Phuket suffers first death for Songkran holidays

Eakkapop Thongtub

 

Police inspect a car after a motorbike hit it from behind in Srisoonthorn, Thalang. Photo: Eakkapop Thongtub

 

PHUKET: -- The island has suffered its first fatality for the Songkran Seven Days of Danger road-safety campaign with the death of a Thai woman who sustained fatal head injuries in a fall from a motorcycle. She was not wearing a helmet.

 

Bussaba Phanwiset, 37, suffered head injuries in a fall from a samlor (motorcycle fitted with a tray sidecar) near Wat Thepwanaram in Baan Manik, Cherng Talay, at about 3:40pm yesterday, Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM) Phuket Chief Chaithawatch Siwabawon reported at a meeting at Phuket Provincial Hall at 9:30am this morning (April 16).

 

“She died from acute subdural hematoma at Thalang Hospital at 7:30am today,” he said.

 

Ms Bussaba was not wearing a helmet at the time of the accident, Mr Chaithawatch pointed out.

 

Ms Bussaba’s death brought the death and injury toll in Phuket for Day 5 of the campaign (midnight to midnight, April 15) to one dead and 15 injured (8 males and 7 females), according to DDPM statistics presented at the meeting.

 

Full story: http://www.thephuketnews.com/phuket-suffers-first-death-for-songkran-holidays-61794.php

 

-- © Copyright Phuket News 2017-04-17

RiP Ms Bussaba - However, as usual, no helmet.  I wonder if she was one of the 948 that were fined for not wearing a helmet, as reported in the Phuket News.  I suspect she was, and as usual, carried on as normal.  The Phuket governor won't be too happy with her upsetting Phuket's zero death announcement.  Apart from that, these motorcyles with side-cars are illegal.  And yet, there are millions of them on the Thai roads.  When is that law going to be enforced, the same as riding in the back of pick-ups!  Oh dear, no street vendors!

 

Most mornings, I see a rather large woman, obviously doing a school run.  She must weigh at least 160 kgs.  She is riding a motorcycle with a side-car, and in the side-car are about 10-12 young kids, probably between 5 and 8 years old.  She doesn't hold back on the throttle, and the kids are hanging-on for dear life.  She's just one of many.  When is it going to end!

what is the mindset of these people, do they convince their selves that it not going to happen to me.

condolences to the family.

That stretch of road is always a pain- the samlors just appear out of nowhere and phut phut along without a care in the world.

 

With it being widened along most of the length to Heroines the Manik 'bottleneck' has people racing to get in front of each other before having to slow down for a whole two minutes.