Yield way to ambulances or be fined

[jesimps]

4 hours ago, ezflip said:

Only 500baht? That isn't even considered as a fine but, only an annoyance.

 

Thais truly don't understand the concept of fines in order to stop people from keeping doing the wrong things. Add a zero or two at the end of these fines and maybe, just maybe, the Thais will finally understand what is a "fine" and start to drive like normal people.

Spare the rod, spoil the child.

[HHTel]

This 'new' law which appears in the Road Traffic Act of 1979 doesn't appear new at all!!

It's all about the local rule of 'ME FIRST' with no thought to others even to the point of endangering lives by blocking the way for an ambulance.

The same lack of common sense is enacted on the major dual carriageways.  In heavy traffic then the 'hard shoulder' becomes another lane.  In the event of an accident, there is no way for emergency vehicles, police, fire, ambulances to get to the scene.  I'm sure lives have been lost because of this.  Will they ever learn..... of course not.

 

[wirat69]

4 hours ago, ezflip said:

Only 500baht? That isn't even considered as a fine but, only an annoyance.

1.5 days pay out of weekly takehome money is significant despite the expenses bvious pittance for moneybags like you... it is also 14 or more plates of food (the currency of Thai understanding)!!!

[HHTel]

1 minute ago, wirat69 said:

1.5 days pay out of weekly takehome money is significant despite the expenses bvious pittance for moneybags like you... it is also 14 or more plates of food (the currency of Thai understanding)!!!

I agree that 500 baht is a lot to some but breaking the law (and in this case it's a law that wouldn't be needed if the average 'joe' had a modicum of common sense) should cause them hardship.  The harder the fine, the more chance of them taking more care in the future.  Lose a week's income then explain the reason to your family.  Make the fines high enough never to be forgotten.

[TEFLKrabi]

500B may not seem much to us but if your salary is 5000/month it's quite a chunk.

[Katia]

Not just Thailand... I was in the UK a couple weeks ago, when an ambulance, full lights/sirens, came toward us heading the opposite direction.  My friend, who was driving the car, pulled over.  Good thing he did, for more than one reason, because here comes some idiot from behind the ambulance, *overtaking it*...

[Wim1954]

5 hours ago, CatCage said:

the driver claimed he had music playing loudly in his truck cab and couldn't hear the ambulance's siren and horn blasts.

 

So he had no rear view mirrors as well? Maybe he needs another fine for driving without due care and attention and one more for playing loud music in a public place.

Playing with his mobile too.

[realenglish1]

5 hours ago, Phuket Man said:

Surely it is common sense to give way?

But .......

Yes it is common sense but who said lots of Thai drives do not have common sense I see it all the time Drivers refuse to move over when an ambulance is blasting its horns There should be lots of public service announcements GET OVER OR GET FINED

[maxcorrigan]

5 hours ago, darksidedog said:

Thais have absolutely no concept of giving way. Every second seems to count. It is way past time that motorists here learned to get out of the way of emergency vehicles, though I am not sure a 500 baht fine is going to cut it. make it 5,000 and we might begin to see some compliance.

Probably, 5000 they are saving that for farang drivers, although most farangs know better and move over, still a good move though, and not before time, all ambulances should be fitted with cameras!

[digger70]

5 hours ago, ezflip said:

Only 500baht? That isn't even considered as a fine but, only an annoyance.

 

Thais truly don't understand the concept of fines in order to stop people from keeping doing the wrong things. Add a zero or two at the end of these fines and maybe, just maybe, the Thais will finally understand what is a "fine" and start to drive like normal people.

They don't understand the concept of doing Wrong,,,whatever they do they think that it is Right even if they are Wrong,,it doesn't matter what it is.Traffic rules or corruption its all the same to them.This is all Bred in over the last Centuries.

[Bangkok Barry]

4 hours ago, ezflip said:

That is the heart of the problem here in Thailand. Since the fines are so low and Thai people do not respect the police - thay think it's cool and perfectly OK for them to put flashing lights on their vehicles. Which in turns confuses all the other drivers that know to respect "right of way" laws.

 

You forgot that they also wear jackets or shirts with POLICE printed on them.

[Bangkok Barry]

46 minutes ago, TEFLKrabi said:

500B may not seem much to us but if your salary is 5000/month it's quite a chunk.

 

But isn't making it hurt the whole point? So they don't even think of doing it again. Lesson learned.

[trainman34014]

If they painted a huge 'VIP' sign on the front of all ambulances the local pricks would all move over without any problems !

[Golden Triangle]

The reason this has appeared is because it was highlighted on one of the popular news channels last night, the video was taken from the ambulance, I know I saw it, the driver of the pickup had plenty of opportunities to pull over and he didn't.

 

I am also very happy that he has lost his job, if I had a company I would not want to be associated with this Muppet working for me, very bad advertising in my book. It's high time that the drivers in this country (notice the lack of the word Thai) realised that the universe doesn't start or stop with them, if it were a member of their family I am pretty sure that they would give way (I hate the US term yield, it's such a pussy word)

 

So come on BiB, do your job and nail these plonkers.   

