Pedestrian killed by car driven by 17 year old in South Pattaya

[brianj1964]

It is not clear if he was breath tested, why? Should it not be the first thing to do?

Witnessed an accident last week. Car hit a bike.

Driver of the car was absolutely wasted, it was just so obvious.

Took about 20 mins for police to arrive.

Another hour for insurance agent

Then hour or so of talking

On about 4th hour, police decided to breath test the driver.

By then he sobored up pretty well.

I am guessing it might be deliberate , because of driver is drunk , insurance is void.

If not, insurance pays the victim.

But only a guess as I can not see any logic in not testing on the spot and waiting for hours

they had to find out who is family is and 'things needed to get sorted out'. that includes the identity of the passengers.

how do you know he was obviously wasted? I read there were 2 half full bottles of whisky. hell, you might have drank them, or the girls.

how do you even know he was driving? what if it was one of the girls driving and she was 15 and she called her boyfriend who jumped in. what if there were other cars / friends involved and it was a race game, or something. the possibilities are endless.

I think any impartial witness at the scene would say who was driving, not that hard to put that part to rest

[little mary sunshine]

Excellent example of, "I will do as I please". The

Police really don't give a sh.. about public safety

So why should I. 17no license, speeding, probably

Drunk. Real 3rd World Thinking !!

[billd766]

In a country where 10 years old ride a motorcycle, with 2-3 other boys with him, no wonder that

people killed in this way, do the police even care? like a blind in a dark room, no see, no hear,

not know....

Up here in rural Thailand young children DO ride bike around the area and to school etc.

I haven't heard of many accidents though nor are there many spots on the road where a body was outlined in spray paint.

Nor have I seen or heard of many schoolkids riding around with half empty bottle of whiskey either.

Perhaps some posters may accuse me of wearing rose coloured glasses. On the other hand I know where I live and my wife is loosely attached to the local gossip grapevines.

[NickJ]

Any person that has been involved with a meaningless roadway death or maiming and anyone who cares should start a group and get organized via social media. With the goal of a rally in Bangkok. Calling for enforcment of the laws and punishment for the offenders.

Media coverage, case documentation including follow up reports....

Edited August 24, 2015 by NickJ

[Transporter]

Thailand has its own laws and as much as we don't like to see innocent people die we cannot change there laws drink driving happens all over the world no way to stop it my philosophy is sit back and chill out if I die today ok if I wake up tomorrow ok.

Thailand has no laws whatsoever because as long as you have enough money you can buy your way out of any situation. The people who are paid to uphold the law have all but destroyed the tourist industry. Well done Thailand!

[Nobb]

Two half empty bottles of whiskey between three underage drinkers and no breath test. I will pray for the dead pedestrian and also pray that justice is served

to this killer. Maybe rich parents or related to actress who killed the policeman. Where is the new and improved police department. So sad for Thailand!

[spidermike007]

Two half empty bottles of whiskey between three underage drinkers and no breath test. I will pray for the dead pedestrian and also pray that justice is served

to this killer. Maybe rich parents or related to actress who killed the policeman. Where is the new and improved police department. So sad for Thailand!

I estimate that in order to reform the Thai police, nearly $100 billion US would be required. And that is just a start. Salaries would have to be doubled, nationwide, in order to put police in a situation where they did not have to skim. Forensic equipment and labs, weapons, training, overseas training for the detectives and CSI staff, real motorbikes and police cars and trucks, paddy wagons, instead of the pickup trucks where the prisoners cab escape from quite easily, etc, etc. I think they may have some sort of unwritten pact with the govt. You remain broken and ineffective. You take what you can get. And we are off the hook, budget wise.

[jchfriis]

Thailand has its own laws and as much as we don't like to see innocent people die we cannot change there laws drink driving happens all over the world no way to stop it my philosophy is sit back and chill out if I die today ok if I wake up tomorrow ok.

Thailand has excellent laws against drunk driving, they just are not enforced enough.

