Another Senseless Death!

[HHTel]

I live in Hua Na off Soi 112. Just arrived home to find the remains of a big accident at the head of 112. Appears to be the result of someone driving the wrong way. There is at least one dead body which the police have had the decency to cover up for a change.

It's common for motorbikes and some cars (I've even seen a big truck) to turn right out of 112 and drive the wrong way until they can cross and join the main carriageway. Accidents are just waiting to happen. I've several times just missed bikes going the wrong way when doing a u-turn at the end of the flyover. It takes just 30 SECONDS - ONE HALF A MINUTE to turn left and complete the legal U-turn under the bridge, usually finishing up where you want to be quicker than dodging oncoming traffic. Why oh why do they continue to risk life and limb and for what?

WHEN are the police in Hua Hin going to make an effort to enforce traffic regulations instead of spending time collecting money from bikers without helmets. Petchkasem road is a nightmare. If the police made a concerted effort to police just that road, a lot of lives would be saved.

Come on MIB - prove yourselves!

[Randy Cornhole]

That's very sad HHTel. The speeds at which I see some kids traveling is just plain stupid, having said that when I had my old Hailwood Ducati, I used to speed everywhere...
The driving on the other side of the road though is inexcusable. Trouble is though the whole of Thailand does it, Christ in Bangkok they drive on the pavements. It needs at the very least a special edict from the King to curb this national disgrace...

[huahinsimon]

The driving on the other side of the road though is inexcusable. Trouble is though the whole of Thailand does it,

Hey its Thai Style. How often we read postings about farangs coming here and wanting to change things, make'em do it our way. It's better, safer, common sense. We complain about the visas, landownership, enforcement of the law, bribery, politics, and of course driving.

Many times the farang way seems better to us. But perhaps its what makes Thailand Thailand. They seem to be willing to take the risks and the government seems to be willing to let them. Is it a matter of personal freedom or expression? a little living without government control.

Juxtapose this. I'm in favor of the death penalty for child rapists. Most countries are not. These societies seem to be willing to accept that a certain number of children will have their lives ruined by repeat sexual offenders who get out of prison (or escape ) after a few years. These societies have judged that their suffering is worth the tradeoff to protect the idea of the absolute "sanctity of human life", even scum life, with each family hoping their child will not be the one called upon to make the horrible sacrifice of life after sexual abuse.

So we Westerners allow child rapists second and third chances to ruin lives and the Thais allow risky driving. What's the difference?

HHS

[lomuamart]

From bad driving to capital punishment for the crime below is a pretty big step, so I just don't see the connection.
However, I've crossed Petchkasem Road where I live so many times it's not true and on quite a few occasions it's only been by sheer luck that I havn't been run down by the motorbike that's "cutting corners" and going down the road the wrong way.
After one especaially close call, I asked my wife who would be in the wrong in the event of a collision. She insists it would be the rider and I reckon she's correct. I don't want to find out, but I don't go along with the "you're a farang, so it's must have been your fault" brigade.
Stand your ground and you might just be surprised.

[Terry]

T.I.T. I'm afraid

It will never change as long as there are apertures up rear ends!

The strange thing is, so many of these activities end up in pools of blood and family horror - but it still goes on.

[Chas]

We already know that the only traffic laws concerning motorcycles here is that you wear a helmet when passing certain police checkpoints. Otherwise any bit of road that is not being used at that point in time by another vehicle any direction, any speed, any age, any load etc is up to you. (And those little mirrors are just for checking out your face. .right?)

But I have noticed more cars going the wrong way lately. .is this a growing trend? ( Motorcycle drivers becoming more affluent and moving up to autos. .but driving the same way they always have? Scary.

Not to hijack the thread, but child molestation is most certainly NOT a "Western" import! There was a long article in the Bkk Post a week or two ago detailing the extensive history here in Thailand of child molestation and the selling of very young girls (often by their own families) into slavery & prostitution. (Even my spouse's small village in Udon had certain men behaving toward children in ways that would have gotten them arrested and jailed for years in any Western country.

Westerners come here because of the way this society IS and I am including the entire sex trade. Farangs didnt create it, however much you might think we encourage it. . . the Thais had all this going long before the first Europeans stepped ashore.

TIT! It fits both the sex trade and the horrible driving!

