Injured Man Dies After Bangkok Cop Tells Ambulance To Move

[NomadJoe]

a policeman rode up on his motorcycle

The surprising thing is that the BiB actually left his air conditioned box to do something about the traffic.

Not to mention the man dying in the middle of the road.

Beautiful buddhists.

I saw a tourist on a motorbike somehow have the front wheel lock up on him in traffic today. A BIB on a bike saw him and pulled over, walked out and helped him get the bike out of traffic. So they aren't all completely lay and thoughtless.

BTW, did anyone else notice the other 2 or 3 ambulances in the video? I thought there was only one victim. If a redundant 3rd or 4th ambulance was blocking the road, then moving was probably the right thing to do. Of course the story isn't being told that way here. There is not much to go on in the video.

[Scott]

<deleted> since when did the police have authority over ambos in a life and death situation? I have attended numerous serious incidents and accidents and we definitely can not give orders to ambo's. An ambulance attending a life threatening situation can park anywhere it bloody well likes as human life takes priority over everything. Who cares if traffic is held up if it saves a life. What the BIB should have been was diverting traffic down another route ( if possible) even if it is 1km back down the road.

I would hate to be in this coppers shoes if it was in Australia as he would be in a pile of poop and facing internal disciplinary action and lets not forget a coronial inquiry where he could be found to have contributed to the death and the civil action that may come after. If it was an Aussie ambo the copper would have been told to pull his head in and to F off.

Why O why do so many expats always quote if this was in my country; it is not.

My apologies I didn't mean to upset anyone. I realise Thailand is not like other countries but does that mean they shouldn't show a certain degree of professionalism and all the emergency services work together for one goal? I love Thailand but it has it's faults. Again my deepest apologies and I request the moderators delete my comments as some have found them upsetting.

Your posts are on topic and will not be deleted. Comparisons to other countries are generally acceptable. An off-topic, troll post by another poster has been deleted, however.

[spidermike007]

<deleted> since when did the police have authority over ambos in a life and death situation? I have attended numerous serious incidents and accidents and we definitely can not give orders to ambo's. An ambulance attending a life threatening situation can park anywhere it bloody well likes as human life takes priority over everything. Who cares if traffic is held up if it saves a life. What the BIB should have been was diverting traffic down another route ( if possible) even if it is 1km back down the road.

I would hate to be in this coppers shoes if it was in Australia as he would be in a pile of poop and facing internal disciplinary action and lets not forget a coronial inquiry where he could be found to have contributed to the death and the civil action that may come after. If it was an Aussie ambo the copper would have been told to pull his head in and to F off.

Are you a Thai policeman or not !

Exactly. The paramedic should have simply said back the ***k off **thc. I am trying a save a life, which is more than you have ever done with your sorry life and career. I have authority over you, as I am handling an emergency situation, and if you have any questions have your boss call my boss. Period. I am not moving, if you want to put a bullet in my head, go right ahead. That is about your only course of action officer, at this moment.

[sausageandmash]

Exactly, the Paramedics should have held their ground. As far as I am aware the Thai language has no words for awareness, logic or common sense.

If the paramedic stood his ground, he would risk a bullet in the head. The paramedic did in fact have common sense.

He moved away as instructed by a crazed policeman with a gun.

What would you do? This is Thailand. Just as the man on the bike who had the accident's life is not worth much. You think that a paramedic who is defying the police has a chance? Think again.

Actually, that's where you're wrong. The policeman would not have shot him for that reason. The publicity would have finished him for killing a paramedic in cold blood. You are over-reacting by saying that. I would have defiantely stood my ground and risked any kind of punishment, but a bullet in the head? Come on, this is Bangkok 2013, not the Vietnam war.

[lee b]

what next? will the cops be giving ambulances tickets for going through red lights???

[peterbkk9]

On the topic of giving way to emergency vehicles which was raised on this thread:

Thai drivers generally don't give way to emergency vehicles.

They are seated comfortably in their vehicles pretending not to hear anything and/or ignoring the sirens.

i have seen this many times and this is a fact.

