KarenBravo Posted January 4, 2017 Share Posted January 4, 2017 (edited) So, exactly what is inherently dangerous with vans? They are driven all over the world and the manufacturers have passed all safety tests. Could it be how they are driven? By giving an even bigger vehicle, like a bus, to these same drivers, be even more dangerous? Yet another example how Thais just can't connect the dots between cause and effect. Edited January 4, 2017 by KarenBravo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevc Posted January 4, 2017 Share Posted January 4, 2017 Last time I went to renew my driving license I had to sit through a one hour safety video which consisted of how a taxi driver should behave, nothing at all about driving safely not even one mention of checking your mirrors.Sent from my SM-P901 using Thaivisa Connect mobile app Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maximillian Posted January 4, 2017 Share Posted January 4, 2017 2 hours ago, Wilsonandson said: I thought the fire killed the passengers not the crash. After a couple of days after the tragic crash have the authorities found out what caused the fire? LPG or NGV gas bottles exploding? Shouldn't that be looked into first before banning vans? I also thought that people sitting in the back of pickup trucks was a dangerous way to travel. What are they going to do about that? Looking at the wreckage, I think it didn't make a difference in the number of casualties, if there was a fire or not. Is there no way to teach re-spon-si-bi-li-ty to drivers, police force and to politicians ? Why the hell do these vans have to have an overpowered engine instead of a speed limiter ? It's so painful to read about those avoidable kind of accidents every other day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poohy Posted January 4, 2017 Share Posted January 4, 2017 One small problem.......Might be interesting to see WHO own these van routes maybe it will not be that simple as ex army police are usually the owners Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farang1966 Posted January 4, 2017 Share Posted January 4, 2017 Nothing will ever be done, so nuff said really apart R.I.P. to 26 souls that left this mortal plain far to early,may Buddha guide you on your path. :-( Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LennyW Posted January 4, 2017 Share Posted January 4, 2017 29 minutes ago, LannaGuy said: tachometers, licensing and spot checks with REAL penalties RiP That would be best.....but probably never happen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kensisaket Posted January 4, 2017 Share Posted January 4, 2017 The funny part about this is that this accident was supposedly caused by the van driver falling asleep. I guess if the same guy was driving a bus and fell asleep fewer people might have died in the bus; but, the pickup would have still been demolished. Best advise for anyone riding in one of those vans is to take a real good look at the driver before boarding. Even getting close enough to smell his breath might not be a bad idea. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimbo2014 Posted January 4, 2017 Share Posted January 4, 2017 This is a typical Thai solution. Instead of addressing the root cause, which is of course idiotic and crazy driving, an inane and ineffective solution is made which probably benefits an insider - like the mad old bus lady of Bangkok who is still allowed to put polluting old unsafe diesel busses on the road because she knows someone and everyone gets a baht. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brer Fox Posted January 4, 2017 Share Posted January 4, 2017 3 hours ago, trogers said: Bingo! The problem is with quality, and not quantity, as always... Thai logic on display for all to see. Reduce the number of vans therefore the number of van accidents and deaths will correspondingly reduce. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CGW Posted January 4, 2017 Share Posted January 4, 2017 If you go out and ask the Thai's who rely on this form of transport what should be done, what would their answer be? I'm guessing at nothing! mai pen rai ja! There is a lot of room for attitude adjustment in this country! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimbo2014 Posted January 4, 2017 Share Posted January 4, 2017 12 minutes ago, kensisaket said: The funny part about this is that this accident was supposedly caused by the van driver falling asleep. I guess if the same guy was driving a bus and fell asleep fewer people might have died in the bus; but, the pickup would have still been demolished. Best advise for anyone riding in one of those vans is to take a real good look at the driver before boarding. Even getting close enough to smell his breath might not be a bad idea. Smell the breath of most of these taxi and bus drivers... Id almost rather take my chances in an accident Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joepattaya1961 Posted January 4, 2017 Share Posted January 4, 2017 the number of people in a van is not an issue. Everyone has a proper seat with seatbelts, so that part of safety is covered. The main issues are: - the driver(s) - the technical installation (LPG/NGV); in order to keep the installation as cheap as possible, they skipped a very important safety feature on the gas-installation: the shut-off valve: it shuts off the gas supply to the engine in case of a collosion...it's pretty obvious that the gas kept feeding the fire. