Video: Water monitor leads to death of motorcyclist, but Thai TV finds it funny

[Trojan 27]

Westerners know nothing of Buddhist ways. The young man's just gets a new life. Probobly as a water monitor. And that'

[CanterbrigianBangkoker]

15 hours ago, millwall_fan said:

My wife says that this package shows due deference to the fact that the motorcyclist died. that it does not make light of this fact and that they were just reporting a news item in a manner that their viewers would understand. I trust that those who have jumped on their keyboards in the posts above speak fluent Thai and understand the nuances of the story from a Thai perspective. 

I speak Thai well enough to understand what was being said, and pleeeeease 'nuances'! In Thailand!? hahaha, that's a good one. So, is it safe to say you'll have the mourners crack out the slide-whistles at your or your loved ones' funerals, then? You listened to your wife (who is obviously Thai) about this matter, that was your first mistake! ???

[MaxYakov]

43 minutes ago, catman20 said:

im always surprised that slow moving vehicles  like motor bikes insist on driving in the faster lanes. i always keep as far left as possible when im riding a bike. Thais seem to have no scene of danger.

I don't have a problem with a motorcycle that can maintain traffic flow speed - and many of the muscle motorbikes can easily do that.  I watch them every day on Rachada Phisek and Sukhumvt every day in the fast lane and they can easily outrun almost any other vehicle on the road.

 

The problems as I see it are the motorcycles' relatively poor stopping distance  and maneuverability, poor operator training/experience and lack of operator protection in an accident. If anything, too many motorbikes are speeding well outside their safe performance envelope. I see (and, unfortunately, hear) them every day.

[Bangkok Barry]

As long as Thais find death on the roads a laughing matter nothing will change. It is impossible to think of more moronic behaviour. A pity that the person killed wasn't related to one of the presenters. Would they have been laughing then?

[mlkik]

I watched the video and listened to what the presenters said and they did show compassion to the deceased and were respectfull. The laughter was in regards to the presenter calling the lizard by its nick name ai hia which is used as an insult in Thai.

I am glad that 27 years ago I began to learn Thai as it enables me to understand and not jump to conclusions like the majority of people who just assume something just because they heard some laughter.

[Bangkok Barry]

4 minutes ago, mlkik said:

I watched the video and listened to what the presenters said and they did show compassion to the deceased and were respectfull. The laughter was in regards to the presenter calling the lizard by its nick name ai hia which is used as an insult in Thai.

I am glad that 27 years ago I began to learn Thai as it enables me to understand and not jump to conclusions like the majority of people who just assume something just because they heard some laughter.

 

No. Someone died and they were laughing. Can you ever imagine in the real world, in lands without child-adults, laughing during a news bulletin about someone being killed on the road, for whatever reason? And how about the moronic sound effects. How does your knowledge of Thai explain that?

[dick dasterdly]

On 6/5/2018 at 8:16 AM, darksidedog said:

There is something profoundly wrong with anyone who can find humour in someone being killed.

True, but I make an exception for those killed by an animal that they intended to kill.  e.g. bull-fighters/hunters.

[dick dasterdly]

19 hours ago, gandalf12 said:

In the UK if someone hits you from the back they are the ones at fault. Logic is they should have been driving at a safe distance and at a safe speed to enable them to stop if you suddenly had to make an emergency stop.

As always Thailand will blame anyone they can

"In the UK if someone hits you from the back they are the ones at fault."

 

A common misconception and not entirely true. 

[mlkik]

37 minutes ago, Bangkok Barry said:

 

No. Someone died and they were laughing. Can you ever imagine in the real world, in lands without child-adults, laughing during a news bulletin about someone being killed on the road, for whatever reason? And how about the moronic sound effects. How does your knowledge of Thai explain that?

Being able to understand Thai gives oneself the ability to understand the cultural differences and assimilate into living here easier. This is Thailand and we have to adapt to living here,it can be difficult if you do not speak or understand language and context. The so called moronic sound effects are added to soften the use of crude language when the presenters are using the hia,ai hia terms.

[CanterbrigianBangkoker]

15 minutes ago, mlkik said:

Being able to understand Thai gives oneself the ability to understand the cultural differences and assimilate into living here easier. This is Thailand and we have to adapt to living here,it can be difficult if you do not speak or understand language and context. The so called moronic sound effects are added to soften the use of crude language when the presenters are using the hia,ai hia terms.

