Thailand Live Saturday 12 October 2024

[webfact]

Norwegian national killed in motorbike accident in Thailand
BY ANDERS HOLM NIELSEN

BANGKOK: -- A Norwegian man in his late 40’s was killed in a traffic accident in Thailand on Sunday, according to the post Hadeland.

The man is originally from Vestra Gran in Norway but is living in Chiang Mai in Thailand.

”The embassy in Bangkok has been informed of the accident and the family has been informed as well,” says Weslemøy Lothe Salvesen from the Norwegian Foreign Ministry.

Reports say that the Norwegian national was on a motorbike trip with friends when the accident happened.

“We have been told that he collided with a truck and died almost instantly,” says Kenneth Olsen Karlsen who is a representative for the family in Norway to Norwegian post Hadeland.

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

-- ScandAsia 2013-05-14

[lee b]

Another wasted life on the roads !

[laurentbkk]

RIP . nothing to ad ..... for now

[LuckyLew]

faulty brakes no doubt

RIP

[wobblyjohn]

I would expect excessive speed played a big part to his demise

but anyway RIP

[ataloss]

^ Any number of events can come together to do any of us in; especially and unfortunately, those of us riding motorcycles.

[Pikey]

The victim was a close friend and I know exactly what happened but don't feel it's right to say here. Please <deleted> and keep your useless speculations to yourselves. Friends and family read this and find your cr*p offensive.

RIP mate. I know it's a cliche but at least he died doing something he loved. Gone but never forgotten.

Pikey.

Edited May 14, 2013 by Pikey

[EyesWideOpen]

Well said Pikey.........Rest in peace fellow rider. :-(

[johnlandy]

RIP . nothing to ad ..... for now

When you have well over 20K killed on the roads every year the law of averages would suggest that some will be non-ethnics.

[belg]

motorbike aka donorbike

RIP

[Billy The Kid]

RIP to the Norwegian, I never will hire or buy Motorbike in Thailand, The motorbike accident statics in Thailnd is so high. Why take the risk. Ok for those who are an expert.

[VocalNeal]

I never will hire or buy Motorbike in Thailand, The motorbike accident statics in Thailnd is so high. Why take the risk. Ok for those who are an expert.

Some people don't Sky Dive.

As Pikey said at least he was doing something that he enjoyed and not sitting around being careful only to expire from boredom.

[Andre0720]

The victim was a close friend and I know exactly what happened but don't feel it's right to say here. Please <deleted> and keep your useless speculations to yourselves. Friends and family read this and find your cr*p offensive.

RIP mate. I know it's a cliche but at least he died doing something he loved. Gone but never forgotten.

Pikey.

Thanks for your post.

So we know this guy had friends who will miss him.

But you have a nice opportunity now to suppress useless speculations....

Please.....

[galoubet]

RIP to the Norwegian, I never will hire or buy Motorbike in Thailand, The motorbike accident statics in Thailnd is so high. Why take the risk. Ok for those who are an expert.

Even "experts" get killed. Kevin Ash the motorbike correspondent of the Daily Telegraph, killed in South Africa this year while testing a new BMW bike, was about as expert as they come. I've been riding bikes for 50 years and the only two accidents I've had involving other vehicles (not counting dropping my bike on a wet or icy road) were in the UK. The first when a car turned right suddenly in front of my path in 1967 and the second 9 years ago when a car drove right up my rear at speed whilst I was stopped at a red light in London. If I hadn't been wearing full protective gear both collisions could have resulted in serious injury. Nowadays I do most of my biking in France or Thailand and always covered head to foot in protection.

I don't find Thailand particularly dangerous. There are mad drivers everywhere. At least in Thailand the standard of driving is consistently abysmal so there are no unpleasant surprises. You just have to think ahead and avoid dangerous situations if you can. Experience helps but it's not fool proof.

[harrymand]

RIP fellow Norwegian and rider. I don't feel safe riding a big bike here. A few weeks ago, a pick-up wait for me to pass him on the right line. He then turn hard to the right. I see his face in the mirror of the car before he make the turn, and I had a "feeling" of what he was up to! I hit the brake, but he hit my front weel. I did not fall of, but it was close!

[Jane Doe]

RIP.