And no "cultural aspect" can justify this behaviour. Oh you can say "this is thailand" and so on, but the bottom line is that this is simply not acceptable.

The word that comes to my mind: Horrifying. Just horrifying.

Edited June 7, 2013 by peterbkk9

[Scully]

I know an Emergency medical technician, who is basically a young lady who has attended medical college and rides in the ambulance providing emergency medical care to stabalise the patient and then transport to hospital.

The ambulance drives at a speed depending on the severity of the injury, you see ambulances driving slowly with lights flashing, this could be a patient with a broken arm, leg etc meaning non life threatening. Then you will see an ambulance driving in an aggressive manner, jumping red lights and using their horn, this is when drivers should give the ambulance right of way, but as she says many drivers just hog the fast lane without a care in the world.

Back on topic, so what if the traffic was held up, if there was any chance of a life being saved I would have sat in traffic for as long as it took. The BIB should have got in the ambulance and moved it himself after asking what equipment they needed, this sadly needs common sense not power tripping BIB.

[peterbkk9]

<deleted> since when did the police have authority over ambos in a life and death situation? I have attended numerous serious incidents and accidents and we definitely can not give orders to ambo's. An ambulance attending a life threatening situation can park anywhere it bloody well likes as human life takes priority over everything. Who cares if traffic is held up if it saves a life. What the BIB should have been was diverting traffic down another route ( if possible) even if it is 1km back down the road.

I would hate to be in this coppers shoes if it was in Australia as he would be in a pile of poop and facing internal disciplinary action and lets not forget a coronial inquiry where he could be found to have contributed to the death and the civil action that may come after. If it was an Aussie ambo the copper would have been told to pull his head in and to F off.

Why O why do so many expats always quote if this was in my country; it is not.

My apologies I didn't mean to upset anyone. I realise Thailand is not like other countries but does that mean they shouldn't show a certain degree of professionalism and all the emergency services work together for one goal? I love Thailand but it has it's faults. Again my deepest apologies and I request the moderators delete my comments as some have found them upsetting.

As residents in this country we have the right to have our opinion an judgement.

[slapout]

Exactly, the Paramedics should have held their ground. As far as I am aware the Thai language has no words for awareness, logic or common sense.

If the paramedic stood his ground, he would risk a bullet in the head. The paramedic did in fact have common sense.

He moved away as instructed by a crazed policeman with a gun.

What would you do? This is Thailand. Just as the man on the bike who had the accident's life is not worth much. You think that a paramedic who is defying the police has a chance? Think again.

Actually, that's where you're wrong. The policeman would not have shot him for that reason. The publicity would have finished him for killing a paramedic in cold blood. You are over-reacting by saying that. I would have defiantely stood my ground and risked any kind of punishment, but a bullet in the head? Come on, this is Bangkok 2013, not the Vietnam war.

You may want to review the unarmed innocents who have been shot, some killed, in front of witnesses, by policemen, here in Thailand. It may not be the Vietnam war, at least there, both sides were armed to some degree, but there seem to be a lot of want to be rambo's here and quite a few in uniform.

[Noistar]

So who made the call that he was deceased before paramedics arrived, the police? I don't know about Thai police but in Melbourne, Australia we are not qualified to do so and would be in a pile of trouble if we did so. When I attend a fatal and can clearly see that a person is deceased all we are permitted to say is the person is they are unconscious and no pulse. The victim is still classified as critical until ambos/paramedics have attended and determined his status as otherwise. The ambo's are definitely not to be obstructed in anyway and have authority over Police in such an incident. There is understanding between the emergency services (police/fire/ambos) and all have a very clear understanding of each others protocols and procedures as there are constant exercises to enforce this.

It is a whole different world in Thailand. Personally I think this Maj-General Worasak Noppasittiporn is trying to save face and cover up the incompetence of his staff by going after the paramedic who was only trying to do his job to the best of his ability.

I understood that 'Fire and Rescue' were the number 1 to make the scene safe. Once they confirmed it was safe, the Ambulance crews could attend to casualties. The role of the Police was to stop anybody encroaching and risking their safety.

