Don't Stop for an Accident!

[richard_smith237]

My take-away: With a dash cam you don't have to compromise your values.

Correct: In a nutshell !!

However, the same paranoid posters will find some other excuse to let their inhumanity, paranoia, self-centredness and selfishness shine through.

[Bangkokhatter]

It seems the prevailing attitude of Thais, is as outlined by another poster, that "the accident would never have happened if the falang hadn't been there" Scarey isn't it ?

Not scary, the word i would use is Bullshxt.

[sirchai]

Your wife and sister-in-law absolutely correct. Police will also embezzle you too. Unless you got the whole thing on video that proves your not involved and just being a good samaritan, never stop.

Which is your own personal opinion,-

[sirchai]

Some Thai bar girls 20 years ago have advised me that using a condom isn't necessary and that they'd love me too much. They were liars.-

Edited November 2, 2013 by sirchai

[BlackJack]

in some countries its common to fake an accident and then rob the do gooders for stopping and helping

i am surprised that the Thai's havent caught onto this scam yet -

if someone has an accident I would do the right thing and make a call so that the professionals can handle the situation

[davofromoz]

Just the other day a dog walked right in front of my motorcycle and caused me to skid 30m stopping just in front of truck. Minor injuries to myself and my bike.

The cafe worker that owned the dog came to patch me up and made sure I was ok then said I should discuss some money with owner of the cafe and dog. I didnt bother.

I'm glad there was someone (Thai) that stopped and helped me out. Plenty of others that liked to watch.

Thais always seem to be there to help, to what extent......but some help is better than none

[chrissables]

A few months ago three students on a motorcycle pulled out of Dowroong school with no helmets headed towards Chalong with no helmets on, the driver was weaving around in the road and I thought this was accident ready to happen, sure enough the bike went out of control and knocked down two other motorcycles, one with a mother holding an infant, there were lots of scrapes and bruises, this was across from the small Lotus center where I was going to shop, I parked at Lotus, walked across the road and shamed the 3 idiots who caused the accident.

So no helmets was the cause of the accident? How do you know you shamed them? Did they tell you?

[uptheos]

Actually the same with giving to charities.

A few years ago gave some baht to the blind man singing while being led by his wife. Then watched as they walked down the road, got into their own tuk tuk and he drove off.

So not a baht more to anyone.

Amazing how becoming more Thai makes you a more selfish, uncaring person.

Odd that, eh.

You've been here 5 minutes and now more Thai

Every single post from you is designed to portray Thai's at their worst........did she take you for a bundle?

Get over it!

Edited November 2, 2013 by uptheos

[Baerboxer]

Why would you care about a random stranger on the road?

Maybe because he's a decent human being ?

[evadgib]

I've stopped to help a few times, no problem, at least, not for me. (Once I did not, there were lots of people around, and the "victim" was stupid.)

On the other hand, just came up to my room after having a conversation with a Thai friend whose "farang" friend had court today.

Seems he was scootering along on Koh Chang, sometime back. Minding his own business. A Thai on a scooter whizzed by, rear-ended a pickup. Go boom. Pickup keeps going. Kind farang stops to lend aid, but guy is toast.

Long story short, mother of DOA demands 200k. Cheap son.

Cops arrest farang. Farang says no. Today in court, mom says, okay, I'll walk away for 25,000. Farang pays.

Moral of story: well, you decide for yourself.

Moral of story: Dashcams cost less than 10% of the extorted fee quoted above. IMO anyone living here should have one inc bike riders.

Edited November 2, 2013 by evadgib

[dao16]

For those who want to be heroes, go for it. I wouldn't stop. Have seen too many things here when it comes to accidents. You may not get worked over, but you might. Also, the most I have ever seen Thais do at an accident scene is stare and point. Seen people bleeding, unconscious or with broken limbs and in pain....all the same...the group comes around and goes "tsk tsk" until the police or the ambulances show up. My involvement in the ritual is unnecessary.

I sometimes thing people should walk around with some sort of tattoo on the forehead... something to distinguish them from the crowd...

i.e. decent, considerate and caring people could have one code (i.e. DCC)

and another personality type: i.e. Selfish, Self-centred, Paranoid (SSP)

This way we know who to ignore and let die in pain when / if they are involved in an accident and we stop to help...

This country really needs a 'Good Samaritan' Law.... and some people really need to think about who they are and whether they really like what they have become.

Well, I might add a caveat and say that I MIGHT stop in some circumstances, like when there were really no people around and the person really seemed to need help. How often does that happen? I am in the countryside, but there are always people around and I would rather leave it to the Thais and avoid a situation. This doesn't just go for accidents. There are some things here that are better left to the locals, accidents being one of them.