[DawnHRD]

I'm sorry, but is it just me that sees no connection between dangerous driving & paedophilia? And finds the two being compared rather distasteful?

[Chas]

Sorry Dawn, I didnt see the connection either, but couldnt let pass the attempt to blame the West for the way Thailand is today.

[richard]

Anyone else ever been to a monk blessing motorbike service?

I have

The rider and the bike or car are blessed by a monk

That is interpreted by a Thai as meaning you are safe in the eyes of Bhudda. The monk even retorted it's also safe for the farang providing he's not drunk!!!

Thais genuinely believe in luck and fate. Cannot change their culture and thinking

As Terry said TIT

[richard]

As for the deviating thread topic about sex and children

I've witnessed it

A Thai village idiot attempting to molest a small 4 year old boy in front of his father in Khon Kaen. When I protested the father just laughed and told the idiot to go away

Their tolerance sometimes is unbelievable

I guess they have long fuses and when they snap they really snap

East is east and west is west and never the twain shall meet

[lomuamart]

Can we please keep this thread on topic?

[KelpieKiss]

Hey its Thai Style. How often we read postings about farangs coming here and wanting to change things, make'em do it our way.

Driving up the wrong side of the road is just dumb! You don't have to be a farang to see that. I'm sure most Thais would agree. It's not some funny little quirky thing that makes Thailand Thailand. It's a bunch of lazy idiots willing to risk their lives and others to save 10 seconds.

[T.I.G.R.]

I have to agree with the comparison of driving and pedophilia...not exactly in the same league. What were you thinking HHS?

I do want to expand on Louamart's response though with a personal experience.

We were driving in Cha Am and I made a left turn from the market street on to Petchkasem. Because I was watching the traffic coming at me from the south, legally, I was shocked when everyone in the car started screaming and I looked left just in time to see a young man smack in front of my car, clearly coming from the wrong direction. Fortunately I was just starting off and was able to stop and barely bumped him without any damage to him or his motorcycle.

It turns out he was only twelve years old, had turned in front of my car to avoid a rock on the way to an illegal crossing at the intersection, etc. etc.

The long and short of the story is that I was and am still petrified that eventually I'll kill someone on their bike because I don't have eyes on all sides of my head.......

I ended up paying 760 bht to the doctor we took the kid to for putting a bandage on his toe. Then the mother wanted to go to the police, so what could we do. That cost me another two thousand Baht....she wanted five and I told her to take a leap, but the very nice policeman helped my family convince me it was better to negotiate than remain stubborn just because I was not in the wrong.......which may have taken a lot more time and money in the long run.

I can guarantee you that if I were a Thai driver the kid probably would have been chewed out and sent on his way.....neither he or his bike were the least bit damaged, and everyone including his family agreed he was completely in the wrong.

The best knowledge I gained from that horrifying experience is someone told me if you ever get into an accident, give the other party or the police your insurance information and let your agent take over. Ours happens to be a really nice Thai gentleman and I'm sure he would have been a lot more effective than myself had the situation been any worse.

Maybe one of these days we'll see some overt attempt by the police to make driving in HH a safer experience but I think it would take a major calamity to make that happen. We were in Bangkok over New Year for a couple of days and I had to dodge a motorcycle on the sidewalk more than once. We drove from there up to Baan Me and the traffic behaved the same as in HH......just not so many of them.

But hey, it could be worse. Our friends from Malaysia told us it's even worse driving there; I can't imagine how it could be but they swear it is.

Cheers -

.

[HHTel]

I have to comment on the Malaysia experience. I've driven into Malaysia several times and toured as far as Singapore. Within minutes of crossing the border, you notice how very much different it is. Cars within the speed limit. Traffic keeping to the nearside lane. Motorcycles with no more than two on the bike and both wearing helmets. It may be the British legacy but what a breath of fresh air. You hardly see traffic cops but still the majority drive in a sensible manner.

The downside is that having got used to all that, you return over the border into Thailand and again the differences are seen very quickly. Although in this case it's not a pleasant experience.

I'm surprised T.I.G.R. that you have friends who think differently. Maybe they've not spent too much time in LOS.

[nevets]

As i have said before on this topic THE POLICE ARE THE BIGGEST OFENDERS
until the top brass stop it and the little brass leed by example nothing will change and the death tole will keep going up.