Thailand has the second highest rate of road deaths in the world

[giddyup]

Yet there are still people on this forum that claim Thailand is a perfectly safe place to ride a bike or drive a car, and no amount of factual evidence will convince them otherwise.

Possibly because they have done some hundreds of thousands kms without accident, because their driving style is pre-cautious and they calculate the opponents correctly? I prefer driving here to the way in Germany, just because Thai drivers are predictable, while in Germany the war is on.

Please don't try and defend the indefensible. Thailand is not a safe place to ride/drive no matter how careful you are. You can't predict what every crazy driver is going to do at any given time. Unless of course, like some falangs, you are possessed with supernatural powers of perception.

Edited February 28, 2016 by giddyup

[ChrisKC]

This is what happens when there is little money spent on roads and zero money spent on driver education.

The only education Thai drivers need is how many Baht it would cost them if I was in charge of imposing the fine structure for ALL violations of the road that would, yes, be draconian!! Even if it didn't solve the death rate, it would raise billions and billions of Baht for the Government to use for combating its serious National problems.

Edited February 28, 2016 by ChrisKC

[Ulic]

One spot to go and they can claim number 1 hub in road kill.

We all know they are number one. Just an accounting issue. If you are not dead at

the scene you are not counted in the road death numbers. So if you die on your way

to the hospital or at the hospital, you do not count in the road mortality numbers.

[georgemandm]

I understand that the Thai death toll only includes those who die at the scene? If they changed their method of recording stats they could be number 1 in a year.......go Thailand !!

Yes very true.

I would say this place is the worst in the world.

Ever time I come back here from my home country and drive it reminds me how bad it is .

I took my thai gf back home to my Australia 2 times in the last 12 months and she tells me how good the drivers are .

That go's to show you that thailand is very bad .

I am trying to teach her to drive now in thailand and I keep on telling her don't drive like a thai drive like in the west and you will be a safe driver.

[Jimbo2014]

Perhaps a little more jai yen and a little less sang som is needed.

[off road pat]

This is what happens when there is little money spent on roads and zero money spent on driver education.

It's not the roads,....there are exceptions, but most roads are good, and the U turns are deadly. You are right about driver education....

The government should enforce the law and rules...and impose heavy penalty's for offenders.

A incentive could be to give a fixed percentage of the fine to the police man/woman who gave the fine. (open to debate....?!?!?)

Regards,.

[Credo]

Not too long ago, I drove with a Thai friend about 2,500 Km across the US. He was amazed that in the entire trip we did not see one accident. On a daily basis I used to drive to a nearby province, roughly 75 kms one way and then back. I usually saw at least one major accident going each way. Some days there were three or four. In the several years that I drove that rode I don't recall one single trip without a major accident.

It's not just the bad driving, which is a HUGE factor, but it is the fact that there is everything that can move on the roads. The slow moving motorcycles with side carts, sometimes being pushed by hand down the road. There are people crossing all over the place and there is traffic coming onto the road from many, many small roads very close together.

Roads are poorly designed with the U-turns often taking up a large portion of what is supposed to be the fast lane and resulting in a lot of lane changing.

In my home country, I used to love road trips. Here in Thailand, the weekly shopping trip to the nearby Tesco or Big C can be more like going into a war zone.

[Ceruhe]

A incentive could be to give a fixed percentage of the fine to the police man/woman who gave the fine. (open to debate....?!?!?)

Their incentive should be to have a job and do it properly, not get a bonus for doing what you were supposed to do in the first place. Not to mention that that "fixed percentage" needs to be higher than the tea money they collect to begin with.

With that said, we are all only just pointing out the obvious yet again with no expectations whatsoever for it to change...

[lostinisaan]

I was just trying to use my imagination if Thailand would have Autobahn's without speed limits..........

[trogers]

Difficult to feel sympathetic when the carnage continues year in, year out and the collective mentality remains unchanged.

Enshrined by the Thainess - Mai Pen Rai...

[jacky54]

The 'you will die when your time' mentality is partly to blame, they really think driving on the wrong side of the road, cutting up other drivers, drunk driving and using your phone while overtaking when there is barely time does not enter into your chances of dying on the road. This nonsense belief in fate needs to be tackled in Schools, road safety needs to be taught as well. if they need to find the time for it they could cut down on the flag waving and singing for a start.

Edited February 28, 2016 by jacky54

[CNXBKKMAN]

Difficult to include Libya which is a country where there is a total war since many years .

Many of the road accidents are of mines , shelling, bombing, snipers ...drones ...

Not exactly what happens in Thailand .

I agree Thailand is a totally different country than Libya. Population is higher, more roads and drivers. Dominican Republic was another country that was supposed to be worse than Thailand but totally different environment to 60 million plus people Thailand.

One of the most shocking things to me is that even with the daily carnage and grief(including buses full of young school children getting wrecked) there doesn't seem to be any will to sort the problem out. Tougher driving test more training no, paint the kerbs red and white yes.

[lomm]

It's old data, from 2012-2013.

[tingtongfarang]

It's old data, from 2012-2013.

You mean they might have reached 1st place already and its not reported?

[Rimmer]

A troll post and a reply has been removed

[MockingJay]

Not for the faint-hearted... Thailand accident compilation 2014:

Edited February 28, 2016 by MockingJay

[BB24]

Last night over a distance of 12kms on a very quiet road, I passed 4 motorbikes without rear lights which i suspect the drivers were unaware of With traffic coming towards me with headlights, often full on, it is sometimes difficult to spot motorbikes with no rear lights.

