Code-Of-Conduct On Thai Road - Saw An Accident

[ETatBKK]

sure this is not a new to you guys !

on the way home this evening, saw a motorbike fell down on the road 20m in front of me in the opposite traffic. the girl laid on the road and the guy struggled to get up from the bike. this was not a trick.

IF it is in my own country, I will stop and offer help, or at least call the police.

what should I do in this incident on the road of Thailand ?

all advices are welcome !

[WarpSpeed]

If no serious injuries and not in the middle of Sakhon nowhere where they might get help soon, sad to say but keep driving and let them sort it, is my mantra..

[sumrit]

We were following a Police pickup on highway two towards Korat a few months ago when another pickup, which was being driven erratically and at high speed, started to pass us in the outside lane. As he passed us the driver lost control, started to swerve in front of us then rammed into the rear offside on the police pickup forcing it sideways, with both vehicles going off the road and into a wooden building on the side. I saw the look of horror on the police drivers face as his pickup spun round when we went passed and started to stop to see if we could help but my wife shouted at me to keep going and that it was nothing to do with us.

Now when we've had a snake in our house my wife has insisted I remove it without harming it. No way would she let me kill it. When we caught a rat in a rat trap in our garden my wife wouldn't let me kill it. Instead she fed it for two days until we drove into the country and released it in a field. Yet when (at least) three people, two of them policemen, could be seriously injured in a car accident she insisted I carry on driving because it was nothing to do with us.

After nearly twenty years I'm still trying to understand Thai logic sometimes.

[IMHO]

While in some countries you would be legally obliged to offer assistance in such a scenario, in Thailand you should call emergency services but leave it at that. Offering assistance could quickly lead to a scenario where you might exacerbate an injury and become liable, be attacked by a high/drunk driver or passenger, or simply become entangled in the legal fights that will come afterwards.

The basic rule of thumb is, if it was nothing to do with you, don't make it something to do with you.

[Semper]

Now when we've had a snake in our house my wife has insisted I remove it without harming it. No way would she let me kill it.

Next time, tell your wife to remove the snake or whatever critter and I'm sure she'll change her mind.

[ETatBKK]

While in some countries you would be legally obliged to offer assistance in such a scenario, in Thailand you should call emergency services but leave it at that. Offering assistance could quickly lead to a scenario where you might exacerbate an injury and become liable, be attacked by a high/drunk driver or passenger, or simply become entangled in the legal fights that will come afterwards.

The basic rule of thumb is, if it was nothing to do with you, don't make it something to do with you.

yeah, that exactly my concern ! learnt that in China If you offer help in an accident then legal liability assumed implicitly. not sure if it is here.

just a second have to make a decision of pressing the hazard light and offering help, or press on and go ahead ( then still debating - should I ) !

lot of conflicting Thai logic have to learn :-)

[Thaddeus]

The basic rule of thumb is, if it was nothing to do with you, don't make it something to do with you.

Golden rule number one, and not only restricted to driving.

[Pormax]

Seen a few accidents here in THailandand being a medical person have wanted to stop and offer assistance.

However been told on a number of occassions not to get involved as I could (especially as a farang) be blamed in some way for the accident or the injuries/death.

Does not make me feel goodas it goes against my principles but .......

[stevenl]

Seen a few accidents here in THailandand being a medical person have wanted to stop and offer assistance.

However been told on a number of occassions not to get involved as I could (especially as a farang) be blamed in some way for the accident or the injuries/death.

Does not make me feel goodas it goes against my principles but .......

If you had nothing to do with the accident you can not be blamed for it.

And if it goes against your principles, yes, stop and help. I'd do the same.

[richard_smith237]

IMO there are too many scared people who forget their humanity and instead pass through life thinking they are the 'clever ones for avoiding a scene'... perhaps they are. It matters little to me. IF someone is in need of help and you are the one present at the scene who can offer help do so.

Of course there are stories of the foreigner getting the blame. Typical to a web forum we only hear the negative stories and I'm sure we will hear of more in this thread which will make any of us once again hesitate and think twice should similar events require our assistance.

For those not of a religious persuasion there is no fear of retribution in any afterlife or dreams of Nirvana - By simply acting on belief and understanding of right from wrong people can do the morally correct thing. On occasions choosing right above wrong involves a little moral fortitude which we all possess.

Out of fear and weakness some may choose to ignore this moral calling to help, or it may simply be lacking through self-centredness. This same self-centredness will be masked when the excuse for not helping will be based on some old story, a friend of a friend etc or even what they have read on Thai Visa.com.

The truth of the matter is that each situation is individual and should be judged on its individual risks and merit:

IF you can help and it doesn't put you at any physical risk then IMO the only decision to be made is the right one - Help where you can.

