PDavies Posted April 19, 2014 Share Posted April 19, 2014 Walking down a side road, not great lighting, we're both wearing black tops and white/colourful shorts. Motorbike comes straight at us with its light on, (we're on the correct side of the white line so he is right by the edge of the road), he slams into her. Approx 25-35mph impact speed. He had no helmet. He's lying on the ground unconscious in a pool of blood, my adrenaline was pumping and I couldn't feel a pulse, I thought he was dead. She was conscious and lying on her back, she was talking to me fine and could tell me where the pain was. No open wounds except for a few cuts on her legs. We've gone back to the same place and there are huge gouges in the road where the bike slid along, all the gouges are on the pedestrian side of the white line. Ambulance came and took us to hospital, by this time the guy miraculously was able to walk to the ambulance unaided (why was he not forced to be stretchered?), and he was sat in the seat messing with his phone... My gf went on a stretcher. All in the same ambulance. It's surprising just how little equipment there is in the ambulance, compared to a UK one for example, no medicines or resuscitation devices or anything like that that I could see. At the hospital they put both of them on adjoining beds. We asked the nurse if he was drunk, she said "probably, yes". I couldn't understand why the police weren't there, so we asked why, and we were told something along the lines of, "you need to go to the police station to report him for being drunk, we have no authority to test him for alcohol". Eventually we established that we had to ask the guy to come to the police station with us after he had been discharged? Obviously he avoided any suggestion of doing so and then later in the night disappeared without our knowledge whilst relatives distracted us in the waiting area. My gf was never x-rayed, neither was he. We found out later both of them had cracked bones, she has a cracked pelvis and he has a cracked/broken rib. He was bandaged up head to foot. We went to the police station later and reported the incident. They phoned the guy and asked him to attend the following day, where he initially stated that he could not remember the accident, then he stated he did not see us. He agreed to pay all her medical costs and bought her some food from 7 11. He has since paid all costs. Throughout the whole thing we've basically had to liaise with him ourselves, and we're still seeing him most days at the hospital as we're both there for about 4 hours each day. 1.) I don't understand why the police never turned up at the scene of the accident nor at the hospital? 2.) I don't understand why he was never breathalysed when everyone involved knew there was a good chance he was drunk? 3.) Is it usual to have such intimate contact between both victims in accidents such as these? Does it not encourage confrontation. 4.) How did they know she did not have internal bleeding? Is it usual to discharge patients so soon after serious accidents? I'm not one of these draconian 'eye for an eye', 'throw away the key' type people, I don't think people should ever be imprisoned, but is this really how lax the Thai system is? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tchooptip Posted April 19, 2014 Share Posted April 19, 2014 I am not in Bangkok but in Samui, every night when I am out on my motorbike I am scared to death (for them) when I see people walking peacefully alongside the main road, maybe on the left side of the line, yes, but also on the left side of the road that is to say with cars and motorbike coming full speed in their back. Its seems to me they are playing with they lives, however most of them are holidays maker, walking relax, sometimes a few kilometers from one place to another totally zen. As you said in your story, the man was probably drunk, how many like him on Thai roads, too much for sure. Never never would I walk alongside any Thai road at night time, or yes but like an Indian on the path of war, so sometime I thought I was a bit paranoiac...reading your story I know I am not. Anyhow best wishes for your girl friend, it could have been much worst. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PDavies Posted April 19, 2014 Author Share Posted April 19, 2014 (edited) Yeah. We were on the right side of the road, so facing oncoming traffic. Road was pretty much empty and we were sober so we were totally aware of the bike coming towards us, we just expected it to correct its path and by the time we realised it wasn't going to, she couldn't move fast enough. Yesterday she had to walk to the BTS to meet me there, she was crying by the time she got there, she said she was scared everytime a bike came past. Edited April 19, 2014 by PDavies Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post johna Posted April 19, 2014 Popular Post Share Posted April 19, 2014 The police did not get involved because there was nothing in it for them. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post kevvy Posted April 20, 2014 Popular Post Share Posted April 20, 2014 So sorry for your girlfriend ,I hope she recovers and feels better in the near future . kevvy 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
