The van we took to Kanchanaburi on Friday hit a girl on a motorbike. It was awful. We were on the highway and the girl was crossing at a junction, didn't see the van coming. The driver braked, honked, the girl came from the right, just kept on going - I saw it in slow motion and all I could think of was "stop, stop", horrible. There was nothing the driver could have done, the van ran straight into the bike. The girl wasn't wearing a helmet, her head cracked our windscreen and we all thought we'd run over her and she'd be dead. I was under shock and couldn't even look at the scene or leave the van to help. Luckily one of my friends and a Thai man took care of the injured, turns out she was only about 14 years old.

Apparently the girl was very lucky, though. She remained on the bike when it sled across the road for about 50 metres. No cuts or broken bones but a heavily swollen head. I hope she didn't crack her skull or suffers from inner bleedings but at this speed it is unlikely she wasn't harmed.

This is the most awful thing I've experienced here so far and it happens so often. Never thought I'd be involved, though. Please, wear helmets and be as safe as you can. Don't underestimate Thai traffic.

I hope she learned from it, sounds like a very lucky girl.

I hope the people near her do not conclude that she just proved that helmets are not necessary for survival. She is very lucky and probably has some damage with the swelling.

When will they learn that the helmet law is for their own good?

To drive a motocy 100cc age is 15yrs , to drive a 125cc its 18 yrs , so she was illegal and driving with no licence and insurance no sympathy.

When will they learn that the helmet law is for their own good?

Experience is a bad teacher, because it gives the test first, and the lesson later.

Maybe this girl now understands the importance of helmet laws.......and giving way to traffic.....and driving without a licence......and.......and......

For this very reason I'm getting a dash cam in my car...

The only reason something like this hasn't happened to me while driving in Thailand yet?... I've simply been lucky and not been in the wrong place at the wrong time.

To drive a motocy 100cc age is 15yrs , to drive a 125cc its 18 yrs , so she was illegal and driving with no licence and insurance no sympathy.

OP said she was "about" 14 years old and didn't mention the size of the scoot.

I have the deepest sympathy for anyone who is injured, especially a child, and even if it did happen to be her fault entirely.

I sincerely hope she has no serious brain injury. I sincerely hope she will be just fine, and learn a lesson from her mistake, just as we all should.

Whilst renting a pick-up for about 3 week's when we were visiting the other half's parent's/family just outside of Nong Ki, we only saw 3 accident's, 2 were scooter related accident's in Korat, it appeared that the rider's were ok, but how ok is one when you get hit by a pick-up? the 3rd and most terrible accident we saw was the last day we were returning the car to Korat, a pick-up came off the highway and hit the middle of the medium strip and overturned, the roof and cabin of the pick up was flattened, so not sure if anyone survived the accident....

I don't care if it was the girl's fault- it was just awful and I hope she'll be fine.

For this very reason I'm getting a dash cam in my car...

The only reason something like this hasn't happened to me while driving in Thailand yet?... I've simply been lucky and not been in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Same same myself I think no matter how careful I drive I am likely to touch a motorbike at some stage I say touch that's what I hope , they just don't give you any space around the car and it would probably be my fault.

For this very reason I'm getting a dash cam in my car...

The only reason something like this hasn't happened to me while driving in Thailand yet?... I've simply been lucky and not been in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Good idea. How about a helmet cam because they are mostly waterproof, and then rig a dash mount?

Wow,a very lucky young lady indeed.

Helmets save lives but more important is road awareness....

CBT (compulsory bike training) should also be made legal,too much complacency and ignorance on the roads.

I hope that she has learned her lesson and will try to be more careful in the future.

Also hope that has no after effects from the accident,just because you can walk away from the accident doesn't necessarily mean you are ok.

Was the poor girl given medical care or admitted to hospital...

I don't care if it was the girl's fault- it was just awful and I hope she'll be fine.

It must of been very traumatic for you and your passengers to witness also,I hope that you are all ok.

I see kids under 14 on motorbikes all the time and usually in groups of 2 or 3 on the same bike. Very few are wearing helmets. It is just the law of averages that says a few are going to be hit by something. Ask just about any Thai if they have any motorcycle accident scars and almost all of them have scars somewhere. Just yesterday I saw a man with a child in front of him and his wife behind holding a baby. Nobody was wearing a helmet.

An ambulance took her to hospital and yes, I was under shock and will need some time to deal with it.

That's a horrible experience.

I've taken that minivan to Kanchanaburi before and because of that trip I will never take a minivan ever again. The driver was doing over 140km/h and had to lock up the brakes at that speed to avoid hitting other cars and motorcycles that came into our lane - there was no braking ahead of time anticipating what other drivers might do. One time he even locked up the brakes all the way down to about 30km/h to avoid hitting a motorcycle that pulled out in front of us. I asked him to slow down in Thai and he proceeded to make fun of me the rest of the way for being scared. Never again!

You mentioned there was nothing the driver could have done. I wonder if he was going much fast than the rest of the traffic. Often when people see a vehicle really far down the road they think they have lots of time to cross or merge in, but in reality a vehicle doing over 140km/h approaches much faster then they thought and it appears that there's nothing either could do. This is what happened more than a dozen times during my trip.

