samsensam Posted November 10, 2015 Share Posted November 10, 2015 Condolences to the family of the Police Officer. I can’t imagine the grief his wife and two young girls must be going through. It’s heartbreaking. I hope some good can come from this tragedy. Now that one of their own has been murdered my a drunk driver, perhaps Phuket Police will start taking drunk driving serious with consequences similar to many western countries. "Now that one of their own ..." The Thai police are not a fraternity. Nor are they inspired by the desire to uphold the law. Agree with your sentiment, but ... reality calls, and it's back to the job of scamming money for the average PC Plod. agree, my friend's husband is a police officer and i have many interesting chats with him. the thai police are a deeply fragmented and corrupt organisation. there is no common identity and pride in being a police officer as we are familiar with in the west. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jacko45k Posted November 10, 2015 Share Posted November 10, 2015 The minivan driver probably up all night drinking , no sleep and fell asleep behind the wheel. RIP. Exactly, befuddled betwixt drunkenness and hangover. A mini bus driver with total disregard for the responsibility of the job he does. Too young I say. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dukeleto Posted November 10, 2015 Share Posted November 10, 2015 The reckless driving of cars here is incredible and extremely dangerous. I have had pick-up trucks almost clip me in the bike lane with both car lanes empty at very high speed. Unbelievable and IMO attempted murder. There are truly some serious idiots driving around on this island. Traffic police actually need to start doing their jobs instead of sitting at check points and catching people without helmets. I have never once seen speed checking on Phuket Island in 11 years of living here nor have I seen anyone chased and pulled over for reckless driving or any other driving offences. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrainLife Posted November 10, 2015 Share Posted November 10, 2015 RIP, Mr. Police man, I feel for your family and friend. In the coming days we will see if the Vans drivers family has any money or not. Rich heirs and lady rich actors get away with it, by paying a few negotiated millions or just to important when driving a Porsche. I am taking 1000 to 1 he has to pay more then 5000baht(probably does not have it) and will go to jail. Just joking, not taking any bets. It is a no win for all the parties involved. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BestBitterPhuket Posted November 10, 2015 Share Posted November 10, 2015 A terrible tragedy for the victim and his family. The police had lost one of their own, but the police in Thailand as an organization is also to blame for the rampant drunk driving in Thailand. Every day people are killed, and this time it was one of their own. I hope that is food for thought among the leaders of the police (even though I don't think they care). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dcsw53 Posted November 10, 2015 Share Posted November 10, 2015 This guy had either dropped people off or was about to pick up a group at the airport. Frightening. Condolences to the policeman's family, he was just doing his job. How many decades more before road deaths, particularly those caused by minibuses, are taken seriously ? "Come to Thailand, check out the sunshine, explore the beaches, marvel at the roadkill ". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thai006 Posted November 10, 2015 Share Posted November 10, 2015 (edited) forever in jail for the driver only that , he will have time for thinking what he done when the law in thailand will change about driving , drunk on road 10 000b fine , the people in the world understand only the fine come on Chan o Cha do something Edited November 10, 2015 by thai006 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monk213 Posted November 10, 2015 Share Posted November 10, 2015 This is exactly why I very rarely ever use minivans here, for the most par they are crazy drivers due to deadlines and substances. I had go go to BKK from Hua Hin recently and missed my train, so had to use a minivan as the large buses were not running at that time in the morning. Kind of needed new underwear when I got to BKK. I always prefer trains but even more so the large buses, rot-tooa (phonetics whatever.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FinChin67 Posted November 10, 2015 Share Posted November 10, 2015 Awful. But unfortunately not surprising at all. Perhaps this might become a catalyst for some action against the recklessness on the roads here every minute of every day? I hope so, but have my doubts. RIP and condolences to friends and family. Unfortunately I do not think so either. About 80 lives are lost every day in traffic accidents so there is and was plenty of catalyst but very little action. I copied this from somewhere earlier: "It’s said drunk-driving is to blame for around 26% of road deaths in Thailand, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). In an interview with Chiang Mai CityNews, rescue services told the reporter that alcohol was involved in as much as 80% of road accidents. There are plenty of ways to fix this if there is a will. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FinChin67 Posted November 10, 2015 Share Posted November 10, 2015 forever in jail for the driver only that , he will have time for thinking what he done when the law in thailand will change about driving , drunk on road 10 000b fine , the people in the world understand only the fine come on Chan o Cha do something How about confiscate the vehicle (no matter who owns it), auction it off and donate the proceeds to the victims of drunk drivers? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steelepulse Posted November 10, 2015 Share Posted November 10, 2015 Either mini van drivers are drunk all the time, or they are always just really bad drivers. Perhaps there is no difference between a drunk minivan driver and a (semi) sober minivan driver after observing their antics for years here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Minnehaha Posted November 10, 2015 Share Posted November 10, 2015 The cops here are not as close as they are in the west. Remember the redbull guy. Probably blame it on the brakes and life goes on. This is one thing friends of mine who are cops or FBI or in law enforcement institutions all say when they hear about something like this. It is one thing if a cop is shot or hurt by a criminal. Just one thing. That person will be targeted by all of the cops colleagues. They do not differentiate between a cop who was disliked or unpopular... if he was wearing the uniform for his job the others will always have his back. This includes doing everything to convict a person caught as well as seeking revenge in the street. It is one of the things in films or TV that you see. A cop gets punched or shot by a criminal while in pursuit. The other cops rein holy hell on the shooter when they see their colleague is hurt. Problem is... you sometimes have situations like a car driving past a cop station and the car backfires. The cops think it is a gun shot. ... a gunshot at the station... and they are immediately in hot pursuit until they stop the car and shoot 30 rounds into the windshield and unarmed passengers in front seat. Think it was Cleveland Ohio. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
puukao Posted November 10, 2015 Share Posted November 10, 2015 This is fate and destiny and all that stuff......There was a chance we ALL could have been him........and who knows if he thought of moving seconds earlier.....or almost called off work....or the van guy almost got the red light....or anything.....who knows... life is crazy.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pepper1959 Posted November 10, 2015 Share Posted November 10, 2015 5000 baht fine and loss of licence for 30 days, standard penalty for driver unfortunately and nothing will change with mini bus drivers. RIP to policeman and sympathies to his family. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UnkleMoooose Posted November 10, 2015 Share Posted November 10, 2015 One less to help himself to my money. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johnsy Posted November 10, 2015 Share Posted November 10, 2015 Doesn't matter how safe you try to be, how good you can ride/drive, what precautions you take, you are at the mercy of total drunks and fools in this country! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Briggsy Posted November 10, 2015 Share Posted November 10, 2015 This is fate and destiny and all that stuff......There was a chance we ALL could have been him........and who knows if he thought of moving seconds earlier.....or almost called off work....or the van guy almost got the red light....or anything.....who knows... life is crazy.... It is true that misfortune played a part but..... Statistics show that death and injury related to drink driving can be drastically reduced across a society as a whole by a range of measures that includes concerted and consistent law enforcement and sentencing. Fatalism is only one step away from a shrug of the shoulders which equates to doing nothing. I get your key point that bad luck can strike but don't forget you can do a lot to improve your percentage chances. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickenslegs Posted November 10, 2015 Share Posted November 10, 2015 One less to help himself to my money. We do not know whether or not he was an honest policeman, good husband, good father, but we do know that he was killed in terrible circumstances and his family must be devastated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FBlue72 Posted November 10, 2015 Share Posted November 10, 2015 (edited) Just to comment that with Thailand placed second in the world for the highest number of road accident deaths - the death of this policeman will not add to that number. Why? Because the man did not die at the scene of the accident, but in the hospital. AFAIK, Thailand only considers road accident deaths as actual deaths, if the death occurred at the site of the accident. I mentioned this on a thread about Phuket quite possibly being the most likely place to die on the planet from a traffic "accident". WHO estimates, (because of the deliberate skewing of stats, IMO) the fatalities are actually 40% or more higher which puts Thailand at the same level as Libya. Add Phuket having the highest fatality rate within Thailand and I believe this smallish island features the most dangerous driving in the known universe. Put that in a tourist brochure. Condolences to the family of the Police Officer. I can’t imagine the grief his wife and two young girls must be going through. It’s heartbreaking. I hope some good can come from this tragedy. Now that one of their own has been murdered my a drunk driver, perhaps Phuket Police will start taking drunk driving serious with consequences similar to many western countries Don't count on it. Whole different set of beliefs based on what the officer did to deserve this death, and seeing it as an opportunity for a new life to make amends. That's why no amount of westerners on English language forums moaning, whining, criticizing, shaming or offering well meant and sensible advice will change the extremely dangerous driving conditions in Thailand. This fatalist belief is the basis for all that ills the nation (IMO) and is not likely to change-ever. Drive accordingly. Edited November 10, 2015 by FBlue72 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Broken Record Posted November 10, 2015 Share Posted November 10, 2015 This makes me shudder to think how many other drivers there are on the road so obviously intoxicated, mini bus drivers in particular, seeing how fast they nearly all seem to drive. Another point, i cannot remember the times that i have been stationary in the middle of the road, indicators blinking away waiting to turn right when some muppet decides to overtake me , not on the left but on my right. The time has come for random alcohol and drug testing. I agree it's time for more random testing and harsh penalties for drink driving, I was dropping someone off at the Bus Station and another Farang in a 4x4 pick up pulled up to drop someone off, he got out drinking a can of chang beer, went into the mom and pop shop next door to buy more beer, opened up a fresh can saw his passenger off got back in the car and drove away. Many Thai's drink and drive then again so do many Farangs. It was the 7.20am bus. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mancub Posted November 10, 2015 Share Posted November 10, 2015 The most dangerous place to be in Thailand ?..... the middle of the road waiting to turn right. All junctions, intersections, traffic lights, u-turns are so hazardous, due in part to their design, but mostly to the reckless,selfish,inconsiderate and impatient nature of the vast majority of road users. . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WitawatWatawit Posted November 10, 2015 Share Posted November 10, 2015 One less to help himself to my money. Remove your "likes" from my posts #14 and #23, please. I don't want them. It's one thing to despise Thai police, and that I do. It's another to celebrate the death of someone in tragic circumstances. You cross a line with such comments. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
springheeled jack Posted November 10, 2015 Share Posted November 10, 2015 you don't need a quota to incarcerate people of this calibre I wouldn't even think of a court appearance just put him in a cell give him a good kicking then leave him in the cell lock the door and throw away the key end of story. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Friendly Stranger Posted November 10, 2015 Share Posted November 10, 2015 You know it shouldn't matter, but when you actually see it then what goes through ones mind is who he's leaving behind. How tragic and despicable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SOTIRIOS Posted November 10, 2015 Share Posted November 10, 2015 ...........sick bastard....should be put away forever....and certainly never behind the wheel of ANY vehicle... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spidermike007 Posted November 10, 2015 Share Posted November 10, 2015 What a complete baboon. Hope he gets life in prison. The DUI standards here are so lax, it is a wonder more of this kind of thing does not happen. Can you imagine the horror of the passengers in the van? There seem to have been alot of witnesses, besides video footage. Will the impotent authorities do anything? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wprime Posted November 10, 2015 Share Posted November 10, 2015 RIP, Mr. Police man, I feel for your family and friend. In the coming days we will see if the Vans drivers family has any money or not. Rich heirs and lady rich actors get away with it, by paying a few negotiated millions or just to important when driving a Porsche. I am taking 1000 to 1 he has to pay more then 5000baht(probably does not have it) and will go to jail. Just joking, not taking any bets. It is a no win for all the parties involved. He deserves to go to jail, he's a selfish, reckless and downright shit person to take risks with other people's lives when he knows he can't afford to compensate them if things go wrong. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UncleE Posted November 10, 2015 Share Posted November 10, 2015 Typical Thailand, nothing in the news identifies the company this driver worked for (I assume "worked" but who knows, he could be back on the road. Cmon Let's have some real reporting here. Surely it can be dug up. I live in USA now while maintaining a network of businesses in Thailand. AFter 25 years living in Thailand, and now back in the "real" world. Never ceases to amaze me how details like this don't come out right away. Liability is on the company with the green plates. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stokakrishna Posted November 10, 2015 Share Posted November 10, 2015 will minivan driver will pay the fine and be off this time?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaywalker Posted November 10, 2015 Share Posted November 10, 2015 (edited) I was waiting to come out of the side road at this junction when the accident happened about 5 metres away from me. (It is the U turn junction close to the Supercheap store). The traffic was slow-moving and busy at the time. The minivan was heading fast towards the airport in the outside lane, whilst the traffic was slow-moving in the inside lane. It is possible that one of the cars on the inside lane started to pull out and the minivan driver had no choice but to drive onto the median strip. (In any case, he was driving too fast for the road/traffic conditions). The minivan hit the policeman and motorbike, knocking the bike aside, but then running over the policeman and dragging him about 15 metres down the road, whilst the front bumber of the minivan was disintegrating. When the minivan finally cleared the policeman, the latter was amazingly, still in one piece, with no immediate signs of serious injury or loss of blood. He was still conscious and his police colleagues were right there to call for an ambulance. However, as is often the situation in these accidents, everyone just stood around and waited for the ambulance to arrive. It is likely that the policeman had serious, internal injuries, and no doubt an autopsy will maybe confirm this. As for me, there was nothing that I could do to help. One would need to be an experienced paramedic with equipment on hand to help. My thoughts exactly on the part of (other) psycho traffic forcing the van driver over, though it is obvious (to us Westerners) that he was going too fast. The roads are, overall just too narrow as well. As an arm-chair quarterback though, swiping another car/truck whatever along its side is infinitely better than plowing over a motorbike, or even a curb for that matter. As an airport driver, the guy should have had ZERO booze in his system as well. Tragedy all around. 1 dead, due to recklessness, poor infrastructure (due to whatever...take your pick), poor (or zero) driver training, and due to overall lax enforcement of existing laws, such as speeding and DUI. It's a vicious circle. Edited November 10, 2015 by jaywalker Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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