over town.

Still not enough? People would still drink and drive so they need random breath testing, which often includes every main road out of town on weekends.

I'm suggesting that common sense has little to do with road safety in your own country.

Do you really think that 18 - 30 years olds in any country would exercise common sense in the absence of strict law enforcement.

Edited December 28, 2012 by tropo

[NoshowJones]

It's also just the lack of being logical while driving...many accidents could be avoided if people would keep at least 30 meters between each other.

Yesterday I had a few vans and buses drive at 5 meters from me...and I was going 110 km/h...

When buses or trucks sit on my bumper in heavy traffic I break a little, then speed up to make some room, if they continue to sit dangerously close I wait for a hill and slow to a complete stop to give them a few minutes to think about how to keep safe on the roads.

There are not many hills in Central Thailand where I live.

[samuibruno]

imo

if you dont like the way this country works then simply go home and stop whining

[NoshowJones]

]It won't matter how hard the driving test is, to drive safely, you need a lot of common sense. That is one thing most Thais do not have, especially on the roads.

LOL. The common sense in your country is probably just the sense to not get booked. Take away all traffic law enforcement in your own country and let's see how much common sense most drivers display.

(or are you just Thai bashing?)

I've got to admit, you are talking a lot of sense here Tropo, but no, I am not Thai bashing, but in the seven years I have been here, I have noticed most of the Thais definitely do lack common sense, and not just on the roads.

Well, let's just stick to the roads for now. Back at home every single improvement in driver safety came on the back of expensive road safely campaigning and law enforcement. Common sense was not an issue.

Some good examples;

Safety belts. Common sense would suggest bucking up is a good idea. People didn't buckle up so they spent millions on road safety campaigns (including road signs) and started fining people for not wearing them.

Mobile phones. Common sense would suggest that it's safer not to use one when driving. They had to introduce penalties to stop this activity.

Fines alone wasn't doing the job, so they introduced a point deduction system and loss of licence.

That wasn't enough - so they put red light and speed cameras all over town.

Still not enough? People would still drink and drive so they need random breath testing, which often includes every main road out of town on weekends.

I'm suggesting that common sense has little to do with road safety in your own country.

Do you really think that 18 - 30 years olds in any country would exercise common sense in the absence of strict law enforcement.

I've got to admit Tropo, everything you have said here is true.

[keithcresswell]

Every month I have to drive from Pattaya to Nong Khai and get "fined" almost every trip, usually for overtaking in the outside lane. I really dont undertsand the purpose of having two lanes. I'm assuming we should all line up behind the slowest vehicle on the road, and leave the outside lane for the First Class coaches, who only use the inside lane for overtaking.

[NoshowJones]

Sometimes to me it looks like a competition about counting ... let's count here and there - it's just for statistics.

It would be much better to spand money on repairing the lights along the streets, the roads itself and strict controls of vehicles without any lights - then the positive results will follow!

What about the BIBs tea money?

[NoshowJones]

Its not just Thailand.

Check out road deaths in Uk,so far over the festive season.

They have a stringent testing process in place.

I read an article that says 7 have died in the UK since Christmas Eve.

Official figures for just yesterday in Thailand stand at 32.

Just out of interest does anyone know the populations of both or better still the driving population of both?

You will never know the driving population of Thailand as most road users particularly motorcycles don't have licences.

[DrFloyd]

imo

if you dont like the way this country works then simply go home and stop whining

How pathetic

[Banzai99]

I was down my favourite bar in Pattaya today,loads of motorcycles parked outside, loads more have cars or pickups parked at various locations, loads of beer was consumed same as every day, not one of these bikes or cars is owned or driven by a Thai, they are all Farang owned and driven.

These guys should know better, but they don't.

[tropo]

I've got to admit Tropo, everything you have said here is true.

There might be another factor in gauging common sense on Thailand loads. Apart from very lax traffic law enforcement, Thai people may not have the same fear of death that many Westerners have.

I'll have to say that after a nearly 10 absence from driving in Australia, that when I drove there again recently I was driving more slowly than I used to.

This wasn't because I gained common sense. It was because there were more speed cameras around and the fines had gone up considerably.

Edited December 28, 2012 by tropo

[DrFloyd]

I was down my favourite bar in Pattaya today,loads of motorcycles parked outside, loads more have cars or pickups parked at various locations, loads of beer was consumed same as every day, not one of these bikes or cars is owned or driven by a Thai, they are all Farang owned and driven.

These guys should know better, but they don't.

Yes they should know better than to live in Pattaya .

[stoli]

I have been pulled over everyday driving into KK all they want is money , how does that help the road toll?

Were you sober, with a Thai license, vehicle registered, wearing a helmet, and insured? I don't know why you would get fines if you follow their laws? Not in Pattaya.

[stoli]

Maybe try making the driving test for both bikes and cars to a better standard as the test the country has is a joke, stevie wonder could pass both of them. IMO this is the reason there are some many deaths on the roads here serious lack of education on road safety and pretty much everything else.

