RoadRules!?:36 dead/day [Archive]

Yappofloyd

18-03-05, 05:37 PM

The following is from Farang Affairs, The Nation, 14/03/05;

1) Ensure your vehicle comes to a full halt before paying a bribe,
2) To facilitate traffic flow, please have correct bribe amount ready,
3) Drivers of luxury European cars are not required to stop at police checkpoints,
4) If involved in a minor traffic accident, try to ensure that at least two lanes of traffic are blocked, and do not move vehicles until police arrive 3 hours later,
5) Sounding horn to wake up officer manning police traffic booth to get him
to switch traffic light signal to green is prohibited,
6) Give way to bus drivers fleeing the scene of an accident,
7) Motorcyclists must wear crash helmets sometimes,
8) Be considerate and allow short people and old ladies to the front of the crowd at horrific accident scenes,
9) Excercise care while driving under the influence of alcohol, especially if talking on mobile phone,
10) It is mandatory for motorcylists to switch on headlights during the daylight hours. Switching on headlights at night is optional,
11) A series of white, evenly spaced rectangular markings occassionally found painted across roads are known as "pedestrian crossings". Ignore them.

Ditto for the last one based on many near misses....Add your own.

Yappofloyd

19-03-05, 09:21 PM

Just in case you fall victim to being extorted by police staffing an 'unauthorised' checkpoint as opposed to be extorted at an authorised checkpoint....and make sure you report all those 'improperly dressed' taxi drivers so they can be warned by the 'well-dressed' police!

TRAFFIC POLICE / MOVE AGAINST FAKE CHECKPOINTS
Public urged to fight extortion MANOP THIP-OSOT , Bangkok Post 19/03/05

The public has been urged to call 1197 to report traffic police who set up unauthorised checkpoints. Pol Maj-Gen Montri Jamroon, deputy chief of the Metropolitan Police Bureau, said yesterday that traffic officers are required to submit checkpoint plans to the Traffic Division and the bureau on a monthly basis.

A traffic checkpoint should be in an open area with a number of officers under supervision of a commissioned officer. Motorists should call 1197 if they are suspicious that a checkpoint is bogus, Pol Maj-Gen Montri said.

Police hope to end roadside extortion and attempts by some officers to earn more rewards under a new system in which police receive performance rewards, he said. In a recent study, police were accused of ``hiding in corners'', waiting for motorists to commit minor offences and then booking them.

Pol Maj-Gen Montri also said the bureau will soon issue warnings instead of tickets for six minor traffic offences that do not cause serious traffic problems or accidents. The offences include driving a vehicle with a red plate at night, stopping past the solid line, stopping in restricted zones, failure to keep left while driving slowly, and taxi drivers being improperly dressed.

The new policy is expected to take effect by April 20. Pol Maj-Gen Montri said this measure should improve relations between motorists and traffic police.

jpatokal

21-03-05, 11:45 AM

The offences include... taxi drivers being improperly dressed.
Say what? So what is the official dress code? I have to admit to never realizing there was one...

Hitesh

21-03-05, 04:07 PM

there was a time when taxi drivers had to wear a certain type of hat. paerhaps they are referring to this.

Yappofloyd

15-04-05, 10:15 PM

Too many Thais dies needlessly each year due to a cultural of laxness when it comes to wearing a helmet while on a motorbike even for short journies. The Govt and soceity would save billions of baht each year and suffering, by commencing a program of supplying good quality helmets to everyone (especially at schools) at subsidised prices. even taking into account the corruption involved in such a program it would lead to significant reductions in fatalities and injuries. (see the table below)

SONGKRAN / TRAFFIC DEATHS, STUPID KIDS Good news, and bad, as toll rises (BKK Post, 15 April 2005) MANOP THIP-OSOD

There were more people killed on the roads on Songkran Day, Wednesday, than on the same day last year, but the number of injuries fell significantly.
Overall, fatalities and casualties for the Songkran festival period so far are still lower than last year.

Deputy Interior Minister Sermsak Pongpanit, said road accidents killed 79 people nationwide on Thai New Year Day, four more than last year and an increase of just over 8%. Injuries numbered 2,817 on Wednesday, down by a huge 41.7% from 4,834 on Songkran Day last year.

Motorcycles continued to dominate accident scenes on Wednesday, contributing 86.7% of the total 2,200 road accidents. Trucks were involved in about 6% and cars and taxis in just under 2%.

Just over a third of the motorcyclists involved (about 37%) were not wearing crash helmets. Drunks made up 29.5% and speedsters 14%. The great majority of accidents (about 72%) occurred on straight roads between 4.30pm and midnight.

Bangkok and Nakhon Ratchasima each had six fatalities on Wednesday and Nong Khai, Chon Buri, Kalasin, Trat and Phrae provinces three each. From April 8-13, the Songkran death toll totalled 311, down almost 27% from the corresponding period of last year, and there were 8,963 injuries, down by 64.5%.

