Bangkok traffic: Tougher punishment for "ill-disciplined drivers"

[webfact]

Tougher punishment on road lawbreakers
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Bangkok deputy police chief Pol Maj-General Adul Narongsak will propose to the Transport Ministry that it amend laws to ensure harsher punishments for "ill-disciplined drivers".

Adul said yesterday traffic police would gather traffic details on a daily basis to analyse and improve the city's traffic system in a more integrated manner.

Police would coordinate with the city and Transport Ministry to push through the traffic improvement strategy in 13 key matters including manpower management, road accident studies and law amendment to severely punish traffic violators including "ill-disciplined drivers."


-- The Nation 2013-10-04

[luckylarry]

Sorry but who will teach the police ? they do not know how to drive why should they have never been taught the same as every Thai driver, my Wife was able to pass her Driving Test in the UK it took 60 hours with a Driving School, she moans about Thai Driving every Day, it will not change.

[Thai at Heart]

Ooooooh. What difference does this make if all you have to do is run away to Singapore?

Edited October 3, 2013 by Thai at Heart

[NongKhaiKid]

This would be a good ' cause and effect ' question for university students studying economics.

Q. " What happens when monetary penalties for traffic offences are increased ? "

A. " The bribes sought by the police will go up in line with the official increases ".

[Thait Spot]

Never, never will the boys in brown ever do anything different?

Why work when you can extort?

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[MaxLee]

What exactly does that mean, influential politicians and their "INNOCENT" children XXXX-cluded??

[Tatsujin]

If this is such an issue, simply start enforcing the laws that are already in place (minus any bribery and corruption) . . . job done . . . no need for any new laws.

[sms747]

Need to tackle the source of the problem- get rid of the joke driving test and test people on the roads to western standards as well as a written test on traffic rules.

[54321]

As we all know, laws are useless if the police/judicialmsystem do not enforce them. The road system is rotten to the core,

Poor training

Poor layout

Poor road markings

And poor planing which allows yet another shopping centre to open up with insufficient parking/entry/exit system, leaving 2 full lanes blocked by traffic waiting to enter, and one lane of taxis.

That said, hats off to anyone who tries to improve the system

[gemini81]

tackling ill-disciplined drivers will only leave foreigners who learned driver's safety in their driver's training course on the roads, haha.

[wilcopops]

so does this mean the "tea money" is going to go up?

[noitom]

'Ill-disciplined drivers." The Thai newspaper actually dreams up this trip. It's actually called law breaking with impunity.

[wilcopops]

tackling ill-disciplined drivers will only leave foreigners who learned driver's safety in their driver's training course on the roads, haha.

Some of the worst drivers in Thailand are smug foreigners with a supreriority complex.

[moe666]

I see we have the make Thailand just like the place I ran away from forum here. Someday Thailand will be just like home and then where will you go.

Edited October 4, 2013 by moe666

[robblok]

I see we have the make Thailand just like the place I ran away from forum here. Someday Thailand will be just like home and then where will you go.

Nothing wrong with some road safety as long as they don't over do it. And they have a real long way to go before it ever gets good.

Good thing would be stopping offenders instead of those static traps that don't do a thing for safety. More police cars driving and pulling over dangerous drivers would be a good thing. More traps for motorcycles certainly not (unless of course for real offenses like no tail light or other lights and driving on the wrong side)

[ezzra]

There are already thousands of driving's do's and don't rules and regulation to govern

every aspects of driving situations concerning traffic's laws and regulation here in Thailand,

2 things needed to start with, start in enforce them on a regular bases, seriously and diligently,

and stop with the mi pen rai attitude towards "poor looking drivers" pu yie in their fancy cars,

and treat them equally if they break the traffic laws,

surly there are many many more ways that traffic can be made better, but this is not the

place or the time for it....

[Briggsy]

The cop is probably just getting his name in the papers and trying to pump up financial opportunities, but ultimately Thailand's road fatality and serious injury is so bad, that something must be done.

p.s. not only will the standard bribe go up, but also the official percentage of fines which every police station is allowed to keep will also increase.

[siampolee]

Some of the worst drivers in Thailand are smug foreigners with a superiority complex.

