In a Car Accident Today

[luckizuchinni]

This has been one of those weeks when everything has gone wrong, from the cat taking on a neighbor's dog (and losing) to huge runarounds from Thai bureaucracy.

Today, my wife called from one of her errands, and they wouldn't sign the paperwork unless they had a certain extra document. So I went down, got the document, then brought it to her. On the way back home, the police stopped me at a road check. I am not sure why as he never approached me. I looked in my rearview mirror, and one of those laden pickup trucks with thing to sell stopped behind me. Then, while I was watching the policeman, something slammed into me from behind. A huge truck had plouged into the pickup which was then thrown onto me.

If you have to be in an accident, I guess it is better when there are four cop witnesses. I had to wait then for a couple of hours. My insurance guy was there quickly, but I had to wait until all three insurance agents had arrived and finsihed their paperwork. Each one had to take a photo of my license.

What was different than in the US, the cops never made a report. THey told the insurance guys what had happened, and the police captain signed each report, but they never filed an official police report. I wasn't hurt as I had on my belt, but if I had been hurt, I would need a police report if I wanted treatement back in the US.

Now, I am anxious to see how difficult or easy it is to get the car repaired here in Thailand.

[bkkjames]

It's easier than getting the insurance guys to show up in a speedy manner - they (your insurance company) will will give you a choice of places to take it. You call them and make an appointment. They drop it off.

[hotsoup]

I think you were lucky!

These random please checks and police boxes where traffic on a fast moving dual carriageway is suddenly funnelled into one lane of stopped traffic are a real hazard. When you think of the advance warning of any roadworks in Europe and the US....say no more

[Berkshire]

No worries. If you have the Class I insurance, they will take care of it all. The only hassle will be having your car in the shop for a few days. The insurance company will not pay for a rental. And since all the other insurance guys were there and it wasn't your fault, your premiums next year shouldn't go up.

[bonobo]

My wife scraped up her passenger door. This was for a Mazda 2. It took them over two months to get it fixed. The insurance company kept saying the dealer ordered the parts, but they were on back-order., but the dealer kept telling her that he was waiting for the insurance company to approve the claim.

I'm kind of thinking the car dealer was the one telling the truth.

[thrilled]

It's really bizarre as the way things are done.Always A hastle.And inconvienant.What are ya going to do?Go with the flow.

[1FinickyOne]

I have been hit 2x - both times the police held sort of an informal hearing at the station, using little toy cars for illustration and both times they found in my favor. And yes, it is a pain to have to wait for the insurance agents to arrive, but that seems to be the system. In both cases the police were courteous and supportive. Good luck and glad you were only inconvenienced and not hurt.

[misterphil]

Forget the insurance and find a good body shop repair on this site. Our Vigo door got bashed in 18 months ago and Toyota kept saying that they would take the car in next month, then next month and this went on for 1 year. Last month I paid to get it fixed at a body shop and forgot about the insurance taking care of it.

[Minnehaha]

No worries. If you have the Class I insurance, they will take care of it all. The only hassle will be having your car in the shop for a few days. The insurance company will not pay for a rental. And since all the other insurance guys were there and it wasn't your fault, your premiums next year shouldn't go up.

We have class 1 insurance and the car was in Honda Ekamai for 3+ weeks!

And we had to schedule it 3 weeks in advance. It was the first opening they had.

To top it off, when I picked the car up, it seemed fine. I drove in Bkk traffic at the usual top speed of 30 km per hour. But 2 weeks later I was on the expressway and sped up to 70 km/ hr and noticed a powerful pull to the left. A slight pull to the left is normal as this is done to pull the car off the road if the driver falls asleep (so I am told), but this pull was wrong. I took it back and they would not look at it. I am not challenging my insurance company to handle it. But it looks like I will have to go to BQuick and have the alignment checked and wheels balanced. F*%$ing Honda Ekamai.