And yes it does happen all over the world, but in the countries where it is enforced, a lot less people die in traffic. For instance where I come from, if you are caught with more than 0.2 pro mille in your blood you will pay a hefty fine (at least one month gross salary) and you will lose you license for up to a year. More than 0.5 the fine goes up and you can go to jail for 21 days and you will loose your license for at least a year, no questions asked. Believe me, it works.

[off road pat]

Under aged drivers and uninsured drivers seem to be the norm in Thailand as well as unlicensed drivers.

Several years ago my wife was stopped at a red light and was hit by an older pickup driven by an unlicensed and uninsured driver. He immediately took the police aside and a 10000 THB tea money contribution suddenly made my wife at fault even though she was struck in the rear (she must have backed into him). She struck her head and was unconscious for about 2-3 minutes. Now she has Parkinsons as a result. Her mother who was with her wound up with a broken clavacle bone. Fortunately we carry top end insurance but how does one compensate for her Parkinsons?

The police need to start doing their job all month instead of at the end and beginning of each month.

My wife did her driving licence last year in Chiang Mai,...from the 80 people in her class most came with a motorbike or car....before they even got the licence....and 2 were driving without a licence for 20 years.....!!! .....TIT.....

Best regards....

[Baerboxer]

Excellent example of, "I will do as I please". The

Police really don't give a sh.. about public safety

So why should I. 17no license, speeding, probably

Drunk. Real 3rd World Thinking !!

He's probably also aware that an underage driver was responsible for nine deaths in an accident and received a very lenient sentence. Driving ban was the severe part, and some community service, suspended sentence.

Nice to see the Thai courts adopting a rehabilitation attitude. Whilst precedence does not figure in Thai law, I'm sure he'll expect something less, after all this is just one dead.

Now if this lads and his two lady friends had been caught picking wild mushrooms, they'd have really been in for it.

Police were no doubt hurriedly checking who the driver and passengers families are before deciding how to proceed.

[SPB65]

Last week 10-20 people killed by the Bangkok bombing.

Yet 400 people killed weekly on the roads.

The bombing could not have been prevented.

Yet what puzzles me is why so much attention has been drawn to the bombing, yet little attention is drawn to the weekly carnage on the roads which could be prevented.

Quite right. I made the exact same point in an earlier post regarding the bomb fatalities. Thais don't need terrorism, they wipe themselves out in greater numbers on a daily basis. No one bats an eye at that though.

[spidermike007]

It is not clear if he was breath tested, why? Should it not be the first thing to do?

Witnessed an accident last week. Car hit a bike.

Driver of the car was absolutely wasted, it was just so obvious.

Took about 20 mins for police to arrive.

Another hour for insurance agent

Then hour or so of talking

On about 4th hour, police decided to breath test the driver.

By then he sobored up pretty well.

I am guessing it might be deliberate , because of driver is drunk , insurance is void.

If not, insurance pays the victim.

But only a guess as I can not see any logic in not testing on the spot and waiting for hours

Logic? You are in the wrong country. Logic and reason are nearly completely absent from Thai culture. For all of their good qualities, those are two aspects one can rarely find here, unless the individual has spent time overseas, where they quickly acquaint themselves with those previously unfamiliar qualities.

[spidermike007]

Thailand has its own laws and as much as we don't like to see innocent people die we cannot change there laws drink driving happens all over the world no way to stop it my philosophy is sit back and chill out if I die today ok if I wake up tomorrow ok.

Thailand has excellent laws against drunk driving, they just are not enforced enough.

And yes it does happen all over the world, but in the countries where it is enforced, a lot less people die in traffic. For instance where I come from, if you are caught with more than 0.2 pro mille in your blood you will pay a hefty fine (at least one month gross salary) and you will lose you license for up to a year. More than 0.5 the fine goes up and you can go to jail for 21 days and you will loose your license for at least a year, no questions asked. Believe me, it works.

Well, enforcement is the very crux of traffic safety, is it not? What is the point of having the laws, if they are not enforced, or if they are enforced in a very selective manner? It is up to both the highly incompetent and ineffective police, and the very weak judges, who seem to lack the courage to do the right thing, and enforce the laws. And since the government seems to be sleeping at the wheel, very few are being compelled to do what it is they are paid to do.

