I was hit last night by a twit on a scooter

[BBJ]

I was hit from behind last night by some twit on a scooter. A car in front of me couldn't make their mind up with lane the wanted so I backed off to give them time. As I'm slowly peeling my way between the two cars, I'm smacked in the shoulder and two teens come scraping down the side of the car. Not sure what happened to the first part of the video.

The guy was very apologetic afterwards but I think that was because he looked like a right plonker in front of his GF!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H6cMzvQiiUI

[OmegaRacer]

Glad you're ok.

[elgordo38]

Its a good thing you got it on video. By the time the police arrived the story would change and it would be all your fault and he would have his g/f as a witness.

[Bob12345]

Its a good thing you got it on video. By the time the police arrived the story would change and it would be all your fault and he would have his g/f as a witness.

Exactly the reason why i shelled out 4,5K for a video in my car.

And i will always recommend other foreigners to do the same.

[morpho]

My biggest fear here while driving my motorbike...getting rear ended, especially at a changing yellow-to-red light or at a pedestrian crosswalk. During my 4 years living here I've lost count of the number of times that I've slowed down and stopped when a light was changing to red or when pedestrians were in a crosswalk (with the red light on to stop) only to have motorbikes and cars zip past me and run the red light. I've been lucky so far but worry my number may be up someday.

Looks like you were very lucky. Glad that you weren't injured.

[timmyp]

Its a good thing you got it on video. By the time the police arrived the story would change and it would be all your fault and he would have his g/f as a witness.

I don't doubt that happens quite a bit, but I got in a bang-up about 3 years ago, and the cops were clearly on my side. The other guy who was at fault was a huge tool, and accused me of wrong doing. The cops just asked me what I wanted to do, i.e., if I wanted to pursue it. Damage was minimal, I didn't see any point in dragging this out, so I didn't do anything. My bike was damaged, I was hurt but not seriously. The other vehicle had no damage. Perhaps it would have been different had there been damage to his motorbike.

[SOTIRIOS]

....obviously more worried about having to pay damages to the car.....

[biggles45]

I was hit from behind while stopped to turn right. I woke up in hospital later and remembered nothing. Apparently The Thai driver stopped his car, walked back and looked at my passenger and myself on the road, got back in and drove off. No one bothered to get his number of course so the police could do nothing.

[brownknees]

On Tuesday evening my friend was on his motor bike heading for our local village and at the first left hand bend(shielded by trees)he was hit by a pick up coming the other way at speed on the wrong side.It hit him and the driver then sped of ,luckily people living opposite came out and managed to get a description of it.My friend is now in Intensive care in the Bangkok Pattaya with multiple injuries ,broken coller bone ditto ribs collapsed lung fractured skull and internal injuries.Take care there are many dangerous drivers out there.Dont know yet if the police have managed to find this driver.

[dutchweller]

Its a good thing you got it on video. By the time the police arrived the story would change and it would be all your fault and he would have his g/f as a witness.

Exactly the reason why i shelled out 4,5K for a video in my car.

And i will always recommend other foreigners to do the same.

4.5K seems a bit steep?

Unless you bought all the bells and whistles with gps, duel front and rear camera etc??

I got a b40-c-supercap

for 2500 Bhat with 8GB Sd card

from

http://www.thaidvrs.com/

Excellent camera with very good reviews can hardly see it behind the rear view mirror the pictures is very clear day and night and the guy installed it very tidy for free also.

Edited June 19, 2015 by dutchweller

[little mary sunshine]

An hourly occurrence in LOS. No one is in the

Hospital and you can have the car repaired

very inexpensively. Be happy!!!

[Fullstop]

ME ME ME ME ME ME ... ME FIRST!!! , ME FIRST!! ... ME ME ME !!!!!

[eisfeld]

Glad to hear you didn't get injured BBJ! I think every rider here has had at least one close moment in Thailand and we're all aware it can happen any time from any direction.

Smartest thing to do is wear proper gear as you obviously do. Can make a hell of a difference. A good reminder for eveyone (including myself ).

[macknife]

My biggest fear here while driving my motorbike...getting rear ended, especially at a changing yellow-to-red light or at a pedestrian crosswalk. During my 4 years living here I've lost count of the number of times that I've slowed down and stopped when a light was changing to red or when pedestrians were in a crosswalk (with the red light on to stop) only to have motorbikes and cars zip past me and run the red light. I've been lucky so far but worry my number may be up someday.

Looks like you were very lucky. Glad that you weren't injured.

