Relatives scream blue murder after pick-up driver fails to let ambulance pass

[JackThompson]

5 hours ago, teatree said:

How Germans React to Ambulance Siren

 

Saw this years ago when I was there.  On smaller streets, the cars drove up on the sidewalks to make room.   I'd never seen anything like it in the USA.

[Naamblar2014]

5 hours ago, lavender19 said:

I think they will have form one their committees to wàste time and money and waffle about this for a few years

Thailand ambulance version 4.0

 

 

[thetruth revealer]

8 minutes ago, louse1953 said:

This is not normal Thai mentality at all,far from it in fact.As per usual bad news makes news and TVF seem to revel in it,winding up posters like you.You are being played.

If you drive daily you may notice that its very common mis- behaviour.

[Get Real]

Maybe it´s just time to throw the idea of the need of a driver license in the trash can. Here it´s time to get a license for normal brain function before they let people out in society.

[thetruth revealer]

3 hours ago, fruitman said:

 

Yes and i see it all the time, they use those lights for fun it seems..also police and other emergency cars from which i have no idea who they are.

 

Once i had police with wailing lights behind me (no sirens) while i was waiting for a red light. I moved so they could pass but they didn't take the spot i gave them.

 

Also there are stoplights in BKK which EVERYBODY ignores, when i stop there the other drivers will all horn at me....

 

The usage of emergency lights in Thailand is totally uncontrolled....even restaurants and streetvendors have them wailing at their shops. Motobikes installed them, cars use them as their brakelights.....not strange that people don't pay attention to them.

 

And especially the police and ambulance should know how and when to use them....but they don't!! TIT where nobody is trained to do their job professionally.

Mai pen rai ????

 

[Bangkok Barry]

We all know that in Thailand the only things that matter are me me me and money money money. And the police reaction? 400 baht fine for endangering life. A culture to be proud of. The bizarre thing is, they are.

[thetruth revealer]

3 hours ago, wlcart said:

I once was on the San Francisco Bay Bridge in bumper to bumper rush hour traffic when an ambulance came through with its sirens ringing. I was amazed at how all the drivers figured out a way to squeeze themselves into the smallest nooks to let the ambulance pass.  

 

It had nothing to do with laws, or police, or the government. It was just decent, thoughtful people cooperating and realizing what is good for themselves. 

Common Sense ....

[thetruth revealer]

2 hours ago, helloagain said:

Where are the brains of these muppets. A 400 baht fine for f**** sake. 3 months jail and loss of license for 1 year

...additionally if driving without permit another 3 months jailed , no warnings anymore is the only language , only harsh consequences will do and burn it into their brains.

[elgordo38]

I think the driver/road mentality is so bad here that police realize that if they did crack down hard the jails would be full and the economy would tank due to people having no cars to drive to work etc. Its an ingrained me mentality that will/would take years to flush out. The overcrowded roads just add to the mix. Its a balancing act. 

[mikiea]

6 hours ago, lemonjelly said:

Welcome to Asia 

ahhhh....the thainess of it all......

[thetruth revealer]

1 hour ago, csabo said:

You think this is bad? I remember an instance where an ambulance was parked at an apartment building and the crew was administering aid. Another tenant came out to find her car blocked so she got in the ambulance and drive it to another location. When the ambulance crew came out with patient the ambulance wasn't there!

JOKE of the millenium ....

[Jane Dough]

3 hours ago, Tchooptip said:

In my naivety I thought it was like this all over the world 

Someone had already been through there. Not necessarily spontaneous. 

[Alainpm]

8 hours ago, Scott said:

I always pull over and get out of the way for an ambulance with lights flashing, but many, many people don't.   There are a fair number of ambulances on the elevated expressway between Chonburi and BKK.   I travel that road frequently.   I assume a number of those ambulances are taking people to hospitals with more specialized care than can be found in Chonburi.    They travel quite quickly in the outer most lane, but a lot of people just don't move over for them.  

