British woman, 28, killed after motorbike rammed by Phuket pickup truck on Patong Hill

[BlindMagician]

Lots of inexperience young tourist thinking easy to drive scooter here without helmet many times can see they have no idea how to drive...... RIP for a girl.

Automatically blame the tourist on the bike <deleted>, I hate know-it all- guess- merchants, In October I was hit head on in Patong on a bend by a fat Italian riding his scooter on MY side of the road, accidents can happen anywhere anytime, and BTW I had never up to that point had a bike to Vehicle accident in 43 years, and always wear an helmet .

Good for you.

But the witness account seems to suggest they are at fault.

[Jim walker]

Regardless whos fault it was or who was or was not wearing a crash helmet its a sad loss of life of a young woman just starting out on the road of her life sincere condolences to her family and my prayers are with her friends and family.

[Mot Dang]

There was a discussion held yesterday on TV about how falang have to consider that a large proportion of Thai men, that they come in contact with, may be carrying a knife. And be mindful of that in any dispute. I think this same precaution should be drawn when out on the road (particularly on a motor bike), that a large proportion of drivers sharing that road may not be a skilled driver, be drunk, or just couldn't give damn if they injure someone. I know I do, and I have been driving in BKK for 8 years now.

As precautions I installed a dashboard cam, I keep 2,000 baht in 500's under a seat (for tickets to the policeman's ball), and an empty wide mouth screw top bottle.

[mancub]

HOping the killer will spend 25 years in jail. How ever the law is what they decide it is today. Article 44 prevails.

No helmets, and on the wrong side of the road, facing the wrong way ....... doesn't look like the pickup drivers fault to me.

Oh, and no dent in the front of the pickup, seems to be a slow hit, which probably means she died because her head (no helmet) hit the road.

You seem to have ignored "rammed from behind" from your assessment.

However, I also doubt it was necessarily the pick-up driver's fault.

I also believe the "U_turn" refers to turning right across traffic to join the intended direction . Often bikes will do this unexpectedly and/or obscured from view .

[FredNL]

The problem with those Europeans and Americans driving motorcycles is:

• If they have experience is only riding something in their home country.
• Riding is completely different in a third world country. (behaviour of traffic, road conditions, etc..)

They just forget this !!!

The main reason is that the natives can't drive or don't know how to.

I have seen this in many third world countries.

Edited December 12, 2015 by FredNL

[Transporter]

I wouldnt call the damage on the pick up slight so it was possibly moving a bit quicker than it should have been or it would have stopped in time. Either way its going to have to be the Pick Up drivers fault because regardless of how badly Moped riders ride, they are never wrong are they? They break every rule in the book but nothing changes. So until moped riders are forced to obey the rules the RTP will just have to get the number of road fatalities down from 26000 to 13000 by 2020 some other way. Moped Riders - No Rules... Just Racing, Weaving, Overloading, Undertaking, Cheating, Dodging and dying..............RIP

[optad]

HOping the killer will spend 25 years in jail. How ever the law is what they decide it is today. Article 44 prevails.

Why are English expats in Thailand so hebetudinous?

Edited December 12, 2015 by optad

[bearpolar]

The problem with those Europeans and Americans driving motorcycles is:

• If they have experience is only riding something in their home country.
• Riding is completely different in a third world country. (behaviour of traffic, road conditions, etc..)

They just forget this !!!

The main reason is that the natives can't drive or don't know how to.

I have seen this in many third world countries.

That's not it at all. Motorbike rentals for tourists is usualy for resort islands/resort areas. People are used to going to places like cuba/domican republic where there's no one on the roads besides a few vendors and tourists. Patong being the biggest cesspool of sout eastern asia and not a resort city should not have any motorbike rental.

[syncsync]

Of course, nobody read the original story:

A crash helmet was photographed next to the lifeless body of the victim while awaiting an ambulance.

[bearpolar]

Of course, nobody read the original story:

A crash helmet was photographed next to the lifeless body of the victim while awaiting an ambulance.

That means she either had one of those 200b worthless helmet or it was in the bin, on her lap or not tied. If you could read you'd see it does not state that its on her head.

Lots of long-term tourist/touts are too cool for helmets and they keep them handy for not having to bribe the police at checkpoint.

[jesimps]

A lot of foreign tourists come here without proper motorbike experience, unprepared for the style of driving and road rules in Thailand, thinking it`s going to be a joyride where a person does not have to follow the laws as in their own countries, then come unstuck and as in this case often with fatal consequences.

These girls were executing a u-turn and were hit from behind. No amount of driving experience can guard against the nutters on Thai roads.

[Loles]

RIP young lady.

The motorbike is an automatic old Honda Click, not Wave. Tourist can't use Wave.

[welshfrank1]

I passed this spot at 11.10am heading out of Patong for Kathu to pick my daughter up, there was some traffic congestion due to some small roadworks on the hill heading down to Kathu. When I was heading back to Patong with my daughter in the car and we got caught in the same congestion going back up the hill towards Patong, which slowed everybody down, once we got passed that and the road became more free, you should have seen the maniacs in their mini buses trying to do anything they possibly good to make up those extra minutes they lost, especially going down the hill (towards where this accident happened) at a crazy amount of speed. I feared for me and my daughter and we were traveling normally in our car. Scary shit

[bangon04]

I thought the words "Patong Hill" usually appear in a sentence with the words "brake failure" ??

