Suggestions to improve road safety-Samui

[ParadiseLost]

points 4 and 8

agree with point 4 but instead of banning cars that are not registered to samui they should triple the price. This shall either put people off or make more people walk on. Plus the cars that do come on obviously have money to spend and like it or not we are a business island

point 8 The roundabout is a joke. people give way when they don;t need to and don't give wy when they should.

i know in england we give way to the right but maybe here thats too difficult to explain so maybe they should just give way to who ever is on the roundabout rather than stopping to let people go half way round.

then they get angry if you don't stop on the roundabout

like turning onto a road you are not expected to stop to let car outré in front of you on the main road as you have right of way. yet the roundabout next to central people stop on the roundabout they havnt got a clue.

unless this is the way that it is supposed to be done

if that is the case then the system is wrong

Once on the roundabout you have right of way.

Now for some rules opposite those in the west;

- On equal junctions two cars arriving at the same time, left has right of way.

- When a car exits a side road into the main road it has right of way over a car on the main road turning into said side road.

- two car driving towards one another, both wanting to turn into the same side road, car making the long turn (so turns right) has right if way over the car making the short turn.

To make the roads on Samui safer it's best if all foreigners on Samui take a theory course in Thai road rules and stop shouting how Thais don't know the rules as most foreigners don't know them either, thinking rules must be the same as back home. Well they are not. At least you know a few important ones now. Be safe out there.

Here I was thinking it is the Mercedes that goes first...

Edited July 19, 2014 by ParadiseLost

[pokerspiv]

When you have 2 kids, a car is the first thing you would buy. Or would you rather they ferried them around on a scooter with 3-4 people on it?

Get real, You wouldn't put your own kids on a scooter on Samui's roads, but then you criticise Thais who buy a car for that reason. Completely ridiculous. Rest of your post is standard socialist claptrap and shows a complete ignorance of how important cars and trucks are to the working of an economy.

Take a chill pill mate... you must be a bundle of fun to know... are you always so aggressively rude? or is it only when in front of a keyboard? Jeeeez!

This guy is seriously suggesting that Thais should be banned from owning cars and I'm the one being rude? I'm just calling his "suggestion" for what it is. Socialist totalitarianism with a healthy dose of racist "noble savage" fallacy. Anyone who sympathises with that point of view needs to have a good hard look at themselves.

Perhaps you could ask some of our Eastern European board members what they think of your idea of thinking you have a right to dictate who can and can not own private vehicles.

Edited July 19, 2014 by pokerspiv

[ParadiseLost]

When you have 2 kids, a car is the first thing you would buy. Or would you rather they ferried them around on a scooter with 3-4 people on it?

Get real, You wouldn't put your own kids on a scooter on Samui's roads, but then you criticise Thais who buy a car for that reason. Completely ridiculous. Rest of your post is standard socialist claptrap and shows a complete ignorance of how important cars and trucks are to the working of an economy.

Take a chill pill mate... you must be a bundle of fun to know... are you always so aggressively rude? or is it only when in front of a keyboard? Jeeeez!

This guy is seriously suggesting that Thais should be banned from owning cars and I'm the one being rude? I'm just calling his "suggestion" for what it is. Socialist totalitarianism with a healthy dose of racist "noble savage" fallacy. Anyone who sympathises with that point of view needs to have a good hard look at themselves.

Perhaps you could ask some of our Eastern European board members what they think of your idea of thinking you have a right to dictate who can and can not own private vehicles.

What a drama queen

Nowhere have I suggested anything that resembles socialism. If you have an Eastern European chip on your shoulder it's your problem - sorry if you have traumatic memories but see a doctor if they are causing you problems.

Perhaps avoid intoxicating substances?

Samui has been defined as an ECO island, only the island - not the entire country. It makes sense that there have to be some sacrifices if they are serious.

Perhaps your most prized possession is your car - sorry I threatened your tiny little world. You can go back there now, I am not coming for your possessions, promise...

[ParadiseLost]

Oh, and exactly where did I say ban Thais?

Foreigners would definitely be the majority of owners I target as most of their cars are used purely for convenience.

The challenge is to replace cars with an ECO friendly solution, a challenge which obviously would be way beyond you.

[Birdman]

Most dangerous on the streets now are Farangs on holidays on bikes/rented cars, Farangs with cars/red colour plates, Farangs here are little bit longer and thinking they have adopted, but still get hot blooded during traffic and young Chinese on motorcycles. Not crazy zickzacking Thais anymore for sure,

[ParadiseLost]

It would be good to rid the island of bikes, but this is Asia, it would be like taking camels away from Arabs.