Generally, in Aisa, getting involved in this kind of stuff is not a good idea. Go on your way and have your adventures as you like.

[evadgib]

A few months ago three students on a motorcycle pulled out of Dowroong school with no helmets headed towards Chalong with no helmets on, the driver was weaving around in the road and I thought this was accident ready to happen, sure enough the bike went out of control and knocked down two other motorcycles, one with a mother holding an infant, there were lots of scrapes and bruises, this was across from the small Lotus center where I was going to shop, I parked at Lotus, walked across the road and shamed the 3 idiots who caused the accident.

What did you say to the mother with the 'airbag'?

[donniereadit]

Saw someone go down on a motorbike in CM right there while walking on sidewalk. I got into the street and helped pick up the bike and keep traffic away in time.

No thank you or anything, just acted like I was invisible. Then she went over and had words with the other bike involved (who remained on her bike like it was no big deal).

Some Thai guy standing there watching not doing anything. Seemed weird so I just walked off.

[Benmart]

Why would you care about a random stranger on the road?

Why not? You are a stranger and I would stop and render aid.

[lovelomsak]

The other day I was going home with the wife in our car. I signalled a right turn and when at our intersection I checked to see no one was beside us and stared my turn. Just as I stared the turn a young girl on a Honda wave at a high speed started to pass me on the right side,I immediately t runed back to the left . The young girl went past my car out of control and drove into the bushes. We then pulled up beside her and the wife ask if she was ok. She reples she was ok. So we went home. 10 minutes later a woman on a motorcycle came to the neighbours house and ask the neighbour to be a witness when came to our house to talk. My wife went out to talk to them. The woman on the motorcycle wanted to know if I was alone in the car or the wife was with me when the young girl drove into the bushes. The wife told them she was with me and what happened and staied that if I hadnot turn left as soon as I did it would have been a serious accident and I probably saved the girls life. They ask why did we not stop to help the wife told them we stopped and ask if she was ok and she said yes sio we left. They werenot happy but they left. I felt the woman on the motorcycle wanted to set me up for the fall guy but couldnot. andfeel we did the right thing not to stay and become involved.

Edited November 2, 2013 by metisdead
Underscore removed.

[Dave Phuket Sisaket]

While I think it is naive to think farang don't get stitched up from time to time, I think the reality is that it is more rare than people fear. A friend of mine who has had a business renting big bikes in Phuket (Arguably one of the more corrupt places here), for almost a decade now, told me that in all of his experiences with his customers crashing the police were always fair. He said that contrary to popular belief, if the Thai was at fault they or their insurance always ended up paying. He said he has never seen his customers squeezed even when there were no witnesses. I was obviously surprised because I have heard horror stories similar to above, but it is always "a friend of a friend"

[Baerboxer]

Your wife and sister-in-law absolutely correct. Police will also embezzle you too. Unless you got the whole thing on video that proves your not involved and just being a good samaritan, never stop.

Bull crap! I have had two accidents in Thailand one my fault as posted earlier and one that was not my fault. I was stuck in traffic at a light and a Thai on a motorbike hit the side of my truck. I didn't even know what happened just a big thump. I look behind me and see the guy on the motorcycle on the ground. I pull to the side and get out. Me and my wife go check on the guy and you can smell the whiskey. Police show up asked what happened we tell him the guy hit us.

Guess the guy was thinking since I was an ex-pat pay day for him. He starts with who is going to pay to fix his bike, my wife starts saying to him who is going to pay to fix our truck! The cop asked my wife what we want to do, my wife said she didn't know yet. The guy kept saying about his bike and who is going to fix so then my wife yells at him about being drunk and maybe she should have the police check him. The police agreed with my wife, do you want to push things or just walk away, the guy figured out no money for him better shut up before he ends up in jail. He only damaged the hubcap on the truck so it was no big deal for us. So don't believe the police are out to get you all the time. I know several good police. I even had one I tired to bribe and he would not take the money insisted I be given a ticket. I have had some issues with employees stealing from me and the police did their job with one phone call.

Agree with you Eric. I've only had one accident. I was exiting a taxi and a motor cyclist tried to undertake it. I clobbered his knee and bike with the door. His forward momentum made it worse, really pushing the thin side of door hard on his knee. The taxi driver and I got out and the taxi driver told him it was his fault, that he shouldn't undertake like that and try and squeeze between the car and kerbside. The guy get rubbing his knee and said he would need to go to his doctor and moaning about the scratches on his bike. The taxi driver, one of my locals, gave his a couple of hundred baht and told him to be more careful whilst signalling me to walk off to the BTS, where I was going. Nobody got nasty, and once the injured guy got some money he was back on his bike and off.