15 minutes ago, mlkik said:

 

Wouldn't it make more sense not to use said 'crude language' when talking about an animal that was involved in an accident that ended in the tragic loss of life and therefore negate the 'comical noises' to help relieve any potential offense!? Problem is there is often no other term for an animal in Thai language - no scientific classifications here, haha! I agree that understanding the language opens doors to better understanding the culture and the people and to assimilating more effectively and garnering more respect and decency from our Thai counterparts. BUT, if you can't critique and comment when it is clearly within your rights to do so, then how do we as people or a society evolve? Anyway you cut it, whether with or without linguistic or contextual understanding - profanity, slide-whistles and slapstick 'boiiiinng' noises HAVE NO LEGITIMACY being used in a report on a road-traffic fatality. END OF. Levity is fine in many situations, but coming from a national news station showing actual footage of the death of a motor-cyclist it is simply 100% unacceptable and would never happen in the majority of countries across the world.

[mlkik]

48 minutes ago, CanterbrigianBangkoker said:

Wouldn't it make more sense not to use said 'crude language' when talking about an animal that was involved in an accident that ended in the tragic loss of life and therefore negate the 'comical noises' to help relieve any potential offense!? Problem is there is often no other term for an animal in Thai language - no scientific classifications here, haha! I agree that understanding the language opens doors to better understanding the culture and the people and to assimilating more effectively and garnering more respect and decency from our Thai counterparts. BUT, if you can't critique and comment when it is clearly within your rights to do so, then how do we as people or a society evolve? Anyway you cut it, whether with or without linguistic or contextual understanding - profanity, slide-whistles and slapstick 'boiiiinng' noises HAVE NO LEGITIMACY being used in a report on a road-traffic fatality. END OF. Levity is fine in many situations, but coming from a national news station showing actual footage of the death of a motor-cyclist it is simply 100% unacceptable and would never happen in the majority of countries across the world.

This is Thailand and we could spend all day talking about things that would never happen in the majority of  countries accross the world.

Us farang will never change anything here, we can only try to understand the cultural differences ,behavioral differences and what here is acceptable and adapt.It does not mean we should have to aprove or like.

[impulse]

2 hours ago, Bangkok Barry said:

As long as Thais find death on the roads a laughing matter nothing will change. It is impossible to think of more moronic behaviour. A pity that the person killed wasn't related to one of the presenters. Would they have been laughing then?

 

And yet, an unusual death reported here on TVF is likely to lead to a string of posts, joking about Darwin in action, thinning the herd, and improving the gene pool...

 

Often accompanied by a series of likes and piling on.

 

[CanuckThai]

23 hours ago, davidill said:

Yes it's a pity  R.I.P motor cycle rider.

This chart shows that the "3 second rule" is a sound piece of advice for cars and motorcycles.  For folks not aware....a 3 second distance spacing from the vehicle ahead, unrelated to speed.  

[CanterbrigianBangkoker]

30 minutes ago, mlkik said:

This is Thailand and we could spend all day talking about things that would never happen in the majority of  countries accross the world.

Us farang will never change anything here, we can only try to understand the cultural differences ,behavioral differences and what here is acceptable and adapt.It does not mean we should have to aprove or like.

I compare Thailand to the 'rest of the world' to gain some perspective, it's important to highlight the fact that in ANY developed country (and a great many less or undeveloped ones too)  this would never happen. This then surely tells you that the majority view it as abhorrently disrespectful - making those 'elements of Thai culture' who are responsible for and perpetuate it, aware of that - shaming them if you will, is one way to give them a reality check. I disagree with you that we as 'Farang' can't do anything to change their behaviour. Their views will take a lot longer to shift and they must evolve organically of course, but believe you me IF Thailand were to feel the effects of a boycott from European/Australian/American tourism due to disgust and outrage - they would soon change their behaviour. The other way we can influence society - and dare I say improve the mentality of the nation - is by inter-breeding. I'm not suggesting some kind of eugenics-esque population control hehehe, but the act of marrying and starting a family with a Thai woman or man can and does have an effect on the country and it's people - I have witnessed it myself.

