Thai consideration alive and kicking! Hero biker says: "Everyone should try it!"


Image: Daily News

BANGKOK: -- Thai consideration for others is alive and well - a huge outpouring of national pride was reported after a motorcycle rider went out of his way to make a path for an ambulance with its lights flashing on a congested Bangkok road.

Netizens were most impressed that the spirit of the Thai people is plain for all to see as fellow motorists responded by moving their vehicles and allowing the Mongkut Wattana hospital ambulance through on the Chaiyapreuk Road on Wednesday morning, reported Daily News.

The hero of the hour was a humble Thai electrical fitter just on his way to work who took time out to think about the distress of others. Ranaphop (or Tum) Bualuang, 44, was on his way from his home in Bang Yai to his office in Pak Kret. Seeing the ambulance he started asking other motorists to move out of the way.


Image: Daily News

It was quite a job as the traffic was backed up for several kilometers. He managed to make a path thanking motorists as they helped out until the ambulance got on the hard shoulder and turned in to a PTT petrol station. He thought there must be an injured person there. But his job was now done and he drove off happy knowing he had helped his fellow man.

Reporters later caught up with Tum who said: "I like to help other people. If I see an ambulance or people hurt I will usually try to help out if I can."

He revealed that he even keeps a torch and whistle under his Honda Wave bike seat for use in emergencies.

He had some stirring advice for other motorists: "Everyone should move out of the way if you see an ambulance. Don't think 'it is not my relative, it has nothing to do with me'. Think it might be your relative in trouble and help out - it will make you feel good".

The story caused a huge outpouring of pride online as virtually all posters agreed that the Thai spirit of helping others was alive and well.

Sources: Daily News, Daily News

-- 2016-06-23

One in a million that just highlights the normal selfishness and stupidity of what we see on the roads here everyday

What is common place the world over is called an act of heroism here and a law that is enforced.

The fact that this is a big-news story - presented as an amazing revelation or breakthrough in social understanding, namely that it is sensible and decent to let an ambulance pass by unobstructed - says so much about the usual general lack of the most basic, commonsense ethics and morality in this me-first nation. So sad ...

What is common place the world over is called an act of heroism here and a law that is enforced.

I don't think it common place the world over. That said, the act of this kind fellow is not indicative that "the Thai spirit of helping others was alive and well". There are some people who genuinely go out of their way to help others, but claiming it as a national trait is rubbish. This applies to most countries, not only Thailand.

Well done to the guy for doing going out of his way to help people.

But I agree with other posters, getting as far out of the way of an ambulance as possible should be automatic.

In the pic above there is ample room for the ambulance to pass if other motorists moved over to the side.

I find the attitude of 99% of motorists here sickening.

Obviously the loud sirens and flashing lights are not enough here...emergency services need someone on a motorbike to ride in front, tapping on windows to get them to move aside.

In many countries you are required by law to let Ambulances, Police and Fire tenders through or suffer being heavily fined. I remember once I was in Pattaya coming towards Bangkok Pattaya hospital and an ambulance with lights and sirens going was trying to turn to get to the hospital. No one would let him go. I stopped and waved him through. The guy behind started blowing his horn because I had stopped. The ignorance of people never cases to astound.

Here is something for the Thai's reading this. One day it may be a member of your family fighting for life in the back of an ambulance then see how you feel if other road users refuse to let it go through

Obviously the loud sirens and flashing lights are not enough here...emergency services need someone on a motorbike to ride in front, tapping on windows to get them to move aside.

It is very impressive when police provide an escort for an ambulance. I saw it once back in the UK. Police on motorbikes came screaming through to the traffic lights stopped everything then the ambulance doing around 90mph flew through followed quickly by the police bikes

"The Spirit of the Thai!"

Congratulations to this guy he sounds like a decent guy. Doesn't unfortunately seem to be many of his type around.

i saw a TV show several years ago on Thai PBS about Thai truck drivers doing a safety course/lecture. One of the drivers was asked what he had learnt from it, and he said he didn't know that he was supposed to get out of the way for emergency vehicles! He seriously didn;t know! So who knows if the other 99.9999% of drivers that didn't do the course are aware of that or not.

Edited June 23, 201610 yr by taichiplanet

Congratulations to this guy he sounds like a decent guy.

Could be.

Could also have been doing it to make merit - do a good deed simply so you will get good fortune in the future.

I believe in being nice to be nice.... being nice for personal gain.... well, I find it quite distasteful.

