Five die in horror smash on their way to a funeral

[kannot]

5 hours ago, gdgbb said:

 

You pulled on your handbrake at 80kph, in the rain, to deliberately rapidly slow down without warning in order to remonstrate with a driver behind you whose driving standards you didn't like and you refer to others as peanut brains?  Jeez.

Nowhere did i say it was raining at the  time I did this, I did say it  rained here yesterday......just to clear that up for you it was dry.............but..it  did rain here yesterday..........not all day....wish theyd  fix  the stupid quote system

 

5 hours ago, gdgbb said:

 

[kannot]

57 minutes ago, atyclb said:

  hey you cant talk about peanuts that way!

if the peanuts want to argue the case they can

[fusion58]

Yawn.

 

Wake me up when the powers that be show some genuine interest in addressing the atrocious road conditions, non-existent traffic enforcement and appalling lack of driver education in this country.

 

After watching this same scenario replayed thousands of times, it becomes increasingly difficult to feel any sympathy for the victims of these types of accidents when no one seems to give a tinker's damn. 

 

When it comes to driving, you can't tell Thais anything. After all, the Thai way is always the best way, and Thais are never wrong about anything.

 

They don't know what they don't know, and they're not interested in finding out.

 

 

[johnnytuc]

6 hours ago, kannot said:

Is  that the driver still asleep behind the wheel!

I recently stopped at a  gas  station to eat ,sat down and counted the amount of  cars that  pulled in with no seat belts on.............incredibly it was ALL of them, 20 vehicles.

How did you see through the tinted glass??

 

[Mike555]

A lot of people are mentioning speed enforcement here, but I think the issue with Thai driving isn't speed. It's the extreme tailgating. The non-stop lane changing with no time for anybody to react. Drift-motion lane changes while tailgating that assume that no other drivers in the scenario will alter their speed or god-forbid tap their brakes. And in this case, it was that old favorite...overtaking another car in a highly unsafe manner.

All of these would still be potentially fatal at regular posted highway speeds. So what I'd love cops to crack down on isn't speed -- but reckless driving behavior at ANY speed. 

[jing jing]

I have driven the very same road many times and can tell you it is a very stressful experience, with many moments of sheer terror on every trip.  Once I saw a motorbike pulverized by a pickup going at least 120, right in front if me.  I had slowed down, realizing he was about to make a wobbly u-turn into oncoming traffic at a blind corner.  The debris from the impact must have flown 50 feet in the air.  I drove on with still 400 km left to go.

 

Imagine a potholed, two lane highway twisting through the countryside, many blind corners, occasional cow and buffalo crossings, kids swerving in from side roads on motorbikes, ancient trucks chugging along with uncovered loads, and every pickup and minivan driver trying to maintain a 120 kph average speed.  The risky passing maneuvers one will witness, and sometimes need to employ, are terrifying to anyone accustomed only to Western driving standards.  Suffice to say safety is not uppermost in many folks' minds.

 

Despite the righteous outrage, things are unlikely to change anytime soon, so please be careful out there.

[dunroaming]

It says that one passenger, Jaroon, was 97 years old.  That is pretty impressive for Thailand, especially if he was fit enough to attend a funeral.  RIP to everyone killed. 

[Jai Dee]

Several troll posts and replies have been removed from this thread.

[KhunBENQ]

7 hours ago, Pimay1 said:

The BP reported the van was overtaking another vehicle when the head on crash occurred. Evidently the flashing of the headlights didn't work. RIP the deceased.

I found similar in Thai news text.

Just another completely irresponsible brain dead van driver maybe on yaba. And you can bet this killer will not serve a prison sentence.

 

It's slaughterhouse out there.

I lost fun in driving here.

Each trip is a survival exercise.

That happens in a country with no proper traffic education, no thorough driver checks and close to no police pressure/checks.

 

[cardinalblue]

People don't drive like this in Korea or Japan b/c they have proper gov controls in place: driver education enforcement stiff fines loss of driving privileges monitoring physical road repairs proper monitoring and statistics...

 

it's a nationalistic and cultural problem b/c of a weak and non-effective gov... They are clueless in   Program and behavioral management...

 

people in thailand are controlled By cultural beliefs and traditions. Regulations are not respected nor enforced...

 

taking your your shoes off or wearing a school uniform to code is more important than tailgating or crossing a double yellow line...

 

stupid is what stupid does....

 

 

[cardinalblue]

Mike.