[klauskunkel]

I have been hit 2x - both times the police held sort of an informal hearing at the station, using little toy cars for illustration and both times they found in my favor. And yes, it is a pain to have to wait for the insurance agents to arrive, but that seems to be the system. In both cases the police were courteous and supportive. Good luck and glad you were only inconvenienced and not hurt.

Hah, that's why they are called the Boys in Brown...

[maoro]

My car was damaged by a sizable branch falling from a tree when the vehicle was parked.

A call by my wife to the insurance company saw them recommend a place for the repairs, at Nang Rong, not too far away.

We went to this place and they actually completed the paperwork for us. Strange thing though, they said don't say the car was parked, you need to say it was being driven. So the claim said the branch fell out of a tree as we passed underneath. I don't understand this at all, this is first class insurance, and certainly in Australia there would be no question of a valid claim if the actual circumstances were stated.

Anyway the repairers photographed the damage and lodged the claim. The insurance company agreed the repairs should go ahead. When the place repaired the car they also fixed up a number of non related scratches and gave the car back promptly and looking good.

I have no complaints whatever about the service I received from the insurer or the repairer, just left me wondering a bit about the needing to be driven bit.

[Mister T]

No worries. If you have the Class I insurance, they will take care of it all. The only hassle will be having your car in the shop for a few days. The insurance company will not pay for a rental. And since all the other insurance guys were there and it wasn't your fault, your premiums next year shouldn't go up.

We have class 1 insurance and the car was in Honda Ekamai for 3+ weeks!

And we had to schedule it 3 weeks in advance. It was the first opening they had.

To top it off, when I picked the car up, it seemed fine. I drove in Bkk traffic at the usual top speed of 30 km per hour. But 2 weeks later I was on the expressway and sped up to 70 km/ hr and noticed a powerful pull to the left. A slight pull to the left is normal as this is done to pull the car off the road if the driver falls asleep (so I am told), but this pull was wrong. I took it back and they would not look at it. I am not challenging my insurance company to handle it. But it looks like I will have to go to BQuick and have the alignment checked and wheels balanced. F*%$ing Honda Ekamai.

Slight pull to the left is due to camber in the road, designed for run off.

[stevenl]

Forget the insurance and find a good body shop repair on this site. Our Vigo door got bashed in 18 months ago and Toyota kept saying that they would take the car in next month, then next month and this went on for 1 year. Last month I paid to get it fixed at a body shop and forgot about the insurance taking care of it.

So Toyota did not do as promised, and your conclusion is 'forget about insurance'? Sorry, does not make much sense, at least not without more details.

[misterphil]

Forget the insurance and find a good body shop repair on this site. Our Vigo door got bashed in 18 months ago and Toyota kept saying that they would take the car in next month, then next month and this went on for 1 year. Last month I paid to get it fixed at a body shop and forgot about the insurance taking care of it.

So Toyota did not do as promised, and your conclusion is 'forget about insurance'? Sorry, does not make much sense, at least not without more details.

What doesn't make sense? I couldn't be bothered with their bullshit about fixing the door, So I said forget them. Whats difficult to understand about that?

[Ronn68]

Yep, I had an accident of my own some 5 months ago and ended up rear-ending some old fart who slowly eased out of his lane to prepare to take a right onto a small side road while I was trying to pass him. I guess no one ever bothered to teach him how to properly apply the brakes and use the right-hand turn signal and THEN TURN so I ended ramming him in the rear and that was that. Of course I had every reason to be angry with the old country bumpkin's reckless driving but why bother? Where would it get me? Anyway, down to the police station and I'M the one who had to pay the 400Bt fine because I hit him in the rear (That's Thailand for ya, if you hit someone from behind you are ALWAYS wrong) but my insurance guy showed up and after 2 hours I was out of there. It really pissed me off, though. This is the first accident I've been in since I've been here (10 years) and my truck was less than a year old (Mazda Bt-50 4-door 3.2) but the real pain in the ass was having to wait almost 5 months just to get my front windshield replaced. Thank goodness the body damage was minimal so that was taken car of in about a month but the windshield took FOREVER. Anyways, not a good experience at all so remember 2 important things before you buy a car or truck and hit the road: 1) Never, NEVER assume that the other drivers around you know how to drive or understand the basics of driving because many, many don't. Therefore, ALWAYS be ready for some idiot to do something stupid because they will and you'd better be prepared for it. It will happen every day. 2) If you do wreck your vehicle, your dealer and/ or insurance company is not going to be in a hurry to get your car or truck back on the road again and sometimes it will take months before your car or truck is back to its original condition.

