"They shalt not pass" - king of the road minivan shows who's boss!

[webfact]

"They shalt not pass" - king of the road minivan shows who's boss!

 

Picture: Daily News

 

BANGKOK: -- A video posted to Facebook showed a minivan with hazard lights flashing refusing to let an oncoming motorist pass.

 

The Nakown Sawan to Bangkok service just veers from left to right and back again as the car driver tries to find a way past.

 

She eventually gets past after more than a minute by revving and undertaking.

 

The dash cam footage was posted by Saowarot Bunpheng who said she was going along Highway 1. She commented:

 

"Who would dare to risk their lives in one of these things. The authorities should look into this".

 

Daily News caught up with the poster who is a teacher in Takhlee. She said that she had no idea why the driver was behaving like that as there had been no incident earlier.

 

Source: Daily News

 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2017-08-09

 

[kotsak]

[BasalBanality]

The pickup truck seems to have managed to pass the offending van without issues?

 

What drama might ensue on social media with this debacle?

[JanV8]

And they let drivers like that drive school kids???

[huanga]

I think the obvious omission is probably the "previous encounter" that the teacher had with the van driver. She more than likely did something to piss off the van driver, who subsequently maneuvered this way to vent his frustration.

 

Since there was a dashboard camera, it would not hurt for us to see the 3-5 minutes before the attached clip, then we JUDGE!

Edited August 9, 2017 by huanga

[james.d]

Looks rather like cell phone footage which in itself is dangerous to hold/operate. A new windscreen is needed.

More to this as others have pointed out.

[Dmaxdan]

44 minutes ago, JanV8 said:

And they let drivers like that drive school kids???

Yes.

[Dave67]

[Artisi]

3 hours ago, huanga said:

I think the obvious omission is probably the "previous encounter" that the teacher had with the van driver. She more than likely did something to piss off the van driver, who subsequently maneuvered this way to vent his frustration.

 

Since there was a dashboard camera, it would not hurt for us to see the 3-5 minutes before the attached clip, then we JUDGE!

What went before is irrelevant, the driver is an <deleted>, find him and give a week or two in the cooler to think about it. 

Edited August 9, 2017 by metisdead
Profanity removed: 8) You will not post disruptive or inflammatory messages, vulgarities, obscenities or profanities.

[stanleycoin]

Idiots on the roads, that's something new

[ezzra]

There was this article few days ago about 8,000 people dead on the roads

in Thailand due to road accidents Jan-August, if anybody want to know

the how come and the why, just look at this idiot....

[lupin]

this woman should perhaps fix her damn windscreen before spouting off about road safety of others

[4MyEgo]

Police should track him down, no excuses, she did this, she did that, but you can't see it, no excuses, loss of license for 12 months, behave like an idiot on the road, no longer be on the road for 12 months. 10,000 baht fine as well, drive during the 12 month suspension, add another 5 year suspension and a 50,000 baht fine.

Edited August 9, 2017 by 4MyEgo

[sawadee1947]

Is there anything unexpected??? Did I miss something??? Just business as usual, isn't it?

[dinsdale]

7 hours ago, webfact said:

refusing to let an oncoming motorist pass.

oncoming? Well they say you learn something new everyday.

[Zack61]

It may or may not cost him up to 500 baht depending on whether or not the cops do something. It'll hardly be worth their precious time. 

Its no wonder road stats are as they are here. 

[gedster]

7 hours ago, huanga said:

I think the obvious omission is probably the "previous encounter" that the teacher had with the van driver. She more than likely did something to piss off the van driver, who subsequently maneuvered this way to vent his frustration.

 

Since there was a dashboard camera, it would not hurt for us to see the 3-5 minutes before the attached clip, then we JUDGE!

Seems like video was taken with  phone and not a dashcam  as reported. Seems she needs a new windscreen as well as it has massive cracks. 

[eeyang wah]

Who is giving licences to these children?

[Destiny1990]

No swords?

[Bangkok Barry]

8 hours ago, huanga said:

I think the obvious omission is probably the "previous encounter" that the teacher had with the van driver. She more than likely did something to piss off the van driver, who subsequently maneuvered this way to vent his frustration.

 

Since there was a dashboard camera, it would not hurt for us to see the 3-5 minutes before the attached clip, then we JUDGE!

 

I guess you didn't bother to read the article - 'She said that she had no idea why the driver was behaving like that as there had been no incident earlier'.

Always a good idea to do that before posting a comment.

[KIWIBATCH]

Just another day on the roads in Thailand the "Hub of Road deaths"

[Jonnapat]

Took a ride in one once Bangkok to Nakhon Sawan. 

Once was enough, NEVER again. 

[Jonmarleesco]

11 hours ago, webfact said:

She said that she had no idea why the driver was behaving like that as there had been no incident earlier.

I didn't know they needed a reason. Not a logical one, anyway.

 

And FTR: oncoming is coming towards, not travelling in the same direction.

Edited August 9, 2017 by Jonmarleesco

[glasswort]

 "........an oncoming motorist pass."

 

I thought oncoming means coming from the opposite direction. The vehicles do not appear to be going that fast, so what is the problem? Put the right foot down and go.