telldem Posted April 20, 2014 Share Posted April 20, 2014 How much has he paid so far? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Langsuan Man Posted April 20, 2014 Share Posted April 20, 2014 It is a Thai on Thai matter. Just pretend that you were not there and had no part in it. Your Thai GF is the injured party and what happened is how things are done in this country. You may not like it but that is just the way thing are Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scarpolo Posted April 20, 2014 Share Posted April 20, 2014 Yeah. We were on the right side of the road, so facing oncoming traffic. Road was pretty much empty and we were sober so we were totally aware of the bike coming towards us, we just expected it to correct its path and by the time we realised it wasn't going to, she couldn't move fast enough. Yesterday she had to walk to the BTS to meet me there, she was crying by the time she got there, she said she was scared everytime a bike came past. you just unwittingly admitted fault for the accident, as you just said, you had the ability to take evasive action, and chose not to. in reality, you caused the accident 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Sayonarax Posted April 20, 2014 Popular Post Share Posted April 20, 2014 Yeah. We were on the right side of the road, so facing oncoming traffic. Road was pretty much empty and we were sober so we were totally aware of the bike coming towards us, we just expected it to correct its path and by the time we realised it wasn't going to, she couldn't move fast enough. Yesterday she had to walk to the BTS to meet me there, she was crying by the time she got there, she said she was scared everytime a bike came past. you just unwittingly admitted fault for the accident, as you just said, you had the ability to take evasive action, and chose not to. in reality, you caused the accident It seems the only thing that was resurrected this Sunday, are stupid comments. 12 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lomatopo Posted April 20, 2014 Share Posted April 20, 2014 My gf was never x-rayed, neither was he. We found out later both of them had cracked bones, she has a cracked pelvis How was the cracked pelvis determined? Which hospital treated your GF? Was she ever unconscious, even for a brief moment? I would focus all your attention on her health; maybe try a different hospital, to get a complete assessment, and let her deal with Thai social issues. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
benalibina Posted April 20, 2014 Share Posted April 20, 2014 Yeah. We were on the right side of the road, so facing oncoming traffic. Road was pretty much empty and we were sober so we were totally aware of the bike coming towards us, we just expected it to correct its path and by the time we realised it wasn't going to, she couldn't move fast enough. Yesterday she had to walk to the BTS to meet me there, she was crying by the time she got there, she said she was scared everytime a bike came past. you just unwittingly admitted fault for the accident, as you just said, you had the ability to take evasive action, and chose not to. in reality, you caused the accident It seems the only thing that was resurrected this Sunday, are stupid comments. It aint Easter everywhere yet ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scarpolo Posted April 20, 2014 Share Posted April 20, 2014 Argue all you like, you said you saw it coming, you said you needed to move and didnt. If the cops interviewed you and you told them all that, you would have been found to have been at fault. In the US, the last person who had the chance to avoid the accident and didnt, can be found at fault when fault must be assigned. be glad it wasnt, you were given a break 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post beachproperty Posted April 20, 2014 Popular Post Share Posted April 20, 2014 (edited) In the US, the last person who had the chance to avoid the accident and didnt, can be found at fault when fault must be assigned. be glad it wasnt, you were given a break WRONG.....Again Scarpolo....if you would think before you post! Please enlighten us as to the specific rule of Law that supports your statement. Maybe that is Hillbilly Law...so I guess your a Hillbilly now among all the other great things you profess Edited April 20, 2014 by beachproperty 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fforest1 Posted April 20, 2014 Share Posted April 20, 2014 (edited) If you a farang had not been in Thailand...You would not have been walking with your girlfriend,and the motorcycle would not have had anyone to run into.....So this means its your fault... Just thank your lucky stars that you did not have to pay for every thing,and pay off the driver for being a farang... And no I am not joking.... And sure you could call the Police...And pay them some money too. Edited April 20, 2014 by fforest1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scarpolo Posted April 20, 2014 Share Posted April 20, 2014 If you a farang had not been in Thailand...You would not have been walking with your girlfriend,and the motorcycle would not have had anyone to run into.....So this means its your fault... Just thank your lucky stars that you did not have to pay for every thing,and pay off the driver for being a farang... And no I am not joking.... Thats correct, and that, s Thailand. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A1Str8 Posted April 20, 2014 Share Posted April 20, 2014 I wouldn't call it system but yes this is exactly how lax it is. Sent from my GT-I9500 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post beachproperty Posted April 20, 2014 Popular Post Share Posted April 20, 2014 If you a farang had not been in Thailand...You would not have been walking with your girlfriend,and the motorcycle would not have had anyone to run into.....So this means its your fault... Just thank your lucky stars that you did not have to pay for every thing,and pay off the driver for being a farang... And no I am not joking.... Thats correct, and that, s Thailand. AND the six month expert on Thailand has spoken....so it must be! 