[Ronn68]

"Forget the insurance and find a good body shop repair on this site. Our Vigo door got bashed in 18 months ago and Toyota kept saying that they would take the car in next month, then next month and this went on for 1 year. Last month I paid to get it fixed at a body shop and forgot about the insurance taking care of it."

1 year's an awfully long time but since this is Thailand it is believable. However, there are many Toyota dealerships in and around Bangkok so you could have shopped around and most likely gotten one of them to do your body work in less time. Just remember (and I know because I'm in the auto-parts industry)that if you go to some local body shop and need a part replaced you are all but guaranteed to end up with a "fake" part as compared to the original.

[inzman]

My truck was hit and really smashed up. Took the repair shop over 4 months to fix. Kept blaming it on the insurance co. Then the day I went to pick it up, they started it and the engine blew, now another two weeks as they replace the motor.

[jaywalker]

Yep, I had an accident of my own some 5 months ago and ended up rear-ending some old fart who slowly eased out of his lane to prepare to take a right onto a small side road while I was trying to pass him. I guess no one ever bothered to teach him how to properly apply the brakes and use the right-hand turn signal and THEN TURN so I ended ramming him in the rear and that was that. Of course I had every reason to be angry with the old country bumpkin's reckless driving but why bother? Where would it get me? Anyway, down to the police station and I'M the one who had to pay the 400Bt fine because I hit him in the rear (That's Thailand for ya, if you hit someone from behind you are ALWAYS wrong) but my insurance guy showed up and after 2 hours I was out of there. It really pissed me off, though. This is the first accident I've been in since I've been here (10 years) and my truck was less than a year old (Mazda Bt-50 4-door 3.2) but the real pain in the ass was having to wait almost 5 months just to get my front windshield replaced. Thank goodness the body damage was minimal so that was taken car of in about a month but the windshield took FOREVER. Anyways, not a good experience at all so remember 2 important things before you buy a car or truck and hit the road: 1) Never, NEVER assume that the other drivers around you know how to drive or understand the basics of driving because many, many don't. Therefore, ALWAYS be ready for some idiot to do something stupid because they will and you'd better be prepared for it. It will happen every day. 2) If you do wreck your vehicle, your dealer and/ or insurance company is not going to be in a hurry to get your car or truck back on the road again and sometimes it will take months before your car or truck is back to its original condition.

I recall back in 2002 or so, reading the Pattaya Mail "newspaper" (rag), about them giving some farang a ticket for "stopping too suddenly" on Pattaya Central Road. He got rear-ended & got a ticket.

Back in the 1990's a friend of mine was turning North on 2nd road off of Central Road (Pattaya), when some maniac whizzed by on the right, hit his right front fender, went flying over the bike, and jumped up and ran away.

The cops tossed HIM (he's a farang) in the clink and it cost him 50,000 baht to get out.

2012 some YO-YO was whizzing around a truck, in the wrong lane, in a no passing zone as my wife was trying to make a right turn. The truck driver was courteously stopped and allowing her to go as he was backed up by the traffic light.......Soi 4 & Threppasit Rd...She wanted to go East. Said YO-YO T-boned her in the driver's door.