 

Cracked windscreen, video taken with phone. No more to say.

[alien365]

4 hours ago, Bangkok Barry said:

 

I guess you didn't bother to read the article - 'She said that she had no idea why the driver was behaving like that as there had been no incident earlier'.

Always a good idea to do that before posting a comment.

No incident that she was aware of or willing to own up to. Just like the Japanese professor with the biker

[Na Lee]

The minivan driver necked too many red bull. I saw this a lot of times and then they drive like lunatics. Totally disgusting that's why I never take a minivan anymore.

Sent from my BLL-L22 using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[wvavin]

14 hours ago, JanV8 said:

And they let drivers like that drive school kids???

Yes, they do in country of stupids!

[George Feedback]

Certainly  cannot be a fixed dashcam.

Is she listening to a phone-in radio programme or on the phone while filming and driving? I can't tell, those with better Thai language skill might.

Van driver is an idiot for sure, but we have "a pot calling a kettle black" here I think!

 

[daiwill]

Look at the state of that winscreen , more cracks than a Pattaya whorehouse. 

[spidermike007]

And why are these drivers speeding and driving recklessly in the first place? The primary reason is the toy police force. Nobody, and I mean nobody takes these guys seriously. There is absolutely nothing in the way of a deterrent here, and both the local governments, the central government (weak Little P.) and the police do not take traffic safety seriously. Not even one iota. The safety of the public means less than zero to the small men in charge here. Nothing. They show that on a daily basis.

In most civilized countries, this van driver would be charged with both reckless driving, and illegal land change.

 

When I was growing up, we took drivers education classes. They showed us these horrendous films, of semi trucks crashing into cars, and literally obliterating them, and everything inside. Also, they showed very graphic images of head on collisions. Even as a young kid, it left a lasting impression, and I realized driving was no joking matter. Especially when you have your friends, or loved ones in the car with you. I am constantly astonished at the kinds of chances people take here, with their entire family in the car with them. Why? What is the logic? What is the reason? Why take those risks? Often, when someone cuts onto the highway in front of me, as I am doing 100kpm or more on the highway, I look in my rearview mirror, and there is nobody behind me for quite some distance. Which means, had they paused, and waited 2 or 3 seconds, there would have been zero risk to them, their family, or me and my family. What can one even say? All of this matters even more when driving a motorbike, where there is no protection. 

 

The only way to survive here on the road, is to be patient, have eyes in the back of your head, drive with caution, and always, and I mean always watch out of the other guy. Chances are, he does not have much driving skill, nor patience, nor reason, nor common sense. You cannot be too careful on the road here. Especially considering that the toy police offer no traffic safety, nor enforcement of the law. 

Now for my scooter rant:

 

Many of us drive motorcycles or scooters here, and it is dangerous getting on the roads with some of these other drivers. 

 

Getting on a scooter, or a motorcycle anywhere in Thailand, much less Phuket, Phangan, Dark Tao, or Samui without a very good helmet, is like playing Russian Roulette with three or four bullets in the chamber. It is absolutely asking for problems. The degree of recklessness here is astounding. I see thousands driving on the highways, without a helmet. At 1000-120khp! Without a helmet. I cannot even begin to imagine doing such a thing. And many foreigners come here thinking "how much trouble could I get in on a little scooter, on a tropical island"? Well, the answer is alot. The amount of foreigners who are killed on the Southern islands is staggering. Most are not reported in the media. I had a friend who worked for Samui rescue for many years, and said the numbers were about 30-60 a month, on Samui, Phangan and Koh Tao. The official number is about 3 a month. Rider beware. Use as good a helmet as you can afford, and do not use these eggshells pieces of crap. They crack at the first impact, and what lies underneath them? Your skull, which is very delicate. 
 
Just ask yourself- do I have enough problems already, without a broken skull, or smashed head, or face injury, or lost eye? I have two friends who have been in motorbike accidents on Samui within the last two years. One still cannot walk, or talk or function on her own, from a motorbike accident, where she hit her head on the pavement going only 20 kph. The other one has lost alot of his mental capacity after hitting his head. He insisted for years he would never wear a helmet. Now, he seems 15 years older. 

 

I was told by a very reliable source. He did not have an agenda. He rescued alot of the survivors. He attended to alot of the ones who did not make it. The press here is highly censored. The report only what the so called leaders want them to report. Nothing else. Social media? Why would social media report these statistics? They report individual accidents, but not overall statistics. Anything you read about accidents on Samui in the media would be false. 

 

 

• Road deaths are now calculated based on fatalities on-site. Victims dying later in hospital not counted.
• In 2000 there was an average of 30 deaths a month on Koh Samui (official figures released each month).
• Now it is stated that Koh Samui has 3-5 deaths each month (using the new way of reporting road deaths).
• In the last ten years the population has almost doubled and there are now 5x more vehicles on Koh Samui.
• Based on ‘official figures’ today it is possible to estimate that Koh Samui currently has 60 deaths per million per year. (Compared to 23 in London.) Based on the population and traffic density statistics from 10 years ago Koh Samui has in reality 720 deaths per million per year. This is probably the highest rate of road deaths in the world. Samui is a fatality death spot that nobody is willing to acknowledge!