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post GeckosDiving Posted April 20, 2014 Popular Post Share Posted April 20, 2014 If you a farang had not been in Thailand...You would not have been walking with your girlfriend,and the motorcycle would not have had anyone to run into.....So this means its your fault... Just thank your lucky stars that you did not have to pay for every thing,and pay off the driver for being a farang... And no I am not joking.... And sure you could call the Police...And pay them some money too.[ ------------------------------------------ And the Biggest Dumb Ass Comment go's too !! 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laobali Posted April 20, 2014 Share Posted April 20, 2014 And sure you could call the Police...And pay them some money too.[------------------------------------------And the Biggest Dumb Ass Comment go's too !! And the worst English goes to ... ^ 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
louse1953 Posted April 20, 2014 Share Posted April 20, 2014 Yeah. We were on the right side of the road, so facing oncoming traffic. Road was pretty much empty and we were sober so we were totally aware of the bike coming towards us, we just expected it to correct its path and by the time we realised it wasn't going to, she couldn't move fast enough. Yesterday she had to walk to the BTS to meet me there, she was crying by the time she got there, she said she was scared everytime a bike came past. you just unwittingly admitted fault for the accident, as you just said, you had the ability to take evasive action, and chose not to. in reality, you caused the accident Roads are for cars and motorbikes.Yes i know theres no footpath. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
louse1953 Posted April 20, 2014 Share Posted April 20, 2014 If you a farang had not been in Thailand...You would not have been walking with your girlfriend,and the motorcycle would not have had anyone to run into.....So this means its your fault... Just thank your lucky stars that you did not have to pay for every thing,and pay off the driver for being a farang... And no I am not joking.... And sure you could call the Police...And pay them some money too. You dont actually believe what you write do you.My reply to your silly reply is the King indirectly gave me a visa to visit the country,and if i was in a vehicle i would say the government gave me a licence to drive in your country,wheres yours.This farang pays crap is a much repeated urban myth,repeating it doesnt make it true.The last sentence may be true. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larry001 Posted April 20, 2014 Share Posted April 20, 2014 This is LOS!!!!! say no more Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post PhillyBoy Posted April 20, 2014 Popular Post Share Posted April 20, 2014 It is amazing to me here. I have visited for the past 9 years and lived here for 1 year full-time. That being said I walk the streets in Pattaya and have been to Samui and walked there. I also drive a car here. When I walk I always walk facing traffic so I can see what is coming at me. I always move as far to the right as I can, sometimes stopping my walk to get off the road if I don't trust the vehicle coming at me. I see others walking sometimes 3 people wide in the direction of moving traffic and they never even flinch as cars, motor bikes and trucks zoom past them, barely missing them. I have been driving and come across people walking like this and I don't get it, I mean I really don't. Where do they think they are? I know they don't walk down the middle of the street in their own country and amazed many more farangs and Thais are not killed simply walking in the street without any regard for these vehicles. Not saying that you did anything wrong but if I had been walking I would have grabbed my gf by the arm and moved to the farthest point off the road and would not have waited until the motorbike was on top of me. Just saying! 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nhscotsman Posted April 20, 2014 Share Posted April 20, 2014 (edited) Your story is very similar to ones I have heard before. Three years ago as I was driving to Trat from Bangkok, I was driving a brand new car, a Honda. I was following a construction vehicle on the highway and I was going about 65 or 70 mph. Apparently the equipment on the truck wasn't tied down properly and secured, when suddenly things on the back of the truck started falling off of the truck into the roadway in front of me. To avoid hitting the equipment in the road, I had to go into the medium and and once I cleared the equipment, I tried to get the car back up onto the pavement, when more equipment fell off of the truck and ultimately the car went out of control and rolled 3 times and we landed in the ditch on the other side of the road. From what we were told, the construction truck stopped and the men in the truck gathered the equipment that had fallen off and left us in the ditch. Other people called the police/ambulance, but the police didn't come. Ambulances came, that is if you want to call them ambulances. They were mini pickups with emergency emblems on the doors and though they were pleasant and helpful, the way they handles us was totally unlike they handle you in the USA. The car was laying in the ditch on it's side. My girlfriend was pulled by her out of the vehicle