Fatal Road Accident in Jomtien

[hobobo]

When I approach a junction with a red light, I stop. When I approach it and it's green, I slow down, and sometimes stop because some idiot is going through red, and then I proceed with caution. I'm still alive after 10 years of riding a bike in Pattaya.

RIP to the young man, and may the minivan driver rot (and roast!) in hell for all eternity.

[crickets]

Hope that turd spends 10 years at least behind bars. But im guessing he will admit it and get maybe 2. Too many cowboys driving mini vans. Especially the ones who tailgate you, flash their lights and press the horn expecting you to make way immediatly. I just slow down and smile as they pass through the othe lane and smile again when after, speeding past they just end up having to wait at the same next trafffic lights as me. <deleted> douche bags.

[Just1Voice]

I don't know how many times, on my various bike trips around the north and north east, I'll see a single mini van coming up behind me. I get the hell out of the way, fast, as there is usually anywhere between 4 and 10 of those bastards in a convoy, easily doing 160kph, with no intentions of letting anything get in their way or slow them down.

[nuananddon]

If a person has been in Thailand long enough they realize that there is always a lot of talk and very little action on traffic safety. It's one dog and pony show after another, hogwash & whitewash, call it whatever and the death toll keeps on rising year after year. For me when I drive it's never get distracted, keep alert, be a defensive driver, and always expect the unexpected.

[thailand49]

Some of these Van drivers are the worse especially the one's White with blue strips on the bottom, they run between Pattaya and Bangkok area majority of the Thai use them to Bangkok using the Rt, 34 through Chon Buri- Bang Na. They are always picking up and dropping passengers throughout Sukhumvit you can catch them resting outside the tunnel area, Index and across the road behind Num Chai.

I see them throughout the day driving fast, breaking every rule on the books especially tailgating and sound their horns to get motorbikes out of their way. I took them a few times in the past, and stop because of the majority of drivers seem to drive if they were on motorbikes themselves. I went back to riding the Bus, lot safer.

R.I.P, regardless of what you are driving. at any intersection be defensive and wait a minimum of 3 seconds or as long as it takes for runners to clear. By the time you look, left, middle, right you are ready to go.

[Alration]

Every time I be to Thai I see vans are a major issue. What are these drivers thinking ?

The GP is in Monarco

You need to understand that these van routes are very profitable, do not require any technical expertise, controlled by powerful dark influences and robustly defended against commercial threats. Typically they would be "owned" by a politician, senior military figure or senior policeman. They cannot be controlled by law enforcement. They tell the law enforcement what they can do. As might be expected, profitable enterprises operating outside the law do not employ shrinking violets or nice, polite, law-abiding citizens. They employ tough guys who can work as drivers and will do anything that their boss wants them to do.

Well if that's not pure speculation and hearsay then I don't know what is.

[slafriphos]

Hundreds, not dozens, but hundreds die in 1 week of Songkran every year here. The week of death during a celebration. This is every year and will be that way long after our deaths. Love it or leave it.

[Alration]

I am so tired of hearing or using the term Life is cheap here.

Why use it then?

[Rimmer]

A troll 'if you don't like it go home post has been removed'

[SidJames]

RIP to the poor lad,

The minivan must be covered in the driver's prints & DNA?

[DD13]

I am so tired of hearing or using the term Life is cheap here.

Why use it then?

To these "moronic" mini van drivers......other peoples lives have "No Value"

Stay well clear of them.......especially inside

[newnative]

That's a very dangerous intersection with very fast moving traffic. (I know, aren't they all!) Vehicles run the red light almost every cycle. Cars cutting in line to make a right turn on to Chaiphruek stop in the high speed traffic lane, creating a dangerous hazard. Traffic seems to think the right turn lane is also a thru lane and when we are stopped in the lane waiting to turn we are always worried we will be rear-ended by an absent-minded driver. Making the turn is hazardous because usually there are cars cutting in line in the other direction and they block the view to see if any vehicles are running the red light. The traffic lights are too low and blocked if there is a truck or bus that has pulled to far out into the turning lane waiting to turn. Traffic cameras that record red light runners and the vehicles that don't stop after an accident are needed at all major intersections. Fleeing the scene of an accident that has caused injury or loss of life should incur a mandatory jail term. One or 2 zeroes need to be added to all fines. Can't pay the fine, confiscate the vehicle.

