Anyone know anything about the fatal accident on KP 3 or 4 days ago?

[delgarcon]

There isn't much news over here in Koh Phangan, mainly word of mouth. Apparently 2 young girls on a motor scooter (what else) overshot a bend on the switchback part of the road down towards Haad Salad. The driver was pronounced dead on the spot and her passenger taken to hospital in a bad way. Anyone know who they were and how the girl is doing in hospital?

[ParadiseLost]

A friend of mine was one of the first on the scene, a terrible accident and not the first in that incredibly dangerous spot. The girls were both from Poland and the last I heard the passenger was in a coma in a Suratthani hospital.

This was a particularly gruesome accident and my friend was understandably shaken by what he saw. Such needless waste of lives.

Something needs to be done to prevent young people with no riding experience from hiring motorcycles on KP. If I were the parents of these girls I would consider taking legal action against the shop...

[Basil B]

Not just KP, but Thailand...

Yes, not just the rental shops, but also those who advocate on TV that it is OK as everybody does it, only a small fine if stopped...

The only way to stop it is to impound vehicles driven buy unlicensed drivers for 2 or 3 weeks, and then can only be collected by a person with the correct paper work, and start taking action against police who take bribes.

If those who rent bikes find there assets locked up in a compound for a few weeks they are sure to be careful who they rent to.

[ParadiseLost]

I might have added the girls were just 19 years old, such an horrific thing to happen on I believe the day they arrived.

They had just rented the bike and missed a road into the bungalow where they were staying and got lost. Continuing quite a long way, they descended a very steep and long hill; if the driver panicked they would not stand a chance of slowing down. At one point there is a bend which they did not make and plunged down a gully, onto rocks. The girl who survived did not go all the way into the gully, my friend found her barely conscious and tried to comfort her until help arrived. He was really upset by this, even relating the story bites me.

There should be some drastic action taken, like a compensation lawsuit for 10 million baht against the bike owner. There is little chance of success, but the press may help to draw some peoples attention to their apathetic complicity in the grievous harm and death of tourists.

[samuibeachcomber]

I dont understand the shop that rented the bikes are being apportioned the blame?Were the bikes not roadworthy or something?

[ParadiseLost]

Of course the renter has a responsibility. The hirers should be required to produce a license, as in most countries. This is not happening and that in my opinion makes the renter culpable, or at very least guilty of negligence. Apathy is, unfortunately not a crime.

I am not a lawyer, in case you wish to argue the point.

[churchill]

I dont understand the shop that rented the bikes are being apportioned the blame?Were the bikes not roadworthy or something?

This sounds terrible and very sorry for the girls and their Families but I think the shop should take some responsibility ...

Were the 2 girls able to drive ? had they ever driven a bike before ? Did they have a license ?

The shops that rent these bikes must be made responsible to check ....and if they haven't got a license then not to rent .

[delgarcon]

It doesn't happen that way churchill. Of course you're right, in most civilised countries you would be asked for a permit, for jet skis as well, but there's no control here on KP. There is hardly a police presence on the island and like the girls, many of us don't wear crash helmets. Suing the renters is a non starter, I'd be very surprised if there were regulations in place for the renters to abide by so they probably didn't do much if anything wrong. Remember we are in the 3rd world where life is, sadly, cheap and with an average of 2 fatalities a week on KP the powers that be (or should be) have got used to it and wont change a thing!

[churchill]

It doesn't happen that way churchill. Of course you're right, in most civilised countries you would be asked for a permit, for jet skis as well, but there's no control here on KP. There is hardly a police presence on the island and like the girls, many of us don't wear crash helmets. Suing the renters is a non starter, I'd be very surprised if there were regulations in place for the renters to abide by so they probably didn't do much if anything wrong. Remember we are in the 3rd world where life is, sadly, cheap and with an average of 2 fatalities a week on KP the powers that be (or should be) have got used to it and wont change a thing!

Yes I know but it doesn't mean that regulations cannot change and those that rent are made more responsible ..

[churchill]

Young Polish tourist killed in motorbike accident in Koh Phangan

see more .... http://www.samuitimes.com/young-polish-tourist-killed-in-motorbike-accident-in-koh-phangan/

[JoeLing]

A friend of mine was one of the first on the scene, a terrible accident and not the first in that incredibly dangerous spot. The girls were both from Poland and the last I heard the passenger was in a coma in a Suratthani hospital.

This was a particularly gruesome accident and my friend was understandably shaken by what he saw. Such needless waste of lives.

Something needs to be done to prevent young people with no riding experience from hiring motorcycles on KP. If I were the parents of these girls I would consider taking legal action against the shop...

First of all, my condolences to the family for the tragic loss of their daughter and a speedy recovery to the girl in hospital.