Sometimes, as a foreigner in any country, it's best to keep quiet and see what happens.

I've stopped and helped at a number of accidents in Europe. My wife and her family tell me not to do it here - better not to get involved. Sadly, that not getting involved attitude seems to prevail in Asian countries. Saw the same in India and China.

[Benmart]

Saw someone go down on a motorbike in CM right there while walking on sidewalk. I got into the street and helped pick up the bike and keep traffic away in time.

No thank you or anything, just acted like I was invisible. Then she went over and had words with the other bike involved (who remained on her bike like it was no big deal).

Some Thai guy standing there watching not doing anything. Seemed weird so I just walked off.

People that are traumatized often act oddly. I have responded to many accidents in the US and the actions of passerbys, participants and others is perplexing at times. Some people are in denial that they have been in an accident and are injured, some are embarrassed, some are confused and scared. Some withouth licenses, lie or run off. Others babble non-stop and some won't utter a peep.

Bystanders sometimes are helpful and some stand there like zombies, unable to move if their life were depended on it. Some won't or can't get involved due to language, ethical or legal reasons.

Some gush with thanks and others walk off as if they were alone on the planet. I took it in stride and did what needed doing. The sun came up the next day and life went on.

[nsimmons]

My girlfriend told me the same thing, but I found it hard to believe, she assured me, even if I arrived after the accident, I could easily "become involved" and even be accused of causing it.

I remained very dubious, until one day driving my new Ford Escape past the Temple on the big bend in Karon,

as I went around the bend, a scooter darted out from my right. I had to steer a tad more left and thought I may have touched another vehicle parked on the bend out in the traffic (double parked sort of). I stopped, and suddenly there were

about six Thais screaming at me, there was no damage to my car, so how could I have damaged theirs?. I was in a hurry so offered 2,000bht just to get out of there. More screaming so raised it to 5,000bht, and someone said no 10,000bht, which was totally insane. I said no, and told one of them that was in my face to Fu7%k off. They pointed to a bit of white paint on their black truck, and as I wiped it with my fingers, to see if it would come off, a punch was thrown, and at 53yo, I was suddenly in a small brawl! One kid with sort of orange hair joined in and a threw a punch, and I think he was just passing by!?

I ended up on my knees fending off a few of them.

Finally the police came and we all had to go to the Karon Police station. The cop was very cold and suspicious and was listening to "both sides", and not very friendly or helpful. Later, he pulled me aside and was suddenly very nice and said he had seen the camera footage (apparently there is a camera on that bend, thank goodness) but would not show me the tape, as it was suddenly not working properly!? In a separate room, he admitted that everything I had told him was true, and the others had lied totally. He said I could charge a few of them with assault, and maybe send some to jail. He then said "but do you want enemies outside the jail?" He told me some were local mafia, and let me come to the conclusion that is was bettter to "let it go". Finally it cost me 2,000bht (and I still don't know why).

My girlfriend and some of my long time friends in Phuket, said they would not have stopped and (maybe) driven to a police station. My biggest mistake was stopping, the second one was not staying silent and immediately calling my girlfriend to sort it out. I still find it hard to believe that a Good Samaritan can turn quickly into the victim, but my girlfriend was right. Don't stop at an accident coz you are seen as a "rich farang", and can suddenly be the victim, especially if you run into the wrong Thais.

The saddest part of it all, is that it has tainted my view that this is the "land of smiles filled with happy people that all get along". I was naive, I now look at a 25yo Thai guy far differently than I used to. I now realize a lot of us are probably hated (we come here and have sex with their women etc) and there may be some very violent resentment just under the surface. Sad but true ; (

Good luck to us all...

NS

[thousandpercent]

Why would you care about a random stranger on the road?

The next time it could be my son. I hope someone cares about him.

[uptheos]

The other day I was going home with the wife in our car. I signalled a right turn and when at our intersection I checked to see no one was beside us and stared my turn. Just as I stared the turn a young girl on a Honda wave at a high speed started to pass me on the right side,I immediately t runed back to the left . The young girl went past my car out of control and drove into the bushes. We then pulled up beside her and the wife ask if she was ok. She reples she was ok. So we went home. 10 minutes later a woman on a motorcycle came to the neighbours house and ask the neighbour to be a witness when came to our house to talk. My wife went out to talk to them. The woman on the motorcycle wanted to know if I was alone in the car or the wife was with me when the young girl drove into the bushes. The wife told them she was with me and what happened and staied that if I hadnot turn left as soon as I did it would have been a serious accident and I probably saved the girls life. They ask why did we not stop to help the wife told them we stopped and ask if she was ok and she said yes sio we left. They werenot happy but they left. I felt the woman on the motorcycle wanted to set me up for the fall guy but couldnot. andfeel we did the right thing not to stay and become involved.

