News Forum - Phuket vice governor reports over 500 motorbike accidents in 2 months involving tourists

[Thaiger]

Phuket’s vice governor reported that over 500 motorbike accidents have occurred in the area involving foreign tourists in only two months. Phuket Vice Governor Anuphap led a meeting on the increasingly pressing issue yesterday. Anuphap said many of the accidents involved foreign tourists who had rented motorbikes. He said… “Eighty percent of them do not …

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[Tjampman]

Should we enforce regulation or should we try and setup reasonable arrangements so that foreigners don't need motorbikes to get around the island?

Which receive more bribes for police?

Edited February 23, 2023 by Tjampman
answered the question myself

[HolyCowCm]

500 is a lot. We should just call it Thailand free road rash tattoo. Even in CM you will see on any given night or day a foreigner walking around bandaged up. No need to ask what happened. Doesn't matter the gender either. 

[Ramanathan.P]

That is very less....what about those unreported cases where they settle among themselves? It is very obvious that those riding moped in Thailand roads especially the tourists are not familiar with Thai road surface and the maneuvering of the moped in narrow pathways and heavy traffic streets. They only know how to twist the throttle. And failed to realize that the torque shift is delayed first and sudden after that with automatic vehicles especially 2 wheelers. Further how many are in good road worthy condition with well maintained braking system? All they know is just rent a moped, jump on it and ride. For sure there will be disaster......and more to come in the future if not controlled properly 

[NightRider]

More people die in traffic accidents in Thailand in five days than do in Finland in a year.

[TheDirtyDurian]

Just enforce the law on renter and owner and the problem is solved. 

Oh, wait a minute........

[palooka]

Simple solution.

Ban bike rentals.

No bikes, no accidents, problem solved.

[AdvocatusDiaboli]

10 hours ago, Thaiger said:

Phuket’s vice governor reported that over 500 motorbike accidents have occurred in the area involving foreign tourists in only two months.

But did not state the total motorbike accidents over the same period. Yes tourists maybe don’t ride with the required license, but what is the percentage of all motorcycle accidents over that period where they had the correct license? 

[KaptainRob]

As noted, the public transport system needs complete overhaul to permit safe and affordable transport around Phuket.

There are are too many MB rental outlets, owned and staffed by Thai or Burmese with little or no comprehension of what comprises a valid MB licence.  How many rental agencies read English and can decipher the classes on a NZ, Aus, Cdn, UK, USA licence, let alone French, Russian or Indian.

There is no simple solution unless an IDP was made mandatory for all tourist rentals and even then I'm sure there'd be little or no compliance.

[Pinga]

It's not rocket science. They could solve this issue within days if they really wanted to:

1. Require all MB rental places to keep copies of the renter's drivers license and IDP - perform weekly inspections and fine them X amount for every MB they fail to account for with a valid license copy.

2. Setup all-night traffic inspections on all major roads. In Patong just 2-3 of those would cover 90% of traffic. Inspect every MB for license and IDP, and check if they're visibly drunk.

Either one of those would quickly resolve the issue, however I suspect the powers that be are more interested in tourist numbers and baht than resolving anything or safety.

[AdvocatusDiaboli]

1 hour ago, Pinga said:

They could solve this issue within days if they really wanted to:

But if the Thai Police do not obey they Thai PM’s orders … looks like they don’t won’t to.

https://thethaiger.com/hot-news/road-deaths/road-accidents-involving-motor-bikes-on-the-rise-in-phuket

PM Prayut Chan-o-cha vowed earlier this year to lower road deaths to 12 per 100,000 people over the next five years and, using a model inspired by Sweden, completely eliminate fatalities on the streets of Thailand by 2050.

 

“Of course, I know the problem and how to solve it. But it won’t work 100% because of a lack of public cooperation. I ordered that the law must be strictly enforced against traffic offenders. But I would have liked to seek people’s cooperation first.”

 

 

[palooka]

6 hours ago, Pinga said:

It's not rocket science. They could solve this issue within days if they really wanted to:

1. Require all MB rental places to keep copies of the renter's drivers license and IDP - perform weekly inspections and fine them X amount for every MB they fail to account for with a valid license copy.

2. Setup all-night traffic inspections on all major roads. In Patong just 2-3 of those would cover 90% of traffic. Inspect every MB for license and IDP, and check if they're visibly drunk.

Either one of those would quickly resolve the issue, however I suspect the powers that be are more interested in tourist numbers and baht than resolving anything or safety.

Pattaya Police would like to thank you for these wonderful suggestions for raising Tea money.   

[Pinga]

1 hour ago, palooka said:

Pattaya Police would like to thank you for these wonderful suggestions for raising Tea money.   

If done sporadically and randomly then yes - it'l just raise tea money while not achieving anything. If done systematically on a permanent basis (at least in high season) and motorists will know it's a fact they will run into police and trouble if they drive without a license - they'll stop.

[Soidog]

11 hours ago, Pinga said:

If done sporadically and randomly then yes - it'l just raise tea money while not achieving anything. If done systematically on a permanent basis (at least in high season) and motorists will know it's a fact they will run into police and trouble if they drive without a license - they'll stop.