One way would to only allow electric vehicles - bikes, golf carts, electric mini buses etc.

And a monorail circling the island to travel between main points.

Disclaimer: This is all only in my imagination - for sure it's never gonna happen. (in case I upset some sensitive type)

[pokerspiv]

Or maybe police could just enforce existing road rules and then we wouldn't have to ban anything?

[robsamui]

Or maybe police could just enforce existing road rules and then we wouldn't have to ban anything?

It wouldn't take much at all to start this working . . . and generate a LOT more income . . .

1. Jack up the fines from a silly 200 baht up to 1,000B and increasing on a sliding scale for repeat offenders

2. Have a different pair of BIBs every single day, scheduled on a changing rota basis, roaming around the island at random with a hand-held speed camera.

3. Have a different pair of BIBs every single night, scheduled on a changing rota basis, roaming around the island and doing totally random spot checks with a breathaliser. (Random stop checks, even on people driving normally, not just loonies.)

4. Have every BIB instructed to stop everybody not wearing a helmet, every single day as they do in other cities, and not just on special carnival occasions once a month.

The Samui Sun has begun the first stage of a long-term campaign which will also involve the local govt, police and the Thai Hotels Association, to put these (and other) ideas into practice. Let's wish them luck!

Just these few small things would make an instant difference in the attitude of the driving public. It may even reduce accidents, too!

R

Edited July 22, 2014 by robsamui

[evadgib]

...providing speedguns / breathalyzers were calibrated & tested as per the manufacturers instructions, rather than a 'one time purchase' like some of the safety equipment seen elsewhere.

Edited July 22, 2014 by evadgib

[robsamui]

...providing speedguns / breathalyzers were calibrated & tested as per the manufacturers instructions & weren't years out of date!

That really wouldn't matter! Just the thought that you might suddenly be fined 1,000 baht would cause people to become aware of speed limits in built-up areas.

Absolutely certainly after someone has had to pay 1,000B for the first time, then realised that this was going to be an everyday thing, they would think twice about it.

The same with drinking & driving.

R

[samuibruno]

personally i think we should ban cars and have more bikes/scooters

most people all over the world use a car for personal use [1 car 1 driver , maybe 2 ]

well, we all know how many we can get on a scooter and still go shopping [minimum 2 plus the dog ]

smaller engines , less pollution

much more parking then for all as well

no taxis needed either

this would surely drop the accident/death rate down dramatically

[khunPer]

I know plenty of girls who work as hotel receptionists/restaurant managers who have cars. With the finance deal that was going last year the repayments are only about 8,000 baht per month, which is affordable for most Thai people who have a degree.

and I know plenty of waitresses,bar staff, exotic dancers and hostesses who do not own cars. Not one of them.

Sorry Pokerspiv - you are correct in what you say. For the middle classes, owning a car has never been easier. But, I do not think that there are that many on Samui in that category. - I am just saying that I think that 90% car ownership on the island is way too high but I have no idea what the real %age is.

Sorry to say that I also know quite a few Samui Thais, mainly girls, who bought a brand new car within the last year or so, incl. receptionist and waitres/bar staff, so I merely agree with Pokerspiv; however I cannot agree in 90 percent...

[robsamui]

personally i think we should ban cars and have more bikes/scooters

most people all over the world use a car for personal use [1 car 1 driver , maybe 2 ]

well, we all know how many we can get on a scooter and still go shopping [minimum 2 plus the dog ]

smaller engines , less pollution

much more parking then for all as well

no taxis needed either

this would surely drop the accident/death rate down dramatically

Only motorbikes and no cars on Samui would reduce accidents?

What planet have you come from?

R

[pokerspiv]

personally i think we should ban cars and have more bikes/scooters

most people all over the world use a car for personal use [1 car 1 driver , maybe 2 ]

well, we all know how many we can get on a scooter and still go shopping [minimum 2 plus the dog ]

smaller engines , less pollution

much more parking then for all as well

no taxis needed either

this would surely drop the accident/death rate down dramatically

Only motorbikes and no cars on Samui would reduce accidents?

What planet have you come from?

R

His post didn't mention accidents at all. Just standard environmentalist claptrap about cars are ruining the world. These are the sort of guys who protest against oil rigs while riding the ferry/catching a plane to Samui and not seeing the irony.

[carmine]

personally i think we should ban cars and have more bikes/scooters

most people all over the world use a car for personal use [1 car 1 driver , maybe 2 ]

well, we all know how many we can get on a scooter and still go shopping [minimum 2 plus the dog ]

smaller engines , less pollution

much more parking then for all as well

no taxis needed either

this would surely drop the accident/death rate down dramatically

Astonishing!