Not sure why it's necessary to underline everything?

Well, at least you did a good thing and stopped to check the girl out and having stopped, if she was injured I don't think you're the type of person who would hastily drive away. Sounds as if someone was looking for a buck and must have followed you and I have no delusions these people exist. But I still say you did the right thing in stopping to check the girl out.

[Bluetongue]

My only other accident in Thailand is much more recent. I was driving the Toyota Hi-Lux to Soi Dao one night about 7.30. I was taking a twelve month old baby to hospital as he had been bitten on his face by a dog. No it was not a gory bite in fact you could not see broken skin. Thais get very excited by even small injuries to babies and generally speaking any health event, and who am I to argue about going to hospital. In fact I have found the easiest method of dealing with it is to acquiesce. But I had drunk a couple of beers. I am the only person in our compound with a driving license, well my wife has one but she only drives automatic cars, her displays with the manual farm ute have not given me any confidence.

There was me driving, the baby's father in the front passenger seat, his mother, grandmother and auntie in the back and one of them was nursing the baby. We had crested a hill and were following a long curve around to the left. It tightens up right at the end. There were no streetlights and it is a two lane road, one in either direction. It is not entirely smooth. I was totally in my lane as the curve tightened a single light appeared coming straight at the middle of the vehicle. I could have swerved left or right but chose right as there was no other oncoming traffic and a violent swerve left would probably have put me off the road. There was an impact however on the left side of the vehicle and I pulled up rapidly. We could not see anything behind us in the dark. So I did a 3 point turn and pointed the headlights at the scene, also parking the car at the edge of the road facing in the wrong direction. There was a motorcycle in a ditch and a person also.

We got out and Dahm, that is the baby's father was already phoning the emergency number, he works sometimes for the village police (not real police but uniformed and community oriented, provide services such as traffic control at village events) so he must have known the number. We helped the man out of the ditch, there did not seem to be any serious injuries but there were visible abrasions to his legs. He had no helmet on of course. He was also blind, rotten, spastic, mutant, paralytic drunk. He could not speak. After we had established all this someone phoned our family at home. Then his father rode up on a motorbike. Apparently they had been having a few drinks at a family home down the road somewhere and after the son had ridden off they had heard the squeal of brakes and tyres or a passing motorist had stopped and told them. We weren't sure which because the father was almost as drunk as the son. The damage to my car was minimal a long light scratch on the panel under the door, a shorter slightly deeper scratch on the left rear wheel arch and a slight indentation on the running board. The motorcycle was damaged but not greatly.

Then the emergency vehicle arrived, followed almost immediately by a police officer. The emergency vehicles here in the countryside are almost always pick-ups with an emergency light and siren, some first aid equipment and thats about all. If its a serious casualty they sling them in the back and then race to the hospital, getting paid more for a live victim than a dead one apparently. This fellow proceeded to clean the wounds and apply mercurichrome or some such solution. The police officer had not bothered to don his full uniform. What they do at night in my local town is have only one on duty, he moves from the police station to a little hut they have on the main road, there he gets comfy and probably watches TV most nights. The emergency guy probably hangs out there as well. So he had on his white T-shirt which they wear underneath their uniform and his sandals and had not strapped on his gun I noticed. As always everyone appeared to be speaking at once except me and the drunk, his father was quite raucous but the cop seemed to get the gist of it.

My family arrived a whole pick-up full, maybe 15 of them. His family arrived too but not quite in such numbers. The policeman asked for my license which I handed over. My wife phoned the insurance company, they were sending a rep but he was 80 kilometres away. His sister a slightly older woman offered my wife 1000 baht to settle it, I said no. Then she offered 2000 and I still said no. The policeman saying that as we had not settled the matter asked us all to meet at his hut and wait for the insurance company rep there. On the way there I quizzed the wife and she told me the policeman was reluctant to commence an official action, ie arrest the guy for drunk, unlicensed, unregistered driving and complete an official report. She said if we settled then nothing would happen to the guy but if we claimed insurance then the company would insist on the full police action as they would try and recover their costs.

On arrival, a different, older sister sought me out and offered me 5000 baht and I agreed to accept it. She paid me straight away. I figured the damage was not worth making a claim for. And I did not really want to go through some convoluted process here, its much easier this way. We then went and waited in a different location for the insurance rep who took photos and completed an initial accident report, we told him the victim had done a runner, then when he phoned a few days later we said we did not wish to make a claim. I'll get a photo of the scratch on my car. His family would have had to give the policeman and the emergency guy a bribe as well.