You can be the best driver - accidents happen.

Thailand is surely more dangerous than other countries, but that can not stop me from riding. Just a bit more careful though...

[Globeman]

RIP to the Norwegian, I never will hire or buy Motorbike in Thailand, The motorbike accident statics in Thailnd is so high. Why take the risk. Ok for those who are an expert.

Nowadays I do most of my biking in France or Thailand and always covered head to foot in protection.

I don't find Thailand particularly dangerous. There are mad drivers everywhere. At least in Thailand the standard of driving is consistently abysmal so there are no unpleasant surprises. You just have to think ahead and avoid dangerous situations if you can. Experience helps but it's not fool proof.

I agree...It isn't as dangerous as it might seem - as long as you learn properly and get kitted out in protective gear. A very large number of the motorcyclists killed in Thailand have no idea what they are doing, how to drive defensively, how to brake effectively, not to run red lights, race on the public streets, etc. At least here, car drivers are expecting to see motorbikes. In a country like Canada or the US, even when there is one looming in their rear view, they don't see it because they are scanning for cars.

I am not saying that the poor Norwegian chap was one of these incompetents, because it can happen to any rider, but just that so many of the "statistics" are due to non-existent driver training and poor or no rider judgment.

[Jean Pierre Jacquot]

For once the usual stereotype - on a holiday, just rented a bike, intoxicated and late night - does not come into force at least for this accident.

He was wearing full protective wear, a seasoned driver, it happened in the morning so hardly not intoxicated especially as there is no all night time entertainment where it happened. He made just a mistake of appreciation of the curve ahead of him, a moment of being not mindful and crash. That's how it can go when riding a bike. One mistake and you pay with life, may happen to a new rider more easily but can happen as well to a guy having rode bikes for long time.

Be careful when riding your bike out there!

[kimamey]

RIP fellow Norwegian and rider. I don't feel safe riding a big bike here. A few weeks ago, a pick-up wait for me to pass him on the right line. He then turn hard to the right. I see his face in the mirror of the car before he make the turn, and I had a "feeling" of what he was up to! I hit the brake, but he hit my front weel. I did not fall of, but it was close!

RIP to this guy. I don't know the circumstances but it seems like he was no idiot when it comes to bikes.

Reading your post go me thinking but I'm not sure exactly what you mean but it looks very similar to something that's happened to me on a few occasions except I'm not the one on a bike.

If I'm reading it right the pick up turned right into your path as your went past him on the right. Was he indicating that he was turning right? The reason I ask is because the entrance to my driveway is on the right and is not very clear plus it is slightly more than a right angle so I need to keep to the left to make the turn. It's a not very wide rural road. On a few occasions I've indicated that I intend to turn right as there is a bike behind me which then speeds past me. Members of my family have seen this and think it's crazy. It's happened to my Thai brother in law and to a English friend as well. In that case there were 2 cars as both my friends turned up at the same time and the one in front couldn't see the bike which was behind the second car.

So far there's been no accident but I'm certain there will be at some time. I don't know if this is the same as the experience you were describing but I would like to know if this is normal as I'm sure there will be a death or injury at some point even though I'm aware of this now and I'm ready for it.

Sorry if this is a bit off topic but I felt it was important.

[snowflake]

RIP to a fellow Norwegian.

[Just1Voice]

I'm 64, been riding bikes since I was 10. Did some dirt track racing for a couple of years for fun. I've had mostly "crotch rockets" since I was 16. I've had a total of 2 accidents on the road, and BOTH have been in Thailand. First was a guy who shot out of a small, blind soi, clipped my rear tire and then smashed into a couple of there cars. Middle of the day and the guy was stone drunk. Walked away from that due to full body gear.. Second was about 3 months ago. On my CBR 250, in the motorbike lane doing about 60, not in a hurry, coming home from a nice ride, only 3 klm from my house. Long bed truck just ahead of me suddenly hit his breaks and jerked the wheel to the left to turn into a small company entrance. Even with ABS, no time to stop. Lay it down or take it into the ditch. Took the second option. Few minor scratches to the bike, I was fine.