The highest toll over the six days was in Bangkok with 16 deaths (13 of them motorcyclists), followed by Nakhon Ratchasima, 15, Udon Thani, 11, Chon Buri and Chiang Mai, 10 each, and Prachuap Khiri Khan and Nakhon Sawan, nine each.

The number of provinces free of Songkran fatalities dropped to seven: Ranong, Mae Hong Son, Satun, Amnat Charoen, Chainat, Yasothon and Narathiwat.The highest number of injuries was also in Bangkok, 384, followed by Lop Buri, 341, and Phitsanulok, 329.

Table here (http://tinypic.com/4hctxe)

Yappofloyd

30-04-05, 08:34 PM

522 deaths over ten days is still too many but much better than a few years ago when it was around the 900 mark. 16K injured infers an ongoing tradegy for many who don't have access to medical compensation for serious injuries. It is not always so nice to calculate losses in monetary terms given the loss for families and friends but it does help govts see the economic usefulness of investing in road accident prevention. Hopefully next year can see another big decrease.

SONGKRAN / FESTIVAL TOLL Road accidents cost B3.2bn (BKK Post 30/04/05)

Losses from this year's Songkran festival-related road accidents amounted to 3.2 billion baht, prompting the government to look for preventive measures including a ban on the sale of liquor at petrol stations.

Deputy Prime Minister Pinit Charusombat said state-commissioned research came up with the figure. During the 10-day festival, 522 people died and 16,395 were injured. Overall damage, with mental anguish factored in, totalled 3,263 million baht.

The country lost 106,994 million baht from road accidents in 2002, accounting for 2% of Gross Domestic Product. Mr Pinit said the losses were calculated from absence of employment, medical expenses and damages to personal property.

Mr Pinit said the rate of accidents was too high and the government would work on better prevention. It would enforce road laws, set up checkpoints to monitor motorists, and ban the sale of liquor at petrol stations. To date, the stations have been urged, not required, to stop selling alcohol during major holiday periods such as the New Year and Songkran.

airlana

30-04-05, 10:21 PM

Couple of amusing experiences from driving in Thailand circa 1979.

First one was my Thai driver [TD] going the wrong way down a one way street, somewhere near the Giant Swing.
Policeman stops us, TD gets out of car and talks to policeman. Withing a few minutes, policeman stops all traffic, directs us back out onto the road still going the wrong way until the nearby insection, thence onto a two way street.

Now the strange thing about all this is that I didn't see any moolah exchanged.
So in due course I ask TD what happened. TD very proudly explains that he told policeman he worked for a big multinational company and that I was his big boss from USA and we were hurrying to Don Muang for me to catch my flight, which if missed would probably result in TD getting the sack.
Seems policeman took great pity upon TD and without any further delay sent us on our way.
Score one to clever TD :)

Another story was parking one day in a 'no parking zone'. TD assures me this is no problem. Couple hours later return to car, only to see it disappearing down the street on the back of police towtruck. Needless to say farang is not impresed. Farang instructs TD to go get the damn car, whilst farang proceeds to Sheraton on Suriwong for much needed gin and tonic.
Four hours later TD arrives with car. "How much did that cost and why so long?" TD replies it took 4 hours because police wanted 400baht and TD was only going to pay 200.
Score one to TD who wasn't going to loose face for 200 baht :)

Ah the good old days ;)

airlana
.

piwi

22-05-05, 03:55 AM

Airlana, those 'good old days' are not so old, and very much still with us.
Haveing already been done for a couple of hundred baht 'touches' for not wearing a seat belt, I should have known better last year in Chiengmai. I was out with a pick-up full of kids on the ring road when we had to stop for a red light. A police sergeant on a civilian motorcycle came past and stopped in front of us. I was so busy musing the fact that he did not have a helmet on that I did not relate to the fact that there was a check point just across the junction. Needless to say, I got pulled and he did not.

The officer that came to my side was young and did not seem to sure of himself, espescially when he saw a farang, but he was courteous, spoke hesitantly in English, and was releived to see my d/l and passport without being asked,(I knew the form!)and then told me that I had comitted an offence, as indeed had my daughter also, and that it was going to require us to go to the local police station to pay the fine and retreive my documents,400 baht and much hastle!

However, well you guessed the rest, pay now, put the belts on and go in peace. Me, being obliging, already had 500 baht note in my hand. He took it and asked his comrades at the back for change, which they did not have, so he came back to me and said 200 would suffice on this occasion. I could still not help, that being the smallest note I had. Someone at the back said something that I did not catch, but he gave me back the note with my papers and saluted me before waving me out into the traffic.

