Another 'no barricades' railway crossing collision leaves two dead in Thai South

[MiKT]

These are not regulated crossings with barriers and they drive SRT mad trying to get the local councils to provide at least warning signs.

Right or wrong, SRT themselves wash their hands of unregulated crossings.

There are several in Pattaya where the normal (sic) roads cross the tracks without any warning signs and at least one where the approach from the "frontage" road running parallel to the track suddenly turns in towards the track giving almost zero visibility of approaching trains due to high banks and verdant (like that word) vegetation.

drive across railway tracks at your own risk.

One more point on crossings.

Again in Pattaya, it is sometimes possible to be stuck in a jam at the crossing with so much traffic noise (and Bob Seager on the speakers) that you don't hear the warning bells and the crossing barrier comes down and dents the roof of your vehicle.

When this happened to me it was only sheer luck that allowed the car in front to move enough for me to move enough for the chu chu to miss by a leccy bit.

blood pressure best not tested for a while and train driver changing undies.

[Benmart]

The report states the train was 'running with speed' which means around 40 mph max.Not fast by European standards and slow enough to see approaching loco well down the track.

All of these crossings are on straight sections of track so what possible reason could there be for these accidents?

As we all know it is the typical Thai driver approach of just going where they want to go with no thought of the consequences.

Makes you wonder how a high speed system will ever work.

Where did you get 40 mph from? Pure guess. I prefer facts.

A quess perhaps. 40mph or 400mph, the speed had enough kinetic energy to kill...purely enough.

RIP.

[Tokay]

Stop and look both ways?.......Nah!!!!.....never any trains here!

Not to mention, their vehicle as blessed by monks and the driver was probably wearing an amulet or had a protective tattoo.

Unfortunately, Thais have to learn that they are mortal the hard way and all of that protection nonsense is rubbish.

[rotorbreeze]

I sometimes just don't understand how accidents like this can happen so frequently. Don't these motorists ever look left and right if there's a train coming or not? Even a five-year-old knows that one has to look first before crossing a road (or a railway crossing for that matter). How can one be "unaware" of an oncoming train, especially considering that Thailand's trains are not exactly lightning-fast and swoosh by out of nowhere?

But perhaps I should correct myself: Of course I understand how this can happen. We are living in a country where the general population has neither common sense nor any awareness of or concern for their own safety (and that of others).

Common knowledge, not taught in school...seems Thailand is the only country I know whom the population has never taught Geography in school...Thailand is the center of the universe...no knowledge of outside conflicts..no offering of aid to displaced countries...no concern...with this in the mind of a Thai..robotic beings programed at early age...railway crossing....what is the possibility...no look...I am Thai and Thai world looks after me...du... like driving no education what so ever...drive fast...drive fast...over take that slow vehicle...like some built in stress to get in front...show OFF Why I AM BETTER THAI...I have wheels better than you!..see I GO IN front OF YOU! and my Buddha better!!!....yes it all ends like a movie..people get up from long time sitting, shuffle a bit...look at one another..aw...yes back to reality...it is a wake up to a train crashing into your sleeping world...it ends quickly....again if they are reborn..it will happen again...wake up Thailand drivers...wake up..some do dead!

Edited November 19, 2014 by metisdead
Oversize font reset to normal. Please stop posting using overly large fonts.

[casindonet]

Are the drivers in Thailand suicidal or just plain stupid?

[Jay Sata]

Are the drivers in Thailand suicidal or just plain stupid?

Probably both.

However they all have their cars blessed by monks so what is there to fear?

Edited November 19, 2014 by Jay Sata

[hobobo]

Being bored one day, I undertook a mini survey of motorists turning left from a minor road onto a major one (close to Soi Thepprasit and Sukhumvit in South Pattaya). Out of 100 motorists (92 motorbikes and 8 cars) observed over 12 minutes, only 6 cars and 7 motorbikes slowed down and looked right to ensure it was safe to proceed onto the Sukhumvit Rd. Until this figure becomes 100%, people will die, guilty as well as innocent ones.

P.S.: One of the offending motorbikes was a policeman without a helmet! Amen

[abitmiffed]

Does China ever read the news in this country??

[trainman34014]

Are the drivers in Thailand suicidal or just plain stupid?

Probably both.

However they all have their cars blessed by monks so what is there to fear?

They have everything to fear as Monks are just blokes who put on yellow robes which don't make them any more special or wise than the next man. Sadly; like just about everything else in this land of dreamers the population 'just don't get it' where the realities of life are concerned. Consequently more deaths of similar nature will occur at almost daily intervals.

[Misterwhisper]

These are not regulated crossings with barriers and they drive SRT mad trying to get the local councils to provide at least warning signs.

Right or wrong, SRT themselves wash their hands of unregulated crossings.

There are several in Pattaya where the normal (sic) roads cross the tracks without any warning signs and at least one where the approach from the "frontage" road running parallel to the track suddenly turns in towards the track giving almost zero visibility of approaching trains due to high banks and verdant (like that word) vegetation.

drive across railway tracks at your own risk.

One more point on crossings.

Again in Pattaya, it is sometimes possible to be stuck in a jam at the crossing with so much traffic noise (and Bob Seager on the speakers) that you don't hear the warning bells and the crossing barrier comes down and dents the roof of your vehicle.

When this happened to me it was only sheer luck that allowed the car in front to move enough for me to move enough for the chu chu to miss by a leccy bit.

blood pressure best not tested for a while and train driver changing undies.