That's a horrible experience.

I've taken that minivan to Kanchanaburi before and because of that trip I will never take a minivan ever again. The driver was doing over 140km/h and had to lock up the brakes at that speed to avoid hitting other cars and motorcycles that came into our lane - there was no braking ahead of time anticipating what other drivers might do. One time he even locked up the brakes all the way down to about 30km/h to avoid hitting a motorcycle that pulled out in front of us. I asked him to slow down in Thai and he proceeded to make fun of me the rest of the way for being scared. Never again!

You mentioned there was nothing the driver could have done. I wonder if he was going much fast than the rest of the traffic. Often when people see a vehicle really far down the road they think they have lots of time to cross or merge in, but in reality a vehicle doing over 140km/h approaches much faster then they thought and it appears that there's nothing either could do. This is what happened more than a dozen times during my trip.

Exactly. Misjudging the speed of oncoming vehicles is easy to do if you are not experienced, and no child is experienced. That is why children should not be riding motorbikes. Bicycles are bad enough here. But, as foreigners we are never going to change the mind set of the locals.

Same here, no vans anymore. The trip back was pure horror.

No, it really wasn't the drivers fault. We were on the highway and a smaller road was crossing it like a little junction but no traffic lights. The girl just came straight from the side road, crossed the lane next to us and kept going. The driver was honking and breaking but the girl kept on going an drove straight into our lane in front of the van.

Same here, no vans anymore. The trip back was pure horror.

No, it really wasn't the drivers fault. We were on the highway and a smaller road was crossing it like a little junction but no traffic lights. The girl just came straight from the side road, crossed the lane next to us and kept going. The driver was honking and breaking but the girl kept on going an drove straight into our lane in front of the van.

It is a mindset, ''Do what l like, you avoid me''. Keep asking the mrs why ALL these folk do this stuff, she says it's there life and can do what they want, your problem, they are in front. Which after years of driving here l think she is right cos every single day l put up with the road nonsense of avoiding people of all ages pulling out from side roads, their f...... you attitude.

I had a near miss approaching a U-Turn.I forget the road # but from Nakhon Sri Thammerat, it joins highway #41 near Surat Thani Co-op. I was doing about 85-90 kph, the junction was about 1k ahead. A couple of cars made the turn and I pulled into the outside lane to let them into the inside line. I got to about 150 metres from the turn, and this women just trundles across in front of me on her motor bike, never even looked. I anchored all on, and hit the horn. How I missed her I don't know. I had to stop completely 2 minutes later, I was shaking like a leaf. They just of no sense of awareness on the road, and don't think accidents teach them about helmets. They don't.

To drive a motocy 100cc age is 15yrs , to drive a 125cc its 18 yrs , so she was illegal and driving with no licence and insurance no sympathy.

You are one sick,heartless sh1t.

Why ? My place, on the road outside, kids as young as 10 year old are GIVEN the keys to a motor bike by their parents, BUT if we hit them WE have a problem.

Just yesterday. Young girl on a motorbike, about 10, driving one handed. She was carrying a baby a few months old in her other arm. Unbelievable.

I had a near miss approaching a U-Turn.I forget the road # but from Nakhon Sri Thammerat, it joins highway #41 near Surat Thani Co-op. I was doing about 85-90 kph, the junction was about 1k ahead. A couple of cars made the turn and I pulled into the outside lane to let them into the inside line. I got to about 150 metres from the turn, and this women just trundles across in front of me on her motor bike, never even looked. I anchored all on, and hit the horn. How I missed her I don't know. I had to stop completely 2 minutes later, I was shaking like a leaf. They just of no sense of awareness on the road, and don't think accidents teach them about helmets. They don't.

The "risk factor" computer chip is missing....

Even though the OP was only a passenger I'm a little surprised after all I have read on here that if a Farang is involved it their fault that he didnt cop the blame for the accident .

Why should they? The police even thanked my farang friend for taking care of the victim. We weren't driving the van.

Sounds awful.

I bet she is counting her blessings! The roads in Thailand always have me on the edge of my seat. They're horrendous and the lack of awareness and helmets really amaze me!

To drive a motocy 100cc age is 15yrs , to drive a 125cc its 18 yrs , so she was illegal and driving with no licence and insurance no sympathy.

OP said she was "about" 14 years old and didn't mention the size of the scoot.

I have the deepest sympathy for anyone who is injured, especially a child, and even if it did happen to be her fault entirely.

I sincerely hope she has no serious brain injury. I sincerely hope she will be just fine, and learn a lesson from her mistake, just as we all should.

On my estate I see kids that look under 10 riding around without helmets, perhaps they think Buddha is with them?

The bottom line is that no obeys the laws and the police very often dont enforce them.

Road behaviour is awful here, be a defensive driver is my advice and the one thing that really annoys me, well there are several but this one in particular. Jump on the bike and just set off without even looking if the road is clear, seems like you can see me avoid me!

Is there any chance of finding out what happened to the girl?

Is there any chance of finding out what happened to the girl?

Contact the van driver or company.....sure they would have contact via hospital or insurance and go from there.