[Somchai Logic]

Speaks volumes for the r3t@d3d mentality of this entire place 

[gandalf12]

4 hours ago, dick dasterdly said:

"In the UK if someone hits you from the back they are the ones at fault."

 

A common misconception and not entirely true. 

Justify your comment

[richard_smith237]

2 minutes ago, gandalf12 said:

4 hours ago, dick dasterdly said:

"In the UK if someone hits you from the back they are the ones at fault."

 

A common misconception and not entirely true. 

Justify your comment

 

Common sense needs justification?

 

There are a number of examples where 'rear-ending' someone may actually be the fault of the 'rear-endee' rather than the 'rear-ender'.... i.e. deliberate accidents in insurance fraud etc.

[gandalf12]

2 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

 

Common sense needs justification?

 

There are a number of examples where 'rear-ending' someone may actually be the fault of the 'rear-endee' rather than the 'rear-ender'.... i.e. deliberate accidents in insurance fraud etc.

Making a statement without justification does. That isnt common sense to accept it just plain stupidity

[Bangkok Barry]

1 hour ago, CanterbrigianBangkoker said:

I compare Thailand to the 'rest of the world' to gain some perspective, it's important to highlight the fact that in ANY developed country (and a great many less or undeveloped ones too)  this would never happen. This then surely tells you that the majority view it as abhorrently disrespectful - making those 'elements of Thai culture' who are responsible for and perpetuate it, aware of that - shaming them if you will, is one way to give them a reality check. I disagree with you that we as 'Farang' can't do anything to change their behaviour. Their views will take a lot longer to shift and they must evolve organically of course, but believe you me IF Thailand were to feel the effects of a boycott from European/Australian/American tourism due to disgust and outrage - they would soon change their behaviour. The other way we can influence society - and dare I say improve the mentality of the nation - is by inter-breeding. I'm not suggesting some kind of eugenics-esque population control hehehe, but the act of marrying and starting a family with a Thai woman or man can and does have an effect on the country and it's people - I have witnessed it myself.

 

Thais really do not care what foreigners think of them. They are fine, thanks, in their own little bubble where, I might add, their economy is so strong that it has been entirely unaffected by coups and riots for decades while the so-called developed countries are drowning under a mountain of debt. And in turn the rest of the world really isn't very interested in an insignificant SE Asian nation that has zero influence or effect on them in relation to social, economic, military or political affairs and is best known for its ladyboys and prostitutes, not the daily carnage on its roads or the child mentality of much of its population.

So there will be no boycott of anything. If things carried on as usual, for example trading after the many political upheavals, there is zero chance that the many negative aspects of Thai culture are going to have the slightest effect. No ambassadors are going to be recalled, no trade boycott is going to be put in place, tourists will continue to come as usual. Which is why the Thais don't care what 'we' think and say.

 

[CanterbrigianBangkoker]

5 minutes ago, Bangkok Barry said:

 

Thais really do not care what foreigners think of them. They are fine, thanks, in their own little bubble where, I might add, their economy is so strong that it has been entirely unaffected by coups and riots for decades while the so-called developed countries are drowning under a mountain of debt. And in turn the rest of the world really isn't very interested in an insignificant SE nation that has zero influence or effect on them in relation to social, economic, military or political affairs and is best known for its ladyboys and prostitutes, not the daily carnage on its roads or the child mentality of much of its population.

 

I wouldn't disagree. But I don't think this challenges any of the points I made. As I said, perhaps with more inter-breeding and the spreading (through the family units that stay together) of Western concepts, ethics and culture - we can change the face of Thailand very slowly, but positively? Just a thought.

[Bangkok Barry]

21 minutes ago, CanterbrigianBangkoker said:

I wouldn't disagree. But I don't think this challenges any of the points I made. As I said, perhaps with more inter-breeding and the spreading (through the family units that stay together) of Western concepts, ethics and culture - we can change the face of Thailand very slowly, but positively? Just a thought.

 

In a country of nearly 70 million it would need a hell of a lot of inter-breeding, and that still would offer no certainty at all that it would change or even dent their culture. And maybe in some things they are right, such as not thinking or caring about things that don't affect them, while we endlessly discuss and worry about world affairs that we have no influence over. I began another thread about that a few months ago. With the subject of this thread, maybe they were making light of it because in their mind it was done, over, someone was dead and nothing was going to change that. Thais have a very, very different mentality to us and they obviously feel that it works for them.