[spidermike007]

In the US, being charged with drunk driving means a minimum of $10,000 in fines and legal fees, higher insurance costs, points off your license, and the possibility of losing your right to drive. All very hefty prices to pay for being caught drinking while driving. All virtually absent from the "traffic safety" scene here.

Edited August 24, 2015 by spidermike007

[balo]

Another deadly accodent that happened in the "early hours of the morning". Someone suggested earlier that most accidents on the roads in Thailand happens between 4-8 pm . That might be, but the serious ones happens after midnight and before 6 AM. Most of them caused by drivers speeding under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

[Pattaya28]

Under aged drivers and uninsured drivers seem to be the norm in Thailand as well as unlicensed drivers.

Several years ago my wife was stopped at a red light and was hit by an older pickup driven by an unlicensed and uninsured driver. He immediately took the police aside and a 10000 THB tea money contribution suddenly made my wife at fault even though she was struck in the rear (she must have backed into him). She struck her head and was unconscious for about 2-3 minutes. Now she has Parkinsons as a result. Her mother who was with her wound up with a broken clavacle bone. Fortunately we carry top end insurance but how does one compensate for her Parkinsons?

The police need to start doing their job all month instead of at the end and beginning of each month.

This is 1 of the major problems foreigners have. We will always have the book thrown at us in court.

[phantomfiddler]

In Pattaya it is not unusual to see children below the age of 10 driving motorcycles, and without helmets ! Unfortunately the old saying that God protects drunks and little children doesn,t apply here Once while being a passenger on a motorcycle taxi, heading up South Pattaya Road, I saw a small baby hurtling through the air at high speed, obviously having just been ejected by a high speed collision !

[Sviss Geez]

A 17 year-old school kid in a souped up Yaris. I wonder how old he was when the doting parents gave him his first motorbike? Probably about the same time as dad got the new BMW or mum got her new Lexus.

What's the odds on a paltry donation towards the next of kin of the deceased with more significant monies for the cops welfare fund and it will all be forgotten.

Where did you get the "souped-up" bit from?

[The Deerhunter]

It is a sad commentary. I am afraid to go out at night in Kalasin, half the people are drunk, driving on the wrong side of the highway or road and many with no lights at all.

I used to wonder why Thais drive so fast, I think it is because they are all late.

For their own funerals?????

[Sviss Geez]

Drive past one of the colleges in Vientianne and see the 16-18 year old rich kids with Lambos, Ferrarris, Mercs, Porsches strutting their stuff. A (very fast) accident waiting to happen and no blame apportioned.

How would you apportion blame for an accident that has never happened?

[BigBadGeordie]

Other than obscure name, there is no information at all about the victim. This is very sad - a life stamped out in godawful circumstances, and we know nothing about her. If my interest sounds a little ghoulish, it's only because she is not just a statistic. We need to know her as a real person in order to bring some perspective to this hideous and deeply saddening incident. Certainly the driver needs to be made fully aware of the suffering he has caused by making the victim a real person, not just a white sheet on the road with an arm sticking out of it.

RIP, Namfon.

My home is about 600m from the victims parents house, I live in a small village in rural Buriram (I think it would be inappropriate to name the village). The victim in this crash was a lady in her mid 40s, she leaves behind a daughter and grand-daughter. She worked in Pattaya to help support her family in the village. Having met her a couple of times I found her to be a kind open and caring person. Her father in his 70s is a lovely chap, he has a small "market garden" type plot and sells fresh veg from his bicycle on a daily basis. She had 5? siblings (cannot confirm the exact number).

Her body was released early pm today and is currently en-route to the village, given the limited financial resources of the family, she will be cremated on an open pyre at the village temple tonight. All houses/family in the village have contributed 300 Baht towards the expenses.

I hope this helps put a human face/persona to the victim in this sad case.

Edited August 24, 2015 by BigBadGeordie

[NanLaew]

A 17 year-old school kid in a souped up Yaris. I wonder how old he was when the doting parents gave him his first motorbike? Probably about the same time as dad got the new BMW or mum got her new Lexus.

