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

[balo]

If you're seriously injured in an accident here , lets hope you can make it to the hospital in time. Incidents like these happens all the time.

[trogers]

3 hours 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.

 

You mean you have witnessed Thai drivers behaving like in the German video clip, giving max passage to a screaming ambulance? I haven't in my driving here of over 3 decades...

[TonyClifton]

2 hours ago, bizboi said:

 

 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!

 

 

Truer words have not been written here in quite some time.  

 

Most people are in a state of denial.  Tomorrow Donald Trump becomes President of my United States.  The denials will be rife.

[catinthehat]

2 hours ago, lvr181 said:

 

Another oxygen thief.

 

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

Hey Ivr181, you stole my line. Ha ha ha. I hope more folks use it as it is apropos.

[catinthehat]

11 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.  

But they DO move over for those pesky Hi So lighted escort convoys.

[catinthehat]

9 hours ago, teatree said:

Compare and contrast with Thailand:

How Germans React to Ambulance Siren

 

 

Must have a few Thai's in the one compact car and a few of the lorries. Someone should email this to the Ministry of Transport. NOW.

[ghillie44]

11 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.  

Part of the problem definitely lies with ambulances using emergency lights all the time - emergency or not.  That results in many people ignoring them unless they hear the sirens.  They need to stop doing this so that their emergency lights will be respected as they are in Europe.  Come on ambulance drivers; only use your lights in emergencies!!

Also many drivers seem to think their mirrors are for tidying their hair or putting on their makeup.

[JacChang]

Fine both drivers 400 baht.

Move the policeman to an inactive post for giving a fine the public dislikes.

Anyone who posts anymore evidence to harm this incident and cause public disturbance. Lock them up for 20 years for defamation.

Thaistyle~~ closed.

[seancbk]

A friend just posted this on Facebook.    

#goodnews Today I was driving into work, coming onto the Rama 4 rd from the expressway and there was an ambulance trying to get down. Everyone was great and moved over, created space and let them through. :)g

[Kiteboy57]

8 hours ago, 01322521959 said:

I hope this is not a reflection of Thai society as a whole. Though I fear that in general it is especially from the attitude of drivers on the road. I've never seen them make any real effort to get out of an ambulances way. In the UK cars go up verges, drive into peoples driveways just to give the ambulance free passage.

Sent from my i-mobile_i-STYLE_219 using Thaivisa Connect mobile app
 

 

 

I'm afraid in my 30 months of living here, sadly it is, having travelled to many countries around the world and living Spain and Brasil before arriving here, I have never met such a race with an over inflated degree of Self Importance and complete disregard for others. They think they know everything, but are jealous of others who have more than them (but never want to change their own work ethics to maybe change their own situation), they are happy to put themselves and all around them in danger on a daily basis when it comes to letting them loose on the roads and as for common courtesy, if there was a world league, just like the "World Ignorant League" that was reported on here recently, they would be challenging for Number One and be Proud of it :) What's the answer, who knows, as this seems to go so deep that don't expect the Schools and their teachers to be any different, let alone the guys in power who set the agenda!

 

KB

[Redline]

3 hours ago, 55Jay said:

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.

Uneducated

[55Jay]

50 minutes ago, Redline said:

Uneducated

I've seen your posts and agree.

[ThaidaGwaii]

There is no laws in Thailand that gives ambulances priority?  This dude would face manslaughter in Canada...  Not a $10 fine.  No wonder the road driving skills are so messed up in THailand.

[impulse]

2 hours ago, Kiteboy57 said:

I'm afraid in my 30 months of living here, sadly it is, having travelled to many countries around the world and living Spain and Brasil before arriving here, I have never met such a race with an over inflated degree of Self Importance and complete disregard for others.

 

Can't compare them with Euro based cultures like Spain and Brazil.  Or any culture of plenty like we came from.  

 

We worry about how we're going to afford that 3rd car addition to our garage, or send our kid to that private school instead of the public university.  

 

They worry about how they're going to stretch that 300 baht they made to feed their family, pay rent and take care of health care expenses.  Within living memory, if they waited politely in line, they or their loved ones would have starved to death.  It's going to take generations to get past that mentality.  
 

I'm not a fan, but looking at it wearing their shoes sheds a very different light on it.

[nickcar]

4 hours ago, trogers said:

 

You mean you have witnessed Thai drivers behaving like in the German video clip, giving max passage to a screaming ambulance? I haven't in my driving here of over 3 decades...

I Havnt seen the german video, but i have seen many times drivers giving way to emergency vehicles. I have only been driving here for 20 years though. I have never seen a vehicle not giving way except sometimes when the traffic is so bad there is no way it can. 

[masuk]

16 hours ago, DM07 said:

Lost for words! What a scumbag!


Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect

Maybe the pickup driver thinks that giving way to emergency vehicles is only 'advisory', same as the yellow lines on highways are considered 'advisory'.

[Destiny1990]

He was so worried about  his 900 bht scratch and the administration of it that the old lady waiting for the ambulance could just die.He should be in prison.