By the way, I edited (added) to my post as you were commenting on it.

[CanterbrigianBangkoker]

24 minutes ago, Bangkok Barry said:

 

In a country of nearly 70 million it would need a hell of a lot of inter-breeding, and that still would offer no certainty at all that it would change or even dent their culture. And maybe in some things they are right, such as not thinking or caring about things that don't affect them, while we endlessly discuss and worry about world affairs that we have no influence over. I began another thread about that a few months ago. With the subject of this thread, maybe they were making light of it because in their mind it was done, over, someone was dead and nothing was going to change that. Thais have a very, very different mentality to us and they obviously feel that it works for them.

By the way, I edited (aded) to my post as you were commenting on it.

Again, I agree with most of your sentiments here. The Thais (many Asian peoples in general) have grown up with a very different culture, mindset and outlook to us Europeans / progeny of Europeans. I'm not here to say that one culture is inherently better or worse, that's highly arrogant, but we can, I think, be objective about certain elements of any culture (or at least should be able to be) and say that certain ways of living / when certain rules are followed the outcome is clearly superior and makes for a better and happier existence for those who live that way.

 

The Thais have their own way of doing things and I for one will never understand many of those ways and perhaps I'm not supposed to & that's fine. Kipling famously remarked - 'East is east and west is west and never the twain shall meet', he had a point!

 

Dispersing ones genetics in to the gene pool here is in my eyes helpful though, and as bigoted and white supremacist as that may sound, my sentiments are not such. I think blending our culture with theirs through the conduit of repopulating / altering the gene pool with our offspring, but, more crucially, by disseminating our values and concepts through our children - does work - albeit slowly. I know many 'luk-kreung', having one of my own, and I have worked with many in previous years as a former teacher - as well as having some adult 'LK' friends too. To my mind they are often the most well-adjusted 'Thais' you will find and bring both cultures, ideas and bearings to the table in one package - especially if they're lucky enough to have been educated to a decent enough standard - and I don't necessarily mean scholastically, either.

 

- The insouciance of Thai culture towards respecting the dead and the prizing of life itself has always troubled me and is something I'll never be able to understand, nor wish to. I'm sure they feel the same way about certain aspects of our culture too. The difference is, they (the average Thai) does not understand mine in the way that I understand theirs, so who is better placed to make a judgement?

[catman20]

7 hours ago, MaxYakov said:

I don't have a problem with a motorcycle that can maintain traffic flow speed - and many of the muscle motorbikes can easily do that.  I watch them every day on Rachada Phisek and Sukhumvt every day in the fast lane and they can easily outrun almost any other vehicle on the road.

 

The problems as I see it are the motorcycles' relatively poor stopping distance  and maneuverability, poor operator training/experience and lack of operator protection in an accident. If anything, too many motorbikes are speeding well outside their safe performance envelope. I see (and, unfortunately, hear) them every day.

agree but, how many big powerful bike ridden by Thais do you see every day compared to the small 125cc in the fast lanes not keeping up with the flow of traffic these are the ones that are mostly killed.

[johng]

agree but, how many big powerful bike ridden by Thais do you see every day compared to the small 125cc in the fast lanes not keeping up with the flow of traffic these are the ones that are mostly killed.

Most 125cc can easily do 100 kph,
Top speed on anything but tollways (bikes prohibited) is supposed to be 90kph
the main problem is speeding 4 +wheelers not slow 2 wheelers.

[dick dasterdly]

19 hours ago, gandalf12 said:

Justify your comment

I worked for quite a few years in the claims dept. of an insurance company - albeit decades ago.

 

There is a 'famous' (in the claims world!) case of someone who braked suddenly as there was a dog in the road and was hit by the vehicle following. The first driver was held responsible (for braking suddenly, and unexpectedly IIRC).

 

There are other instances where the car hit in the rear would be held responsible too.  e.g. moving out into the overtaking lane in front of an oncoming vehicle.

[Gandtee]

20 hours ago, CanterbrigianBangkoker said:

Again, I agree with most of your sentiments here. The Thais (many Asian peoples in general) have grown up with a very different culture, mindset and outlook to us Europeans / progeny of Europeans. I'm not here to say that one culture is inherently better or worse, that's highly arrogant, but we can, I think, be objective about certain elements of any culture (or at least should be able to be) and say that certain ways of living / when certain rules are followed the outcome is clearly superior and makes for a better and happier existence for those who live that way.