 

tailgating is going too fast to the cars around you and ahead of you ...bottom line is they are going too fast to road conditions. Ask a Thai what is the 3 second rule for breaking distance? No idea b/c never trained nor educated on it...

 

how many times do you see a driver here race to the next signal only to hit their brakes resulting in a little fish tail and then sitting in traffic longer vs pace your driving speed on road conditions gently braking or timing the signal correctly...completely lacking anticipation and instinctive behavior to road conditions...we call it driving blind or driving in a vacuum...hence all those road chalk marks due to tailgating at unsafe speed and lack of understanding proper distancing....

[Grubster]

2 hours ago, NongKhaiKid said:

I am up here in issan.

I was quoting spider mike, I got a speeding ticket coming home from Nong Khai on Hwy 2 Wednesday though.

[NongKhaiKid]

17 minutes ago, Grubster said:

I was quoting spider mike, I got a speeding ticket coming home from Nong Khai on Hwy 2 Wednesday though.

There used to be a member, haven't seen him on for a long time, who once claimed to have been driving all over Thailand for years and had never once been stopped at a roadblock.

I'm not saying it couldn't happen but I did find it hard to believe.

 

[Jim walker]

As normal for any comment regarding Thailand roads RIP to the five deceased such sad news that so much elderly people killed on the atrocious Thai roads, and was just listening to a debate on our local radio in the UK after the death of a 14 year old local girl in a car accident near my home town last week, and most of the complaints about young bad drivers were that they are taught in the UK how to pass a driving test but not taught how to drive a vehicle and especially  in various road conditions wet, snow, or icy roads as we have here in Scotland, so even worse in Thailand you don’t need to bother about a test or driving just pay the 500 baht and get your licence, and get in behind the wheel and because you are Thai you are a perfect driver in every way with superior intellect as all Thais are born with that trait especially the male Thais.          

[Grubster]

5 minutes ago, NongKhaiKid said:

There used to be a member, haven't seen him on for a long time, who once claimed to have been driving all over Thailand for years and had never once been stopped at a roadblock.

I'm not saying it couldn't happen but I did find it hard to believe.

I can't see how either but maybe only back roads as he was wanted or something. I get stopped nearly everyday, close to home.

[ratcatcher]

2 hours ago, lostinisaan said:

 

 They just finished a new MRT and BTS in Sisaket and it's a real pleasure to travel with it. 

How are the stations out there? Are they well lit? 555

[cumgranosalum]

2 hours ago, Jim walker said:

As normal for any comment regarding Thailand roads RIP to the five deceased such sad news that so much elderly people killed on the atrocious Thai roads, and was just listening to a debate on our local radio in the UK after the death of a 14 year old local girl in a car accident near my home town last week, and most of the complaints about young bad drivers were that they are taught in the UK how to pass a driving test but not taught how to drive a vehicle and especially  in various road conditions wet, snow, or icy roads as we have here in Scotland, so even worse in Thailand you don’t need to bother about a test or driving just pay the 500 baht and get your licence, and get in behind the wheel and because you are Thai you are a perfect driver in every way with superior intellect as all Thais are born with that trait especially the male Thais.          

Problem with this is that most of the contributors to this thread never took more than a cursory driving test for their licences.

[stephen tracy]

7 hours ago, wvavin said:

The moment you step into a minivan in Thailand, your name is instantly on the "mortuary lists" awaiting your arrival. 

I once got stopped and told that my helmet was "no good".  I guess he didn't like the colour.  It was yellow. 

[George FmplesdaCosteedback]

A bit ironic they were going to a funeral.

Same old story. Police completely useless, and no driving test worth the name: result -  carnage.

[ratcatcher]

4 minutes ago, George FmplesdaCosteedback said:

A bit ironic they were going to a funeral.

Same old story. Police completely useless, and no driving test worth the name: result -  carnage.

What do you suggest the police do when a driver decides to overtake in a rural area where he has misjudged speed or conditions and has nowhere else to go? Result a head on. One driver to blame and police  can only show up after the accident is called in as per usual.

[George FmplesdaCosteedback]

6 minutes ago, ratcatcher said:

What do you suggest the police do when a driver decides to overtake in a rural area where he has misjudged speed or conditions and has nowhere else to go? Result a head on. One driver to blame and police  can only show up after the accident is called in as per usual.

The police do not do their job. All they seem to do is create traffic jams with road blocks, er, check points with on-the-spot-fines. Have you ever seen a speed trap in Thailand? Without any instruction or test there is only one rule here, Chicken...

