Repeat traffic offenders will be sent to work at morgues

[webfact]

Repeat traffic offenders will be sent to work at morgues in hospitals



BANGKOK: -- The Department of Probation has sought cabinet’s approval for its plan to send traffic offenders placed under probation to conduct public service by working at morgues in hospitals, said Mr Nonthachit Natepukkana, director of community affairs and social service division of Probation Department.

He disclosed that the department earlier entered into an agreement with the Public Health Ministry to send traffic offenders placed under probation to carry out public service activities by assisting patients at hospitals on top of other forms of public service activities such as tree pruning and road sweeping.

Despite the new measure, he admitted that traffic offences tend to increase and several of the offenders used to commit traffic offences.

In order to make repeated traffic offenders to feel guilty so that they will not commit the same offences again, Mr Nonthachit said the Probation Department had proposed to the cabinet a proposal to send the unrepentant to work at morgues in hospitals.

However, he noted that only the court could order traffic offenders to do community or public services.

A meeting of authorities concerned with road safety was held Thursday at the Public Health Ministry to map out measures to deal with traffic problem and accidents during the Songkran festival.

After the meeting, Public Health Minister Dr Piyasakon Sakonsatayatorn told the press that Thailand ranks Number Two in the World and Number One in Asia for most road accident fatalities.

During the Songkran festival, the number of death toll averaged 2.3 deaths per hour and 160 people injured hourly.

Health permanent secretary Dr Sopon Mekthon said that precautionary steps on health issue to be taken during Songkran include the setting up of rapid mobile

medical units which are expected to reach the scene of accidents in 10 minutes and preparation of blood, patient’s stretchers and beds, oxygen and surgery rooms.

Sale of alcoholic drinks will be tightened up during the festival with a ban on sale for people under 20, he said.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/content/158653


-- Thai PBS 2016-04-08

[Merylhighground]

Hey Mr Nonthachit, here's a novel idea. how about jail time, driving bans, impounding vehicles, and heavy fines for offenders, repeat or not....it works the world over....Just sayin'

[halloween]

I predict an upsurge in necrophilia.

[ezzra]

It will be like punishing a fish with drawing it.... given the Thai people morbid fascinations with all things macabre

and gruesome, I think they will be more than happy to go to the morgue... in fact, given the chance, they be willing

to even volunteer as long as they can gawk and take pictures.....

[balo]

Actually this is a good idea, maybe some of them will understand what they did was wrong. But I wouldn't count on it though...

[canuckamuck]

Of course they have to actually start pulling people over for moving violations. As it is now you can undertake a cop at 200 km an hour with 30 people in the back of your truck at night with your lights off, and then turn the wrong way up a one way, through a light that turned red 30 seconds ago. If you are unlucky there will be a checkpoint at that intersection, but if you got your belt on and your papers are in order, then Bob's your uncle.

[eliotness]

They tried this in South Africa in the 80s, just the threat was enough for me to moderate my driving, although it's difficult to judge its overall effectiveness due to "other" factors in play at the time, but I would support such a move in Thailand.

[dcnx]

Repeat offenders? They don't even track first time offenders.

All Thais know, just as we do, the police here are a farce.

[Bluespunk]

"In order to make repeated traffic offenders to feel guilty so that they will not commit the same offences again, Mr Nonthachit said the Probation Department had proposed to the cabinet a proposal to send the unrepentant to work at morgues in hospitals."

Would it not be better to force them to undergo extensive driving instruction and make them pay for it. If unable to pay them confiscate car after training to meet the costs.

[leeneeds]

2016 and still procrastinating

Facts and figures are there for all

to see,

"lets see what happens this year before making a decision"

[NongKhaiKid]

Should it not read ' Repeat offenders, depending on who they are, will be sent to work in morgues ' ?

Like a certain young lady in the news will they be permitted to ' demand ' to work in a morgue of their choice ?

[tomyumchai]

It will be like punishing a fish with drawing it.... given the Thai people morbid fascinations with all things macabre

and gruesome, I think they will be more than happy to go to the morgue... in fact, given the chance, they be willing

to even volunteer as long as they can gawk and take pictures.....

the only thing to add there is that it will be nice and cool in the morgue, much nicer that snapping pics of corpses in the hot sun.