[Just1Voice]

Was in Chiang Mai today, going along the moat, in the car with the wife. 5 farang on 3 motorbikes. One in the back was wobbling, then kicking his feet out to keep from falling over. Idiot had no business on a motorbike.

[SOTIRIOS]

....I hope that all these incidents are not a result of this 'us and them' mentality....

...that really is the clincher that allows some people to do as they please.....when faced with a 'them'....

...that is also why there is very little justice or recourse for 'them'.....

...I am experiencing it firsthand....in court right now....

...law and justice seem to have no bearing because I am not an 'us'....

...isn't it supposed to be the same laws...the same justice.....'for all'....???

[Rob13]

HOping the killer will spend 25 years in jail.

Why the rush to judgement.? What if the girl was at fault? There was a hill,she did a U-turn, sounds like it might have been a stupid error of on the girl's part and the Vigos driver didn't have time to stop,

Edited December 12, 2015 by Rob13

[evadgib]

HOping the killer will spend 25 years in jail. How ever the law is what they decide it is today. Article 44 prevails.

Why are English expats in Thailand so hebetudinous?

You'll confuse the dyslexic:)

Edited December 12, 2015 by evadgib

[fred Kubasa]

Thais , daily, die on these bikes and yet foreigners continue to use/ride them - foolish !

[Brigante7]

HOping the killer will spend 25 years in jail. How ever the law is what they decide it is today. Article 44 prevails.

And if the scooter rider is at fault?

[DaveinAsia]

HOping the killer will spend 25 years in jail. How ever the law is what they decide it is today. Article 44 prevails.

Why are English expats in Thailand so hebetudinous?

Because there is nobody to put them back in line like home

Remember that many expats leave their home country because they don't fit in/are black sheep/are freaks/are different and because many of us cover our identities here in the forum some see it as a chance to finally be their honest but repulsive selves.

Especially the guys who will reply to this post with; speak for yourself, are the ones to give a wide berth. 5555

Some food for thought over a few Leos tonight

[Sawan Chan 7]

HOping the killer will spend 25 years in jail. How ever the law is what they decide it is today. Article 44 prevails.

I hope when I reach your age, I'll have some gratitude for living so long, some compassion and some brains.

[Sawan Chan 7]

Thais , daily, die on these bikes and yet foreigners continue to use/ride them - foolish !

I have been in this country nearly 30 years and NEVER ride a motorcycle on main roads. I've seen countless deaths, usually not the riders fault.

One in Khon Kaen last week where the rider was totally innocent.

[Torrens54]

RIP Young Lady.

Have to wonder if she even rode a bike at home?

So many come here and think ANYONE can jump on a motorbike/scooter and ride safely off into an Adventure Holiday.

Only to finish up maimed or dead.

[Lord Lucan]

Is that a Honda Wave?

[jacknorman]

HOping the killer will spend 25 years in jail. How ever the law is what they decide it is today. Article 44 prevails.

Who said he was wrong?

[smedly]

o

Lots of inexperience young tourist thinking easy to drive scooter here without helmet many times can see they have no idea how to drive...... RIP for a girl.

There is also the high possibility that the driver of the truck had his face stuck in his mobile phone, I would like to be giving odds on that one, I have personally witnessed several road traffic accidents here and and a few near misses and they all involved drivers using mobile phones

And farang world is any different. Yet another silly post

what was the point of that masterpiece - explain why you think, knock on wood - you know where it is

[cumgranosalum]

As ever there seems to be a plethora of totally unsubstantiated accusations and opinions based on nothing more than personal prejudices.

[ResandePohm]

HOping the killer will spend 25 years in jail. How ever the law is what they decide it is today. Article 44 prevails.

No helmets, and on the wrong side of the road, facing the wrong way ....... doesn't look like the pickup drivers fault to me.

Oh, and no dent in the front of the pickup, seems to be a slow hit, which probably means she died because her head (no helmet) hit the road.

How absurd your deductive ability is. How can you say she was on the wrong side of the road and facing the wrong way?

Come on Sherlock she was hit up the rear, which means she was facing the same direction as the traffic and hence could not have been on the wrong side of the road.

Looks very much like the pickup drivers fault. He rear ended her.

And you must be blind not to see the damage to the front of the pickup.

Edited December 13, 2015 by ResandePohm

[stevenl]

HOping the killer will spend 25 years in jail. How ever the law is what they decide it is today. Article 44 prevails.

No helmets, and on the wrong side of the road, facing the wrong way ....... doesn't look like the pickup drivers fault to me.

Oh, and no dent in the front of the pickup, seems to be a slow hit, which probably means she died because her head (no helmet) hit the road.

How absurd your deductive ability is. How can you say she was on the wrong side of the road and facing the wrong way?

Come on Sherlock she was hit up the rear, which means she was facing the same direction as the traffic and hence could not have been on the wrong side of the road.

Looks very much like the pickup drivers fault. He rear ended her.

And you must be blind not to see the damage to the front of the pickup.

Yes, his deduction is absurd, as is yours. Any deduction based on a scant news article as this one is absurd.