What's the odds on a paltry donation towards the next of kin of the deceased with more significant monies for the cops welfare fund and it will all be forgotten.

Where did you get the "souped-up" bit from?

Non standard rims and low-profile tires for starters...?

Drive past one of the colleges in Vientianne and see the 16-18 year old rich kids with Lambos, Ferrarris, Mercs, Porsches strutting their stuff. A (very fast) accident waiting to happen and no blame apportioned.

How would you apportion blame for an accident that has never happened?

You are excused since English isn't your first language.

[cookee68]

What will he get, a slap on the wrist, the family will ask for some money, and life will just carry on as if nothing ever happened, until the next time

[Keesters]

Rip to the pedestrian.

This is yet one more example of the increasing lawlessness of Pattaya city.

correction....Pattaya city Thailand

[spidermike007]

Only last evening I was talking to the Mrs. on the phone (she's away at the moment) and I was telling her that I took a stroll along Jomtien Beach at around 17.30 hrs. All along the footpath and under the trees were hundreds of people drinking beer and listening to music from their pick-ups and having picnics (a regular occurrence at a lot of beaches on a Sunday, a lot come from BKK to get a break. On my way back they were all finishing up and packing their stuff away. I said to her that after dark on a Sunday must be the worst time to go for a drive in Thailand.

RIP. to the deceased

Having driven in the Kingdom since 1990, I have noticed this pattern. Of course Songkran and other holidays are more dangerous than others, but for some reason Sunday night seems to also be more dangerous than others. I have no stats or scientific evidence. Correlation is not causation.

But last night I was driving from Thonburi into the city, coming home and it was about 9 pm. I could not count the number of nutters on motorcycles, cars with no lights racing, insane lane changes and an overall insanity that caused she and I to comment to ourselves. More than a few times I swerved to avoid or slowed to stay away from a nutter.

I should also add that the best advice I ever got from another expat was given to me back in 1991 when I was ranting to him about something. "why do they do it that way?" was the gist of my question. His reply was - There are 2 kinds of expats, and some stay and some leave. But the 2 types are those who see the craziness whether it is construction, police, or relationships and after processing the anger say to themselves "mmm isn't it interesting how they think differently."

At the end of the day, it all either becomes part of the charm or it does not. If it does not, the expat winds up miserable, hating, and finding fault wherever the mind can. The expat who looks at it and acknowledges it for what it is, and is mindful of difference and his expectations, has the potential to be happy and accepting. There are miserable expats and happy ones. In my opinion, this is the key.

Very, very nice. You are right. Perspective is everything in life. Especially here. I like the part about the difference being part of the charm. It is so true. The mind is a very powerful instrument. And the amazing thing is, the mind will believe virtually anything we tell it. So, why not tell it positive and delightful stuff? It will believe it. And it is not about rose colored glasses. It is about a fulfilling life. There is alot to be in love with here. Many of us have found really good lives here, with lovely women, and a nice lifestyle, surrounded by relatively pleasant people. What is not to love about that?

[onemorechang]

Rip to the pedestrian.

This is yet one more example of the increasing lawlessness of Pattaya city.

correction....Pattaya city Thailand

Thanks,, but no correction required.

I do believe we now a element of people that come to Pattaya city at

the weekends and run riot on the roads drinking and driving all over town.

People do this all the time all over Thailand every day.

but at weekend we now get a slightly different idiot in town.

Not sure where this guy come form.

[Jim walker]

Another usual day on Thailand roads death by stupidity and having no respect to others only me me that is important I can do anything my parents will buy me a new car so its all no problem I am grounded for a few days but when I get out again I will have my new car and daddy will have sorted out everything with the police so back to normal. RIP to the victim of this spoiled child stupidity, and lack of upbringing by the parents.

[onemorechang]

Another usual day on Thailand roads death by stupidity and having no respect to others only me me that is important I can do anything my parents will buy me a new car so its all no problem I am grounded for a few days but when I get out again I will have my new car and daddy will have sorted out everything with the police so back to normal. RIP to the victim of this spoiled child stupidity, and lack of upbringing by the parents.

Yes.

That is the root of the problem with the Thai male on the roads.

[petercool]

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