[BEVUP]

Well that's the thing they wont know if there was a family member in the back, & one day Karma may prevail

& as I,ve said before " you could have the best insurance in the world, but it's of little use if you can't get to the hospital quick enough "

[Thaidream]

In the West moving over for an ambulance is automatic- you just do it- because it has been drilled into you from day one and it makes sense.  As much as I like Thailand- the driving in Thailand is atrocious. The me first attitude is part of the problem as well as the disregard for all laws.  I have always moved over for an ambulance in Thailand and watched as no one else does.  As one of the posters stated- even if one thinks there maybe no one in the ambulance- you never take that chance- moving over is the only way.

 

Thailand needs a massive public relations and information campaign directed at the driving public regarding this issue as well as excessive speed (yes-it does kill) and drink driving.

[Chongalulu]

That there is not an inherent desire to want to get out of the way to save someone's life ,or that the authorities consider a measly 500 baht fine proportional tells you as much as you need to know about the culture.

[Geoffggi]

8 hours ago, Phuket Man said:

Surely it is common sense to give way?

But .......

Nothing common in sense !!!!

[alien365]

4 hours ago, Katia said:

Not just Thailand... I was in the UK a couple weeks ago, when an ambulance, full lights/sirens, came toward us heading the opposite direction.  My friend, who was driving the car, pulled over.  Good thing he did, for more than one reason, because here comes some idiot from behind the ambulance, *overtaking it*...

Thank goodness somebody came in and stated it's not just in Thailand... Seriously! In the UK 99.999% of people move over and try and help. I have never seen anyone not try and be helpful in the UK. By comparing the drivers in the UK to here in this instance is just embarrassing yourself.

[alien365]

Although I feel the fine should be more severe I do feel it's a bit harsh on the driver for being singled out and losing his job. The law here is never enforced, so few follow it. This guy gets singled out for a nationwide problem. Either fine no one or everyone ( with regard to this law I'd want the latter)

[neeray]

I agree with others here. A 500 baht fine is minuscule. Not a deterrent. 

In my home country of Canada, I just got my first ticket in 6 years. An intersection camera snapped me going through the end of a changing light. 

The summons and the picture came in the mail. A $350 fine (approximately  10,000 baht) will certainly alter my driving habits for the future. 

[Jonmarleesco]

11 hours ago, darksidedog said:

Thais have absolutely no concept of giving way. Every second seems to count. It is way past time that motorists here learned to get out of the way of emergency vehicles, though I am not sure a 500 baht fine is going to cut it. make it 5,000 and we might begin to see some compliance.

Actually, they do, though far from all. Maybe they've heard the rumours of a law being enforced. Or maybe they're thinking sensibly.

[Jonmarleesco]

2 hours ago, alien365 said:

Thank goodness somebody came in and stated it's not just in Thailand... Seriously! In the UK 99.999% of people move over and try and help. I have never seen anyone not try and be helpful in the UK. By comparing the drivers in the UK to here in this instance is just embarrassing yourself.

On the other hand, while I was working in an office in one particular West Country city in the seventies, an ambulance on an emergency mission at 4.00 in the afternoon was a fairly regular daily occurrence. Only two possibilities ... and an emergency along the same route, at the same time of the day, day after day, seemed the more remote of the two.

[George FmplesdaCosteedback]

Giving way to emergency vehicles should be compulsory, but not to tin pot motorcades for minor officals.

I know very well sirens are abused. End of the shift put the siren on and clock off.

Social media cost this lad his job, well well done twitface users, I hope you are proud you deprived his family of their next meal...

Maybe you should reverse and campaign for his reinstatement or donate lots of money to his family?

 

 

[Awinkl]

17 hours ago, Phuket Man said:

Surely it is common sense to give way?

But .......

....... TiT .....

For many, years now, I always have been wondering why NOBODY on the road seemed to care when an Ambulance - or for that matter, any Emergency Vehicle with their Siren's ON --- approached. NOBODY made any attempt to yield!!

And I always felt sorry for the poor person who's life may depend on getting to the Hospital...in time!!

[GOLDBUGGY]

With all these Loud Speaker Trucks driving by your house early in the morning and up and down all the streets to advertise, I am surprised the Drivers aren't all deaf. 

 

Wouldn't bother me one bit if they banned all those vehicles. 

[garbolino]

20 hours ago, CatCage said:

the driver claimed he had music playing loudly in his truck cab and couldn't hear the ambulance's siren and horn blasts.

 

So he had no rear view mirrors as well? Maybe he needs another fine for driving without due care and attention and one more for playing loud music in a public place.

He was in his CAB this is NOT a public place................!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[bazza73]

It's drilled into me to give way to an ambulance. The question is how to achieve the same compliance in the Thai population.

I'd suggest starting with the driving instructors and the license testing system.

[garbolino]

11 hours ago, Thaidream said:

In the West moving over for an ambulance is automatic- you just do it- because it has been drilled into you from day one and it makes sense.  As much as I like Thailand- the driving in Thailand is atrocious. The me first attitude is part of the problem as well as the disregard for all laws.  I have always moved over for an ambulance in Thailand and watched as no one else does.  As one of the posters stated- even if one thinks there maybe no one in the ambulance- you never take that chance- moving over is the only way.

 

Thailand needs a massive public relations and information campaign directed at the driving public regarding this issue as well as excessive speed (yes-it does kill) and drink driving.

a question was asked "should the training time for drivers  be increased from FIVE hours to TEN hours" herein lies the problem... NOT enough time or education given to DRIVE properly ....these Thais do not even KNOW that there is a THAI HIGHWAY CODE!!!

[ujayujay]

500 Baht,?....