My wife criticised me for moving the car, she said that cast a bad light on my story. If I had not had so many witnesses it might have made a difference I suppose, although the damage is clearly on the left side, and I would still do the same thing. I appreciate though in some circumstances she might be right.

I don't think a dash cam would have proved much, no line markings, can't see the side of a road and a single light coming directly at me.

Edited November 2, 2013 by Bluetongue

[ozyjon]

Same thing happened to me,, guy splatterd himself on the center concrete divide,, in horror i slow down but my girl screams to me to speed up and get the hell away from there,, it's true i would be blamed and cough up the money,, i would never stop in this country.

[Toscano]

Absolutely right !!! No matter whether you are Thai or a foreigner , or whether you were on the scene at the time of the accident . Accidents can be staged with the intent to rob whoever stops . My thai wife recently stopped for an accident that happened some distance behind her , a drunk man on a motor

cycle carrying a guitar . My wife stopped thinking she could help and was promptly accused of causing the accident , though there was no impact or evidence to support that . It cost her BT4000 in reparations to his motor cycle . If you are a foreigner it will cost you a huge amount more , even though you had no involvement at all . A foreign man stationary in his car a red traffic light , was run into by a motor cyclist from an adjacent direction , a pillion rider was killed and the car driver was accused of dangerous driving .

[hellodolly]

Everybodys experiences are different, but it would seem that it would be risky to stop at an accident. Just say there is a one in five chance someone will try and get money from you after you stop at an accident you are not involved in, and I think that is very realistic. would you still stop?

With my wife and sister in law as witness Yes.

[hellodolly]

Same thing happened to me,, guy splatterd himself on the center concrete divide,, in horror i slow down but my girl screams to me to speed up and get the hell away from there,, it's true i would be blamed and cough up the money,, i would never stop in this country.

What makes you think you would be blamed.

Is your girl not a credible witness.

[Kabayo66]

I remember seeing a bag snatch from a young lady at an ATM outside a 7-11 on the other side of a 5-6 lane road (Ratchaprarop in BKK). It took three big yanks, each one accomapanied by a ear piercing scream from the victim, the bag snatcher was just in a scruffy shorts and t-shirt. After getting it he just walked off. Right next to where it happened (and where the guy walked through) was a bus stop with about 10-15 Thais waiting for a bus.

No one did anything to help in anyway.

They let the guy just walk off past them when it would have been very easy to suddenly king-hit him by surprise.

Not one of them went to help the victim in anyway and she was left sobbing on her knees on the steps by herself.

Beautiful, caring, loving, Buddhist Thais. A superiorly decent and moral people.

And all you did was watch along with them? How do you know they were all Buddhists? Furthermore, how can you criticize all Thai Buddhists for the way only a few Thai people (Buddhist or not) reacted to that crime?

On the topic of the original post, I believe it is wise and perhaps even necessary to have a dash-cam or two installed if you drive in Thailand, for your own protection. If you are a witness to an accident, but not otherwise involved, and/or the first on the scene, you should stop and provide assistance. However, if you are an uninjured passenger (not the driver) in a vehicle involved in an accident, you should sneak away unseen, to protect the driver and yourself from possibly being blamed just because you aren't Thai.

[tragickingdom]

Unfortunately that is the way things go. I have seen it from Chiangmai to Sisaket that foreigners who stop to see what is wrong or even crash their cars in order to avoid driving over victims already laying on the road eventually get picked up home and charged with fleeing the scene of an accident or are arrested on the spot. I have seen many ending up in jail, sometimes for a few days sometimes for up to a few years if they could not make the often hundreds of thousands of baht in payment demanded by the police, the prosecution or by a combination of the court, prosecution, police and the lawyers of both the accusing family and the defendants themselves.

Lawyers are everywhere scum but especially in Thailand so they collude with anyone as long as they can get money out of you. You can only help safely if you are a pedestrian or maybe on a bicycle.

[FangFerang]

I know this story. I have heard several true versions of farang who were patently extorted. Last year I would have stopped to see if I could render first-aid (only in a life-threatening situation). Now I am married and we are expecting. I think I would now call the tourist police from a payphone and go home.

[FangFerang]

Most of us have heard of farang offering help and being ripped off. It happens. Last year I would have stopped. Now I am married and we are expecting. I think I would make a call from a phone booth, but I would only stop if the injuries were life threatening.

I also heard that if you are in a taxi and the driver is in an accident to throw the driver what is on the meter, Get Out, and get away as fast as you can.

Edited November 2, 2013 by FangFerang