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NanLaew Posted January 4, 2017 Share Posted January 4, 2017 52 minutes ago, impulse said: Could have just as easily been a high end Mercedes, BMW or Porsche the guy took out instead of a pickup. We'd probably be seeing an entirely different level of urgency in the reaction if it had. Nobody on the road is safe from these kamikazes. Even the elite (and their loved ones). Aint gonna happen. The Mercedes, BMW and Posrche's are all safely (double) parked up at the airports and the hi-so''s have FLOWN to their chosen vacation domiciles. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NoshowJones Posted January 4, 2017 Share Posted January 4, 2017 4 hours ago, Somtamnication said: It will never happen. Impossible to manage / underpaid police / overpaid politicians, etc etc etc. Yes, "underpaid police", not interested, except when they are collecting their tea money. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hawker9000 Posted January 4, 2017 Share Posted January 4, 2017 I can see how restricting the number of vans in operation might drive the price up for travelers (and what could possibly be bad about that, right!?), but not necessarily how it makes the drivers any safer. Aren't we reading in another current thread about a bus driver who actually just walked away from his bus at the side of the road, leaving his passengers stranded? (And the police subsequently said it wasn't their job to do get involved!!) There are going to have to be some serious attitude adjustments if improved safety is anywhere on the horizon. Right now, I just don't see it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NanLaew Posted January 4, 2017 Share Posted January 4, 2017 6 minutes ago, joepattaya1961 said: the number of people in a van is not an issue. Everyone has a proper seat with seatbelts, so that part of safety is covered. The main issues are: - the driver(s) - the technical installation (LPG/NGV); in order to keep the installation as cheap as possible, they skipped a very important safety feature on the gas-installation: the shut-off valve: it shuts off the gas supply to the engine in case of a collosion...it's pretty obvious that the gas kept feeding the fire. Specifically what is missing is regulation. There are laws and regulations for minivan operators and laws and regulations for LPG/NGV installers. What exactly does the Thai Ministry of Transport do with regard to these two items? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hobz Posted January 4, 2017 Share Posted January 4, 2017 4 hours ago, watcharacters said: First of all the problem's not the number of vans, It's how the idiots DRIVE! Yeah and now they are rewarded with bigger murder weapons in form of buses... Jesus christ somebody please find me an official with a brain to fix this nightmare Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NoshowJones Posted January 4, 2017 Share Posted January 4, 2017 1 hour ago, Dellboy218 said: Plus there maybe unrealistic demands placed upon the drivers by the bus owners. Bus owners should be continuously vetted as well. But, who is to vet them? No one, but I would bet there are many brown envelopes getting passed around. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hobz Posted January 4, 2017 Share Posted January 4, 2017 20 minutes ago, Brer Fox said: Thai logic on display for all to see. Reduce the number of vans therefore the number of van accidents and deaths will correspondingly reduce. Yeah they truly are stupid Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
williamgeorgeallen Posted January 4, 2017 Share Posted January 4, 2017 nothing going to change. maybe a few more rules or regulations which will largely ignored or sporadically enforced. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Batboy Posted January 4, 2017 Share Posted January 4, 2017 It will never happen. People might be surprised or "maybe not" who really own the vans. Most drivers are only workers not the owners. Maybe that's why ordinary cops on the beat doing road side inspections let the drivers go. Don't want to upset the higher ups !!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jvs Posted January 4, 2017 Share Posted January 4, 2017 There is no need of more regulations,the existing ones just need to be enforced. I said it many times before,as long as mai pen rai rules it will never change. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brer Fox Posted January 4, 2017 Share Posted January 4, 2017 45 minutes ago, Jimbo2014 said: Smell the breath of most of these taxi and bus drivers... Id almost rather take my chances in an accident Reminds me of when I used to catch the metropolitan public buses in Hanoi. If you happen to board just after they had changed afternoon shift at 1 pm and walked past the cab of the driver most of them absolutely reeked of alcohol. I expect the same could be said of suburban bus drivers in Bangkok. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alocacoc Posted January 4, 2017 Share Posted January 4, 2017 I smell another useless crackdown. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rickster Posted January 4, 2017 Share Posted January 4, 2017 Being a Tottenham fan, I was proper led up the garden path with the title thinking what the hell is that all about??!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DLang Posted January 4, 2017 Share Posted January 4, 2017 The problem is the rushing drivers. Simple solution. The customers can choose one of the customers to drive. The minivan 'driver' can sit back and get drunk(er) Would be massively safer and the number of accidents would be reduced by 90%. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thaidream Posted January 4, 2017 Share Posted January 4, 2017 The actual problem starts with the van owners who are mostly wealthy and influential. they are forcing the drivers to work 15-20 hours per day because they do not want to hire added drivers to maintain a safe workplace. they are simply greedy. Most of the drivers are uneducated rural people who need the salary and thus take meth to stay awake so they can make the required number of trips. A good example is the Pattaya, Rayong and Utapao area heading to Bangkok. Most drivers are required to make 6 round trips per day. In order to do this they have to find ways to stay awake; drive at excessive speeds; weave in and out of traffic and generally drive in an unsafe manner. If they don't make the required trips- they are fired and the owners find others who will do it. The police well know what is going on but they are powerless to stop it. If they put pressure on the drivers and stop and ticket them- the drivers pay the fine and the owners complain to the brass who then tell their minions to back off. Nothing can stop this until those at the top make it happen and refuse to bend when the owners push back and actually start hitting the owners in their pocket. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seligne2 Posted January 4, 2017 Share Posted January 4, 2017 4 hours ago, selftaopath said: Can you tell me/us what the starting salary of a policeman/woman is? How about advancement e.g. time in service/promotion etc.? What might be their educational background etc. in relation to a factory workers salary? I often hear a/b low salaries of police/teachers but would LOVE to see the facts. See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Thai_Police (Section on police corruption) As for teachers, in 2014 I worked with a newly graduated English teacher. She worked with me at a rural school in Chiang Mai. Her starting salary was 8k/month. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sendintheclowns Posted January 4, 2017 Share Posted January 4, 2017 2 hours ago, maoro2013 said: What is the logic behind reducing the number of vans? I don't think that is the answer, maybe cutting them totally would work, but reducing!! agreed. There is no logic to reducing the number of vans. Less vans = packing even more Thais, like sardines. Every week, you get these announcements, most of which are plain laughable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jollyhangmon Posted January 4, 2017 Share Posted January 4, 2017 5 hours ago, selftaopath said: Can you tell me/us what the starting salary of a policeman/woman is? How about advancement e.g. time in service/promotion etc.? What might be their educational background etc. in relation to a factory workers salary? I often hear a/b low salaries of police/teachers but would LOVE to see the facts. Well, can't tell more recent figures but some 5, 6 years ago a 35 years old brownie told me he had little less than 15 big ones salary plus some 15-hundred or so extra for the moddabike's & his gon's maintainance etc. Now don't ask me about his rank, i believe he said he was in about 12 or 13 years and as far as i could see was just cruising along with his buddy on the bike, not extremely stressed out ... At the same time an about 43 years old kindergarten-teacher - no fix post then, pending her finishing related bachelor in second-chance education - got paid a straight 8 grand for running the whole 2-classroom (maybe 40 children ?) joint. In that light i can't find po-lice to be under paid per se, not really, not in comparison to general populations average income anyways ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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