Killer Phuket visa run driver charged with reckless driving, fined B150,000

[Ulic]

As long as the government requires these asinine border runs accidents like this

will continue to occur. While the driver and the company he drives for are responsible

for this accident changes in immigration rules and requirements would end all

similar accidents.

[Roel]

I always wonder about this "the police is investigating" whether the van was correctly registered. That should be clear in a few minutes, even in Thailand, one phone call, one check in the computer. Is this a secret message to the company owner that he is given time to "sort out" the registration.

[hkt83100]

But driving without license and causing an accident which kills nine people will be punished with some hours of charity work (which you don't have to do actually) in a hospital of your choice...

[LivinginKata]

21 minutes ago, hkt83100 said:

But driving without license and causing an accident which kills nine people will be punished with some hours of charity work (which you don't have to do actually) in a hospital of your choice...

 

What 9 people killed ... it was 3 people dead.  Are you discussig another accident. Please reference ..

[LivinginKata]

1 hour ago, spidermike007 said:

Again, an example of a completely broken justice system. $4200 fine. No talk about a suspended license, unless the vehicle is registered in the wrong category? No talk about prison time? Hope he gets convicted of manslaughter, and spends time in prison, assuming it was his fault. Most likely it was. It is a safe presumption, considering how the majority of these road terrorists drive. If the driver is convicted and sentenced to time in prison, the owners of these companies may wake up and raise their hiring standards for their drivers. That benefits everyone. 

<snip>

 

So far only police justice ... not reached court justice ... maybe never will get to court.  There is zro chance this driver will go to prison unless Thailand revaluates it's court system.

 

For sure the company owners should face stiff finacial penalties, even loss of business license.

[lostinisaan]

14 hours ago, Happy Grumpy said:

 

I don't think he should be fined.

 

I think he should be imprisoned for at least a decade.

 

 

 

Or given to the relatives of the deceased....a natural solution...

[stevenl]

1 hour ago, spidermike007 said:

Again, an example of a completely broken justice system. $4200 fine. No talk about a suspended license, unless the vehicle is registered in the wrong category? No talk about prison time? Hope he gets convicted of manslaughter, and spends time in prison, assuming it was his fault. Most likely it was. It is a safe presumption, considering how the majority of these road terrorists drive. If the driver is convicted and sentenced to time in prison, the owners of these companies may wake up and raise their hiring standards for their drivers. That benefits everyone. 

 

Ultimately the government is at fault. And the immigration department. The visa run policy is in dire need to overhaul. It is an unnecessary expense, hassle, and inconvenience for both tourists and ex-pats. No need for it, other than to drive the Thai economy. 

"If the driver is convicted and sentenced to time in prison, the owners of these companies may wake up and raise their hiring standards for their drivers."

Disagree, the owners won't care about one of their drivers in prison. They would care though if they were convicted themselves, either to jail time or to big fines.

[stevenl]

39 minutes ago, LivinginKata said:

 

What 9 people killed ... it was 3 people dead.  Are you discussig another accident. Please reference ..

That was the hiso girl in Bangkok.

[Honthy]

I have a bet. This driver will drive a similar van as a professional driver in a year..... Does anybody want to bet?

[Honthy]

1 hour ago, Roel said:

I always wonder about this "the police is investigating" whether the van was correctly registered. That should be clear in a few minutes, even in Thailand, one phone call, one check in the computer. Is this a secret message to the company owner that he is given time to "sort out" the registration.

 

Wrong. A call goes directly to the company and some tea money goes back. No secret messages are needed here.

[thenewgoo]

If Thailand's immigration and visa rules were easier, this dangerous & loosely regulated industry probably wouldn't even exist. 

[LeungKen]

Double posts removed

 

[Psimbo]

9 hours ago, gdgbb said:

I didn't sat it was adequate, I did say it is a huge amount for a van driver.   One thing you are right about, though, is to wait to see what is paid out before criticising it but why do you think the passengers were on holiday?  On a visa run?

So you actually think the driver himself forked over the cash do you? In a western country he would be facing some form of manslaughter charge- this didn't even get as far as a court. 

 

People have commented on the inadequacy of this 'punishment' but you deliberately seem to be trying to poke people with a stick on a few threads at the moment.

[stevenl]

1 hour ago, Honthy said:

I have a bet. This driver will drive a similar van as a professional driver in a year..... Does anybody want to bet?

Why in a year? I would not be surprised if he is on the road today.

[Honthy]

1 minute ago, stevenl said:

Why in a year? I would not be surprised if he is on the road today.

yes, you should be right 5555. Anyhow, I still keep my bet .

[Honthy]

9 hours ago, gdgbb said:

I didn't sat it was adequate, I did say it is a huge amount for a van driver.   One thing you are right about, though, is to wait to see what is paid out before criticising it but why do you think the passengers were on holiday?  On a visa run?