I consider myself as a damn good, and extremely safe driver on a bike, especially the bigger ones, but I am constantly on alert for the idiots around me, and here in LOS, they are everywhere. In the 5 years I've been here, I've had more "close calls" than I have had in my entire life before moving here. People who have never ridden big bikes, and can only talk crap about those who do, have no idea of the sheer joy that it can be, or the feeling of freedom that it gives you. Two years ago I took two weeks for a trip from Chiang Mai, to Phitsanulok, to Khon Kaen, to Udon Thani, to Roi Et, to Ubon, to Sara Buri, up to Nakon Sawan, and finally back to CM. Most fun I've had since I've been here.

Pikey, I am truly sorry for the loss of your friend. And even though I never knew him, as a fellow biker, he was also mine.

Edited May 14, 2013 by Just1Voice

[finnomick1]

here here Pikey

[BrianCR]

Total nutter on a motorcycle....lets blame the Thai's

[brfsa2]

Driving in Thailand is so dangerous, you need to drive in a way that the car drivers and other bikers can see you...

There are the good and bad spots to be driving, the good spots you are far and visible, and allows you to break on time according to your speed.

Bad spots are when you are invisible to the car drivers mirrors or other bikes, and too close to them break on time or get out of the way in a dangerous situation.

It's all about experience and caution.

Edited May 14, 2013 by Boo
removed deleted quoted post & fb link

[01322521959]

RIP to the Norwegian, I never will hire or buy Motorbike in Thailand, The motorbike accident statics in Thailnd is so high. Why take the risk. Ok for those who are an expert.

Had to take a taxi the other day, almost drove me crazy! Every time I press the starter on my bike the fun kicks in. Got a mate like you, won't get on the back of my bike, but happily jumps on the taxi motorbike, they can't ride to save their life. You be careful crossing the road, won't you.

[01322521959]

Total nutter on a motorcycle....lets blame the Thai's

You would if you were a bike rider. No life savers before turning left or any maneuver for that matter, never look behind before pulling away, clutching in when turning a corner, forgetting that their indicator is on, total c#*p riders each and every one of them IMHO.

[jalansanitwong]

A Russian was cut clean in half in pattaya the other day in a bike accident. I dont know why people ride bikes here. Too risky regardless ofones level of experience. If i ever buy a vehicle here (unlikely) it will be an ex Thai army Landrover. A Jap car or bike slammimg into that will disintegrate. landrover?......."tis but a scratch "

[harrymand]

RIP fellow Norwegian and rider. I don't feel safe riding a big bike here. A few weeks ago, a pick-up wait for me to pass him on the right line. He then turn hard to the right. I see his face in the mirror of the car before he make the turn, and I had a "feeling" of what he was up to! I hit the brake, but he hit my front weel. I did not fall of, but it was close!

RIP to this guy. I don't know the circumstances but it seems like he was no idiot when it comes to bikes.

Reading your post go me thinking but I'm not sure exactly what you mean but it looks very similar to something that's happened to me on a few occasions except I'm not the one on a bike.

If I'm reading it right the pick up turned right into your path as your went past him on the right. Was he indicating that he was turning right? The reason I ask is because the entrance to my driveway is on the right and is not very clear plus it is slightly more than a right angle so I need to keep to the left to make the turn. It's a not very wide rural road. On a few occasions I've indicated that I intend to turn right as there is a bike behind me which then speeds past me. Members of my family have seen this and think it's crazy. It's happened to my Thai brother in law and to a English friend as well. In that case there were 2 cars as both my friends turned up at the same time and the one in front couldn't see the bike which was behind the second car.

So far there's been no accident but I'm certain there will be at some time. I don't know if this is the same as the experience you were describing but I would like to know if this is normal as I'm sure there will be a death or injury at some point even though I'm aware of this now and I'm ready for it.

Sorry if this is a bit off topic but I felt it was important.

This driver try to get me killed for sure. The left turn before this, he cut in to the left and was just a few inches from my right handle. There is a lot that don't like big bikes, here as well in our countrys. But here they can kill you and get away with it!

When the locals want to turn right, most of them stay on the left side, and then, they make the turn. Some time I also do this, because I feel the traffic be to heavy to stay in the middle of the road waiting for all the crazy f.. pass you on the inside and outside of you!