Road accidents: farangs guilty by entry (to Thailand) - truth or myth?

[Edmin]

I have heard many shocking stories about road accidents involving farang and Thai drivers. The shocking parts of the stories were that the guilty verdicts were always against farangs, even when Thai drivers were obviously wrong. The police/judge explanation was: 'If you would not come to Thailand, this would never had happened”.

I even read on some expats' forum that drunk Thai on motorbike run into the parked in the parking lot truck and, farang truck owner was found guilty for the same reason.

Is it true or just isolated story from old times that has had many interpretations since then? Do Thai insurance companies do their job to protect their foreign clients in the case of accident?

[Mod edit: title edited to reflect content]

[Big Boy]

100% myth.

I've had a few motorcycles drive into me. I've always involved the police because Thais actually believe what you say is true. Always judged in my favour.

I even had one, where the guy's mother turned up from work with 13 witnesses all saying 110% my fault. Common sense won the day, and the police judged in my favour.

[pharvey]

100% myth.

I've had a few motorcycles drive into me. I've always involved the police because Thais actually believe what you say is true. Always judged in my favour.

I even had one, where the guy's mother turned up from work with 13 witnesses all saying 110% my fault. Common sense won the day, and the police judged in my favour.

Very glad this is still the case. It's been quite a few years since I've been back to Thailand/HH, but did work there for extended periods over many years. There were a few "attempted" cons/so-called accidents aimed at us "foreigners" during my time there, but has to be said (even though we were targeted), "common sense won the day" as BB says...

It was 100% myth whist I was there, and thankfully still is!

[centermid7]

Come on fellers . . . 100% is a bit of a stretch. More than a "bit". Just cause is might not have happened to you does not mean it does not happen. There is no end to those who have reported that they were done up and just as it does not swing 100% in that direction it certainly does not go the other way to the same degree.

[barrys]

I lived in Thailand from 2001 to 2015. Was involved as an innocent party in a few accidents (none of them my fault) and found that the insurance company and the police were very professional - found in my favour every time. Now it is much easier with dashcams of course to prove who's wrong. I believe you even get a discount on your insurance if you have one fitted!!??

[HHTel]

I've been here for 20 years. I've been involved in several minor accidents, thankfully without injury. None of them were my fault and in every case, I found the police to be professional. Always taken the side of truth and logic. Never been pressured to admit fault.

Personally, I don't know of anyone who've been taken advantage of.

[dtaai-maai]

Personally, I don't know of anyone who've been taken advantage of.

Me, once, a long time ago (c. 2007-8).

A girl in shorts and flip-flops on a m/c came hurtling up the inside of me as I was pulling over (this was going west on the Palau Road just past the school). She didn't hit the pick-up but came off the bike at speed against the kerb. She was hurt (cuts and bruises) and I took her to hospital. A uniformed police officer turned up and asked to see my driving licence. He hung on to it. I forget how much they asked for, but I insisted we make it formal. I went to the police station with a friend who was an army officer (fairly junior). He had called the number I had for the officer who had taken my licence, who refused to identify himself.

It turned out the guy was off duty. The (extremely arrogant) senior police officer, who managed to talk with me while watching a Thai soap on TV, decided that regardless of that, I was to some degree at fault, and a price was negotiated. I can't remember how much, but that really wasn't the point. I was livid, but I'd been in Thailand long enough to know the score and managed to keep it together. He actually uttered the words, you're a farang so you can afford it.

[lindosfan1]

Myself and my Thai wife witness a bad accident near macro. I stopped the car and was going to see if everybody was ok, she stopped me and said do not go, being a falang you will get the blame.We drove away.

[HHTel]

I've been in a similar situation, and my wife also said "Don't get involved". However, I did. Everyone was okay. Had a word with the police when they arrived. No problem at all. I think a lot of this is that the average Thai mistrusts the police.

[Dannie Boy]

Yes, they know them better than us!!

[buksida]

Come on fellers . . . 100% is a bit of a stretch. More than a "bit". Just cause is might not have happened to you does not mean it does not happen. There is no end to those who have reported that they were done up and just as it does not swing 100% in that direction it certainly does not go the other way to the same degree.

Exactly - nothing is "100%" in Thailand.

A pal of mine was sideswiped by some old codger on a motorbike not looking where he was going (like that never happens here) and both came off their bikes. The "witnesses" all came hurtling out (only after the police arrived) pointing the finger at the farang. They both went to the cop shop but luckily there was CCTV footage and the farang was proven innocent. The family of the old phart also turned up en-masse to lynch the roundeye and demand money.

The police said that without the camera footage, it would have been their word against his and he would have been blamed and given the repair and hospital bills "because he can afford it". (I was there as the translator).

It doesn't happen as often as it used to probably due to the prevalence of dashcams, but it does happen. Luck of the draw I guess.

[HHTel]

Yes, they know them better than us!!

I've trusted them for 20 years and I've yet to be disappointed. Mistrust of the police from the local population is inbred historically. I believe it has changed somewhat.

The situation Buksi relates shows the Thai witnesses pointing the finger at the 'farang'. Fortunately, once the police were confronted with the evidence, they acted accordingly. This wasn't the police at fault, just racism raising it's head
If the police had taken names of the witnesses then they could have warned them about giving false statements. Of course that's not going to happen.

Of course there are bad apples in every police force around the world and Thailand is no exception. Yes, there's corruption by the cart load but in every day action, especially on the road, I've not seen many problems.

[buksida]

The mistrust of the police comes from the fact that they are always looking for handouts (fines that may slip into pockets) and are corrupt as hell. The point from my little story being that, without the CCTV, the farang would have been blamed by the cops as well, and his money would have been dished out to all parties. He was saved by tech, not an honest bobby.

[HHTel]

But my point, Buksi, was that he was being done over by the public. In a situation like that, of course the police are going to question witnesses just as they would back home. If the 'farang' says it wasn't his fault but all the witnesses say it was, then what's to be done. As I've said, the police are very corrupt but their role in accidents is in general okay.
I believe the the RTP have stopped police from setting up random road blocks and police caught taking a 'bribe' faces disciplinary action.

[Gregjam]

Unfortunately my experience says true. Every time I have ended up at the police station (fortunately very rarely) people with influence turn up and I got blamed. It is apparent that if the other person is not in compliance with road regulations (licence, insurance, helmet etc) then you are still to blame unlike the rest of the world. I drove here with that in mind and while I would love to see ‘enforcement of the road law’ happen it is highly unlikely.