 

On the ambulance (and police and other emergency vehicles), they need to have and follow strict guidelines about the use of lights and sirens.   On more than one occasion, I have seen them traveling with the lights on and then pull over somewhere and get coffee.  

they should just take a dasham video proof that the driver was obstructing the ambulance, for further justice action

[bizboi]

46 minutes ago, louse1953 said:

This is not normal Thai mentality at all,far from it in fact.As per usual bad news makes news and TVF seem to revel in it,winding up posters like you.You are being played.

 

 I dont agree - You dont have to be a Thai basher to see what goes on here! But you do have to be a desperate farang to constantly turn a blind eye!

[sandemara]

The news release says that the driver of the pick-up and the driver of the ambulance were taken to a police station and that both were fined for neg driving. How much time did this sort of malarkey take up while the ambo was supposed to be on a rescue mission? It seems a bit harsh to put the whole sorry, sordid affair down as the sole responsibility of the pick-up driver.  It doesn't seem like the decision making powers of the police who attended the accident scene  were too astute either.  Further, the accident was, according to the report, a scrape of paintwork resulting from the ambo driver's decision to try to squeeze past the nose of the pick-up while trying to enter a side soi on the way to the victim's house.  Surely the pick-up driver and the ambo could have negotiated a small move out of the way fairly quickly to avoid another "lakorn" drama.  Couldn't the p/up driver have backed up six inches and resolve the matter of "lost face" later? Sadly, money, to many in Thailand (police and road users,  both) seems to be a matter of life and death all by itself. And bugger the general populace in its pursuit.

[catinthehat]

7 hours ago, lemonjelly said:

Welcome to Asia 

Where this life apparently was worth 400THB. Until these selfish animals are not able to assign a price to a life they will continue to be aspiring for even third world status.

Maybe some day one of the truck drivers family members will need an ambulance....................

Until then he should ponder the thought of the shoe  being on the other foot.

 

Lowlife, douche bag, selfish, cretin.

 

And ho0w did he "force" the ambulance to stay put? He's a pussy for staying at the whim of this prick.

[sandemara]

The attitudes and values of the general populace in any nation are directed by the examples or lessons demonstrated by the authorities, or those in power.  Too often people have learned the wrong lessons from the powerful who apparently reject or simply don't understand the concept of "noblesse oblige".  It seems to have been converted to "noblesse gorge" somewhere along the way in Thailand's history..

[KenKadz]

This seems like a case of negligent homicide by the pickup driver.

His negligent actions contributed to the woman's death.

You recon "negligence" is a hereditary trait in the genes of Thai people?

[webfact]

Waiting patient dies as ambulance arrives late for minor accident dispute

 

 

BANGKOK: -- A 74-year-old woman suffering from heart stroke died after the ambulance her family members called to pick her up to hospital on emergency basis could not make it to her home.

 

The ambulance engaged a minor accident with a pickup truck whose driver refused to let the ambulance go until insurance broker arrived.

 

The second ambulance was sent but it was too late as the patient succumbed to her stroke and died at home.

The sad incident was posted on the Internet and went viral on the social world with viewers strongly condemned the pick-up truck driver of being immoral.

 

According to the Bang Buathong district police, they fined the ambulance driver, Natchapon Sakon, 35, of Bang Buathong hospital and pickup truck driver Chaiwat Siengsuthiwong 400 baht each for reckless driving after both sides could not settle the minor car crash that happened after Natchapon was on the way to pick up a patient suffering from breathing difficulty.

 

As the road to the patient’s home was narrow, his vehicle’s rear bumper hit the front side of the truck’s bumper causing a small scratch.

 

He then asked Chaiwat to let him go to pick up the patient first and settle the insurance issue afterwards at the police station. However Chaiwat refused saying he didn’t want to ruin his clean insurance record of having no accidents so that he could get discount in insurance premium for next extension of insurance contract.

 

Despite his plea for the sake of waiting patient, Chaiwat insisted on settling the case at the scene, forcing Natchapon to call in a second ambulance as a replacement.

 

Full story: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/waiting-patient-dies-ambulance-arrives-late-minor-accident-dispute/

 

-- © Copyright Thai PBS 2017-01-19

[lvr181]

9 hours ago, DM07 said:

Lost for words! What a scumbag!


Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect

 

Another oxygen thief.

 

I can only hope that Karma will catch up with him very soon, lucky amulets or not! 

[tcris52]

Failure to yield to emergency vehicle:
1st offense - 90 days license suspension
2nd offense - above + 30 days in jail
3rd offense - 6 months in jail and 1 year suspension of license

Oh, wait. There are no traffic cops patrolling the city streets to enforce these laws. Never Mind.


Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect

[55Jay]

On the flip side, emergency services are not respected here perhaps, in part, because some of their brethren do not conduct themselves as or, in fact are not, serious professionals.  

 

RTP driving around, bubble gum lights flashing away for no apparent reason before parking up casually outside their Lactasoy sponsored police shack.  I've seen this in other 3rd world/developing countries, not just here.

 

The private "rescue" mini-trucks with blinky lights and sirens tear assing up and down the highways.

 

"Fake" cops and soldiers. 

 

The Boy Who Cried Wolf.  Inappropriate, over-use of emergency signals reduces its effectiveness when there is, in fact, an emergency.  Systemic corruption, professional standards and training a mixed bag... all helps to breed apathy, cynicism, contempt, and general lack of trust that those in the public trust are legit, and further, acting appropriately, and responsibly.  Once the benefit of the doubt is gone, it's gone.

 

I still yield to the various flavors of emergency vehicles here, even the "rescue" road pirates.  I do, however, wonder if they are actually responding to an emergency, or just having a little fun, late to pick up the kid at school, or heading to the noodle shop for lunch.

[bangkokheat]

anyone who blocks an ambulance deliberately should be on manslaughter charges if the victims die due to delay

[impulse]

2 hours ago, bizboi said:

...but no one has died as a result of their actions - thats the important point here - he stopped an ambulance from giving medical help to a sick person for his own ends.

 

Every time someone blocks an ambulance, there's a risk of someone dying.  Just because nobody died the other 999 times that day, doesn't mean those people were any less guilty.

 

It's like 1000 people shooting guns into the air in a stadium and one of the bullets kills someone on its way down.  Should the other 999 shooters harangue the guy whose bullet happened to be the one?

[BaiLao]

The internal decision making process goes like this, regardless of the situation:

 

Is the person in my family?

Does the person have seniority or influence over me?

Is the person from my graduating class at university?

Is the vehicle they're driving larger than mine?

Does the person have any seniority in my 'group' at work?

Am I likely to profit in any way from the situation?

 

If the answer to these questions is 'no', then there's no need to help.

 

Edited January 19, 2017 by BaiLao
typo

[Jiggo]

Just tuck in behind the Ambulance, surprising how quick you get through traffic..... 

[Basil B]

9 hours ago, Scott said:

On the ambulance (and police and other emergency vehicles), they need to have and follow strict guidelines about the use of lights and sirens.   On more than one occasion, I have seen them traveling with the lights on and then pull over somewhere and get coffee.  

 

Maybe ambulances should be fitted with data loggers recording GPS positions when blues and two are used for a start and make it an offence for them to be used unnecessarily.

Also make it an offence not to give way to them and fit and use dash cams, maybe even if they started to put some footage on YouTube may help.

[TPI]

7 hours ago, dinsdale said:

ME ME ME ME ME ME

Hard to find a car without a little scrape or two. Thing is though in the vid the pickup was black. Photo is clearly not the same car.

The black one was in CM, the white one in Bang Yai Bangkok!

[Toronto]

3 hours ago, theoldgit said:

When I had my heart attack I owe my life to the fact that my wife ignored my remarks that was ok, and insisted on calling an ambulance, the professionalism of the ambulance crew, and the speed they got me to hospital - oh and the fact we were on a weekend away in Singapore.

 

 

Funny.

[Thaidream]

As much as I respect Thai culture and people- it must be admitted that there is a real lack of ethics and morality in Thailand and I believe it has gotten worse over the years. Parents, schools, the clergy; and even the government are to blame for a lack of teaching their charges that people have a responsibility to each other.  I refuse to be drawn into it- I will continue to pull over for ambulances and emergency vehicles and treat people with respect even if they do not reciprocate.