[balo]

And still foreigners choose minivans over big buses who are a lot safer in my opinion.

Edited December 7, 2015 by balo

[Pattaya28]

And at that junction motor-bikes accelerate to cross the junction before the green light. Accelerate on the red timer. So maybe the motor-bike jumped the light too.

[canarysun]

I fail to understand in life,those people that always seem to be in a rush.I have never been " competitive " and most of the time would rather walk ( if it's a small distance of only 5-6 KM ) They really should ban Mini Vans as they are dangerous.I would highly recommend walking or catching the train.After all nobody really needs to be in a rush........ x

F.J

[Woody1]

RIP to the poor lad,

The minivan must be covered in the driver's prints & DNA?

Yes, it'll probably be Burmese!

Seriously though, these minivans are the most dangerous vehicles on Thai roads (due to the way they are driven). I will never get in another one unless I've hired it and know the driver (so I can tell him to slow the hell down).

Feel sorry for the poor guys family, loosing a loved one at the hands of clown.

May he RIP.

[berybert]

I fail to understand in life,those people that always seem to be in a rush.I have never been " competitive " and most of the time would rather walk ( if it's a small distance of only 5-6 KM ) They really should ban Mini Vans as they are dangerous.I would highly recommend walking or catching the train.After all nobody really needs to be in a rush........ x

F.J

There really is no such thing as a dangerous mini van. It is the person behind the wheel that determines whether it is driven well or not.

20 odd thousand deaths on the roads of Thailand every year and nothing is ever done about it. Unlike moving markets out of places the powers that be don't like. Cracking down on death drivers takes work, which is something the RTP more often than not is adverse too.

[craigt3365]

And still foreigners choose minivans over big buses who are a lot safer in my opinion.

True, but for many, these vans provide much more convenient pickups and drop offs. I've got a friend in Bangkok that's gets a van right near his house and drops him off down by me in NaJomtien. Can't do that with a bus. Unfortunately.

[joepattaya1961]

I wonder if there were passengers in the minibus

Why ??

Because

1) In a society with the rule of law, they would function as an excellent source of witness testimony for the police.

2) It would be interesting to hear their comments as they were whisked away from the scene of an accident in which someone was killed by the alleged killer.

3) People would like to know if they still had to pay their fare.

1) + 2) dream on; see no evil, hear no evil, talk no evil

3) fare is usually paid beforehand

[donnybay]

Surprised there is nothing about the Jomtien Farang bar owner killed on the Sukhumvit on Sunday in the pattayaonenews

[Yahooka]

Whatever became of that "crackdown" on crazed mini van drivers trumpeted a few months back?

They decided there was a crackdown that was more urgent : To put up roadblocks to check if every motorbike driver carries their driver licence .

[balo]

Surprised there is nothing about the Jomtien Farang bar owner killed on the Sukhumvit on Sunday in the pattayaonenews

Thats terrible news, which bar was it ?

[tropo]

This needs to become another priority action in Thailand, catching those who jump red lights.

Minibuses, coaches, trucks, motorcycles, whatever!

Yeah, they could put it on the list with the high priority motorcycle helmet law. What can they do though? Chase the red light jumpers or set up red light cameras? It's mush easier and more profitable to stop motorcyclists with no helmets.

[Lampang2]

They drive a route for a fix price fare.

Increase the number of loops/day = more money.

Someone needs to arrange public transportation, drivers paid by the hour not by distance.

[donnybay]

Surprised there is nothing about the Jomtien Farang bar owner killed on the Sukhumvit on Sunday in the pattayaonenews

Thats terrible news, which bar was it ?

Scottish lad John Marshall from Party Girl bars in the Jomtien Rompho market, only young guy, leaves wife and year old baby, motor bike accident Sukhumvit Rd

Edited December 10, 2015 by donnybay