Later I was to find out that the kids, who were upset to know that this sort of thing actually happpened in Chiengmai, had been telling the other officers how I, their retired uncle from England, who did not have a lot of money anyway, had come all that way just to give them all a day out at the zoo, because, if he had not done so, they would never have been able to do that!

Needless to say, I love them kids!

Yappofloyd

30-06-05, 10:29 PM

Even if you are all powerful and connected to influential figures remember rule #1. Don't push your luck!

FANG MURDER-SUICIDE: Police officer and his third victim die in hospital
Published on June 30, 2005 The Nation

The family of a traffic policeman who shot dead three traffic offenders on Tuesday in Chiang Mai and then turned his gun on himself let doctors remove his oxygen tube yesterday after he was proclaimed brain-dead. The family took his remains home from Nakhon Ping Hospital for funeral rites.

Sgt-Major Kriangkrai Deedpin said Senior Sgt-Major Pisit Parami was usually a mild-mannered man who felt compassion for his fellow officers but had apparently lost control after being verbally assaulted by the traffic offenders.

Pisit, from Lamphun’s Pa Sang district, was a family man with two children. He had served as a traffic policeman for more than 30 years and was well liked by villagers.

Pisit shot Sawangjit Mannut, 44, Pongsak Napasri, 45, and Wanna Teya, 20, after they ran a red light in a pickup truck in Fang district and then engaged him in a heated argument before a crowd. Pisit then wounded himself in an apparent suicide attempt. Sawangjit and Pongsak died at the scene, while Wanna died in hospital yesterday morning.

Kriangkrai said witnesses saw Pongsak shoving Pisit while he was writing out a ticket. Pisit did not react but walked back to his motorcycle. Pongsak continued to insult Pisit before onlookers. Pongsak boasted loudly that he was not afraid of anyone, not even the prime minister himself. He said he was the son of a boxing-camp owner and Pisit just a low-ranking officer whom he could have transferred within 24 hours.

Pisit drew his handgun to threaten Pongsak and ordered him to stop cursing him. But the man refused, instead daring Pisit to pull the trigger. Pisit then opened fire on all three.

Kriangkrai said he did not believe that Pisit was under any pressure or had personal conflicts with the three lawbreakers. “All traffic police in Fang face this kind of problem all the time, but we take it lightly and joke about it after work. We believe he felt so humiliated and strongly insulted that he could not hold it back any longer,’’ he said.

Article conts....

ncr

01-07-05, 10:22 PM

Actually the most intriguing sentence in the article was:

All traffic police in Fang face this kind of problem all the time.....Oh my god, what's going on there? Seems something is fatally wrong in their society - do they have too many offspring of 'influential persons', or what? :eek:

ncr

28-08-06, 09:33 PM

Priceless (http://www.2bangkok.com/06/carcrash.jpg). :cool:

I saw something almost identical on Phetburi Tat Mai about 2 or 3 months ago - the car hadn't quite "jumped" over the divider, though: the front wheels were hanging in the air. Well, actually everything was hanging in the air. Unfortunately I didn't have an opportunity to take a photo.

And I think there was a photo on 2Bangkok (or Cityrain?) years ago of an even stranger accident under the Bang Na - Trat Expressway, where a pickup had hit the road edge under a 90 degree angle and was stuck in a ditch, or in the empty space between two dividers, in a 45 degree angle (the front of the car rammed into the ground, the back pointing to the sky).... Don't remember eaxtly, but it looked truly bizarre.

What we are all asking ourselves is, of course, how do Thai people do this sort of stuff?

mdechgan

28-08-06, 10:15 PM

admin

29-08-06, 05:51 AM

>And I think there was a photo on 2Bangkok (or Cityrain?) years ago of an even stranger accident under the Bang Na - Trat Expressway, where a pickup had hit the road edge under a 90 degree angle and was stuck in a ditch, or in the empty space between two dividers, in a 45 degree angle (the front of the car rammed into the ground, the back pointing to the sky).... Don't remember eaxtly, but it looked truly bizarre.

Yep. It's here: http://angkor.com/cityrain/got0201.shtml

And I have seen this at other times as well. I also wondered how it is possible to steer the vehicles so it gets hung on the divider like that...

ncr

02-09-06, 04:04 PM

Well with all the traffic in Bangkok, most drivers wake up 5:00am to go to work and arrive home 9:00pm. Unless they go on one of those power dinners and go for drinks with their friends so they arrive at home around 12:00am or sometimes even later. Not much time for sleep. There is also this effect of being hot all day and later in the evening while sitting in traffic with the a/c blasting full max it has a tendency to lull one to sleep.

In essence many Bangkokians are pretty much sleep driving.

I've seen worse accidents, usually those accidents are late at night when people were't suppose to drink and drive but they do anyways.

There are a few others regarding 10 wheel trucks, these drivers are literally "high" on amphetamines. One of the scariest things one would experience in life is a 10-18 wheel big rig cutting you off and driving past you at 120 kphThere's certainly truth to your short analysis.

