Norwegian Killed In Traffic Accident In Thailand

[webfact]

Norwegian killed in traffic accident in Thailand
BY ANDERS HOLM NIELSEN

KHON KAEN: -- A Norwegian man was killed when he was driving his girlfriend to work at the local hospital, said a friend of the husband to Norwegian television.

The accident happened in Khon Kaen in northeast Thailand, early Thursday morning.

“We can confirm that a 57-year-old Norwegian man was killed in a traffic accident in Thailand on Thursday,” said the director Frode Overland Andersen of Norwegian Foreign Affairs.

The Norwegian was driving his girlfriend to the local hospital where she works, but in a busy traffic light on a three lane road in both directions it went wrong

“He drove the green light, but a car in the other direction ran a red light,” said Norwegian Rolf Andersen, who also lives in Khon Kaen.

The Norwegian was killed instantly, but his girlfriend, who was on the back of the bike is in a coma and is being treated in a hospital.

Source: http://scandasia.com/norwegian-killed-in-traffic-accident-in-thailand/

-- ScandAsia 2013-04-12

[Scully]

Songkran has trippled the amount of cars on the roads up here in Issan, everyone rushing to get home and making the same old dangerous detours or light jumping. Very sad and I hope his gilfriend fully recovers.

[culicine]

RIP to the victim. I hope his wife can make a full recovery. A fellow teacher was killed a few weeks ago - on sitting on the back of a motorbike taxi, though the taxi driver escaped major injury. When drivers jumping red lights causing death are charged with manslaughter and then jailed, will any of this craziness stop.

[bunta71]

I was chatting last week with a Norwegian that may be this guy. Hope not. The man I met was riding a new versus and had the Honda 250 up for sale. He was headed back north to his home. RIP

[Mr Yim]

I am a frequent visitor to Khon Kaen and will be spending Songkran there. I have always maintained, if you can drive in Khon Kaen you can drive anywhere. The standard of driving in the city is abysmal. A couple of times I have rode my scooter from my wifes village into the city centre, along Route 2, and it is frightening.

I send my deepest sympathy to the family and friends of the deceased and hope his girl friend makes a speedy and full recovery.

[colinneil]

R.I.P. my friend

[soi41]

You can follow all the rules yourself, but how do you you protect yourself from the stupidity and arrogance of others. The driver will probably get a slap on the wrist and a 1000 baht fine!

Very sad indeed.

[EyesWideOpen]

Sad.....I have ridden a motorcycle here for 13 years straight. About 10 years ago I had the green light, and a Thai ran the red light and crashed into me. So I now have a wrecked shoulder for life...... Now when the light turns green for me, I wait a few seconds for all the orange light runners to clear the intersection before proceeding. If I come up to a green light, I slow down a bit and check in both directions before I cross.

[belg]

it is possible that thais are confused with the new publicity on tv for a perfum : RED MEANS GO

[gmac]

RIP. The first lesson to learn driving in Thailand is to never trust a green traffic light. I live in this country and accept the way things are done and the lax enforcement of laws but this is one law that should be enforced. I don't advocate a nanny state or anything like one, I hate the way many things are done in the west now, but jumping red lights is criminally dangerous and needs to be stamped out.

Edited April 12, 2013 by gmac

[cheeryble]

GMac Absolutely right I think it profoundly stupid to trust Thais to not run a traffic light and if on the bike I ALWAYS am ready for stupidity at any junction whatsoever. It's xxxxxxx boring.

Edited April 12, 2013 by metisdead
Profanity

[AhFarangJa]

I too never take for granted a green light, I work in Saudi when not here, and believe me they are the biggest ar"£$holes in the world for running red lights. But there it is always your fault if they hit you because you are a foreigner in their land.

Nothing will happen here, we know and accept that as part of living here,

Please to all ....stay safe on the roads, and R.I.P. to the Norwegian and my condolences to his family,and ihope his wife makes a full recovery, though the sad news will of course hurt...