One must ask if you are speaking from your own driving experiences and capabilities or as an observer of foreigners driving habits and abilities ?

Been driving here for all of my 22 years here and in my experience in town and up country the foreign driver tends to be a better balanced driver in a properly maintained vehicle than the locals. This no doubt being due to the fact that if you are as a foreigner involved in a motoring mishap you as a rich foreigner are totally to blame irrespective of the true facts

Edited October 4, 2013 by siampolee

[Tanlic]

My mate God bless him is forever calling Thai drivers morons etc while he contintiously drives,dangerously, well over the speed limit.

As I have told him more than once anyone with half a brain who believes they're so bad would drive more cautiously, but not him.

I quote...."I know exactly what they are going to do before they do it".............

So do I.they are eventually going to inherit road rage from farang and reign terror upon their big heads

Edited October 4, 2013 by Tanlic

[DocN]

yeah....right....

[Dogbreath]

tackling ill-disciplined drivers will only leave foreigners who learned driver's safety in their driver's training course on the roads, haha.

Some of the worst drivers in Thailand are smug foreigners with a supreriority complex.

Right on the money. Woe betide the motorbike rider or car that gets in the way of an entitled or pissed farang at the wheel of his Vigo 4X4 or Fortuner. They make Thai drivers look considerate by comparison.

[sawati]

Bangkok deputy police chief Pol Maj-General Adul Narongsak will propose to the Transport Ministry that it amend laws to ensure harsher punishments for "ill-disciplined drivers".

Mr Maj-General...Please tell me...What do you expect of the drivers if the driving license can be bought ???...No test...No questions asked...

Fernando Alonsos??

[Pib]

...amend laws to ensure harsher punishments for "ill-disciplined drivers".

If they do anything they will just raise fines which will increase police profits. But I know they won't implement jail time requirements because they would first have to build enough jails to hold hundreds of thousands, maybe millions, of "ill-disciplined drivers."

[jaapfries]

Sorry but who will teach the police ? they do not know how to drive why should they have never been taught the same as every Thai driver, my Wife was able to pass her Driving Test in the UK it took 60 hours with a Driving School, she moans about Thai Driving every Day, it will not change.

First of all, the Bangkok Traffic Police Department should ensure "Knowledge of the Law"; it was only a couple of years ago that a survey was taken: a very marge number of active traffic-cops were made to take the 'written-test' as standard for obtaining a driver's license . . . .

68% of these "active Traffic Cops FAILED this very basic & simple test ! ! ! !

They should educate their officers first and THEN start thinking about more sophisticated measures; but at the moment you've got little boys pretending to be doing a 'Man's' work . . . . . . . and OH YEAH; they carry guns: unbelievable ! !

[hellodolly]

My mate God bless him is forever calling Thai drivers morons etc while he contintiously drives,dangerously, well over the speed limit.

As I have told him more than once anyone with half a brain who believes they're so bad would drive more cautiously, but not him.

I quote...."I know exactly what they are going to do before they do it".............

So do I.they are eventually going to inherit road rage from farang and reign terror upon their big heads

I think I know your husband. Always ready for road rage. He could start a school for it.

The only difference I have ever seen was his blood pressure went up.

[upena]

Will this stop the Thai Police from riding their motorcycles on the Sukhumvit Road footpaths?

[hellodolly]

If this is such an issue, simply start enforcing the laws that are already in place (minus any bribery and corruption) . . . job done . . . no need for any new laws.

Disagree there is a need for new laws designed to meet the capabilities of the Asian driver. Seems like how ever long they drive they are still unable to judge where there vehicle will fit in and not fit in. Ever watch them try to turn a corner with 10 feet on each side and no one in 10 feet.

Need to tackle the source of the problem- get rid of the joke driving test and test people on the roads to western standards as well as a written test on traffic rules.

And bring in expensive \Western medical or western triple by pass surgery in a year when we get the time and space for it. Also the western attitude that it is up to them to police the world.

Yes let us make Thailand a ?Western country with their nanniesm.

'Ill-disciplined drivers." The Thai newspaper actually dreams up this trip. It's actually called law breaking with impunity.