[Acharn]

In every state of the United States that I know of, there is a clear statute requiring civilian drivers, upon hearing a siren, to pull to the side of the road. Doesn't matter what kind of vehicle it is, police, fire, ambulance, you MUST IMMEDIATELY pull over and wait for the emergency vehicle to pass. If you can't tell if it's coming from behind you or not, you must pull over and wait until you can fix the direction and make sure you won't be in it's way. Of course the statutes have been broadened to include the now large number of different sounds different vehicles make. I was amazed when, soon after I returned to live here, I was driving and an ambulance was coming from behind me. I didn't particularly mind that the other vehicles "got ahead of" me, a matter of a few seconds of my time, but why did they not assume there was real reason for the ambulance to go faster? Anyway, I still wonder why the Government has never instituted that law. I've seen fire trucks being blocked, too.

Edited January 19, 2017 by Acharn

[Destiny1990]

Undercoverteams with cam cars pulling over the wurst traffick offenders on the spot 24/7.especially on the highways.

[Destiny1990]

8 minutes ago, Acharn said:

In every state of the United States that I know of, there is a clear statute requiring civilian drivers, upon hearing a siren, to pull to the side of the road. Doesn't matter what kind of vehicle it is, police, fire, ambulance, you MUST IMMEDIATELY pull over and wait for the emergency vehicle to pass. If you can't tell if it's coming from behind you or not, you must pull over and wait until you can fix the direction and make sure you won't be in it's way. Of course the statutes have been broadened to include the now large number of different sounds different vehicles make. I was amazed when, soon after I returned to live here, I was driving and an ambulance was coming from behind me. I didn't particularly mind that the other vehicles "got ahead of" me, a matter of a few seconds of my time, but why did they not assume there was real reason for the ambulance to go faster? Anyway, I still wonder why the Government has never instituted that law. I've seen fire trucks being blocked, too.

Hey the guy is guilty he blocked the ambulance and did not allow the ambulance to continue to rescue the lady because he wanted instant registration of his 500 bht scratch.He ubstructed ambulance staff leading to a death of a patient.that illegal worldwide!

[Destiny1990]

5 hours ago, seancbk said:

A friend just posted this on Facebook.    

#goodnews Today I was driving into work, coming onto the Rama 4 rd from the expressway and there was an ambulance trying to get down. Everyone was great and moved over, created space and let them through. :)g

This is normal but maybe here its goodnews?so good it needs to be post on facebook?pretty pathetic!

[thetruth revealer]

4 hours ago, nickcar said:

I Havnt seen the german video, but i have seen many times drivers giving way to emergency vehicles. I have only been driving here for 20 years though. I have never seen a vehicle not giving way except sometimes when the traffic is so bad there is no way it can. 

which part of Thailand is that ????

[hawker9000]

21 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.  

 

Most of us trained in the west would pull over for an emergency vehicle almost instinctively, and I certainly would in Thailand even though I might suspect the lights & siren aren't on for any legitimate reason.

 

If they did anything to this particular moron driving the pickup, it'd just be a case of tokenism.  Between the traffic in some places and me-first Thais like this, I'll bet the number of victims who don't make it to the hospital in time is higher than reported...

[optad]

9 hours ago, ghillie44 said:

Part of the problem definitely lies with ambulances using emergency lights all the time - emergency or not.  That results in many people ignoring them unless they hear the sirens.  They need to stop doing this so that their emergency lights will be respected as they are in Europe.  Come on ambulance drivers; only use your lights in emergencies!!

Also many drivers seem to think their mirrors are for tidying their hair or putting on their makeup.

 

You do not get the right to choose, comment or option pal. The TOTAL problem is someone like you did think (s)he could choose. Gone native already?

[sabaii69]

22 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.  

"...and then pull over somewhere and get coffee." Wow, this is an old one used for over 50 years to denigrate emergency vehicles. Often, emergency vehicles are dispatched and then cancelled. The failure to let emergency vehicles pass is inexcusable. Put video recorders in them, take the license plate number and fine them. 35 years in fire/rescue work in USA and it happens there but the cops often follow the fire equipment and if you don't pull over to let us pass you get a major fine and 'points' on your license.

**Note: using lights/sirens does not excuse you from following traffic laws with due respect for others. This is violated here.

[jcsmith]

It's really frustrating but you see this happen all the time. Ambulances with sirens going, and cars in front of them refuse to get out of the way as it might cause them to reach their destination a minute later.

[Thechook]

In Australia it is an offence not to get out of the way of an emergency vehicle and you can be charged.  If your vehicle is damaged because you were being a moron and impede and emergency vehicle then the blame is solely yours.  If really necessary that emergency vehicle can physically push you out of the way.

[bandito]

17 hours ago, webfact said:

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

 

There is actually a relatively new law that Ambulances, using the sirene, have the right of way and cars have to yield for them.

Same as for Police cars.

I guess that most, if not all, drivers don't know this.

[john davis]

I was on the jomtein Bangkok airport bus yesterday and was near BIG C a ambulance was trying to cross the path of the bus light flashing he just blocked the ambulance way I shouted at him emergency move he shook his shoulders I said maybe one day that will be you in the back of that ambulance......high time thai drivers were taught some manners and respect for other drivers........I told the driver when I got off the airport he was bad man just no care at all disgrace

[williet98248]

I hardly ever see anyone pull over to let an ambulance pass.  Shame on them.  On the other hand the ambulance stationed at Chalong port every day when their shift ends in the evening use their emergency lights just to get home more quickly.  Shame on them.