[Usual Suspect]

So many traffic accidents caused by speeding SUVs..driven by Hi-So's etc..who we all know are exempt from obeying any traffic laws in this land..until this fact changes, all these public statements are pure crap.

[LannaGuy]

yup that will be really helpful to pathologists and morticians to have a load of drunks smooching around the deceased. should please the family's of the recently departed too. how about a novel idea? proper training, punishment and fines? or is that not 'Thai Style' enough?

[BSJ]

Will there be another committee meeting convened to go over the points mentioned again and cover anything not covered in the first meeting? Thailand seems to be over serviced with meetings and under serviced with action on the ground!

[alant]

Perhaps the most significant point to me was the following;-

"Sale of alcoholic drinks will be tightened up during the festival with a ban on sale for people under 20, he said."

How old do you have to be to buy alcohol?

[steveyinasia]

Seems to be a lot of interest in the meeting, at least 3 are playing with their phones. This is only another opportunity to convene a useless meeting of people who have no idea on how to really tackle the problem. As it has been said before, start dealing out real punishment in terms of heavy fines and jail time and that might be a good start.

[straylight]

Will you need a work permit?

[djjamie]

Thats a dead end job.

[tuanku]

I doubt these men-in-suits have any idea, but doesn't work in a morgue involve some training and significant health and safety issues? Maybe not in Thailand.

maybe they will let them do the autopsies too, and write up the result of DNA tests on the back of an envelope. In fact why not just replace the entire hospital staff with bad drivers and save some money.

[Jimbo2014]

You honestly couldnt make this S#*t up. There will be more offenders in the morgue than stiffs.

[MRH1959]

Of course they are only talking about those people caught, 'where the police were involved in the investigation'.

Most 're-offending' of unlawful or dangerous road use acts seems to go unnoticed by the justice system, as the insurance companies cover any accident [whereby the culprit of the accident is not dealt with], or there are no police around when dangerous driving is being observed.

I suppose the question is, 'what is recognised as criminal road acts'?

The Transport Authority needs to spend money on re-educating all road users throughout Thailand, including the actual road code and showing advertisements of the results of fatal accidents [or what could happen] as overseas countries do.

The 'Police roadside checks' need to include full vehicle checks and driver licence checks [including all vehicles, motorcycles, farangs etc] and not just vehicle warrant or breath test of 'Thai' car drivers.

It is a good idea what the Justice Department is doing re this story, although there is a much bigger issue to cover.

Prevention is better than a cure..

[SOTIRIOS]

...they should apply that to those whose actions result in deaths as well.....

...starting with a certain someone who was responsible for the death of 9 innocent people....

...let's see if she would take a few selfies then...

[scorecard]

There'a already an ideal first candidate for this and she already does 'community service' in a hospital (the hospital she selected).

[laolover88]

2.3 an hour? That can't be right it is less than the normal rate of fatalities every day in Thailand which runs at 2.8 an hour. A lot of people rabbiting on about "education" As I recall, way back in the 70's there was a lot of discussion in the UK about "educability". I think the conclusion was that some people are "ineducable". Appears to be precisely the case when it comes to Thai drivers

[JoeLing]

Ohh dear

Traffic offences will be on the rise.
Facebook will be flooded with morbid pictures.

[tominbkk]

Would be ok if everyone had to work in the morgue. I doubt it!

[newnative]

Hold on. Except for motorcycle helmet violators, in nearly 6 years of living here I can count on one hand the number of times I've seen the police pull over someone for a traffic violation--and have fingers left over. The odds must be truly astronomical of being pulled over even once, let alone twice! I suspect those assigned to work in the morgues are going to be hapless, helmetless farangs.

[williamgeorgeallen]

You honestly couldnt make this S#*t up. There will be more offenders in the morgue than stiffs.

yes, they will need alot more morgues, and alot more bodies to work with. joking of course, small bribe and you can buy your way out of any punishment.

[dominique355]

Shouldn't such a cruel punishment be enacted the proper way i.e. in a law and through the parliament?

Oops sorry I forgot. Today NCPO government and NLA is all the same