Although I partly agree with you, just imagine everyone on the roads on KPG would have a motorbike licence (or car license as such), wear helmets and seatbelts, drive without alcohol or drugs in their blood or without mobile phones in their hands. The roads would be empty, the schools would be empty, no one at the waterfalls, restaurants and bars empty at night, hardly anyone shopping at Tesco, Macro or Big C and 90% of the motorbike rental places (legal or illegal ones) would be out of business. Cool, would be just like 40 years back in time although from what I remember, the owner of the first Jeep here on the island didn't have a licence either but, there was no real road, absolute no traffic and no one died on the road.

Now instead of expecting ordinary people to respect the law, how would it be for the executive powers to start respecting the law, as a good example for the rest of us. Instead of blaming or making rental shops responsible for law enforcement or check if customers respect the law, how would it be for law enforcement people to do their jobs properly? Maybe the department for the maintenance of our immaculate roads could be held responsible for many of the accidents that happen here on the island even by law abiding people. Maybe even the victims of such accidents could be blamed? No one forced them to rent scooters illegally - well maybe they are, if one considers that two can see the whole island for a day for 150 THB by scooter or several 100's THB hopping on and of songthaews.

I'm sure, if there would be reasonably priced transport alternatives on the island, like a regular government bus, I know many tourists, many families would rather use that facility than hire a scooter or pedal the hills with a bicycle to get around the island. Sadly that's not the case and so, accidents will happen all the time. Although there are no real statistics available for accidents here on the island (I wonder why), I'm fairly confident, it's probably not more than on every other place in Thailand, probably even less, considering how many thousand people visit the island every year and rent scooters.

[ParadiseLost]

I do not advocate a sterile, law abiding KP. I ask only that people hiring motorcycles to young tourists should place the safety concerns of said tourists ahead of their desire to earn money...

Do you hand a child scissors and watch them run off?

Do you let someone touch something hot as they should 'know better'?

Do you not warn tourists about swimming in a jelly infested sea?

At some point the owner of the bike makes the decision whether the person in front of them can ride or not. I have seen renters giggling at riders wobbling all over the road with their feet dragging on the ground. They do not care as they have the pp and money, if the bike gets damaged it's just more profit as the replacement parts are always 1000% mark up...

[JoeLing]

I do not advocate a sterile, law abiding KP. I ask only that people hiring motorcycles to young tourists should place the safety concerns of said tourists ahead of their desire to earn money...

Do you hand a child scissors and watch them run off?

Do you let someone touch something hot as they should 'know better'?

Do you not warn tourists about swimming in a jelly infested sea?

At some point the owner of the bike makes the decision whether the person in front of them can ride or not. I have seen renters giggling at riders wobbling all over the road with their feet dragging on the ground. They do not care as they have the pp and money, if the bike gets damaged it's just more profit as the replacement parts are always 1000% mark up...

Well, when I was a kid, every 'real boy' had a Swiss army knife in their pockets and no one considered stabbing each other.

Today, even a plastic fork is considered a weapon and confiscated.

When I was in my teens, I could go down to Boots and buy three packs of Lemsip without a problem.

Today, I can't get more than one pack per day (if I pay by card) as I could commit suicide.

Yes, we do warn people about the dangers of the sea and how not to ruin our corals but please don't ask me to make sure, they can swim or have had swimming lessons.

Yes we do warn our customers verbally and with big posters about the dangers of the roads in Thailand, as does every embassy and travel guide (eg. Lonely Planet in English, German, French or any other language they are published). We even offer transfers to the parties at discounted rates (a lot cheaper than the hospital bill) for our customers but if they still want to go by bike, should we lock them up? If people and not only young people, don't want to listen to the embassies, travel guides or your advice, you want to hit it in to them?

Despite of all the warnings, there is not a single party where someone hasn't had mobile phone, money or credit card stolen, missing their keys or passport, had an accident with the bike or burned themselves with the fire, got in trouble with the locals or police, lost their shoes, some even their virginities. Again, I have posters up and warn people to be safe, keep legal and have fun but most just hear the "have fun" bit and ignore the rest.

I know, blaming the victim is not nice but sometimes they only get what they were asking for through ignorance and negligence. So the solution to the problem, blame everyone but themselves? Maybe give a minder to every tourist?

In the end effect, everyone is responsible for their own action.

Now to think rental places rent out their bikes because they make a 1000% mark up is just wrong. Sure there are some but most (you're right, not all) but most places I had my bikes repaired, although not always professionally, are not making 1000% mark up, not even 100% and rather have their bikes back in one piece than spend time, and effort (effort is not a Thai passion) to repair their bikes or argue with tourists and police (confrontation is not really a Thai thing either).

[PoorSucker]

Of course the renter has a responsibility. The hirers should be required to produce a license, as in most countries. This is not happening and that in my opinion makes the renter culpable, or at very least guilty of negligence. Apathy is, unfortunately not a crime.

I am not a lawyer, in case you wish to argue the point.

Ask the lawyer....

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/808651-is-it-legal-to-rent-a-motorbike-without-a-valid-license/

[seedy]

Topic running here -

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/876791-young-polish-tourist-killed-in-motorbike-accident-in-koh-phangan/

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