I don't think there is a law against driving to slow. This in itself can cause a lot of damage.

I think it is a matter of the westerner learning to accept the Asian driver or just finding another locality to live in.

The infrastructure for the number of vehicles on the road is no where near adequate. This too is a source of problems. Easy to point the finger at people who don't drive like you do.

One other thing they could do is ban bike rentals to foreigners who have never ridden them before coming to Thailand.

There is a lot wrong but from their point of view it is acceptable and it is their country.

My advice is apply any skills you think you have to your own driving and you will not have to rely so much on the Thais changing their way of driving.

[Emdog]

"Tougher punishment"? How about "any"?

[slk350]

last friday i drove my motorbike with 80 kmh in to a pick ub . he was going from the left side lane to the other side of the road ( 4 Lanes ) without looking.

i hit his rear wheel with 80 kmh, bike is a write of ,i am ok not happend much.

Police turned ub ,made the there paint job and ask a few people around there, the driver of the pick ub was fined 500 bath , he had to load my bike on his pick ub

to take it to the police station. i been treatet wery nice as a" falang. "

[scorecard]

Never, never will the boys in brown ever do anything different?

Why work when you can extort?

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

I sometimes wonder if the police (all police) have full knowledge of / and fully understand the underlying principles of

the road laws?

Why?

- My Thai son went to a driving school (a famous one) in Bkk when he was 20 yrs old. On his first visit to the school, he asked:

- Will you also teach me the rules of the road (son is very aware that there are rules - he lived / studied in Singapore and went to a driving school in Singapore for several classroom lessons (rules etc.), but never completed the course).

- Can I buy a book (at the driving school) about the rules of the road, what the traffic signs really mean, etc?

Answer: There is no such thing as the rules of the road, in Thailand or anywhere. You just take care of yourself anyway you can.

Son's response: But I have seen books about this subject in many Thai shops, and in Singapore I ...................

Answer: (Strongly) 'There are no rules so how can we teach you rules if there are no rules'.

Son didn't go back, he searched for another school.

We have two Thai adults in our outer family circle who have accidents continuously.

Both have 'bought' driving licenses, both have fake compulsory insurance documents.

They always have some silly / illogical excuse why they are in the right (when they have accidents).

Example: 'Aunty' drives out from the kerb quite fast, doesn't check to the rear if there's any traffic coming up behind and she smacks into the side of a new car. Aunty is driving a rent-a-car (new car) which was rented to another friend. Aunty borrowed the car when her friend was sleeping, no prior discussion about using the car. Quite some damage to both vehicles.

Result:

- Aunty demands that it's the law of Thailand that you only have to check in your rear view mirrors once a day. All attempts by the police to explain to her that this is wrong and illogical fall on deaf ears and she gets angry with the police because they won't 'help' her.

She calls my son and tells my son that she wants me to call the police and tell them they are wrong. Son says 'no way' (not the first time this has happened) and then she gets abusive to my son - 'why you never help me?'.

- Her friend (the lady who actually rented the car) is being pushed hard to pay around 80,000Baht for the damages to the new rented car, so the friend is now pushing aunty to pay up. Aunty says she doesn't have to pay up because she checked for any traffic before she got into the car (supposedly fulfilling the only need to check 'once a day rule').

And aunty claims that because the car rent company is not Thai they (car rent company) cannot take them to court.

- Owner of the other car now also pushing for damages to her car. Same story from aunty 'I checked for traffic before I got into the car so it's not my problem'.

Different subject - Aunty wants to go to the US for a holiday. Family members regularly bring up the fact that her visa application was rejected (just to stir her up).

Her take on this - 'The Thai government should tell the US embassy they have to issue visas to any Thai person who applies. The US embassy is very rude to say NO, they should be polite to Thai people. Why the Thai government so weak on this?'

However, I am an old man, in my original western country, when I was kid nobody did driving tests for rules or the ability to actually drive. Just pay the small fee, all fixed in 10 minutes.

But In my home country things are very different today, it's all become very professional and rigorous and not all that easy to complete all the steps to getting a license. But can you regularly see people driving dangerously, etc? Yes!

Edited October 4, 2013 by scorecard