In elementary driving school they teach you not to drive your vehicle on a railroad track when the traffic ahead of you has stalled and your vehicle might become stuck on the tracks. In fact, in many countries it is law that vehicles stop at least 15 m before a railroad track.

[Misterwhisper]

These are not regulated crossings with barriers and they drive SRT mad trying to get the local councils to provide at least warning signs.

Right or wrong, SRT themselves wash their hands of unregulated crossings.

There are several in Pattaya where the normal (sic) roads cross the tracks without any warning signs and at least one where the approach from the "frontage" road running parallel to the track suddenly turns in towards the track giving almost zero visibility of approaching trains due to high banks and verdant (like that word) vegetation.

drive across railway tracks at your own risk.

One more point on crossings.

Again in Pattaya, it is sometimes possible to be stuck in a jam at the crossing with so much traffic noise (and Bob Seager on the speakers) that you don't hear the warning bells and the crossing barrier comes down and dents the roof of your vehicle.

When this happened to me it was only sheer luck that allowed the car in front to move enough for me to move enough for the chu chu to miss by a leccy bit.

blood pressure best not tested for a while and train driver changing undies.

In elementary driving school they teach you not to drive your vehicle on a railroad track when the traffic ahead of you has stalled and your vehicle might become stuck on the tracks. In fact, in many countries it is the law that vehicles must stop at least 15 m before a railroad track and if there is not enough space across. In other words: Do not drive your vehicle onto a railroad track if you cannot be sure that you can clear the track because of the traffic ahead of you. Simple, isn't it?

Edited November 19, 2014 by Misterwhisper

[phanangpete]

i was'nt going to make a comment on this, but felt i had to , reason, its in the news every week now .

About four years ago whilst living in Pattaya, the news broke about a 37 yr old thai mother of two , who turned out on to the Sukumvit Rd at 5 pm having picked her kids up from school.

She turned left onto the main road and did not look right onto the on coming traffic , a lorry hit her on her motorbike, on the inside lane and killed them all outright .

Her two twin sons were killed, along with her !

They were 7 yrs old !

I rest my case !

Edited November 19, 2014 by phanangpete

[jacko45k]

I sometimes just don't understand how accidents like this can happen so frequently. Don't these motorists ever look left and right if there's a train coming or not? Even a five-year-old knows that one has to look first before crossing a road (or a railway crossing for that matter). How can one be "unaware" of an oncoming train, especially considering that Thailand's trains are not exactly lightning-fast and swoosh by out of nowhere?

But perhaps I should correct myself: Of course I understand how this can happen. We are living in a country where the general population has neither common sense nor any awareness of or concern for their own safety (and that of others).

Yes, but the five year olds need to be told and taught this don't they.

How many times do you encounter a driver not paying attention out there? I know for me it is probably multiple times per day.

It is easy to blame the crossings as being uncontrolled, but you make the valid point that the trains are not fast moving, normally blasting their horn and rattling up a storm. Sad result of negligence.

[cheshiremusicman]

Most Thai drivers make assumptions, and very rarely look. Take for example what we all experience daily. You can be driving correctly, and cautiously, and from the left of a soi comes a car or a motorcyle straight in front of you (even the cycles pull out into the centre of the lane you're on), without even looking to their right. They assume!

To assume a train is not coming is just as culpable... except it has much more severe consequences. Time for Thais to stop assuming the world revolves around them.

Totally agree with your comment about cars and motorbikes coming out without looking (or caring it seems). I recently went to renew my 5 year driving licence and had to sit through an hours video of 'Driving Instruction' - well it went on a lot longer because the DVD player kept failing and after the fourth attempt I had to watch the subtitles in (would you believe) Chinese. I was one of three 'falangs" in the room and the Thai lady that was trying her best to get the DVD player going was getting very frustrated and when she looked at me I told her Chinese was OK, as I could read Chinese (which of course I couldn't). The DVD kept showing people coming out of side roads without looking etc, but by this time 75% of the Thai's in the room were asleep on the desk tops and only woke up when others prodded them when the DVD was showing recorded footage of horrific crashes at traffic junctions, which most of them seemed to find hilarious.

I left the test centre with my new 5 year licence and just as I was driving out of the car park three Thai nutters who had been sitting alongside me watching the DVD swerved right across the front of my car inches from me. So much for 'Training'. The old saying "You can lead a horse to water" comes to mind. I know this is a silly question but I will pose it anyway - When oh when, are the Thai authorities going to implement a proper driving test in this country? The other saying "Pigs will fly" answers this one I think.

[4u2mad]

I have been here for nine years, driving both motorcycle and car, full license for both. Can anyone tell me IS there a Thai highway code book?? It must be the worlds shortest book! Have you ever seen what happens to the human body after going under the wheels of a double trailer sugar truck? Well it ain't pretty, kinda like those pressed squid, but with a LOT more blood. My pet hate is motorcycles with no rear lights on unlit roads, so I fitted a pair of 100w x 9" spots. No end of discussion at police road blocks, but never been told to take them off, once they understand my reasoning.

If by some quirk of fate one of these unlit motorcycles does manage to zip under the radar, I ask you, would I stop??

[mike324]

A big speed bump right before the crossing would help with signs warning of the speed bump ahead beforehand. Also cutting the overgrown grass at the side will help with the visibility.