Considering most motorbike owners fill up their tanks once or twice a week, i would like to see PTT and Shell (probably the 2 largest petrol companies) automatically offer a rear light inspection when filling tanks, and having bulbs available for replacement (they cost less than 20baht). What a great public service that would be.

Congratulations - the only one to make a constructive comment (so far). I was going to add a similar comment about MC helmets, given that the majority in Thailand are MC riders/passengers. But then I realised that this is the place where whinging expats like to complain about Thailand and are not interested in being positive, and I would be wasting my time. But then again - why not?

When someone registers/re-registers a MC, they get a discount voucher to buy a MC helmet : non-transferable and only at 'approved' outlets.

[Eagleizer]

This is what happens when there is little money spent on roads and zero money spent on driver education.

Not true. Thailand actually has very good roads overall ... esp. when compared to many other third-world countries. And the high Thai highway death rate ain't about driver education ... it's about reckless and selfish drivers.

Driver education is essential. If it cost you 2-3 months salary to learn how to drive

and get a licence, you are likely to follow the rules to keep your license, taken that

the police does their job. In essence, make it "selfish" to follow the rules..

In Norway it cost 130.000THB on average to get license for a car. (you can not drive

a 125cc motorbike with that license). Compared to my retirement, that's my pension

for 2.5 months. If I want a license for motorbike, it cost an additional 40-50.000.

If you loose your license for more than 6 months, you need to take a new one, and you

loose it for all your vehicle classes.

Drunk driving gives you 21 days in jail and 1 months salary as fine. (1st. time).

Norwegian roads are horrible, and 125 (hundredandtwentyfive) people got killed in 2015.

Driving like an idiot needs to cost you a lot of money. Only way to stop this madness!

Take the car, truck or motorbike until they can pay. This "pay what you want" they had

in Thailand recently, certainly is not the way to go...

Cheers

[zackattack]

Don't like Thailand you have the freedom to go wherever you choose to be .

But I still to this day think it's a beautiful country and my wife and children look awesome.

Wesley Chapel Florida

38639

[worgeordie]

U-turns, have a lot to answer for,too many of them

and I suspect why a lot of accidents happen,judging

by the painted outlines,just before and after.

regards Worgeordie

[exbikey]

Having driven in Saudi (which does not report it's figures) Thailand is better to drive in.

I had a vehicle there for 11 years, the place is hopeless.

Saudi could be a lot worse, they could allow women to drive.

[Calach]

But in Lybia they use AK47 and RPG to kill road users, that's cheating.

[TKDfella]

At the very heart of these statistics is the Thai casual disregard for the value of human life.

The death and injury toll on Thailands roads, building sites, in private houses and everywhere else will continue unchanged as long as Thais rely on lucky charms, blessings and all associated mumbo-jumbo rather than taking personal responsibility for their own actions.................and we all know what the chances are of that happening!

I agree. Even the best education isn't going to change the culture. If they believe they'll die no matter what, if it's there karma then they will take chances and risks no matter how intelligent they are. The fact others don't believe that is neither here nor there for that's when selfishness kicks in. And of course giving them new roads and it's 'rub their hands together time' then whoosh.

[me313]

I find the worst danger is from the dirt, sand and grime and potholes which cause great risk. I live in Phuket, so the sand seems to drift from the beaches to the roads which are far away from the beach areas, yet this is a danger that could cost lives. Road maintenance should be a high priority and if cleaned up and the pothole and unevenly paved roads with the rifts in the pavement were smoothed over, the danger would be much reduced and probably many lives spared. This should be a priority. If people can offer food to Buddhist monks very morning, perhaps they can also sweep the road in front of their dwellings to help the nation and the national interest. In Germany there is something called "Kehrwoche", where neighbors take turns sweeping sidewalks in front of their houses, and if need be, the roads (but the German state performs this task, probably at huge taxpayer cost). Thai people want that tourist money, perhaps they should consider making a nationwide effort to have people clean the streets if the State cannot afford to routinely clean these dangerous and grime/sand/grit laden streets and roads.

[Just1Voice]

We can all sit here and bitch as much as we want, or even offer constructive advice, but the bottom line is - It doesn't make a damn bit of difference, because the THAI have no will to actually change. And until they do, it's going to remain the same. In the 7+ years I've been here, I can't count the number of stupid accidents I've seen. I gave up bitching about it to my wife, because it doesn't do any good. All I can do is enforce my own rules. No one gets on a motorbike, either as a driver or passenger, without helmet. Period. In the car, everyone wears a seat belt, regardless of if they are in the front seat or back. That's all I can do.

[huahinjoe]

Very simple is the law enforcement missing, no active patrols, no pull downs after violations, no sheriff in town and u see what happens..

[GAZZPA]

I wonder what Thailands true road death total is? (if they included those that died later and not by the roadside).

For a so called "leading economy in Asia" the government should be ashamed of such an appalling record. Of course, nothing will change until the entire sytem changes,, from driving lesson, education, tests, clear road signs and most importantly REAL enforcement.

But i am sure we have all heard this, debated it and concluded many times before,, nothing ever changes, no one really cares.

[bbbbooboo]

Not surprising as they probably have the most dangerous roads to drive on due to driver stupidity

[trainman34014]

Old news. ''To be number one'' is the aim and if they told the truth about the number of road deaths instead of cooking the books, they would be the number one they so want to be !

[Bakseeda]

Driver education should come in the form of penalties for moving violations. However they don't pull people over here unless they have a check stop organized. You can even undertake a cop or bust out all your head and tail lights and drive at night. No problems unless you end up in a crash.

Remember guys, these reasons are the reasons WHY we live here.... Wonderful...