I've helped in an accident and felt better for it. It doesn't make someone (or me) perfect. I still walk past a beggar in the street, I still like to party and drink etc when I could use the same money for charity etc... No one expects a saint, but lets be human. If someone is in serious trouble they need our help, the next question on our mind shouldn't be 'should we help?', but 'how can we best help ?'

[prestburypark]

Why diss the Thais for lack of scruples etc etc. when your own moral compass is out of kilter?

I would stop and help any fellow human being possibly dying by the roadside ,especially a bike, being a biker myself, and deal with idiots afterwards and give them a right good piece of my mind. Only caveat being possible setups at night time when robbery could be the outcome, but I try not to travel at night here so unlikely to occur.

Cop out otherwise is it not?

[transam]

Unfortunately here it is a case of mind your own business unless your a native. My mrs has explained the risk to me for being a good Samaritan. .

[BSJ]

Let those with a hollier than thou attitude be the ones to render assistance. Then they can come on here and tell the story from a first hand prospective.

[stevenl]

Let those with a hollier than thou attitude be the ones to render assistance. Then they can come on here and tell the story from a first hand prospective.

Like in post #10 you mean?

[JAS21]

Seen a few accidents here in THailandand being a medical person have wanted to stop and offer assistance.

However been told on a number of occassions not to get involved as I could (especially as a farang) be blamed in some way for the accident or the injuries/death.

Does not make me feel goodas it goes against my principles but .......

If you had nothing to do with the accident you can not be blamed for it.

And if it goes against your principles, yes, stop and help. I'd do the same.

Naive Mr Stevenl ... unfortunate but true. Don't stop because it is very likely that you will end up being blamed for the accident unless you have proof ie a camera recording.

I wanted to stop years ago when we saw, well ahead, a thai do a u-turn and fall off ... he was bleeding ...my wife said keep going ... felt bad but stupid to stop ...unfortunately. And of course do you have any rubber gloves etc ...with the risk of HIV medics now use them before they will treat anyone.

A sad state but that is the way it is................................

Edited January 13, 2013 by JAS21

[JeffreyMcCollum]

What a sad bunch of people we have here. I always stop and always help, Even when I can't speak perfect Thai.

Always feel good inside I did help. Usually they just say No problem and you wait around a little bit then head off.

But I too have been in accidents and always happy when others have quickly stopped and asked if I needed help even when they could not speak English. A few times I did need help

How would you feel if it was your wife, mother, Daughter, and no one stopped to help and they were left to Die ? Just like what happened in India recently . . .

What a sad state it will be when everyone has lost all their Humanity

[stevenl]

Seen a few accidents here in THailandand being a medical person have wanted to stop and offer assistance.

However been told on a number of occassions not to get involved as I could (especially as a farang) be blamed in some way for the accident or the injuries/death.

Does not make me feel goodas it goes against my principles but .......

If you had nothing to do with the accident you can not be blamed for it.

And if it goes against your principles, yes, stop and help. I'd do the same.

Naive Mr Stevenl ... unfortunate but true. Don't stop because it is very likely that you will end up being blamed for the accident unless you have proof ie a camera recording.

I wanted to stop years ago when we saw, well ahead, a thai do a u-turn and fall off ... he was bleeding ...my wife said keep going ... felt bad but stupid to stop ...unfortunately. And of course do you have any rubber gloves etc ...with the risk of HIV medics now use them before they will treat anyone.

A sad state but that is the way it is................................

No, I don't think that is the way it is.

[anon210]

Seen a few accidents here in THailandand being a medical person have wanted to stop and offer assistance.

However been told on a number of occassions not to get involved as I could (especially as a farang) be blamed in some way for the accident or the injuries/death.

Does not make me feel goodas it goes against my principles but .......

If you had nothing to do with the accident you can not be blamed for it.

And if it goes against your principles, yes, stop and help. I'd do the same.

Naive Mr Stevenl ... unfortunate but true. Don't stop because it is very likely that you will end up being blamed for the accident unless you have proof ie a camera recording.

I wanted to stop years ago when we saw, well ahead, a thai do a u-turn and fall off ... he was bleeding ...my wife said keep going ... felt bad but stupid to stop ...unfortunately. And of course do you have any rubber gloves etc ...with the risk of HIV medics now use them before they will treat anyone.

A sad state but that is the way it is................................

No, I don't think that is the way it is.

Same here. But in my case, my experience as first aid volunteer for the Red Cross would make it an obligation to stop.

Sent from my GT-N7000 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[stiggy]

Have stopped and assisted many times never an issue.

The only time I didn't stop was when I had a Thai Screaming at me not to, 200 mtrs down the road I done a U-Turn and went back.The old guy was so thankful it was embarrassing took 20 mins out of my day dropped him at a sala where the Thais took over.

The police will of course always ask what you did especially if a fatal incident,from my experience being both sober and legal never an issue.

If I was however not legal not sober or any way to blame different story, but then again same world over.

