Dutchman dies in Pattaya Beach Road accident

[chrisinth]

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Songkran victim maybe then. If it had been a Thai speeding on a bike this thread would have som nam na all over it, falang acting recklessly and it's another matter.

Unfortunately, you are absolutely correct with that post Dragonfly.

However, with the facts of the report, it is all very unclear. Without speculating too much, he could have had a heart attack before crashing. Experienced drivers who always wear a helmet and never speed in heavily congested areas like Beach Road don't normally die after falling of their bikes

Anyway, RIP.

Edited April 19, 2015 by chrisinth

[Jingthing]

A general comment as I don't ride bikes. It seems to me that when water is being sprayed some people might speed more than usual to be a harder target.

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[Forkinhades]

One off topic post removed

[balo]

RIP. If he really wore a helmet it would not have saved him anyway if it was a cheap Big C helmet. It's really just plastic and most people here wear them just to avoid getting fines. In a speeding accident like this you need a real , certified 5000 baht helmet to protect the head.

Edited April 20, 2015 by balo

[Forkinhades]

'German' Mark had a good send off today.

As this is being treated as a RTA, we will not know if he had an heart attack. There was no evidence of water being chucked, at 11.00am (time of death)

RIP big fella

[Naam]

It's just really poor reporting. Typical of Thailand.

confusing "Deutsch" with "Dutch" happens in other countries too.

[JB300]

I walked past this accident at 11am & though people (seemingly Chinese tourists) were just starting to come out with their water pistols I didn't see any evidence of any water being thrown, splashed or sprayed between Soi 6 & Soi 7 at that time.

RIP & my condolences to the Wife & kiddie

[MrWorldwide]

RIP. If he really wore a helmet it would not have saved him anyway if it was a cheap Big C helmet. It's really just plastic and most people here wear them just to avoid getting fines. In a speeding accident like this you need a real , certified 5000 baht helmet to protect the head.

Apologies for taking this slightly OT, but if we're going to go down this road I'd like to make a couple of general observations, with all due respect to the deceased.

I've read a lot of criticisms of full-face helmets over the years - misting in the visor, reduced peripheral vision etc - but if wearing a helmet meant I had my neck broken (as many claim) I still think that has to be preferable to having my face mashed into the asphalt as we see in so many photos of road accidents here. I agree that the cheap 'skid lids' are basically useless, but when you see some of the crashes that professionals survive in motorsports its hard to deny the value of a full face helmet. Granted, not being run over by the vehicle behind you is a major plus, but even in those instances its astounding what some of the pro bike riders survive. Fit young guys on a purpose-built track with medical staff standing by - sure - but the helmet has to take some of the credit.

Helmets are PITA at the best of times, particularly in a country that is so hot and humid, but if I was going to spend any serious amount of time on a bike I would definitely want something that cost more than the skid lids - I guess it comes down to how highly you value your melon. Based on the last few cab rides I've taken between Pattaya and Bangkok, I wouldnt even limit their use to two-wheeled transportation