I have taken both tests, and Stevie Wonder coulld not cross the motorcycle bridge. Stay focused, please.

[finnomick1]

I suppose at the rate the Thai's are giving out holiday days, next year the headline will read ' Ten dangerous Days '. Why not shorten the holiday ' dangerous ' days to three or four ? And, taking into consideration this isn't even Thailand's New Year why are they on holiday anyway ?

[EarthAlien]

Maybe try making the driving test for both bikes and cars to a better standard as the test the country has is a joke, stevie wonder could pass both of them. IMO this is the reason there are some many deaths on the roads here serious lack of education on road safety and pretty much everything else.

Yes the tests are easy but with respect I don't think Stevie Wonder could pass as it would be impossible for a blind man to read the answers to the essential 20 questions which are posted on the wall behind the examiners table!

The fact that some do fail can only mean one of a few things:

1) the applicant is half blind or short sighted

2) the applicant is illiterate and cannot read

3) the applicant thinks the correct answers posted must be a trick so he/she answers in the opposite manner.

[edwinchester]

12000 in Thailand do not even cover the deaths on motorbikes in year. It is the official statistics but the total number road fatalities is MUCH higher.

I think the 12000 is dead/died at the scene of the accident.

I tead a recent UN/WHO report that suggested the true figure was in the region of 24 or 25k.

[ratcatcher]

imo

if you dont like the way this country works then simply go home and stop whining

How pathetic

Yes Dr.Floyd, but you have to admit it's an 'original' post.

[beowolf2012]

Surin north -east thailand. I hope police will do more against truck with extra car behind. werry danger. Truck drive to fast and say it's me there own the road so normal cars and motor bike sometime have to cros finger. Ok i survive today what about

tomorrow???

Please do something road nombers is 226 and 114 and 24.

[Ian Curtis]

No passing will be allowed on these seven roads.

Maybe they mean, "No passing out"?

[Banzai99]

I was down my favourite bar in Pattaya today,loads of motorcycles parked outside, loads more have cars or pickups parked at various locations, loads of beer was consumed same as every day, not one of these bikes or cars is owned or driven by a Thai, they are all Farang owned and driven.

These guys should know better, but they don't.

Yes they should know better than to live in Pattaya .

So if they are drink driving anywhere else in Thailand, would that make it alright ?

You don't live in Thailand, like many of the ThaiVisa experts, do you ?

Edited December 28, 2012 by Banzai99

[Businessman]

Gently pulling on the handbrake usually wakes them up:-)

I don't recommend this but when I become desperate what I do is to

bring my right foot across to the left and gently press on the brake pedal.

This turns on the brake lights without applying the brakes.

Check you mirror to ensure that the car behind has enough room

in front of the car behind him so that he can safely brake.

This opens up the gap.

If you want to be really hostile and again I don't recommend this

then accelerate away.

This is only to be done as a last resort in a potential accident situation.

I maintain my speed and turn on my hazard lights. They usually back off, I switch off the hazards. If they start tailgaiting again, I repeat the process. Oddly enough I rarely have to do this more than twice for most to allow a little more space. I do think this is far less dangerous than braking with someone 2m off your bumper. BTW I do always try to move to the left and let them pass as soon as I can safely do so.

[jerrybuice]

It's time everyone has their amulets hanging on the rear view mirror and around their neck. Oh, be sure to include a flower arrangement too!

[culicine]

I've got to admit Tropo, everything you have said here is true.

There might be another factor in gauging common sense on Thailand loads. Apart from very lax traffic law enforcement, Thai people may not have the same fear of death that many Westerners have.

I'll have to say that after a nearly 10 absence from driving in Australia, that when I drove there again recently I was driving more slowly than I used to.

This wasn't because I gained common sense. It was because there were more speed cameras around and the fines had gone up considerably.

Same here,, and I really didn't like the experience....having to constantly check your speed and the fact that speed limits could change every km depending on where you were. In a way, I'm more relaxed driving in LoS, I can watch what's going on around me, rather than my speedo all the time. I've done over 250K kms on roads in Thailand and really don't notice the nutters anymore...maybe I've become one - at least according to my Aunt from the UK who recorded 5 moving traffic violations taking her to my place from the airport

Strange thing is that you can get a new fast car cheaply in Australia, where you can't drive it fast - but in LoS you can drive fast, but most can't afford the exorbitant price of a fast car....like the new nissan gtr I passed in traffic this morning:)

[899cc]

Gently pulling on the handbrake usually wakes them up:-)

Not always......

[Potosi]

I suppose at the rate the Thai's are giving out holiday days, next year the headline will read ' Ten dangerous Days '. Why not shorten the holiday ' dangerous ' days to three or four ? And, taking into consideration this isn't even Thailand's New Year why are they on holiday anyway ?

Yeah, and why do they drive cars, or bikes, drink beer, watch TV, use cellphones, computers, the internet, or condoms. Taking into consideration Thais didn't invent those things.