[andygunther]

R.I.P. And I hope his gf will wake up from her coma and make a full recovery...

[jack1964]

I think you will often find through statistics all around the world, that it is quite often the person who is driving and doing the right thing and obeying the rules, is the on unwittingly killed by the foolish behaviour of another driver. Drunk drivers tend to kill inocents at a far greater rate than they kill themselves, bad drivers around the world are the cause of deaths regularly, and are often alive to tell the tale. I suppose the prevelence of it in Thailand just makes it sadder for those who do the right thing. R.I.P, and here is hoping that his girlfriend makes a swift and full recovery.

[Thai at Heart]

If she was going to work I would wager it is one of the junctions on the mitrapaap near the hospitals. You turn right on those at your peril, people run the lifts lights at speed there are the time.

Seen some bad bad near misses.

[seajae]

on average I reckon at least 4 or 5 cars go through a red light on the change, bikes go through at any light. I have seen cars go around other cars stropped at a red light and go through, bloody idiots but what can we expect, here all that matters is what they want, if they are in a hurry and dont like waiting it is their progative to do as they please, just ask them.

[Nickymaster]

Really sorry for his friends, family and girlfriend. Thailand is a very dangerous place to live mainly because of a corrupt and lousy police force that doesn't enforce the law (for many reasons).

[Jonesy99]

Very sad, RIP.

As other posters say, the only way to be safe here is trust nothing. I ride a big bike every day and the way to stay alive is to manage risk.

Green lights, pedestrians (do thais even get taught to look left/right when crossing), soi dogs, garbage, taxi drivers off their face on Yabba etc etc..

Keep doing those life savers people!

[Nickymaster]

Very sad, RIP.

As other posters say, the only way to be safe here is trust nothing. I ride a big bike every day and the way to stay alive is to manage risk.

Green lights, pedestrians (do thais even get taught to look left/right when crossing), soi dogs, garbage, taxi drivers off their face on Yabba etc etc..

Keep doing those life savers people!

I also ride a big bike everyday and you are correct that you really have to manage your risk.

I always assume that I am invisible, meaning, that nobody sees me. I only see them and therefore I have to be very careful.

[SteveH]

Very sad, RIP.

As other posters say, the only way to be safe here is trust nothing. I ride a big bike every day and the way to stay alive is to manage risk.

Green lights, pedestrians (do thais even get taught to look left/right when crossing), soi dogs, garbage, taxi drivers off their face on Yabba etc etc..

Keep doing those life savers people!

I also ride a big bike everyday and you are correct that you really have to manage your risk.

I always assume that I am invisible, meaning, that nobody sees me. I only see them and therefore I have to be very careful.

Sound advice, not only for motor bikes but cars too.

[Markaew]

That situation scares me every time. A green light and I slow down and grit my teeth with my head on a swivel. I have had many near hits especially from motorbikes that just don't want to stop and continue on at a red light.

I have had many good experiences with Norwegian people here and I feel very sad about this fellow's bad luck. I hope his girlfriend will recover as well.

RIP hardly seems appropriate enough, but sorry it happened to you.

[harber8]

A thai running a red light? Don't see that very often!!

Reckless driving resulting in manslaughter. That will give him plenty of time to think about his actions.

RIP Rolf and I really hope your GF makes a full recovery.

[Confuscious]

RIP. The first lesson to learn driving in Thailand is to never trust a green traffic light. I live in this country and accept the way things are done and the lax enforcement of laws but this is one law that should be enforced. I don't advocate a nanny state or anything like one, I hate the way many things are done in the west now, but jumping red lights is criminally dangerous and needs to be stamped out.

Hilarious.

Simply plain hilarious.

A few years ago I started a thread on another "Fahrang" forum about paying tea money for driving under the influence of alcohol.

The majority of the members said that they love Thailand because they can drink alcohol and drive in Thailand far more easy than in their home country.