It seems you don't yet understand the real road laws of Thailand yet. An amber light changing to red means go, not slow down. Pedestrian crossings mean very little in this country and most vehicles will never stop(especially bikes) unless they absolutely have to. You simply have to adapt and do as they do, or like you say, your number will be up someday.

I had a similar 'accident' to the OP recently, driving like a lunatic, a motorcycle scooter clipped me in the rear. Having a 'big' bike I barely noticed, he on the other hand lost control and went down. I'm sure he learnt a painful lesson that day.

[morpho]

My biggest fear here while driving my motorbike...getting rear ended, especially at a changing yellow-to-red light or at a pedestrian crosswalk. During my 4 years living here I've lost count of the number of times that I've slowed down and stopped when a light was changing to red or when pedestrians were in a crosswalk (with the red light on to stop) only to have motorbikes and cars zip past me and run the red light. I've been lucky so far but worry my number may be up someday.

Looks like you were very lucky. Glad that you weren't injured.

It seems you don't yet understand the real road laws of Thailand yet. An amber light changing to red means go, not slow down. Pedestrian crossings mean very little in this country and most vehicles will never stop(especially bikes) unless they absolutely have to. You simply have to adapt and do as they do, or like you say, your number will be up someday.

I had a similar 'accident' to the OP recently, driving like a lunatic, a motorcycle scooter clipped me in the rear. Having a 'big' bike I barely noticed, he on the other hand lost control and went down. I'm sure he learnt a painful lesson that day.

I fully understand the "real road laws of Thailand" as you put it, but I still refuse to "simply adapt" to them regardless of what may happen by not doing it. It's a slippery slope once you start "simply adapting" and essentially driving badly, and the results likely to be far worse. My guess is that you're just as likely to be the one who slams into me or someone else as any Thai driver.

[nithisa78]

Gald you're okay. Doesn't look like you were in the correct spot. Have to write you up. Next case.

You called the person a name, that doubles the fine.

Edited June 19, 2015 by nithisa78

[nithisa78]

An hourly occurrence in LOS. No one is in the

Hospital and you can have the car repaired

very inexpensively. Be happy!!!

Sunshine, I take it you've never been anywhere else in the world. It happens everywhere. Then the bigots cry out loud. The maladjusted.

[tingtongfarang]

Its a good thing you got it on video. By the time the police arrived the story would change and it would be all your fault and he would have his g/f as a witness.

Exactly the reason why i shelled out 4,5K for a video in my car.

And i will always recommend other foreigners to do the same.

4.5K seems a bit steep?

Unless you bought all the bells and whistles with gps, duel front and rear camera etc??

I got a b40-c-supercap

for 2500 Bhat with 8GB Sd card

tm.jpg

af.jpg

from

http://www.thaidvrs.com/

Excellent camera with very good reviews can hardly see it behind the rear view mirror the pictures is very clear day and night and the guy installed it very tidy for free also.

Care to pm me where you got it?

[Colabamumbai]

You are a lucky man. I was kicked off my motorcycle on the highway by two drunk Thais walking on the side of the highway. The police took me to the hospital when I went to them to report the incident.

The police report states that I dropped my motorcycle on the highway. No mention of any Thais.

[macknife]

My biggest fear here while driving my motorbike...getting rear ended, especially at a changing yellow-to-red light or at a pedestrian crosswalk. During my 4 years living here I've lost count of the number of times that I've slowed down and stopped when a light was changing to red or when pedestrians were in a crosswalk (with the red light on to stop) only to have motorbikes and cars zip past me and run the red light. I've been lucky so far but worry my number may be up someday.

Looks like you were very lucky. Glad that you weren't injured.

It seems you don't yet understand the real road laws of Thailand yet. An amber light changing to red means go, not slow down. Pedestrian crossings mean very little in this country and most vehicles will never stop(especially bikes) unless they absolutely have to. You simply have to adapt and do as they do, or like you say, your number will be up someday.

I had a similar 'accident' to the OP recently, driving like a lunatic, a motorcycle scooter clipped me in the rear. Having a 'big' bike I barely noticed, he on the other hand lost control and went down. I'm sure he learnt a painful lesson that day.

I fully understand the "real road laws of Thailand" as you put it, but I still refuse to "simply adapt" to them regardless of what may happen by not doing it. It's a slippery slope once you start "simply adapting" and essentially driving badly, and the results likely to be far worse. My guess is that you're just as likely to be the one who slams into me or someone else as any Thai driver.