I have some good friends with the RT Marine Corps so I took it there to get it fixed (they owed me a few favors).

Cops saw she had a farang last name & smelled money. Gave her a "ticket" for violation of right-of-way - 2,000 baht........Another 10,000 baht or the cop said "you will have BIG problem".......Ye Olde IDIOT on the bike had no license & no insurance. Broke his leg & I hope he limps the rest of his IDIOT life.

I whacked/side-swiped a pole with a Budget rental car once in Surin.....It ripped up the entire left side...tail light flapping in the wind. I drove it back to Pattaya & told them I was trying to avoid a cow in the road (I was arguing with my wife actually).....5,000 baht deductible & I got a new car.

2012 - On my way to a funeral driving down Soi Khaotalo one evening about 7:00 PM, some kid who could not have been more than maybe 12 years old came whizzing around me. Another Toyota truck in front of me was inching along. The IDIOT went SMACK & got lodged between the truck in front of me & oncoming traffic.

Poetic justice I suppose.

Folks in the USA will pay $2,000 or $3,000 to go get the Richard Petty or Dale Earnhardt "Driving Experience".

I keep telling them........Just go to Thailand.

There's no rhyme nor reason.

[JacChang]

Sounds scary what most have posted with regards to repairs at the shop, on the other items being destroyed instead of just the bodywork. So what do you guys think could have happened? Since your car is in their area for a long time, they took it for a rough drive? Have you checked the odometers? etc.?

That's one of the reasons I like to maintain my own cars, we could never really see what those "trusty" mechanics done to our cars. Making it worse or better? You be the judge.

[Ronn68]

Damn, seems like you've pretty much been through it all, Jaywalker. Fortunately for me, I've only seen it all and not actually been part of it until recently. People can say what they want about us southern rednecks but we do know how to drive but in Thailand you'd better be ready for ANYTHING at any time. I used to hear jokes about how Asians couldn't drive but didn't really believe it until I got here and then I found out the truth.

[stevenl]

Forget the insurance and find a good body shop repair on this site. Our Vigo door got bashed in 18 months ago and Toyota kept saying that they would take the car in next month, then next month and this went on for 1 year. Last month I paid to get it fixed at a body shop and forgot about the insurance taking care of it.

So Toyota did not do as promised, and your conclusion is 'forget about insurance'? Sorry, does not make much sense, at least not without more details.

What doesn't make sense? I couldn't be bothered with their bullshit about fixing the door, So I said forget them. Whats difficult to understand about that?

You could have gone to any bodyshop and have them fix it at insurer's expense.

[Ronn68]

JacChang, I know your concerns and that crap does happen. I've heard the horror stories of people going to shops to get their cars or trucks repaired only to find out later than some parts were taken from their truck or car and replaced by a fake part. That would be my biggest concern, really. I'm one of the lucky ones, though. Just had my first accident and I've been here 10+ years and I took my truck straight to the dealership and the head mechanic told me to my face that if I wanted a factory-made front windshield they would have to order it and that could take several months but if I was willing to take a Thai-made one they would have it ready in a week. Oh well, at least he was honest about it. I'm pretty sure that if he were some mechanic at a repair shop "down the road" he would have just lied and I would be screwed.

[jaywalker]

Sounds scary what most have posted with regards to repairs at the shop, on the other items being destroyed instead of just the bodywork. So what do you guys think could have happened? Since your car is in their area for a long time, they took it for a rough drive? Have you checked the odometers? etc.?

That's one of the reasons I like to maintain my own cars, we could never really see what those "trusty" mechanics done to our cars. Making it worse or better? You be the judge.

Took my truck to Car Buddy (I think that's the name) near Ocean Marina (I often wonder who came up with such an original name for a marina, but I digress).

Simple oil change. They forgot DUH! to tighten the drain plug = oil all over my driveway.