by her arms, as was I. They never used a stretcher or a backboard on us. We had a very elderly Thai man with us and they did a similar thing to him as well. He was complaining about his chest aching. Once out of the car, they laid us on the road and tended to us, but we never saw any emergency equipment or anything, they took our vitals and then put us on backboards and then put us in the back of the pickups. I am 6'4" and the truck was so small, that my my feet were hanging out of the truck. They took us to Bangkok Hospital in Chanthaburi we it was revealed that I had multiples cracks and breaks in my hips and broken ribs. My girlfriend had a broken back that needed immediate surgery and the older man suffered a minor heart attack and needed to be hospitalized. Bangkok Hospital treated us well and were very professional, but even to this day after living in Thailand for 5 years, the ambulance services never cease to amaze me. During our stay in the hospital, the car insurance company contacted the police department and they came to the hospital to take a statement, but they never followed up on the construction vehicle who was responsible for the whole mess or did they seem even interested in doing much else than what had already had been done. The insurance company strongly suggested that I make a monetary donation to the police department, so the whole situation would disappear on paper. They felt as long as the bills were paid, which my insurance did pay and that no one had died, then it was better to clear the record.permanently. I had lived in Thailand for two years before this accident and had visited more than 8 times before I moved there, so I knew how things worked, so I wasn't surprised by their recommendation. I was a bit surprised by their lack of interest in such a serious accident though. I ultimately ended up making a small donation and thus nothing was ever mentioned again about it and my record was totally clear. I love Thailand and always have. I love the people, the food, the whole environment, but as with everything that has surprised me living in Thailand, I always end up thinking........WELCOME TO THAILAND! Edited April 20, 2014 by Nhscotsman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joshstiles Posted April 20, 2014 Share Posted April 20, 2014 sorry for your calamity, but this is what happens when ignorant foreigners come to thailand.....and all your questions....priceless!!! Amazing Thailand. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ClutchClark Posted April 20, 2014 Share Posted April 20, 2014 (edited) Argue all you like, you said you saw it coming, you said you needed to move and didnt. If the cops interviewed you and you told them all that, you would have been found to have been at fault. In the US, the last person who had the chance to avoid the accident and didnt, can be found at fault when fault must be assigned. In the US, this entire accident could have had a very different outcome but one thing would not have happened and that is your last sentence. Edited April 20, 2014 by ClutchClark 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Langsuan Man Posted April 20, 2014 Share Posted April 20, 2014 In the US the accident would not have happened in the first place Sent from my Nexus 4 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fforest1 Posted April 20, 2014 Share Posted April 20, 2014 If you a farang had not been in Thailand...You would not have been walking with your girlfriend,and the motorcycle would not have had anyone to run into.....So this means its your fault... Just thank your lucky stars that you did not have to pay for every thing,and pay off the driver for being a farang... And no I am not joking.... And sure you could call the Police...And pay them some money too. You dont actually believe what you write do you.My reply to your silly reply is the King indirectly gave me a visa to visit the country,and if i was in a vehicle i would say the government gave me a licence to drive in your country,wheres yours.This farang pays crap is a much repeated urban myth,repeating it doesnt make it true.The last sentence may be true. This is not my thinking....This is Thai thinking in regards to farang involved in accidents with Thais. Based on many many stories that I have read for years it sound like things have turned out fairly good in a bad situation. Thailand is a great place,but deck is seriously stacked against farang involved in accidents. .. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ClutchClark Posted April 20, 2014 Share Posted April 20, 2014 In the US the accident would not have happened in the first place On the contrary, these types of vehicle vs pedestrian accidents do happen and the victim (pedestrian) is typically a recent immigrant from a 3rd world country where walking along the road is commonplace. Typically it is a woman with a child. The victim is so accustomed to the drivers being alert to pedestrians back home that they don't realize the danger they place themselves in by the same practice stateside. Unfortunately, in the US, pedestrians along the shoulder are not common and at night many drivers are not expecting it. The reason is that almost everyone in the US has a car or relies on public transportation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tingtongdingdong Posted April 20, 2014 Share Posted April 20, 2014 Sounds like the op is complaining there was no cops involved when he should have been appreciative coz he woulda been blamed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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