Video: New Zealander collides with Thai motorcyclist going the wrong way on bridge in Rayong

[ndfdjnd]

Just now, SunsetT said:

They are stupid and dumb but through no fault of their own.

They aren't, they just think differently to you, the whole mindset is completely different.  Remember the isaan Thais are saying exactly the same thing about foreigners who 'know nothing'.  At least one of you is wrong, or more likely, you both are.

[mrfill]

35 minutes ago, dinsdale said:

Yes, the motorcylist should not have been there but (and yes there's a but) the Kiwi seems to be moving pretty quick (hard to tell but sure flies past the truck and the white pickup) but how did he not see the motorcycle. The middle lane was clear to move into to avoid the collision and there seems to be absolutely no movement to avoid.?

You do realise that the helpful circle around the motorcycle was added later, I trust. With a likely closing speed around 120mph and no headlight, it is not easy to see and reaction time would have to include the time taken to realise that it was really happening.

[Burma Bill]

Here in rural Issan this is a common and dangerous practice especially on dual carriageways where official "U" turns are often infrequent. Motorbikes and cars will drive from a village road onto the carriageway and then proceed on the hard shoulder in the wrong direction towards you rather than take the correct turn to the nearest "U" turn which may be quite a distance away. This is especially dangerous at night when you suddenly see headlights appear in the dark travelling towards you on the wrong side.

[mrfill]

17 minutes ago, Burma Bill said:

Here in rural Issan this is a common and dangerous practice especially on dual carriageways where official "U" turns are often infrequent. Motorbikes and cars will drive from a village road onto the carriageway and then proceed on the hard shoulder in the wrong direction towards you rather than take the correct turn to the nearest "U" turn which may be quite a distance away. This is especially dangerous at night when you suddenly see headlights appear in the dark travelling towards you on the wrong side.

While it is common to see bikes going the wrong way on the hard shoulder/bike lane, this was a bike in the fast lane and that's not common.

[Crossy]

33 minutes ago, mrfill said:

... it is not easy to see and reaction time would have to include the time taken to realise that it was really happening.

My thoughts exactly, but I would still have expected a jink to the left from the car driver, even if there was something there the impact would have been far less devastating.

 

I too have met bikes coming the wrong way on a divided highway, luckily with a reasonable right hand shoulder, they come up very fast from an unexpected direction.

 

Here, note the (lucky) right hand shoulder.

 

[Frotting]

7 hours ago, Lowryderen said:

So the family will not pursue it further... Right! But the NZ should! What about damages to his car, and the psychological factor of having killed someone, even if it's not his fault in any way.. The family should be happy if the NZ don't pursue it further! Sad for them to have lost a family member, but it was to his own stupidity. *If* the motorbike had insurance, it should take care of it, but if not (and thats not unlikely) the family should pay up. Good luck with that though!

Same thing happened to me 4 years ago.  Motorbike overtook lorry and pulled out straight into my path.  Even someone with the reactions of Bruce Lee could not have avoided it, must have had about 25 milliseconds before impact.  Yep the man on the motorbike died instantly.  No crash helmet either, not that it would have made any difference.  My car would have been a write off anywhere else, but I got it fixed and my insurance - YES - MY insurance had to pay as the motorcyclist had none.  In addition I had to pay 200,000 baht more as the insurance would only pay 250k.  Took 6 months to rebuild the car, during which time I hired one at a cost of 30k per month.  So basically cost me a shitload of money just over the stupidity of a Thai motorcyclist.  Am I sorry he died? Not at all.  One less of the idiots around, but another born every minute.  Will they ever learn? No.  Feel sorry for the NZ guy as he will have to foot the bill if he does not have No 1 insurance, and depending on where it happened maybe even the police will try a shakedown as this is too good an opportunity for them to miss (faring kills Thai on motorbike).  Even though the car driver was in the right, the point they will try to put across is that if he wasn't there it could not have happened.  In my case a very powerful local friend of the family interceded on my behalf and the police wound their necks in.

[oldlakey]

5 hours ago, Chelseafan said:

Unfortunately Thai's don't always see it that way and would likely blame the New Zealander  - If he wasn't in Thailand then this tragic event wouldn't have occurred.

 

 

Yes it would have occurred sooner or later, because the rider was a complete pratt

[richard_smith237]

On a city road two lanes in either direction with a central divide... I was on the inside lane and someone stepped off the pavement and started to walk straight towards me. 

 

I was traveling at about 40-50kmh... there was a car to my immediate right so I couldn't change lanes. 

I wondered what on earth the guy walking towards me was doing and when was he going to get out of the way. As soon as I realized he wasn't getting out of the way I had to break sharply and stop in front of him. The pedestrian, a Thai guy, about 40yrs old, looked fairly middle class just carried on walking towards me the stepped back on to the footpath... (there was no blockage on the footpath for him to avoid). 

I wonder if this pedestrian realized how much pain I'd saved him by paying attention to the road ahead of me.