I guess we have all seen overturned trucks and buses by the highway - for largely the same reasons, coupled with speeding. Not a beautiful sight.

And let's not forget the sociopsychological component: the supposedly calm, gentle and peaceful Thais turning into reckless rambos when behind a steering wheel, and driving like mad water buffaloes, for whatever reason. Also, poor driving education and lax enforcement of traffic rules.

But what I am really wondering about is, why do Thais seem to have this particular tendency / strange propensity to end up in the most bizarre predicaments all the time?

Jromerz

22-11-06, 11:53 PM

It would be interesting to get feedback regarding some of Bangkok's more blatant illegal activities. It could be your opinion, whether you think it is a "problem" of the society, how it could somehow me managed, some solutions, or even a specific experience you (or someone you know) may have had...

About a year ago illegal nighttime motorcycle racing became an issue of national debate, with many different proposals given on how to either manage the racing, change the bikers' behavior, or stamp out the offenders altogether through harsher means. Some proposed that special racetracks be built in Bangkok's suburbs, or that certain roads be closed off on a specific night to accommodate the racing. Others suggested that the parents of the racers be held responsible when their children have been caught. There were also those who thought the best way to tackle this problem was to find ways to make them crash or become injured to end the unruly behavior. This topic then fell out of the spotlight again, with very little mention of it in the press. It is obviously something that is going to be here for a while, and will probably at some point again in the future become a topic for debate.

Most people who have lived in the urban areas (or even some rural areas, actually) of Thailand have some experience with this phenomenon, and most probably would have highly varied opinions on this issue. Driving on many roads at night, especially on the weekend or public holidays, it is common to come across these racers. Their bikes are normally highly modified (sometimes illegally), quite noisy, and there are often 1 or 2 passengers on the bikes too. They generally travel in groups of 5 bikes or more (sometimes even several hundreds) and can literally take over a whole street for their racing activities. Sometimes roads are blocked at two ends so that there will be a clear stretch for their racing, and other regular drivers will not get in the way of the race.

The motorbikes often push upwards of 140 km/h and sometimes even over 200 km/h. They perform various "stunts" while driving at these high speeds, such as doing 'wheelies', lying down flat on the bike (i.e. Superman position), taking both hand off the steering column, some even standing on their moving bikes – all done at extremely high speeds.

The police response is also quite varied; sometimes they set up checkpoints to catch the bikers and confiscate the bikes, sometimes they actively chase them through the streets, and some just turn a blind eye to the racing without taking any action.

Jromerz

23-11-06, 12:36 AM

From what I know, in Bangkok there are several roads which are popular for racing on. Previously the area around Khlong Toey, Rama 3 and Rama 4 roads was one major focal point for this activity every Saturday night. Hundreds of bikes at a time could be seen going down Rama 4 on both sides of the road (against oncoming traffic), either driving around the city, or converging at the Khlong Toey – Rama 4 intersection area to drag race back and forth on Sunthorn Kosa road. I have seen (literally) thousands of people watching the racing on this road – lining both sides, completely filling the pedestrian bridges and any other available viewing space – until the police came and everyone "vanished" within 2 minutes. There were altogether 2 – 3 police motorcycles and 1 police pickup for the operation. Nobody was caught and the police were forced to unsuccessfully chase them around (after they had tried to throw their truncheons at the racers, aiming to either hit a biker's head or get it between the bike's spokes). This is because the racers use the tactic of scattering, where everyone takes a separate direction, meaning the police can only follow a few bikes at a time, and they normally cannot compete with the driving skills of the racers. There was also a non-police pickup truck with a non-uniformed man visibly holding a gun and announcing on the loudspeaker that he would not hesitate to shoot the people on bikes….

At present the Thonburi side has become more popular for racing – there is less traffic, and there are a number of new roads which have been built in recent years. Rachapruek, new Rama 5, and Kanchanapisek (Western Industrial Ring) roads are regularly used for racing. This is not to say that other areas of the city do not have racing, but this is the area that I am now more familiar with. Other major roads include Srinakarin, Rama 9, Bangna Trat, and Vipawadee Rangsit.

Cities which are known to have a large number of racers include Had Yai, Nakorn Pathom, Ubon, and Chiang Mai. I have heard that Had Yai is the main center for this type of racing in the south, despite security measures (extra police, checkpoints, etc) which have been put in place to counter the unrest in the region.

Even on the night after the most recent coup, despite many army checkpoints, there were hundreds of bikes racing on Kanchanapisek and Borom Rachachonanee roads, many going against the flow of traffic.
The Queen's birthday is another night when I have witnessed several hundred bikers all over town, with not much action being taken by the police to stop the activities, even around Chitralada Palace and the Dusit area.