Why is it driving badly? It's just different driving to what you or I were brought up with. It's not bad driving here, it's just normal driving as everybody knows that everybody does it like this. No Thai/local pedestrian will cross the street at a pedestrian crossing just because the light says he can, he will wait until he is sure that everyone has stopped or is stopping until starting to walk across the road. Just like at every busy intersection no Thai/local will go just because his light is green, he will wait and look for any amber/red light jumpers to get across first before proceeding. This is all pretty normal stuff over here that every local knows about.

You can jump on your high horse if you wish, and refuse to comply but the next time someone rear ends you and sends you sprawling into the middle of an intersection, I'm sure the last thing you will be doing is shaking your fist screaming 'but I'm in the right'.

I don't wish you any ill will, I'm just saying what is normal and right for you is not the same here, so for your own safety ride carefully and be prepared. You said being rear ended was your biggest fear here, so try and adapt a little and lessen the chances of your biggest fear actually happening.

Edited June 19, 2015 by macknife

[mic59]

What on earth was that girl wearing? Some kind of t-shirt and flip-flops, was it? She was very lucky that her boyfriends' motorcycle remained perpendicular, even just rubbing her feet on the ground while on a moving motorbike would cause a very painful and probably long-lasting injury.

Edited June 19, 2015 by mic59

[gemguy]

No surprise....most Thai motorcycle drivers perform that sort of maneuver all the time while most of the time it works out ...but.... sometimes it does not and...... bang...wham...ouch!

You were in the wrong place at the wrong time...wrong Karma....so to speak...in the scheme of things... according to Buddha...lol

[Neocon]

I use an Allwinner 6000A car camera with GPS and a micro SD card (all for US $100). It looks just like a rearview mirror and is mounted over the existing rearview mirror with two small rubber straps and comes with a second camera I mounted in the rear window. Takes clear video and audio, but the menu functions on the camera and the camera software for my PC is not at all user friendly.

Tip: If looking to buy a rearview mirror mounted camera check which side the camera lens is on. If you buy a US sold camera the camera lens may be on the wrong side for driving in Thailand. The 6000A lens is on the driver's side for Thailand driving.

[eisfeld]

My biggest fear here while driving my motorbike...getting rear ended, especially at a changing yellow-to-red light or at a pedestrian crosswalk. During my 4 years living here I've lost count of the number of times that I've slowed down and stopped when a light was changing to red or when pedestrians were in a crosswalk (with the red light on to stop) only to have motorbikes and cars zip past me and run the red light. I've been lucky so far but worry my number may be up someday.

Looks like you were very lucky. Glad that you weren't injured.

It seems you don't yet understand the real road laws of Thailand yet. An amber light changing to red means go, not slow down. Pedestrian crossings mean very little in this country and most vehicles will never stop(especially bikes) unless they absolutely have to. You simply have to adapt and do as they do, or like you say, your number will be up someday.

I had a similar 'accident' to the OP recently, driving like a lunatic, a motorcycle scooter clipped me in the rear. Having a 'big' bike I barely noticed, he on the other hand lost control and went down. I'm sure he learnt a painful lesson that day.

I fully understand the "real road laws of Thailand" as you put it, but I still refuse to "simply adapt" to them regardless of what may happen by not doing it. It's a slippery slope once you start "simply adapting" and essentially driving badly, and the results likely to be far worse. My guess is that you're just as likely to be the one who slams into me or someone else as any Thai driver.

Why is it driving badly? It's just different driving to what you or I were brought up with. It's not bad driving here, it's just normal driving as everybody knows that everybody does it like this. No Thai/local pedestrian will cross the street at a pedestrian crossing just because the light says he can, he will wait until he is sure that everyone has stopped or is stopping until starting to walk across the road. Just like at every busy intersection no Thai/local will go just because his light is green, he will wait and look for any amber/red light jumpers to get across first before proceeding. This is all pretty normal stuff over here that every local knows about.

You can jump on your high horse if you wish, and refuse to comply but the next time someone rear ends you and sends you sprawling into the middle of an intersection, I'm sure the last thing you will be doing is shaking your fist screaming 'but I'm in the right'.

I don't wish you any ill will, I'm just saying what is normal and right for you is not the same here, so for your own safety ride carefully and be prepared. You said being rear ended was your biggest fear here, so try and adapt a little and lessen the chances of your biggest fear actually happening.

I understand your logic, it's an interesting point actually. You basically say it's better to adjust to the flow of traffic even if by western ideals it might seem wrong.

I nearly wanted to agree but then you look at the road accident statistics and have to conclude that the way things flow here are in fact bad.

