Russian first victim in Phuket's 10 Days of Danger

[rct99q]

Won't be the last I'm sure. Half of these Russians haven't ridden a bike before.

Thailand isn't the best place to learn.

And yet the Thais are allowed to rent bikes to people without a bike license.

Mcdonalds sells cholesterol filled hamburgers to fat people, the catholic church lets young boys attend services, and they allow Irish people into bars. So what is your point?!

[Ulic]

The invincibility of youth, alcohol, and a motorbike are often a recipe for disaster. I hope the other scooted rider

was not badly hurt. I feel sorry for the young mans family and friends. While he was being irresponsible it does

not make there loss any less.

[Loles]

Why am I not surprised ?

[bubblegum]

Somebody can explain for me why Thai peoples hate wearing the helmet? And why the drivers (car) 90% on dual carriageway can't stay on they own line? They like to cut down the corners and don't care motorbikes next to them.

Propably low education? Or small man in big SUV feel himself stronger than anybody else?

Well apart from the fact the helmets are useless anyway as there are no standards. Girls won't wear them because the mess up their hair, boy s won't wear them because they are not masculine and the police won't wear them because they are (or above) the law.

As for them not staying in their lanes I asked a girl once if she knew what the lines on the road were for and she said no.....

Hope that explains it, don't forget most of the don't have a license anyway.....

Well apart from the fact that there’re good helmets, which aren’t useless anyway, as there’re standards? Girls won’t wear them, because they can’t chat on facebook then, boys should wear them because they are not feminine and the police won’t wear them (or below) under the law.

As for them staying in their lane I asked a girl twice if she knew what the blinds on the road do and she said yes.

Hope that doesn’t explain it, forget that less have no license anyway............

.

P.S. Are you also from Kazakhstan? -

So you think that the helmets sold in Thailand that are given with rental bikes and the majority of Thais use are good helmets? An ice cream bucket would do a better job of protecting you !! Well I import mine from the States so I know they are DOT approved. Have you seen any standard notice on a Thai helmet, even the better looking ones? If you know for a fact that they comply to a standard (especially one that is internationally accepted) please let me know what it is. Yes using the phone is also easier without one. So what is your explanation as to why the majority don't keep in their lane when driving a car? The one and only accident I have had (on my Harley) was when a Thai cut across and my front foot peg imbeded in his rear bumper, of course he stopped to assist me after I went carrering across the other side of the road after having come off (NOT). As for the Kazakhstan comment, you might try to improve your English by using the spell checker.....

On an international forum where everybody has to write in English occasionally people will make spelling mistakes. A spell checker would correct your language as well since it's not English !

[breaker]

Many travel websites about Thailand (in the Russian language) give advices take motorbike for rent in the first day in Thailand to explore the surroundings and to find long-term accommodation with help of motorbike. Many folks writes in internet that they never drive motorbike before they came to Thailand, that they learned to drive very fast, that they just sat on a motorbike first-time in their life and drove. Not too much websites/folks warns about safety. That is why many people think that motorbike is very easy, like bicycle (but it's not true). But I see, now more and more website/folks warns about rent motorbike.

[PlastikbinLina]

“This year, I would like to see ‘zero’ listed as the number of fatalities, and if possible I’d like to see ‘zero’ as the number of accidents,” Phuket Governor Maitri Inthusut said just yesterday at the campaign’s launch (story here).

Wasn't the governor supposed to announce the speedcameras and the speedlimit at the Bypass Road on this occasion?

Unfortuntely Speed Cameras and Speed Limits mean nothing unless Road Safety Management is introduced. A cop on every corner, in a manner of speaking, severe penalties for speeding etc etc. An occasional road block for checking helmets and licences does nothing to control careless driving. Now another young man goes home in a box. RIP

(yeah I know, This is Thailand)

[stevenl]

“This year, I would like to see ‘zero’ listed as the number of fatalities, and if possible I’d like to see ‘zero’ as the number of accidents,” Phuket Governor Maitri Inthusut said just yesterday at the campaign’s launch (story here).

Wasn't the governor supposed to announce the speedcameras and the speedlimit at the Bypass Road on this occasion?

Unfortuntely Speed Cameras and Speed Limits mean nothing unless Road Safety Management is introduced. A cop on every corner, in a manner of speaking, severe penalties for speeding etc etc. An occasional road block for checking helmets and licences does nothing to control careless driving. Now another young man goes home in a box. RIP

(yeah I know, This is Thailand)

So, did the governor announce the speedlimit, and if so, how much? If you don't know the answer there is really no point in quoting the question.

[stevenl]

Many travel websites about Thailand (in the Russian language) give advices take motorbike for rent in the first day in Thailand to explore the surroundings and to find long-term accommodation with help of motorbike. Many folks writes in internet that they never drive motorbike before they came to Thailand, that they learned to drive very fast, that they just sat on a motorbike first-time in their life and drove. Not too much websites/folks warns about safety. That is why many people think that motorbike is very easy, like bicycle (but it's not true). But I see, now more and more website/folks warns about rent motorbike.

Yes, the power of internet.

[merijn]

To the people telling that helmets don't make a difference.

I had a major big bike ( HD ) accident a really long time ago between patong and Karon.

My helmet saved my live.

The helmet was split in two separate parts but my head was fine.

But the rest of my left side was broken which still required operations and hospital stay.

The front wheel of the bike was next to the frame which was broken in 3 places. The Harley was a write off.

So i'm still alive because i was wearing a helmet.

[PiPiFFS]

Won't be the last I'm sure. Half of these Russians haven't ridden a bike before.

Thailand isn't the best place to learn.

And yet the Thais are allowed to rent bikes to people without a bike license.

No problem - the drivers signs a contract that absolvse the owner from any responsibility and the drivers pays all damages up to and over the value of the bike.

In which language is the contract?

So just how does the bike owner go about getting the money from the bike now ? You would think that it was in their own interest to make sure the person you are renting the bike to can actually ride it and isn't going to kill himself and destroy their bike ?

[huahinjoe]

Would be great if somebody with a GoPro camera on helmet drive around the island one day to make a Youtube compilation about the driving habits of Phuket/Thailand...