In terms of suppression by the police, I have also heard of many extreme methods which have been used to stop the bikes. Putting oil on the road or setting spikes on the ground to make the unsuspecting drivers crash or blow their tires, rolling barriers across the road just as the bikers pass (to make them smash into the barriers), throwing large stones are just some methods which have been used. Trying to get their truncheons between the wheel's spokes or at the heads of bikers while they are driving at high speed is a more common method.

I am not trying to pose any particular view on either the bikers, the authorities, or other member of the general public, but trying to see the issue from different perspectives to get an overall idea of these activities and the responses people have to them.

ncr

13-03-07, 01:45 PM

Seen (http://img244.imageshack.us/img244/1818/s3014642jo0.jpg) last weekend on the highway between Pak Chong and Khorat. Up to anyone's guess why the truck is pointing in the 'wrong' direction.....

airlana

13-03-07, 10:04 PM

Worst "accident waiting to happen" I saw was many years ago on Petchburi Road.

Guy on motorcycle with passenger holding huge pane of glass between them. No joking, the pane was about a metre high than the guys and protruded out both side of the motorcycle. And yep, you guessed it - they weren't the last to get going when the lights turned green.

Without making this thread too morbid, I think one of the worst accidents would have been around 1980/82. A logging truck with trailer axle [terminology] was transporting a very long log with an equally long overhang. Night time, no rear lights on overhanging log and a bus ploughs into the log. Bangkok Post had a photo with the log entering the bus at front and exiting through rear window. Horrific scene and of course numerous deaths. Still gives me the shivers thinking about it.

airlana.

ncr

02-05-07, 05:52 AM

Well, call me stupid, but after 4 years in the country I still have no idea what the general speed limits on Thai roads are.....

How fast are you allowed to drive in villages, on rural roads, on expressways?

Now there are those well-known signs "city area (khet chumchon) - slow down" --- yes, but how much? It's a joke.... 50? 60? Typical Thai ambiguity, clear as mud. Anyone still drives through at 80 or more, of course.

That said, there are many signs that are not quite up to standard. There's quite a high number of traffic signs that use text rather than symbols, and sometimes (e.g. "no overtaking", "road works ahead") only in Thai, at that (which I am able to read, but others may not). Or misleading or badly placed direction signs. Or no signs at all when they are really needed..... For example last week between Pakchong and Khorat, they set up police checkpoints and closed off two out of three lanes in a given direction. Bad enough, but as if to make it more exciting, they didn't think it necessary to put up warning signs ahead of the bottleneck. So you drive along at 100 or more on a 3-lane highway, and suddenly a traffic jam develops out of the blue. Some drivers can hardly avoid a crash. WTF? And then you see that two thirds of the road are closed and everyone has to squeeze into the only remaining lane, where the cops weave them through. Crazy!

But of course you all know that. Back to the original question.

One day I was stopped by the friendly extortionists in khaki in rural Khorat and the guy told me, "with a car like that [pickup] you may not go faster than 80". Yeah, right.

This typically happens at night time on deserted roads. At least they have always been polite, sigh. On another occasion in Maha Sarakham, the cop claimed that their radar control had shown that I had been travelling at more than 120 kph. I was quite sure I hadn't. Can they show you evidence? Ha ha ha. But try to argue with them. So then it was up to my girlfriend to negotiate the appropriate contribution to his mia noi fund.

The only road I know where it is made really clear is the Eastern Outer Ring Road, with big signs reminding you not to go faster than 120, and that this is checked by radar (who knows if that is true?)

mdechgan

03-05-07, 12:08 PM

I've been living here for aalmost 7 years and have never been stopped speeding before. I don't think they exist especially if you drive a "respectable car" I think. But if you drive a older car or pickup maybe there are higher chances of being stopped.

However there are different limits on different streets. They are classified between city streets, luand roads (national highways) and tollways. City limits are enforced by local authorities so the locals decide the speed limit. national roads have a different limit. Speeding isn't really enforced compared to driving on the fast lane too long. The far right lane is only for passing and overtaking but sometimes we forget and stay on the fast lane for awhile. Toll ways have a limit also but their is so much traffic one would be lucky to be driving faster than 80kph unless after midnight which is the time most enforcers are sleeping or at other checkpoints checking for drunk drivers.

If going upcountry I don't recommend driving faster than 120kph for too long. Its just dangerous because one won't know what can pop up infront of the car in the rural areas. Sometimes buffalos sometimes local motorcycles. It just too dangerous with the minimal infrastructure here.

ncr

06-05-07, 02:43 PM

I've been living here for aalmost 7 years and have never been stopped speeding before.You must be very well-behaved then, or lucky, or both. :D

unless after midnight which is the time most enforcers are sleeping or at other checkpoints checking for drunk drivers.But on rural roads it is quite different. Experience shows that they almost never stop cars for "speeding" at daytime (I think it's other offences then, concentrating on motorbikes and pickup trucks), but prefer to lurk in the darkness for that, trying to take unsuspecting motorists by surprise.