In Georgia USA right now.....Took my 82 year old Aunt's 42" mower deck in for a service, as it was noisy as all get-out. They replaced the tensioner pulley.......NEVER looked at the blades.

Oh yeah, the MORON about my age (47) called it an "Idler Pulley".....It's a tensioner pulley dummy!

I'm a mechanical engineer, but I'm not a lawn mower expert, so I took it to the shop, as I knew it needed new bearings.

I got it home, and the left mower blade fell off about 4 minutes later, and the right blade is seized up/won't turn.

There are IDIOTS all over the world. At least here I speak the language, which is Redneck, quite well = I took it back & made them feel lower than whale-sh&t.

My 17 year old nephew was trying to tell me he's been diagnosed with A-D-D (attention deficit disorder).

I diagnosed him with I-D-I-O-T.

[rotary]

A bit off subject but do you really think medical care in the USA is better than Thailand? Other than maybe a special issue like cancer or a spinal injury I fully disagree. I bet some other posters disagree also.

Edited August 29, 2014 by rotary

[crank]

They will aprove the claim no problem if class 1 insurance. But be prepared for a long wait to get it fixed. My partner reversed into a police box and dented the tail gate insurance approved repair. Tailgate been in the body shop for 2 months already and they estimate a month more!

[wandasloan]

OP, thank goodness you're safe and sound. Rear-end accidents are often terrible, with whiplash or worse.

I'm quite concerned, however, that it seems we cannot depend upon the timely arrival of the Official Thai Visa Committee In Charge Of Traffic Blame to report that the police and drivers and insurance agents teamed up to blame you for the accident. Obviously, you have tried to skim over this unpleasant part of your post-accident trauma, because all traffic accidents are farangs' fault, always. But I'm more unhappy we can't see the Accident Report Team yet to give us the details.

.

[CTO]

I'm sorry, I really don't understand, why didn't the police arrest the OP as the TV back chairs warriors always claim if an accident occurs, it's always the farangs' fault????

[dotpoom]

No worries. If you have the Class I insurance, they will take care of it all. The only hassle will be having your car in the shop for a few days. The insurance company will not pay for a rental. And since all the other insurance guys were there and it wasn't your fault, your premiums next year shouldn't go up.

I would have thought that the insurance of the person who smashed into the back of the OP would cover his damage.....likewise for that person , he would be claiming of the person's insurance that ran into the back of him. Why would the OP need 1st class insurance in this case?

[stevenl]

No worries. If you have the Class I insurance, they will take care of it all. The only hassle will be having your car in the shop for a few days. The insurance company will not pay for a rental. And since all the other insurance guys were there and it wasn't your fault, your premiums next year shouldn't go up.

I would have thought that the insurance of the person who smashed into the back of the OP would cover his damage.....likewise for that person , he would be claiming of the person's insurance that ran into the back of him. Why would the OP need 1st class insurance in this case?

As Berkshire said, the OP's insurance will take care of the process, but it will be covered by the other car's insurance.

[Berkshire]

No worries. If you have the Class I insurance, they will take care of it all. The only hassle will be having your car in the shop for a few days. The insurance company will not pay for a rental. And since all the other insurance guys were there and it wasn't your fault, your premiums next year shouldn't go up.

I would have thought that the insurance of the person who smashed into the back of the OP would cover his damage.....likewise for that person , he would be claiming of the person's insurance that ran into the back of him. Why would the OP need 1st class insurance in this case?

As Berkshire said, the OP's insurance will take care of the process, but it will be covered by the other car's insurance.

That's correct, Steven. The insurance company will take care of it regardless, but with the other guy there (who's at fault), they shouldn't raise the OP's premiums.

I noticed some other folks have had problems with their car being repaired and their insurance companies. I find that odd. Granted, all the accidents I've been in were fairly minor, but required bodywork. In every instance, the insurance company recommended a repair shop, I took my car there, it was repaired (typically about 7-10 days) and the insurance company paid for it all.