I still wonder what on earth, if anything, was going on in his head. 

 

Thus: This motorcycle rider who died was probably not thinking anything, or he may have simply entered the road and thought he was in his correct lane, not on the wrong side of a divided highway. 

 

 

 

 

[willow wilson]

Unfortunately he may have been wearing one of those 200bt helmets.

 

[oldlakey]

3 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

On a city road two lanes in either direction with a central divide... I was on the inside lane and someone stepped off the pavement and started to walk straight towards me. 

 

I was traveling at about 40-50kmh... there was a car to my immediate right so I couldn't change lanes. 

I wondered what on earth the guy walking towards me was doing and when was he going to get out of the way. As soon as I realized he wasn't getting out of the way I had to break sharply and stop in front of him. The pedestrian, a Thai guy, about 40yrs old, looked fairly middle class just carried on walking towards me the stepped back on to the footpath... (there was no blockage on the footpath for him to avoid). 

I wonder if this pedestrian realized how much pain I'd saved him by paying attention to the road ahead of me.

I still wonder what on earth, if anything, was going on in his head. 

 

Thus: This motorcycle rider who died was probably not thinking anything, or he may have simply entered the road and thought he was in his correct lane, not on the wrong side of a divided highway. 

 

 

 

 

He thought he was riding his moto

[bri1guy]

8 hours ago, colinneil said:

Another life lost due to stupidity, the motorcyclist was 100% at fault.

What was he doing riding in the fast lane against oncoming traffic?

The dead mans family are not pursuing the case, it would be pointless anyway.

 

Most of the time it would be the trucks fault,   Truck is bigger so trucks fault,  plus not thai driver of truck so money would be paid either way but since  motorcyclist going wrong way this is the unfortunate death caused by himself..

[richard_smith237]

1 hour ago, lvr181 said:

Thank goodness for dash cam!

This is the exact reason I have dash-cams installed.... 

 

When some motorcycle pulls out of the side street without looking, straight into my path, or if a car does the same, or if a motorcycle drives the wrong way down the street straight into me... when pretty much anything happens and an accident or worse is caused and I'm not at fault the Dash-Cam evidence comes in very handy. 

 

 

[Destiny1990]

Sometimes crash helmets dont matter.

[scubascuba3]

I would have liked to have seen the New Zealander at least brake and swerve a bit to avoid

[oldlakey]

3 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said:

I would have liked to have seen the New Zealander at least brake and swerve a bit to avoid

AS would the motorcyclist

[Catkiwi]

7 hours ago, wgdanson said:

However, the Kiwi was driving in the 'fast' lane with a clear 'middle' lane, he had just overtaken the light coloured pick-up. Why didn't he move over. He had 4 or 5 seconds to take evasive action

Hopefully that is some black humour there. Otherwise it is one of the most illogical things that I have ever heard. I guess he had no right to be in the fast lane since that is where motor bikes are supposed to travel the wrong way....?

[Stevemercer]

Of course the motorcyclist is at fault. However, a western court/insurance company would assess the fault as 90% motorcyclist and 10% motorist in terms of any insurance payout (e.g. the motorist would have 10% deducted from any insurance or civil payout).

 

The motorcyclist was on the wrong side of the road and had no light. The motorist was cruising in the right hand lane (e.g. not just using it for overtaking) and observations/reactions were slow.

 

 

 

[Catkiwi]

1 hour ago, dinsdale said:

Yes, the motorcylist should not have been there but (and yes there's a but) the Kiwi seems to be moving pretty quick (hard to tell but sure flies past the truck and the white pickup) but how did he not see the motorcycle. The middle lane was clear to move into to avoid the collision and there seems to be absolutely no movement to avoid.?

So the Kiwi was speeding, in the lane reserved for idiots going the wrong way and recklessly drove straight into the bike on purpose? Right then, case closed!

[Kieran00001]

8 hours ago, Lowryderen said:

So the family will not pursue it further... Right! But the NZ should! What about damages to his car, and the psychological factor of having killed someone, even if it's not his fault in any way.. The family should be happy if the NZ don't pursue it further! Sad for them to have lost a family member, but it was to his own stupidity. *If* the motorbike had insurance, it should take care of it, but if not (and thats not unlikely) the family should pay up. Good luck with that though!

 

Why should the family pay?  Which members of his family?

[snowgard]

8 hours ago, Lowryderen said:

So the family will not pursue it further... Right! But the NZ should! 

What the NZ can do against a death man? Bring him to court?

[tropo]

3 hours ago, wgdanson said:

Nobody has suggested yet that the motorcyclist WANTED to crash. Now I have, but we'll never know, unless the BIB go interview his family and ask what his state of mind was. And of course, do a blood test for drugs/booze on his body.

I'll tell you what I have noticed after many years of riding bikes here. Bikes often ride on the wrong side of the road and on-comers usually see them and give them space. It is so commonly done, no one tends to get upset. It upsets foreigners much more than Thais, that's for sure. It used to really p** me off, having to make way for people on the wrong side of the road, but now I've adopted a Thai attitude toward it.