[ratcatcher]

Just now, George FmplesdaCosteedback said:

The police do not do their job. All they seem to do is create traffic jams with road blocks, er, check points with on-the-spot-fines. Have you ever seen a speed trap in Thailand? Without any instruction or test there is only one rule here, Chicken...

What would the police have had to do to prevent this particular accident? I agree with some of your comments but this accident was simply due to driver error. Fact!

[George FmplesdaCosteedback]

Just now, ratcatcher said:

What would the police have had to do to prevent this particular accident? I agree with some of your comments but this accident was simply due to driver error. Fact!

If he had been given instruction, made to take a Public Service Vehicle test and been stopped for speeding, fined, or had his licence taken away on a few occasions he would either have learned his lesson or not been behind the wheel. No crash this time, and far fewer than there are every week - that's a fact.

[cardinalblue]

Police is not to blame for illegal passing as it is hard to observe when the police is not present out looking for illegal behaviors...

 

this rests with mgt on how to train and use police for enforcement.....

 

 

the  prevalence of illegal passing is off the charts which tells you the drivers were/are never properly educated on the rules of the road....then factor in no enforcement nor how to enforce 

 

the result is the highest road fatality rate in the civilized world...though their driving could be easily defined as uncivilized third world stuff...

 

the UN and WHO should question thailand status as a civilized nation and base funding on performance-based improvement indicators....

 

 

[ratcatcher]

4 minutes ago, George FmplesdaCosteedback said:

If he had been given instruction, made to take a Public Service Vehicle test and been stopped for speeding, fined, or had his licence taken away on a few occasions he would either have learned his lesson or not been behind the wheel. No crash this time, and far fewer than there are every week - that's a fact.

OK, who, in your opinion, was to blame? The van driver or the pickup driver? Who was trying to pass and who hit who in the oncoming lane?. And yes, Ok they all need better testingnd training but accidents still happen all over the world, not just here in poor little Thailand.

[George FmplesdaCosteedback]

3 minutes ago, ratcatcher said:

OK, who, in your opinion, was to blame? The van driver or the pickup driver? Who was trying to pass and who hit who in the oncoming lane?. And yes, Ok they all need better testingnd training but accidents still happen all over the world, not just here in poor little Thailand.

I was not there to witness what happened, were you?

Cardinalblue seems to have the right idea.

[boomerangutang]

 

11 hours ago, kannot said:

97!!!  way to go.......

Had an idiot  right  up my  arse yesterday in single  file traffic, roadworks speed 80kmh,  looking for everyway to pass despite signs saying no overtaking and  bollards down the centre  line, could see the bogies up  his  nose he was that close.

Tug  of the handbrake had an effect for all of 5  minutes as the squealing of his  tyres echoed round me................they dont care and they dont learn.

Yesterday was pretty heavy rain here so I guess it  will be the rains fault anyones but the peanut brain behind the wheel

 

That happened when I was a passenger in a car in California on a commute to a big city.  The driver in my car wanted to show the car in back that she was tailgating, so he slammed on his brakes.  The woman in back (we're all going 65 mph) nearly rear-ended our car.  My driver was giggling.  I was spooked.  I don't agree at all with that sort of behavior.

[gk10002000]

11 hours ago, Mike555 said:

A lot of people are mentioning speed enforcement here, but I think the issue with Thai driving isn't speed. It's the extreme tailgating. The non-stop lane changing with no time for anybody to react. Drift-motion lane changes while tailgating that assume that no other drivers in the scenario will alter their speed or god-forbid tap their brakes. And in this case, it was that old favorite...overtaking another car in a highly unsafe manner.

All of these would still be potentially fatal at regular posted highway speeds. So what I'd love cops to crack down on isn't speed -- but reckless driving behavior at ANY speed. 

They drive like they were taught or witnessed. They drive like they are in a little rural village on a quiet dirt road with nobody else around and you can go left, right, slow, stop, U-Turn or do anything you want.  They don't care about lane divider markers, traffic lights.  Those things just are not ingrained in them.

[muzmurray]

15 hours ago, lostinisaan said:

 

 They just finished a new MRT and BTS in Sisaket and it's a real pleasure to travel with it. 

 

Really?

[ratcatcher]

15 minutes ago, muzmurray said:

 

Really?

Irony. Sarcasm. Facetiousness. Which do you prefer?