How can Thailand curb its appalling road fatality rate?

Driving and riding in Hua Hin and Thailand, all topics on cars, pickups, bikes, boats, licenses, roads, and motoring in general.
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StevePIraq
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Re: How can Thailand curb its appalling road fatality rate?

Post by StevePIraq »

Nereus wrote:
I disagree. Enforce the laws and impose realistic penalties - its the only way.
Yes, I know everybody likes it the way it is - 200 Baht and you're on your way. Thailand's policing is a farce.
You miss my point, Big Boy. It is the old story of the fox taking care of the hen house. It is completely alien for one Thai to impose a penalty on another.
True because they believe Karma will come back on them.

The only answer is massive fines, impeachment of vehicles, long jail terms
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Re: How can Thailand curb its appalling road fatality rate?

Post by J.J.B. »

In the UK at least, penalties lead to problems with insurance. Either you can't get the cover you want or the price is excessive. Penalty points are valid for three years but must be declared to insurance companies for five.

If real insurance requirements and registration or tax of vehicles was even enforced, this would make a difference and would act as a deterrent. The drink drive culture existed in the UK and was largely erradicated through education and prohibitive insurance costs for those who were convicted, which long outlasted the initial fine. The dreaded "DR10" is a 10 year stain on your license.
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Re: How can Thailand curb its appalling road fatality rate?

Post by StevePIraq »

as real insurance is not even compulsory in Thailand this could never be implemented. One also has to consider the average salary of Thais must be less than 10k per month so how can they be penalized, even with the measures I earlier proposed this would lead to a large proportion of the population with no transport, hence leading to more unemployment and poverty. This is one reason they do not increase penalties. Unfortunately this just leads to a same same no change attitude. The government may try to change things but they do not want to hurt the population no matter how many people die.
Another aspect is that Thais just accept that many people die on the road. In my lifetime I have never lost one family member in a road accident, I would think every Thai person has lost someone and it is accepted as part of every day life.
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Re: How can Thailand curb its appalling road fatality rate?

Post by Big Boy »

I was involved in an accident a few months back. The fact the other party was not wearing a helmet, had no licence nor insurance didn't seem to matter one bit to the police officer attending.
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Re: How can Thailand curb its appalling road fatality rate?

Post by lomuamart »

What really gets me is when I'm in car driven by a farang and they hare down the roads just like some suicidal Thai.
That makes me angry.
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Re: How can Thailand curb its appalling road fatality rate?

Post by Big Boy »

And why is that? Lack of an effective deterrent.
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Re: How can Thailand curb its appalling road fatality rate?

Post by RCer »

When I read the article, I didn't see a per-capita figure, just totals.

It would better to use a comparison to similar sized communities in other places like LA, NYC, etc.

Then factor in manufacturing standards for vehicles.

Finally we can get to things like Education, fines, etc.
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Re: How can Thailand curb its appalling road fatality rate?

Post by Big Boy »

It might also be good to view figures for every other day of the year to fully understand the true problem.
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Re: How can Thailand curb its appalling road fatality rate?

Post by handdrummer »

learn how to drive.
learn the rules of the road and obey them.
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Re: How can Thailand curb its appalling road fatality rate?

Post by europtimiste »

It's not possible to inject a real brain in Thais head.
How do you intend educate young Thais by illirated parents and the kind of teachers we know.
The proposals op the dictator PM are bullshit.
You need some generations to change their behavior.
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Re: How can Thailand curb its appalling road fatality rate?

Post by Big Boy »

handdrummer wrote:learn how to drive.
learn the rules of the road and obey them.
I'm not sure about the first one. I could control a road vehicle, but learning to drive happened after I'd passed my test. Likewise, when I moved here, I had to learn to drive again.

Learning the rules of the road and obeying them is what is so often lacking here. I often wonder if they are just totally ignorant of them, or they just ignore them. One way roads are a regular gripe of mine - they are clearly marked, but especially motorcycles ignore the signs. Cars also ignore them, but I usually put it down to a motorcyclist without much driving time behind the wheel.
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Re: How can Thailand curb its appalling road fatality rate?

Post by RCer »

I've been wondering since coming here if people have peripheral vision here. They seem oblivious to what is happening around them when moving, either in/on a vehicle or walking.
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Re: How can Thailand curb its appalling road fatality rate?

Post by Big Boy »

LOL - I've often mentioned to Mrs BB that many Thais walk the same way they drive.
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Re: How can Thailand curb its appalling road fatality rate?

Post by nanyang »

Big Boy wrote:
Make the penalty for the most basic offence 10,000 Baht and confiscation of vehicle + points on licence, leading to a ban. People will then think twice about:

:D When they don't pay the fine I suppose you'd advocate applying for an attachment of earnings order.

Applying any form of adult logic to the way they behave is a pointless exercise.
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Re: How can Thailand curb its appalling road fatality rate?

Post by Spitfire »

I don't think it's possible to curb the aweful road situation here and I'm inclined to agree with Nereus. People here just simply don't give a flying fcuk about anything like this.

Draconion fines for traffic violations or confiscating licenses would probably not do as much as desired/thought as most of the offenders can't pay the fine anyhow and stuff like insurance/tax/licenses etc. seem to be viewed as voluntary here by a large section of society. They would simply keep driving until stopped again...rinse and repeat.

Confiscating vehicles/motorbikes indefinitely on the spot and then auctioning them off plus donating the money to hospitals, victims of crime or emergency serices etc. might work because it hits the offender where it hurts (the pocket) in the here and now, straight away and Thais are very attached to their means of transport. The problem is though, that any measures likely to succeed are going to make the sitting government/police very unpopular....and that would never do in a world of social media where everyone has to pander to a collective online group of self-righteous idealists or intentionally vicious trolls.

It is a cultural, educational and religious problem.....all of which have failed miserably to adapt to the modern world that has so quickly surrounded all Thais of all ages. And the current lot in power only want to turn the clock backwards by the look of it really.

Responsibility seems to be an anathema here to so many, along with most abstract other thought. Until that changes....forget it. The collective society and leaders of all level of it need to seriously look in the mirror and be honest......never going to happen as it's a nettle they don't want to grasp and it would be an affront to "Thainess"....whatever they think that is.
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