Russian tourist killed in Pattaya, crushed by tour bus

By Albert Jack -

 

 

PATTAYA: -- A Russian tourist has been killed at the Dolphin Roundabout in Pattaya after his motorcycle was involved in a collision with a tour bus.

 

Witnesses said that Mr Sergei Sugadaev was riding along Naklua Road on the left hand side of a coach owned by S.C Somchai Service Co Ltd when the driver took a sudden and sharp left hand turn into Soi 29/1.

 

Mr Sugadaev was unable to brake in time and was knocked off and then run over by the rear wheels of the couch.

 

He was pronounced dead at the scene, by medics, of head injuries and his body taken to Banglamung Mortuary.

 

The tour bus driver has been arrested and is being questioned in advance of potential criminal charges.

 

Report shared by Pattaya One News Team

 

Source: http://pattayaone.news/en/russian-tourist-killed-pattaya-crushed-tour-bus/

 

-- © Copyright Pattaya One 2017-01-05

Gulp - what a way to go

 

Seems to have been quite a spate of horrific RTA's recently - I'll stick to walking and the baht buses - even at 20 THB a pop.

 

 

Along Naklua 29/1, there's a huge car park for tour buses as well as a 'bypass' for the Dolphin Circle. Due to the acute angle of the junction, buses headed south turn from the right-hand lane. The perils of undertaking in Thailand.

Sad way to go, but isn't it illegal to drive on the left side of vehicles?  That's a blind spot and incredibly dangerous.

Been plenty of cyclists killed in London doing the same.

Sent from my SM-G920F using Thaivisa Connect mobile app

When passing on the left and riding on the inside of vehicles it is key to be aware of the possibility of vehicles either turning left or moving to the kerb. I wonder if this tourist was just copying what everybody else does but not truly aware of the fact that you need to give way at any time.

On the other hand maybe the bus overtook him and then turned into him. It's happened to me many times. Car and pickup drivers hate to be stuck behind a motorcycle so they overtake and almost immediately  pull into the kerb and stop or make a left turn. 

From the facebook photos it looks to me like the bus was turning right, across the opposite lane into a side soi, Mr Sergei ( maybe going too fast) in the opposite lane fell off the bike due to heavy panic braking slid under the wheels of the bus
(not the couch as stated in Pattaya one article)
R.I.P Mr Sergei

1 hour ago, PaddyDaddy said:

On the other hand maybe the bus overtook him and then turned into him. It's happened to me many times. Car and pickup drivers hate to be stuck behind a motorcycle so they overtake and almost immediately  pull into the kerb and stop or make a left turn. 

And yet again many motorbikes overtake me on the left

Off topic post removed, topic is not about Baht bus fares

2 hours ago, PaddyDaddy said:

On the other hand maybe the bus overtook him and then turned into him. It's happened to me many times. Car and pickup drivers hate to be stuck behind a motorcycle so they overtake and almost immediately  pull into the kerb and stop or make a left turn. 

 

 

baht buses do this all the time without ever using their indicators

55 minutes ago, chasntong said:

And yet again many motorbikes overtake me on the left

 

This is allowed  in Thailand.

6 hours ago, PaddyDaddy said:

On the other hand maybe the bus overtook him and then turned into him. It's happened to me many times. Car and pickup drivers hate to be stuck behind a motorcycle so they overtake and almost immediately  pull into the kerb and stop or make a left turn. 

im not surprised there are many roads in pattaya such as beach road or second road where even walking tourists cannot get across the road due to traffic and also its no good going across a road crossing as the vehicles dont stop , im also sick and tired of NO SEATS to sit on at beach road , beach road used to be so good because it had lots of seats on beach road to sit on UNTIL THE TOWN HALL HAD A BRAINSTORM and decided to take the seats away NOW TOURISTS HAVE to sit on the DIRTY PAVEMENT TO SIT DOWN another case of looking after tourists NOT !

It's the Russian's fault. If he didn't come to Thailand, it wouldn't have happened !!!
Thai logic 

RIP

Tourists with little to zero motor bike riding experience, riding on Thai roads will always be a recipe for tragedy.

heres whats going on now with the dolphin rndabout..the buses now park and use the sois behind the dusit and in front of the huge dara condo,this is the new short cut used when buses coming from naklua ,using this area of sois behind the dusit allows them to head either beach rd or use pattay north rd...now the once peacfull area is clogged with buses,parked with their washed socks hanging out to dry,or buses flying down the once qiute sois to get another load of tourists...as we all know now the beach is just a boat launch for tour groups....

I guess Thailand threw this man under the bus.

 

RIP Russian man. What a horrible way to die.

 

Sad as we all experience this type of close call everyday in Thailand. I'm surprised a mini van did not slam into the back of the bus.

 

 

Edited January 6, 20179 yr by Rimmer

WOW...! I hope I never get run over by the wheels of a couch...!

You really need experience riding a bike in a crowded area like Pattaya. I am surprised we do not read about deadly accidents daily.

16 hours ago, craigt3365 said:

Sad way to go, but isn't it illegal to drive on the left side of vehicles?  That's a blind spot and incredibly dangerous.

I do not believe it is illegal, particularly if the vehicle is in the right hand lane. It could be turning right! Reality is these large coaches block off the whole road in their maneuvers in and out off small streets, even attempting U-Turns which require them to reverse.