But it's still a very interesting thought experiment since you can't change everyone. I personally think that in this case you have to find a middleground between doing it western and thai style. As both ways are not the optimum in these constraints when it comes to maximizing your own safety.

Summary:

Going with the flow (thai style) = bad (see stats)

Going against the flow (western style) = bad (see discussion)

Nice brain food for a friday evening!

[Overandout]

Well I certainly support the "when in Rome" argument.

Before I arrived in Thailand I would never have ridden the way I do here, and I still don't jump red lights (unless turning left) or lane split at high speed, but I have taken to ignoring pedestrian crossings, overtaking on the near-side and giving way to larger vehicles regardless of who is "in the right".

Seems to work for me.

[thrilled]

I believe in Thailand the car is at fault when A moped is involved.Whether the car hit the moped or the moped hit the car.

[morpho]

My biggest fear here while driving my motorbike...getting rear ended, especially at a changing yellow-to-red light or at a pedestrian crosswalk. During my 4 years living here I've lost count of the number of times that I've slowed down and stopped when a light was changing to red or when pedestrians were in a crosswalk (with the red light on to stop) only to have motorbikes and cars zip past me and run the red light. I've been lucky so far but worry my number may be up someday.

Looks like you were very lucky. Glad that you weren't injured.

It seems you don't yet understand the real road laws of Thailand yet. An amber light changing to red means go, not slow down. Pedestrian crossings mean very little in this country and most vehicles will never stop(especially bikes) unless they absolutely have to. You simply have to adapt and do as they do, or like you say, your number will be up someday.

I had a similar 'accident' to the OP recently, driving like a lunatic, a motorcycle scooter clipped me in the rear. Having a 'big' bike I barely noticed, he on the other hand lost control and went down. I'm sure he learnt a painful lesson that day.

I fully understand the "real road laws of Thailand" as you put it, but I still refuse to "simply adapt" to them regardless of what may happen by not doing it. It's a slippery slope once you start "simply adapting" and essentially driving badly, and the results likely to be far worse. My guess is that you're just as likely to be the one who slams into me or someone else as any Thai driver.

Why is it driving badly? It's just different driving to what you or I were brought up with. It's not bad driving here, it's just normal driving as everybody knows that everybody does it like this. No Thai/local pedestrian will cross the street at a pedestrian crossing just because the light says he can, he will wait until he is sure that everyone has stopped or is stopping until starting to walk across the road. Just like at every busy intersection no Thai/local will go just because his light is green, he will wait and look for any amber/red light jumpers to get across first before proceeding. This is all pretty normal stuff over here that every local knows about.

You can jump on your high horse if you wish, and refuse to comply but the next time someone rear ends you and sends you sprawling into the middle of an intersection, I'm sure the last thing you will be doing is shaking your fist screaming 'but I'm in the right'.

I don't wish you any ill will, I'm just saying what is normal and right for you is not the same here, so for your own safety ride carefully and be prepared. You said being rear ended was your biggest fear here, so try and adapt a little and lessen the chances of your biggest fear actually happening.

So if I follow your logic (which I actually find illogical), I just go with the flow and drive like the Thais do (i.e,, when in Rome...). So I go through the yellows and reds either at an intersection or crosswalk because it is the normal thing to do here. The pedestrians who are either entering or in the crosswalk are there at their own risk. Then next I can go ahead and pass a vehicle(s) in a no passing lane because that is pretty much normal here too for many drivers. And why don't I just drive down the wrong side of the road against the flow of traffic because I don't want to drive on the correct side to the next intersection to actually turn around (another typical driving practice in Thailand). Then next I can just zip right through a standing red light late at night when the police are not out. Again a normal practice in Thailand. It's like a domino effect to the point where you are essentially "driving badly" and doing all of the things that we all complain about Thai drivers doing.

I don't want you or anyone else to get injured either but the next time someone rear ends you and it's a delivery truck or minibus driver "driving badly" (and not just a small motorbike like before), then I will rest my case.

Edited June 19, 2015 by morpho

[ttakata]

I recommend this site for those researching dashcams.

https://dashcamtalk.com

[longstebe]

Dash cam.

Helmet cam.

Person cam.

I have a dash cam in my pick up but I'm also considering buying a cam for my helmet. It may look a bit daft, a 6" 4 bloke driving a scoopy i but using sukhimvhit road or any road for that matter I think everyone should have one.

Edited June 19, 2015 by longstebe

[redandyellow]

I never knew that twits rode motorcycles..Did you mean hot twins perchance?