I worked as a full time medic here in Thailand for many years got in trouble twice, both times cleared up easily enough both times involved fatalities and miscommunication.

[Morakot]

The basic rule of thumb is, if it was nothing to do with you, don't make it something to do with you.

Yes, lock your doors immediately and speed away. Pretend that you have not seen a thing. Tell yourself that it's nothing to do with you. Feel secure in anonymity and disconnect yourself from any human contact within your environment. Stop talking to anyone you have never met before. Always, make sure your are suspicious of everyone and everything...

Alternatively, use some common sense and offer help where needed and appreciated.

Edited January 14, 2013 by Morakot

[Crossy]

Now I have a black-box camera I'm more inclined to stop even just to ensure emergency services (if needed) have been called.

[transam]

The basic rule of thumb is, if it was nothing to do with you, don't make it something to do with you.

Yes, lock your doors immediately and speed away. Pretend that you have not seen a thing. Tell yourself that it's nothing to do with you. Feel secure in anonymity and disconnect yourself from any human contact within your environment. Stop talking to anyone you have never met before. Always, make sure your are suspicious of everyone and everything...

Alternatively, use some common sense and offer help where needed and appreciated.

To a degree, but l would rather listen to Thai folk for advise to let Thai folk deal with a situation than you. Of course every situation is different and one must use their own judgment but in the big picture let the natives deal with it.

I had a young girl come of her bike outside my place, at night, my place is out the way so l rushed out to find her head bashed about, claret everywhere, l did my thing and made her comfortable and thankfully a truck passed by which l flagged down. The guy took over, phoned an ambulance, and l carried on talking to the girl till it arrived. .My point is all situations are different, if Thais were around l would let them deal with it.

[richard_smith237]

Let those with a hollier than thou attitude be the ones to render assistance. Then they can come on here and tell the story from a first hand prospective.

I've been first on the scene of a motorcycle accident and rendered assistance.

I'm certainly not holier than thou, just human, but I question the humaity of someone who suggests ridicule with the use of phraseology such as 'holier than thou' against those who suggest they would or have rendered assistance...

[ETatBKK]

To a degree, but l would rather listen to Thai folk for advise to let Thai folk deal with a situation than you. Of course every situation is different and one must use their own judgment but in the big picture let the natives deal with it.

same as most discussions above, also as in our home countries, we would stop and would offer help for certain, not an issue of language or else. the strange thing is - the one streaming and pushing out of scene is mostly NATIVE Thai ( who sits next ), in my opinion !

there are many levels of assistance, from calling emergency, to kick-in a first-aid process with limited skills and tools. I am not a trained first-aid, and I remember the first-aid manual also suggested certain 'NOT-TO' processes in roadside situations.

assumed it is not a trick nor a trap, my question was how-best we could help ? a common sense, or a common practice ?

[prestburypark]

Let those with a hollier than thou attitude be the ones to render assistance. Then they can come on here and tell the story from a first hand prospective.

Nowt to do with holier than thou, just where you are at as a person.

[Terry Newman]

Next time, tell your wife to remove the snake or whatever critter and I'm sure she'll change her mind.

Could not have said that any better !!!!!!!

[tinfoilhat]

i watchd a russian kid run off the road and into a ditch, breaking his neck. I stopped, woke up the neighbor (who i knew) and got her to call the police ambulance etc, as soon as help showed up she told me to get in my jeep and leave or i would cop it for the accident -- strangers were already begining to mumble that i had hit him.

[maprao]

If you are in any way at fault or involved stop. If not keep driving. This advice should be followed in many countries.

As an off topic comment where I work in the Middle East my compnany tells all new US & European employees to follow the same rule above.

Sent from my GT-P1000 using Thaivisa Connect App

Edited January 15, 2013 by maprao

[WarpSpeed]

i watchd a russian kid run off the road and into a ditch, breaking his neck. I stopped, woke up the neighbor (who i knew) and got her to call the police ambulance etc, as soon as help showed up she told me to get in my jeep and leave or i would cop it for the accident -- strangers were already begining to mumble that i had hit him.

Somehow I see this as a bit different being he's not Thai and both foreigners involved in this example to me doesn't apply regardless of what the locals were mumbling, they were likely just speculating out loud without any real knowledge..

JFYI Not sure how many here realize that IMHO is either luk krung or full Thai, or so I've been told ..

Edited January 15, 2013 by WarpSpeed

[ETatBKK]

If you are in any way at fault or involved stop. If not keep driving. This advice should be followed in many countries.

As an off topic comment where I work in the Middle East my compnany tells all new US & European employees to follow the same rule above.

Sent from my GT-P1000 using Thaivisa Connect App

my experience in China, my previous company restricted all expat no driving on the road ( after a trap case that expat was blamed ). but, that is China. I don't see ( or 'feel' ) these kinds of tricks or traps, majority mis-communication or no knowledge.

by the way, any police emergency number speaks English ?