If going upcountry I don't recommend driving faster than 120kph for too long. Its just dangerous because one won't know what can pop up infront of the car in the rural areas. Sometimes buffalos sometimes local motorcycles. It just too dangerous with the minimal infrastructure here.Yeah, that's pretty much common sense. In fact, you may encounter (at least) the following - people, playing children, dogs, chickens, buffalos, herds of cattle being led back from the pastures (very common on very rural roads!), tractors, small trucks and other agricultural vehicles, very slow (~40-50 kph outside villages) pickups, bicycles, vendors' carts of all types, and last but not least, the universal pest: motorcycles from the left, motorcycles from the right, motorcycles from behind, motorcycles from ahead, going in the wrong direction (against the traffic flow); maybe next they will come from above and below as well. Also, at nighttime be aware that many vehicles have defect/insufficient lighting, and a few lunatics are driving completely without light.

I just thought there must surely be some standards for speed limits, no? Well, maybe not. Maybe I was still too naïve with this expectation. As you said:
City limits are enforced by local authorities so the locals decide the speed limit.So maybe each time we enter a village, we should stop and ask the locals what their speed limit is..... :rolleyes:

jpatokal

07-05-07, 08:14 PM

My personal favorite is the Uttaraphimuk (aka Don Muang) elevated road, which has lots of blinky LED signs showing speed limits that usually flash 80 and appear to go as low as 60 in rain etc. There's not much time to look though, as I've had cabbies hit 160 on it and still get overtaken by people with more expensive cars...

1jasmine

16-07-07, 03:41 PM

It never amazes me that whilst driving along the roads in Thailand,just how many idiots are riding along without wearing helmets.Most of these people are youngsters,though there are some oldies doing the same thing.Have they never seen the inside of a rehabilitation hospital,and all the pain and anguish that go into trying to get people back into some sembalance of decent exsistence of a normal life.I know the oldies are always the ones who are complaining about this and complaining about that,but you only live once,and if you want to spend yours in a wheelchair,sucking your lunch through a straw for the rest of your life,then go ahead,enjoy the wind in your hair,it will the last thing that you can feel!!!!!!!!!!!!

The Enforcer!

16-07-07, 04:43 PM

it will the last thing that you can feel!!!!!!!!!!!! In 2006, 570 Thai youngsters died in motorcycles crashes!

The Enforcer!

GWR

28-09-07, 01:04 AM

It must be the tight trousers!:rolleyes: Traffic cops in Chonburi Province, and especially Pattaya, are notorious for inventing road offences where none exist and ignoring them when they do exist:

http://www.pattayacitynews.net/news_27_09_50_2.htm

http://www.pattayacitynews.net/pic_webnews/27_09_2_6.jpg
[Photo: Pattaya City News]

Police Motorbike Safety Campaign at Big C

In cooperation with the Big C Supercenter in North Pattaya, Pattaya Police arranged a motorbike Safety Campaign event on Thursday Morning to promote bike safety and security for motorbike owners. The Police Officers assisted by the Traffic Police Road Safety Mascot inspected motorbikes around the Big C Center and surrounding roads and placed stickers on motorbikes that were not properly secured or not secured enough to avoid a potential theft. Passers-by were given leaflets on road safety and although the Police Mascot added some fun to the proceedings, there was a serious message given to motorbike owners who were told to secure their motorbikes at all times as motorbike thieves are waiting in the shadows for an opportunity to steal their bike.

GWR

14-12-07, 11:25 AM

My prediction is that they won't succeeed. Indeed, after a month in which two weekends have rendered 'dry' by the Junta Killjoys and an election that seems destined to creating even further political chaos, I suspect that this New Year is likely to be an even bigger kneesup and drunken orgy of road death and driving incompetence. Expect more road deaths and injuries! NOT less!:

Transport Ministry targets 12% less New Year's traffic accidents

BANGKOK, Dec 12 (TNA) - The Transport Ministry's Land Transport Department has set its target to reduce road traffic accidents by 12 per cent during the "seven dangerous days" period of the New Year's celebrations, starting December 28.

Deputy Director General Ronnayut Tangruamsap told journalists after attending a meeting with representatives of bus operators and drivers that he had asked them to check their buses' engines and the condition of the drivers before driving during the upcoming holidays.

Reckless driving and driving while intoxicated are seen as the cause of a large portion of Thailand's road accidents during the festivities, including New Year.

The Department intends to reduce road accidents during the seven-day period by 12 per cent from last year's total, Mr. Ronnayut said.