Yes people who live here and ride bikes realize that getting up on the inside of coaches and baht buses is extremely dangerous, but a tourist, one used to driving on the right, is not. That said it is the only way to progress in town this time of year.

Unloading coaches out of town only replaces them with several minivans which are less safe for the passengers and create more traffic in town.

17 hours ago, NanLaew said:

Along Naklua 29/1, there's a huge car park for tour buses as well as a 'bypass' for the Dolphin Circle. Due to the acute angle of the junction, buses headed south turn from the right-hand lane. The perils of undertaking in Thailand.

It's effectively 1 lane due to parked cars.  I don't mean 2b mean...  But I used to regularly watch Russians driving like nutters around there. My main waterholes were right there. 

18 hours ago, craigt3365 said:

Sad way to go, but isn't it illegal to drive on the left side of vehicles?  That's a blind spot and incredibly dangerous.

 

How can it be illegal to be riding along and overtaken by a vehicle passing you on the right or are you saying it is illegal to overtake.

6 hours ago, fish monger said:

WOW...! I hope I never get run over by the wheels of a couch...!

Me too. Sofa so good.

2 hours ago, jacko45k said:

I do not believe it is illegal, particularly if the vehicle is in the right hand lane. It could be turning right! Reality is these large coaches block off the whole road in their maneuvers in and out off small streets, even attempting U-Turns which require them to reverse.

Yes people who live here and ride bikes realize that getting up on the inside of coaches and baht buses is extremely dangerous, but a tourist, one used to driving on the right, is not. That said it is the only way to progress in town this time of year.

Unloading coaches out of town only replaces them with several minivans which are less safe for the passengers and create more traffic in town.

I'm pretty sure most of that stretch of road is only 1 lane.  So, I don't believe it is legal for scooters to "undertake".  Though it's regularly done, and is extremely dangerous.  I almost hit one yesterday passing me on the left shoulder as I was turning left. 

18 hours ago, PaddyDaddy said:

Car and pickup drivers hate to be stuck behind a motorcycle so they overtake and almost immediately  pull into the kerb and stop or make a left turn.

 

Car and pickup drivers hate to be stuck behind a motorcycle because the motorbike driver invariably will suddenly stop due to irresistible attractiveness of the gai-yang being sold kerbside, so they overtake them.

18 minutes ago, craigt3365 said:

I'm pretty sure most of that stretch of road is only 1 lane.  So, I don't believe it is legal for scooters to "undertake".  Though it's regularly done, and is extremely dangerous.  I almost hit one yesterday passing me on the left shoulder as I was turning left. 

If you take a look on Google Maps you will see it is two lanes each way. Although one lane is mostly blocked by parked vehicles! Coaches are another matter as they turn from extreme right. Checking on your inside is just how you have to drive here, and many do seem unable to turn their wheel very far and are too far over. My introduction to driving in LOS in my truck was to nearly hit a motorcycle wanting to go straight on on my right, as I tried to make a right turn in a right turn lane!!

20 minutes ago, craigt3365 said:

I'm pretty sure most of that stretch of road is only 1 lane.  So, I don't believe it is legal for scooters to "undertake".  Though it's regularly done, and is extremely dangerous.  I almost hit one yesterday passing me on the left shoulder as I was turning left. 

The bus was heading south on Pattaya-Naklua Road and turning left from the right-hand lane into Soi 29/1. The motorbike was indeed doing the illegal but seldom penalized left-side pass or 'undertake'.

 

Driving down Highway 2 (Mitraparp) from up-country after the New Year, in Nakhon Ratchasima province, whenever the two lanes of traffic became significantly slowed, the brighter sparks started using the left-hand, hard-shoulder. Once traffic opened up again, it took about 20 km before the hard-shoulder idiots finally stopped trying to pass everyone and traffic reverted to 2-lanes again. Once into Prachinburi province, the traffic cops had a great idea of placing traffic cones reinforced with used tires along the hard shoulder between the solid white line and the dirt. This stopped the 'third laners' in their tracks. Unfortunately, it also forced any motorbikes to ride in the nearside left lane which made for some scary overtaking when already being overtaken by the solid stream of 'fast laners'.

Just go to any busy street and count the traffic offenses.  You should be able to count up to 1 million in about an hour.  99.9% of the time we are masters......and then we are not.

 

I've been driving for 65 years and never once went over the speed limit, failed to use my turn signal, had an accident, or used the radio, talked, or touched my phone.

 

soon i will own the universe!!!

29 minutes ago, craigt3365 said:

I'm pretty sure most of that stretch of road is only 1 lane.  So, I don't believe it is legal for scooters to "undertake".  Though it's regularly done, and is extremely dangerous.  I almost hit one yesterday passing me on the left shoulder as I was turning left. 

 

Yes, many motorbike riders do the most stupid things: riding all over the road with never a glance behind or to the sides. It's a miracle to me (and a tribute to the skill of many car drivers) that they last more than a month.

 

My particular gripe are the ones that ride exactly on top of the white line that separates lanes, thus putting themselves at high risk of being hit by vehicles in both lanes. The correct place for a motorbike is in the centre of a lane.

The other day i was turning left , had indicated well in advance  as i turned a guy on a bike accelerated on the inside of me to undertake me , luckily i was watching my mirror , happens all the time here ,perhaps he had taken lessons from Thai drivers "me first" its a shame he died ,but now i have seen it so many times i have got used to it