 

Perhaps the Thai motorcyclist expected that the Kiwi would have seen him and moved over, much as a Thai driver would have. He certainly had lots of space on the road. He didn't count on the Kiwi sleeping at the wheel.

[dotpoom]

 

"Thai Rath said that he was trying to save time by going the wrong way."

  I wonder how they came by that piece of information?

 Of the constant instances of this behaviour I see daily ...one thing does Not jump out at me....that they are doing this to save time....I'm sorry to say it bur it appears to me to be pure and simple "lazyness"

    All the same....may the deceased R.I.P. 

 

[tropo]

4 hours ago, transam said:

But the Kiwi was not you, ..If Mrs.Trans was driving the Kiwi truck the biker would have landed in Lao.....Get a grip man...

It's really you who needs to get a grip. You get distressed when someone doesn't agree with you and start threatening to pull forum support on that member. Maybe you're past getting a grip as you've totally lost the plot.

[BigT73]

4 hours ago, Sakeopete said:

Driving/riding in Thailand is exciting like being in a Hollywood movie. TAT should advertise it as a tourist attraction. Call it the Mad Max film experience Thai style you can pretend to be Mel Gibson.

The upside you dont have to pretend to be Mel Gibson loads of rambling drunks here.

[Thian]

2 hours ago, ToddinChonburi said:

Oh don't worry the Thai family will soon be at the police station expecting compensation for the dead idiot.  story coming soon.

Should we guess 500,000 baht as a starting point.

Well they can always try, can't they?

 

Driving against traffic is the ultimate proof that the police is not in control on the roads. I bet every westerner can't believe what he's seeing in Thailands traffic.

[tropo]

3 hours ago, Tongjaw said:

If you believe the kiwi had time to see the small motorbike then surely the motorbike had the time to see the larger vehicle and take evasive action for his stupidity.  He didn’t even attempt to pull over to miss the Kiwi. Usually the idiot motorbike drivers drive on the left hand side the wrong way so maybe the kiwi thought he was safe enough on the right lane. 

So what's your point? Anything the Thai did or didn't do doesn't change the fact that the Kiwi had some time to react and possibly avoid the collision. By the looks of it, he didn't even try. Maybe he was playing a game of chicken - who's going to move over first.

[richard_smith237]

25 minutes ago, tropo said:

I'll tell you what I have noticed after many years of riding bikes here. Bikes often ride on the wrong side of the road and on-comers usually see them and give them space. It is so commonly done, no one tends to get upset. It upsets foreigners much more than Thais, that's for sure. It used to really p** me off, having to make way for people on the wrong side of the road, but now I've adopted a Thai attitude toward it.

 

Perhaps the Thai motorcyclist expected that the Kiwi would have seen him and moved over, much as a Thai driver would have. He certainly had lots of space on the road. He didn't count on the Kiwi sleeping at the wheel.

 

Your point that it can be expected that motorcycles travel the wrong way is valid but only up to a very limited extent.... traveling the wrong on the extreme left shoulder... but not in the outside / fast lane into oncoming traffic on a 3 lane highway with barriers...

 

After driving here for 20 years seeing a motorcycle coming towards me while I'm in the outside lane of a highway would be so alien it would take me additional time to react. 

 

I think your comment of the 'Kiwi sleeping at the wheel' is highly unfair in this situation. 

[oldlakey]

18 minutes ago, tropo said:

I'll tell you what I have noticed after many years of riding bikes here. Bikes often ride on the wrong side of the road and on-comers usually see them and give them space. It is so commonly done, no one tends to get upset. It upsets foreigners much more than Thais, that's for sure. It used to really p** me off, having to make way for people on the wrong side of the road, but now I've adopted a Thai attitude toward it.

 

Perhaps the Thai motorcyclist expected that the Kiwi would have seen him and moved over, much as a Thai driver would have. He certainly had lots of space on the road. He didn't count on the Kiwi sleeping at the wheel.

He took far too much for granted if you are correct, especially as his life was at stake

He wont make the same mistake again

 

 

[travelman6]

I have NO sympathy, one less stupid driver on the road.

[usacb500biker]

Two accidents,first 80 yr old Thai man on a 3 wheel trash motorcycle came out of side street and farang killed him. cops said no problem. 3 months later,called him to the station he paid family and I guess the cops  300,000 B.      #2   Mate  was hit by a taxi driver said his fault, has excellent insurance. Hospital bill was 300,000 B. Mate in a wheel chair, cops ask him come to the station to make a report, he signed  the report, sorry no report, in Thai. Ha Ha,  it was insurance forums saying he settled for 240,000 B .  He could not walk for a year, 24/7 pain, think about that and he  had to PAY the hospital  60,000 B. Out of his pocket, Beware beware.. Dealing with Thai s  better bring a Thai !!! ..