 

Why do you think 5.000 THB is not enough? Check the passenger list, please. Farangs only. ( and some Filipinos) 

[superal]

18 hours ago, Shot said:

"However, officers are still investigating whether the vehicle was registered to be used as public transport or not. If the van was being operated under the wrong category then Prawit’s licence might be suspended or revoked, but this will be up to the court to decide,” he said."

 

Why punish Prawit if the company vehicle he was driving was "under wrong category"? Fine the company owner a million baht just to get his/her attention.

 

The driver should lose his license for life, if found negligent, which will never happen in the Land of Crashes and Get out of Jail Free Cards.

 

 

 

 

 

A loss of licence will not be a deterrent  Time to get out of Dodge and carry on as normal .

[NamKangMan]

3 deceased = 150,000 baht fine.  Not to mention those injured.

 

That's 50,000 baht for each deceased person.

 

That the price of a life in Thailand.

 

What a disgrace. 

[soalbundy]

20 hours ago, impulse said:

 

So, you figure a $5,000 fine is adequate for reckless driving that caused the death of 3 people, and untold misery for 6 more?

 

No mention of losing his license for killing 3 people.  Only if he's not registered to carry passengers (translation: paying proper taxes)

 

Let's see what their "first rate" insurance offers in the way of compensation.  Probably less than the cost of their holiday to Thailand.

Possibly none at all if the vehicle wasn't registered for public transport and the reckless driving may also cause loss of insurance liability like DUI.

[impulse]

Just now, soalbundy said:

Possibly none at all if the vehicle wasn't registered for public transport and the reckless driving may also cause loss of insurance liability like DUI.

 

The 41 cars damaged by the truck driver in BKK have to split the 600,000 baht insurance limit.  That's about $418 per.  

 

Of course, they'll still be in Thailand to go to court seeking more from the truck owner and the driver.  These foreigners?  It would probably cost them more just to stay and fight than they'd eventually get.

[stevenl]

10 minutes ago, soalbundy said:

Possibly none at all if the vehicle wasn't registered for public transport and the reckless driving may also cause loss of insurance liability like DUI.

I don't know of any insurance policy here where reckless driving could void an insurance policy. Maybe you can give some examples though.

[soalbundy]

Just now, stevenl said:

I don't know of any insurance policy here where reckless driving could void an insurance policy. Maybe you can give some examples though.

I did write may, in some countries in the west this would be the case and the driver would have to recompense the insurance payout from his own pocket.

[KarenBravo]

4 hours ago, Ulic said:

As long as the government requires these asinine border runs accidents like this

will continue to occur. While the driver and the company he drives for are responsible

for this accident changes in immigration rules and requirements would end all

similar accidents.

 

Blaming immigration for this is like blaming airports for all the crashes going to and from them........

[nkg]

15 hours ago, KarenBravo said:

 

Stop being a drama queen. It wouldn't be a charge of "murder" in any western country.

 

As usual, you are correct. It would be a manslaughter charge, not a murder charge. Obviously you regard manslaughter as being a minor crime compared with murder. There's no comparison - except the part about killing people, but I'm splitting hairs, I know.

[stevenl]

42 minutes ago, soalbundy said:

I did write may, in some countries in the west this would be the case and the driver would have to recompense the insurance payout from his own pocket.

Not here in Thailand. Plus as you explained in your second post about this already, the insurance company would pay out, but later reclaim from the guilty party. So it would not affect the not guilty people involved in the accident.

[soalbundy]

4 hours ago, stevenl said:

Not here in Thailand. Plus as you explained in your second post about this already, the insurance company would pay out, but later reclaim from the guilty party. So it would not affect the not guilty people involved in the accident.

correct but it would serve the driver as a further punishment but as you say apparently not here

[Bangkokazy]

Remember life in Thailand is not worth more. a pair of nice shoes.

[gdgbb]

On 23/12/2016 at 1:04 PM, Psimbo said:

So you actually think the driver himself forked over the cash do you? In a western country he would be facing some form of manslaughter charge- this didn't even get as far as a court. 

 

People have commented on the inadequacy of this 'punishment' but you deliberately seem to be trying to poke people with a stick on a few threads at the moment.

A fine doesn't have to be paid by the defendant, as long as it's paid.  Whether you, or I, think it was paid by the driver is as irrelevant as comparing charges to those that may or may not be made in Europe.

 

Thanks for your opinion on my posts.  Rest assured, I won't take it to heart.

[gdgbb]

On 23/12/2016 at 1:10 PM, Honthy said:

Why do you think 5.000 THB is not enough? Check the passenger list, please. Farangs only. ( and some Filipinos) 

Why do you think that I think B5 (did you mean B5,000?  Can you read what I said?) is not enough?  What's the nationality of passengers got to do with it?

[Honthy]

5 hours ago, gdgbb said:

Why do you think that I think B5 (did you mean B5,000?  Can you read what I said?) is not enough?  What's the nationality of passengers got to do with it?

 

I think if you read my comment, you can understand my sarcasm.