When they get caught, they love to pay a few Euro/Dollar and continue their way.

RIP to the Norwegian guy.

[Thai at Heart]

A thai running a red light? Don't see that very often!!

Reckless driving resulting in manslaughter. That will give him plenty of time to think about his actions.

RIP Rolf and I really hope your GF makes a full recovery.

Not likely to happen unfortunately

[MaxYakov]

RIP. The first lesson to learn driving in Thailand is to never trust a green traffic light. I live in this country and accept the way things are done and the lax enforcement of laws but this is one law that should be enforced. I don't advocate a nanny state or anything like one, I hate the way many things are done in the west now, but jumping red lights is criminally dangerous and needs to be stamped out.

Don't go into an intersection unless you own it and will continue to own it during your transit, in any country ... if you want to live a long(er), and pain-free(er) life. Intersection real estate ownership disputes are often fatal.

RIP the victim and hope his girlfriend fully recovers.

Edited April 12, 2013 by MaxYakov

[rotorbreeze]

Sad.....I have ridden a motorcycle here for 13 years straight. About 10 years ago I had the green light, and a Thai ran the red light and crashed into me. So I now have a wrecked shoulder for life...... Now when the light turns green for me, I wait a few seconds for all the orange light runners to clear the intersection before proceeding. If I come up to a green light, I slow down a bit and check in both directions before I cross.

I ride a Honda PCX 125 for last 3yrs and enjoy the simplicity of the scooter, no changing gears, great excelleration and stopping. I am usuall ahead of the traffic and always keep in mind the rear approaching traffic, always looking for the Pizza delivery bike that swirves and dodging slower in control bikes. After all the near misses he causes in his hurry delivery mode, he too waits for the green light...at this point I stop close to him and tell him in hand signs he will someday crash from his driving habbits...raising his helmet cover and saying something in Thai seem that he has no value on his life! I left the red light slowly and he seemed that the urgency on delivery was even GREATER now...yes a near miss occured on his early departure from red to green...wow! Later in week I passed to see his bike jammed under a tourist bus..his Pizza flag on rear of bike confirmed this...aw..another one off the road! To add icing on the cake..I was behind the fellow whom crased, his arm bandaged and road rash show on his Pizza jacket..he road on back of a taxi bike. ...I did not pass this fellow as I knew he would be more up set to see me in that his antics of driving the way he did ended..a cold pizza, his bike wrecked...not sure if insurance covers commercial use ..these fellows do not know the differance...if they did they would slow down and drive like they had a crate of eggs!

The best advise is to drive defensive, I wear full coverage helmet..not a mountain bike helmet...seen a foreigner using one..stupid! I brought with me a ""Xelement Men's Armored Black and Grey Tri-Tex Fabric and Leather Trim Jacket with Level-3 Advanced Armor and Kevlar Protection" from Canada with leather gloves...I wear a dust mask for full protection from bus exhausts....dress for a crash and know this is a war!...always be aware..and focused.

I hope this helps us foreigners in the battle to keep alive while driving...Ron

[coma]

Green light or not. I ALWAYS look left, right, straight ahead then repeat the process continuously until I get safely through any intersection here in Thailand. Assuming you are safe to proceed through a green light can be fatal as is the case here.

RIP to the deceased. And to the criminal that ran the red light, I hope you get the book thrown at you from a great height.

[Andre0720]

Like I always say`:

In Thailand, it is safer to drive through a red light after having looked both ways, than it is driving through a green light without looking.

Now a life was taken because of this nonsense.

RIP.

[Toscano]

My Thai stepdaughter has come to stay with us in Kalasin district for the Songkran Festival holiday . Both she and her husband are civil servants at Bangkok .

Our Son-n-law was unable to take time off for Songkran , he is Registra for births and deaths and expects his services to be much in demand during this holiday period .

[rotary]

I knew several people killed on motorbikes in Thailand, that why I stopped riding mine more than 10 years ago. Just too dangerous in Thailand. RIP