Not saying that is the case here, but with almost all Thais doing something 'good' like this, it is the reason why.

''Netizens were most impressed that the spirit of the Thai people is plain for all to see as fellow motorists responded by moving their vehicles and allowing the Mongkut Wattana hospital ambulance through...''

I need to go home and tell my fellow South Africans (replace with your country) that we are actually Thai since this is what we always do.

Edited June 23, 201610 yr by SABloke

Sitting in their cars playing with their mobile phones while 5 vehicles back, some poor sod is bleeding to death.

That is Thainess/Thai spirit.

Congratulations to this guy he sounds like a decent guy.

Could be.

Could also have been doing it to make merit - do a good deed simply so you will get good fortune in the future.

I believe in being nice to be nice.... being nice for personal gain.... well, I find it quite distasteful.

Not saying that is the case here, but with almost all Thais doing something 'good' like this, it is the reason why.

I tend to agree with you, DLang: we should do good because it is good and right - not because there is 'something in it for us'. But I have to say, in all fairness, that probably millions of Christians, Muslims, Hindus and Buddhists would radically reduce the number of their 'good deeds' if suddenly the promise of a heavenly reward or better reincarnations or blissful Nirvana were removed from the equation. I totally agree with you, though, that we should do good for good's sake - because it makes life better and happier for everyone in the long run.

And I'll bet about a dozen cars followed right behind

the ambulance to sneak through the traffic quicker!

I don't want to sound too cynical but was he sure the ambulance had an emergency or was running out of fuel ?

I don't want to sound too cynical but was he sure the ambulance had an emergency or was running out of fuel ?

Well you are cynical and whatever the reason you let them through no if's or but's

What is common place the world over is called an act of heroism here and a law that is enforced.

I don't think it common place the world over. That said, the act of this kind fellow is not indicative that "the Thai spirit of helping others was alive and well". There are some people who genuinely go out of their way to help others, but claiming it as a national trait is rubbish. This applies to most countries, not only Thailand.

I think what he meant by the "world over" was developed, western countries.

I'm certain that Lao, Burmese, Cambodian, Vietnamese, Chinese, Filipino, Indian and other developing country drivers would NOT give way to an ambulance either.

The "me first" attitude is not specific to Thailand. It is specific to developing, third world countries. Having said that, there are plenty of selfish drivers in the west too, just that the penalties for not getting out of the way of an ambulance are quite strict. That's another difference between Thailand, other developing countries and the west (as well as Japan/Taiwan/Hong Kong/Singapore etc.)

One fixed, several million to go.

So have I got this right, the ambulance was using the siren and lights to get to a petrol station?

How many ambulances just trun on their lights and siren because they are hungry and need to get to the noodle shop now! I bet quite a few.

Yes, Thai drivers are both ignorant and selfish when it comes to letting an ambulance through heavy traffic, unlike most of the so-called "developed" countries that we come from. But let's face it. The whole attitude toward this and many other problems on Thai roads would change if only the police would do their job.

i saw a TV show several years ago on Thai PBS about Thai truck drivers doing a safety course/lecture. One of the drivers was asked what he had learnt from it, and he said he didn't know that he was supposed to get out of the way for emergency vehicles! He seriously didn;t know! So who knows if the other 99.9999% of drivers that didn't do the course are aware of that or not.

Let's see what else they don't know;

- keeping left unless overtaking

- no undertaking

- no driving on hard shoulder

- no tailgaiting

- no hogging of middle or fast lane

These are the things that they are supposed to do but seriously don't know. Of course they break other traffic violations such as driving against the flow of traffic, breaking the speed limits etc but they do these knowingly

Reminds me of the time when i saw an ambulance coming up behind me and pulled over,as i was following a pickup pulled out of a sidestreet,and proceeded to crawl at 40km an hour for about a kilometre with the ambulance right up it's arse,then pulled into another street,as i passed them i tooted in disgust,the old man driving could hardly see above the steering wheel,so was probably unaware what the white thing with flashing lights was.

It was a good thing that there wasn't a tunnel or bridge there as the rider might have had to pay a fine too.

I didn't realize Thais took national pride in ignoring ambulances while driving a car. 'Suppose it fits.

If you didn't want to sound cynical you didn't need to post. BTW........you sounded cynical!

Congratulations to this guy he sounds like a decent guy. Doesn't unfortunately seem to be many of his type around.

Must have been a farang or a Burmese guy, Thai people don't do this!