What you describe is the issue with many things wrong in Thailand. It’s not the laws to make it right that are missing, it’s the enforcement of these laws. There is a basic and fundamental, perhaps even cultural disregard for law enforcement. As an example, How many bars do you see now allowing people to smoke again? They introduce the law, they all want to be part of the glossy new idea and get their picture in the news and a few years on, no one can be bothered anymore. This indifference by society and the police transcends all aspects of Thai life except one…….money! 

[Marc26]

1 hour ago, Soidog said:

What you describe is the issue with many things wrong in Thailand. It’s not the laws to make it right that are missing, it’s the enforcement of these laws. There is a basic and fundamental, perhaps even cultural disregard for law enforcement. As an example, How many bars do you see now allowing people to smoke again? They introduce the law, they all want to be part of the glossy new idea and get their picture in the news and a few years on, no one can be bothered anymore. This indifference by society and the police transcends all aspects of Thai life except one…….money! 

I came upon something annoying yesterday 

 

Went to 2 local markets and they allow people to ride motorbikes through them

 

There is barely room for people to walk

 

But I think it's akin to what I face in Canada a lot

 

It's probably not allowed but people won't call out the jerks doing it 

 

Believe it or not

I think I run into way more inconsiderate people in places like Thailand and Canada than in the US

Simply because if you are acting like an assh*le in the US, people will call you out

[Soidog]

36 minutes ago, Marc26 said:

Simply because if you are acting like an assh*le in the US, people will call you out

I think that’s the problem. There is nothing more controlling than peer pressure. It’s that unspoken social governance that stops people behaving badly. The same is how it is in the U.K.  Because Thai culture is one where you don’t get involved in other peoples business and the attitude of “I won’t interfere with your life if you don’t interfere with mine” prevails, peer pressure seems low to non-existent. 

I remember being out with a friend and his Thai wife (GF at the time) in a Rayong restaurant. There was a small shop next door and the woman running it had her two kids in the shop. One boy looked about 13 and the other was much younger aged about 5. When the mum left the shop for a short while leaving the two kids alone, the older one started bullying and harming the younger kid to the point where he started to cry. My mate got up and went across to the boy and told him to stop. His GF was beside herself with a mix of embarrassment and fear. She went crazy with him and told him not to get involved. It wasn’t his kid and why did he do this and why did he do that. The fact that she and other Thais were happy to sit by and watch this 13 year old essentially torture and beat up his younger sibling was apparently the Thai way. I wish now I had beat my friend to it and he wouldn’t have got such a hard time from her. 

[Ramanathan.P]

Nothing will happen in Thailand. Everything is only for news. Thailand needs something everyday to publish in the news. They need hot news every day. So all these are only like just news that blows into thin air. 

[Marc26]

16 minutes ago, Soidog said:

I think that’s the problem. There is nothing more controlling than peer pressure. It’s that unspoken social governance that stops people behaving badly. The same is how it is in the U.K.  Because Thai culture is one where you don’t get involved in other peoples business and the attitude of “I won’t interfere with your life if you don’t interfere with mine” prevails, peer pressure seems low to non-existent. 

I remember being out with a friend and his Thai wife (GF at the time) in a Rayong restaurant. There was a small shop next door and the woman running it had her two kids in the shop. One boy looked about 13 and the other was much younger aged about 5. When the mum left the shop for a short while leaving the two kids alone, the older one started bullying and harming the younger kid to the point where he started to cry. My mate got up and went across to the boy and told him to stop. His GF was beside herself with a mix of embarrassment and fear. She went crazy with him and told him not to get involved. It wasn’t his kid and why did he do this and why did he do that. The fact that she and other Thais were happy to sit by and watch this 13 year old essentially torture and beat up his younger sibling was apparently the Thai way. I wish now I had beat my friend to it and he wouldn’t have got such a hard time from her. 

The other day getting a taxi outside IconSiam this Thai guy maybe 19-21yrs old didn't wait for my wife to get in the taxi and tried to squeeze by and bumped into my wife 

 

I put my arm hard into his chest to where he fell backwards and told him to wait

 

Of course everyone around was looking at the crazy farang and not the rude little prick who bumped into my wife 

[Soidog]

18 minutes ago, Marc26 said:

The other day getting a taxi outside IconSiam this Thai guy maybe 19-21yrs old didn't wait for my wife to get in the taxi and tried to squeeze by and bumped into my wife 

I put my arm hard into his chest to where he fell backwards and told him to wait

Of course everyone around was looking at the crazy farang and not the rude little prick who bumped into my wife 

 

18 minutes ago, Marc26 said:

The other day getting a taxi outside IconSiam this Thai guy maybe 19-21yrs old didn't wait for my wife to get in the taxi and tried to squeeze by and bumped into my wife 

I put my arm hard into his chest to where he fell backwards and told him to wait

Of course everyone around was looking at the crazy farang and not the rude little prick who bumped into my wife 

Well done.

[palooka]

7 hours ago, Soidog said:

watch this 13 year old essentially torture and beat up his younger sibling was apparently the Thai way.

You are right there.  They call it "playing rough".

Wifes grandson did it to a somewhat younger sibling, got a big shock when he "accidently' got a huge bump as I bent down to pick up the 9-month-old granddaughter, he went flying across the room.

"Solly, solly I play rough".

Best behaved kid on the street now.

[HiuMak]

Thailand attracts young outlawish economical tourist. This is the outcome.

[TedG]

Riding around in shorts and flip-flops with a receipt for disaster.