 

The Thais have their own way of doing things and I for one will never understand many of those ways and perhaps I'm not supposed to & that's fine. Kipling famously remarked - 'East is east and west is west and never the twain shall meet', he had a point!

 

Dispersing ones genetics in to the gene pool here is in my eyes helpful though, and as bigoted and white supremacist as that may sound, my sentiments are not such. I think blending our culture with theirs through the conduit of repopulating / altering the gene pool with our offspring, but, more crucially, by disseminating our values and concepts through our children - does work - albeit slowly. I know many 'luk-kreung', having one of my own, and I have worked with many in previous years as a former teacher - as well as having some adult 'LK' friends too. To my mind they are often the most well-adjusted 'Thais' you will find and bring both cultures, ideas and bearings to the table in one package - especially if they're lucky enough to have been educated to a decent enough standard - and I don't necessarily mean scholastically, either.

 

- The insouciance of Thai culture towards respecting the dead and the prizing of life itself has always troubled me and is something I'll never be able to understand, nor wish to. I'm sure they feel the same way about certain aspects of our culture too. The difference is, they (the average Thai) does not understand mine in the way that I understand theirs, so who is better placed to make a judgement?

You've hit the nail on the head. My Thai wife and I have  raised a Thai boy almost from birth and regard him as our son He is now seventeen. He speaks English as a native English speaker and is interested. Whereas my wife of thirty years who also speaks English, has no interest in anything outside her family and immediate circle. Her attitude is 'Why are you bothering? It's nothing to do with you and you can't do anything about it.' But then we have the whistleblowers who have spoken up and brought about some sort of change. They have done something about it! 'Every action has a reaction?'

[millwall_fan]

On 6/6/2018 at 9:12 AM, CanterbrigianBangkoker said:

I speak Thai well enough to understand what was being said, and pleeeeease 'nuances'! In Thailand!? hahaha, that's a good one. So, is it safe to say you'll have the mourners crack out the slide-whistles at your or your loved ones' funerals, then? You listened to your wife (who is obviously Thai) about this matter, that was your first mistake! ???

Listening to my (Thai) wife has kept our marriage going strong for 16 years. After all that time I may still only have a rudimentary understanding of the nuances (I still use that word) of the Thai thought process.  You, however, clearly have none. 

[CanterbrigianBangkoker]

9 minutes ago, millwall_fan said:

Listening to my (Thai) wife has kept our marriage going strong for 16 years. After all that time I may still only have a rudimentary understanding of the nuances (I still use that word) of the Thai thought process.  You, however, clearly have none. 

It's important to listen, I agree, I've been with my (Thai-Burmese) missus for 8 years myself, so I know the importance of it. Sounds like you have bought into it all a bit too heavily if you think that what we all witnessed on this tabloid trash TV network can be justified by cultural 'nuances' (of which Thai culture seemingly has very, very few). I know how many will think as I know the people well. Sometimes I have no idea why they think the way they do, but they may well feel the same about us 'farang'? That's fine and understandable. I'm not here to debate which culture is subjectively or objectively 'better' , but I think maybe you're head has been spun if you've become an apologist for such disrespectful and asinine behaviour - which IS what it is, anyway you cut it! A great many more intelligent Thais would agree with me too.

[johng]

On 6/5/2018 at 5:25 PM, millwall_fan said:

My wife says that this package shows due deference to the fact that the motorcyclist died. that it does not make light of this fact and that they were just reporting a news item in a manner that their viewers would understand.

Yes I tend to agree,   and the laughter was about the  Lizards name... near the end the male presenter notes that Thailand only has Zebra crossings which he correctly informs the audience are for Zebras to cross the road not for Lizards (or Humans IMHO) that would be a Lizard crossing...the female presenter informs that the stretch of road has very fast traffic with no police enforcement  but recently  speed cameras have been installed and fines issued, I think an attempt to get a message across in a upbeat way.

[George FmplesdaCosteedback]

Life is cheap here, supposed Buddhists or not.

Driving too close to the vehicle in front is normal.

This is Thailand not the West.

RIP young man.