Also, starting from January 1, operators of public buses must have their buses inspected twice a year, instead of annually, in order to ensure safety of passengers, according to an announcement issued by the department. (TNA)-E111

General News : Last Update : 15:35:38 12 December 2550 (GMT+7:00)
http://enews.mcot.net/view.php?id=1758

GWR

27-12-07, 03:11 PM

Online New Year traffic reports
Published on December 27, 2007

To minimise traffic problems during the New Year period, the National Electronics and Computer Technology Centre (Nectec) has developed a system to allow people to check congestion in real time via the web or a mobile phone.

Smart" traffic report service via cell phones launched

BANGKOK, Dec 27 (TNA) - Ministry of Science and Technology on Wednesday unveiled a new "smart" system to report traffic conditions via mobile phone to help drivers returning to their hometowns arrive safely and without incident, Prof. Dr. Yongyuth Yuthavong, Minister of Science and Technology said.

Dr. Yongyuth, Highway Police Commander Pol. Maj-Gen Pasin Noksakul and Andrew McBean, senior vice president of mobile-phone operator Total Access Communication (DTAC)'s business division held a joint press conference to launch the new technology as a travel aid to the public.

.......... http://enews.mcot.net/view.php?id=2010

The intelligent transport system (ITS), worked out with the help of the Highway Police, allows drivers to check traffic information and prepare their routes, Passakon Prathombutr, the director of Intelligent Transport Systems Programme, said.

He said the centre had worked with the Highway Police to input traffic as well as accident information from all over the nation into the central system so people can check traffic status, especially on major routes, in real time.

To get traffic information, they can access http://traffic.thai.net and see the density of traffic shown in red, yellow or green.

However, for those already on the road, the centre has developed the system to support a platform that allows users to check routes via their mobile phone.

They just have to download the software from http://map.longdo.com/m and install it in their phone to see the overall traffic map and check traffic status and accident information while on the move via the phone's GPRS network.

Passakon said mobile phone users can also receive traffic information through their mobile phone's short message service. The centre has worked with mobile phone operator DTAC to allow phone users from all operators to get traffic information via SMS.

A DTAC official said users should key in the route they want to travel and send the SMS to the assigned number and the centre will send back real time traffic information in a text message.

DTAC customers can an send SMS to 160938 to get traffic information for free. Customers of other mobile phone operators can send an SMS to 081-552-0588 and will be charged for SMS service as per normal.

Pongpen Sutharoj

The Nation

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2007/12/27/national/national_30060412.php

GWR

04-01-08, 07:12 PM

My prediction is that they won't succeed. Indeed, after a month in which two weekends have rendered 'dry' by the Junta Killjoys and an election that seems destined to creating even further political chaos, I suspect that this New Year is likely to be an even bigger knees up and drunken orgy of road death and driving incompetence. Expect more road deaths and injuries! NOT less!:

http://enews.mcot.net/view.php?id=1758

I suppose you could argue that this represents an approximate 10% decline in deaths. Not too far wide of the 12% reduction targeted. However, it seems like a heck of a lot of work to achieve so little:

New Year death toll rises to 401

There were a total of 4,475 road accidents together with 401 deaths and 4,903 injuries during the "seven dangerous days" of the New Year break, the Road Safety Center announced Friday.

Road accident figures were up by 19 on the same period last year, while the death toll was down by 48 and injuries down by 40, announced Deputy Interior Minister, Banyat Jansena.

Chiang Rai had both the most accumulated accidents with 157 and the most injuries at 169.

Bangkok had the highest death toll at 24 deaths followed by Khon Kaen and Nakhon Pathom with 18 and 17 respectively. Mae Hong Son, Pattani and Narathiwat reported no deaths from road accidents at all.

The Nation

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/breakingnews/read.php?newsid=30061224

Wisarut

04-01-08, 08:07 PM

Well, at least I got ONLY traffic jam from Ban Lard to Wang Manao Intersection (where Highway 35 intersecting with Hghway 4) due to unfinished highway expansions ...

I have noticed that Highway 35 from Pak Tho to mae Klogn is very dark ... no light at all!

GWR

15-01-08, 11:44 PM

This report starts by telling us that this is a Malaysian phenomenon, but the use of the words 'farang' & samurai leave me in some doubt as to whether the reporter might also be talking about Chiangmai - as Samurai motorcycle gangs are very much a part of the crimescene in the northern city.

That said, I place this here because I have heard numerous recent reports of how some bad-ass motorcyclists are employing foul tricks to rob motorists at night:

Latest Malaysian drive-by robbery tactics use Samurai swords and eggs

Just keep driving…

A new tactic is in use by criminals in Malaysia to force you to stop your car in order to rob, rape or slash you. It involves a motorcycle with a pillion rider, who will throw two eggs at your car’s windscreen. Within a few seconds, the broken eggs will be smeared all over the glass, as your first reaction will be to switch on your windscreen wipers. You will, of course, stop the car as soon as is practicable, and will then try to clean the mess from the glass. At this point, the robbers, now in a car themselves, will screech to a halt beside you. A recent email to a staff reporter at the Mail from a friend mentions that a farang couple to whom this happened were threatened with Samurai swords!