[JeezeLooeze]

UPDATE:

Deputy chief rejects rescue worker's viral video

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Metropolitan Police deputy chief Pol Maj-General Worasak Noppasittiporn said yesterday he wants to file charges against a rescue worker who posted a video on Facebook that alleges Min Buri traffic police told a medic team to clear out as they tried to revive a victim of a fatal motorcycle wreck.

Taking to his own Facebook page, Worasak said the male victim was dead before the rescue team arrived.

The viral video clip that was posted on the rescue team's Facebook page also used fake pictures and inappropriate language, the deputy chief said.

According to police evidence and photos from other eyewitnesses, traffic police had asked the ambulance to move because it was blocking traffic. The request caused the medic to be upset and scold the officers. The video clip and comments were posted in retaliation, Worasak said.

Worasak said he has ordered officials to gather more evidence, posts and pictures and to proceed with legal action against the suspect for obstructing traffic, violating police instructions, insulting an officer and posting false and tarnishing comments online.

He also offered condolences to the family of the motorcyclist who died from a head injury after crashing his bike into a power pole on Rom Klao Rd.

-- The Nation 2013-06-07

I think The Nation should have researched the original claim from that Facebook user to get the facts before reporting a totally erroneous story to start with. That many users on this forum took that story at face value and formed their own conclusions, is telling how easily people fall for misinformation. The facts are the person who died had already been treated by another ambulance team but they could not save him. The ambulance from which the video was taken arrived after the accident victim had already died and their vehicle was blocking traffic. The policeman did his duty to clear the road as there was nothing more that could be done for the dead man. It is not uncommon for a number of separate voluntary ambulance organisations, who operate independantly of each other, to arrive at the same accident scene.

Edited June 9, 2013 by JeezeLooeze

[Farangdam]

he just following superior order..

[chooka]

UPDATE:

Deputy chief rejects rescue worker's viral video

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Metropolitan Police deputy chief Pol Maj-General Worasak Noppasittiporn said yesterday he wants to file charges against a rescue worker who posted a video on Facebook that alleges Min Buri traffic police told a medic team to clear out as they tried to revive a victim of a fatal motorcycle wreck.

Taking to his own Facebook page, Worasak said the male victim was dead before the rescue team arrived.

The viral video clip that was posted on the rescue team's Facebook page also used fake pictures and inappropriate language, the deputy chief said.

According to police evidence and photos from other eyewitnesses, traffic police had asked the ambulance to move because it was blocking traffic. The request caused the medic to be upset and scold the officers. The video clip and comments were posted in retaliation, Worasak said.

Worasak said he has ordered officials to gather more evidence, posts and pictures and to proceed with legal action against the suspect for obstructing traffic, violating police instructions, insulting an officer and posting false and tarnishing comments online.

He also offered condolences to the family of the motorcyclist who died from a head injury after crashing his bike into a power pole on Rom Klao Rd.

-- The Nation 2013-06-07

I think The Nation should have researched the original claim from that Facebook user to get the facts before reporting a totally erroneous story to start with. That many users on this forum took that story at face value and formed their own conclusions, is telling how easily people fall for misinformation. The facts are the person who died had already been treated by another ambulance team but they could not save him. The ambulance from which the video was taken arrived after the accident victim had already died and their vehicle was blocking traffic. The policeman did his duty to clear the road as there was nothing more that could be done for the dead man. It is not uncommon for a number of separate voluntary ambulance organisations, who operate independantly of each other, to arrive at the same accident scene.

Could you p.m me a link to the story that you describe, I would be very interested to read it. Thanks.

[Italian guy]

Ambulances should be built on tanks and should be allowed to run over and crash all the vehicles that don't give way!

[gemini81]

On the topic of giving way to emergency vehicles which was raised on this thread:

Thai drivers generally don't give way to emergency vehicles.

They are seated comfortably in their vehicles pretending not to hear anything and/or ignoring the sirens.

i have seen this many times and this is a fact.

And no "cultural aspect" can justify this behaviour. Oh you can say "this is thailand" and so on, but the bottom line is that this is simply not acceptable.

The word that comes to my mind: Horrifying. Just horrifying.

I rarely see the ambulances even honk the horn. I honk my horn incessantly at bad drivers, & I'm in a Honda, not a rescue/emergency vehicle!

[BeforeTigers]

... and once again I say, never move to Thailand, or you will die.

When I first moved here I saw this guy get his chest blown open by an exploding gas container. He was bleeding out right there in front of my office. I jumped into lifeguard mode and simultaneously tried to instruct his friend on first aid while also arranging for a ride in a neighbor's truck... I swear on my life, the friend looked me in the eye and waved me off while literally a dozen other people just stood there and did absolutely nothing. No ambulance was called. Nothing was done to stop the bleeding. I eventually organized the truck and a makeshift stretcher just to see the guy check out right there in front of me.

I dont know if it's Buddhism, or a general lack of faith in infrastructure or what. But from that day I knew for sure, gawd forbid I ever find myself bleeding on the street with nothing but Thais around me.

Footnote: I didn't get a single acknowledgement for at least trying to do something .. but at least I now know for certain how I react in an emergency.

Rather than try to instruct someone else on 1st aid, why not just do it yourself. Basically you didn't do anything either

(not that anything you wrote is true in the 1st place)

Troll much?

I can only imagine what sort of motive you think I would have for making up a story like that. I did not.

On any other chat board this is the part where I would tear into you, insult your intelligence, point out that you clearly have no idea what you're talking about; the logical deduction being that you have never actually been in an emergency situation like that and that you probably live the sort of non-eventful life that would irritate a person to the point of going after strangers to insult them when they talk about trying to help people...

but in this case I'll just let you know that that was really ----ing cold. If you'd ever been in that situation and took a little pride in handling yourself well under pressure you might know how incredibly insulting it is for some douchebag troll to come on and say you "didn't do anything".

Side note:

I tried to explain in my post that I thought it was a cultural thing that seemed to cause the Thai people around me to act so non-chalant in an emergency. I certainly didn't mean to say that Thais are bad people in general.... especially since half the people there were my coworkers whom know to be generous and caring individuals.

[BeforeTigers]

While I agree, in general, with most of the negative comments here in regards to BiB and Thai people, there are exceptions.

1) About 3 years ago I had a woman come flying out of a little Tesco parking lot, trying to beat oncoming traffic. She hit the front of my bike and sent me flying. Broke my right shoulder. BUT...she immediately hit the breaks, leaving her car blocking traffic, and was on her mobile even before she was out of her car and running to see if I was ok. Cop Shop was only 100 meters away, so they were there quickly. She told the cops to help me into her car, and then she personally drove me to the hospital. The one where she works as a nurse. She even admitted to the cops in their report that it was her fault, and agreed to pay for all damages.

2) About a year ago my wife and I were in the car. We saw an idiot run a red light, slam into a motorbike, and then just keep going. The force of the impact knocked the drive over to the side of the road. No helmet, naturally. I'm a 20 year vet of U.S. Marines, most of that in Recon, and later I became a certified EMT. To my wife's horror and fear, I pulled over, jumped out and went to try and help, as everyone else was merely slowing down to get a look, then moving on. I administered CPR, then concentrated on stopping the blood flow from a gaping wound in his side, and bandaged his head with my own shirt. All of this before the first BiB even made an appearance. When they ordered me away from the man my wife, to her credit, yelled at them to leave me alone, and that I was a doctor in my country. A lie, but it worked. Emergency vehicle finally arrives, rushes him to the hospital. Next day me and wife to go visit. His family treated me like a god, saying that the doctors told her that without the treatment he received at the scene of the accident, he would have died. A few days later dam_n near his entire family showed up at our house with gifts, asking if they could do the water merit ceremony of pouring water over my hands to bless me.

So, as I said, in general I agree with many of the negative comments, but I've also had 2 very good experiences that turned out on he positive side.

That was awesome.

Well done man.