The threatened couple were able to drive away in time, so were not hurt or robbed, and managed to note the registration number of the car. However, when they reported the attempt to their local police station, they were told that the car had stolen number plates! This tactic would seem to have been used frequently during the latest string of roadside robberies, especially with women drivers and drivers with their families in the car.

Given that bad news (and bad ideas) travels as fast as good news, it seems possible that this tactic may well be adopted in the not too distant future here in Thailand. If you are unlucky enough to have this happen to you, remember not to turn on your windscreen wipers, and to continue driving (slowly and carefully!) to the nearest crowded place, petrol station, or police station.

http://www.chiangmai-mail.com/current/news.shtml#hd12

Posts in another subforum on Chiangmai's Samurai gangs:
http://www.angkor.com/2bangkok/2bangkok/forum/showpost.php?p=17180&postcount=4
http://www.angkor.com/2bangkok/2bangkok/forum/showpost.php?p=17827&postcount=6

GWR

23-04-08, 11:22 PM

It must be the tight trousers!:rolleyes: Traffic cops in Chonburi Province, and especially Pattaya, are notorious for inventing road offences where none exist and ignoring them when they do exist:
http://www.pattayacitynews.net/news_27_09_50_2.htm
http://www.pattayacitynews.net/pic_webnews/27_09_2_6.jpg
[Photo: Pattaya City News]

Tougher punishment in store for motorcycle helmet scofflaws

BANGKOK, April 23 (TNA) – Police in the Thai capital are warning motorcycle drivers and their passengers to wear helmets, or face stiff fines imposed since December 29.

There are currently about 300,000 motorcycle taxis in metropolitan Bangkok. Estimates suggests that the daily number of riders would be in the millions.

Motorcyclists who fail to wear safety helmets will face a 500 baht fine, and the fine will be doubled if the cyclist's passengers also do not wear helmets.

Bangkok metropolitan Traffic Police commander Maj-Gen. Panu Kerdlappol said he ordered the traffic divisions at all police stations in the capital to strictly enforce the helmet rules, particularly for motorcycle taxis, whose drivers every day carry large numbers of passengers.

Motorcycle taxi drivers commonly carry helmets that cover the head, but the devices are usually flimsy and provide little or no protection in case of an accident. (TNA)-E004

http://enews.mcot.net/view.php?id=3942

The Enforcer!

24-04-08, 09:36 AM

Police in the Thai capital are warning motorcycle drivers and their passengers to wear helmets, or face stiff fines

A motorcyclist with passenger, both with no helmet, waited next to my taxi at junction 221 (Sathorn-Phipat) yesterday but no action was taken by the Police Officer on duty at this junction. Perhaps it was because both motorcyclist and passenger were also Police Officers!

The Enforcer!

GWR

27-04-08, 06:14 PM

Department of Highways to set up road safety centre

(BangkokPost.com) - The Department of Highways will set up a research centre for accidents in a move authorities hope will reduce the death toll on the roads across the country.

Director-general of the department, Nikorn Boonsri, explained that the centre will be an independent agency that conducts research on road safety.

According to a survey conducted by the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT), accidents during the year 2008 have caused damages worth an estimated 2.32 trillion baht.

The number of accidents have also been increasing in the country at approximately 120,000 times a year amounting to an estimated 13,000 deaths a year. On average, that is about 36 deaths a day.
Link may expire:
http://www.bangkokpost.com/breaking_news/breakingnews.php?id=127331

jerryfin

30-04-08, 01:28 PM

Has anyone noticed the traffic signal countdown at Surawongse/Rama IV recently? Mostly in the day time, all the countdowns are at "---" or on manual control, EXCEPT for drivers approaching from Surawongse where the countdown is counting UP. It gets to 28 about on green, then goes to orange 0,1,2,3 and then red 0,1,2....... Now I was standing at the junction observing this phenomenon last week and one of those annoying touts/tuk-tuk drivers came over and asked where I was going. I tried to explain the strange light sequence to him, but he said it's correct and the drivers understand it (implying that farangs still weren't smart enough to master a sequence of numbers). So I said, ok, you are a driver, now tell me when is the light going to go green? He looked for a while and said, 'when it gets to 0'. And sure enough after it had completed it's upward sequence in red, it changed to 0 green, then 1,2,3. The tuk-tuk driver then said...'see? Now it's green...did you see the 0?' Ok, I said, now it's green, can you tell me when it will go red...what number will show? Mr. Tuk-tuk then said '0 of course'. Only after all this did he finaly realize there was something unusual happening here, and burst into laughter.