Public backlash as Thais slam new pick-up passenger rules

[webfact]

Public backlash as Thais slam new pick-up passenger rules

 

Picture: Thai Rath

 

BANGKOK: -- The Thai public has given a massive thumbs down to the authorities after plans to ban people in the back of pick-ups were announced.

 

And they are shocked that the moves are not just for Songkran - they are for keeps.

 

And additionally a key police spokesman has clarified that people will not be able to travel in the back row of seats in a pick-up's cab either. That will generate a fine in future.

 

But "song thaews" (passenger vehicles with two rows of seats and a cover that some refer to as baht buses) are exempt. As are some

vehicles carrying farming produce in agricultural areas.

 

The spokesman also reiterated that people splashing water in certain areas will not be fined.

 

Foreign nationals on Thaivisa have also commented in large numbers on the moves.

 

Yesterday influential Thai media Thai Rath posed the question in an online poll:

 

"Songkran this year: No sitting in the back of pick-ups - do you agree?"

 

By press time 25,194 had voted.

 

"Yes" garnered just 6,029 votes.

 

"No" swamped the poll with 19,165 votes - or about 76% of the public.

 

Image: Thai Rath

 

The story was shared right across social media.

 

Thai police HQ assistant chief Withaya Prayongphan appeared on Thai Rath's Channel 32 TV show "Direct questions".

 

He said that vehicles registered for passenger use with two rows of seats are not included in the ban.

 

But other private pick-ups are banned from carrying passengers in the back - and not just for the upcoming Songkran holidays. It will apply throughout the year now.

 

In addition he said that passengers will not be able to use the space behind the driver in the cab to sit in. He said this was not designed for passenger use but was for transporting goods.

 

Image: Thai Rath

 

If passengers are in this space that will be deemed "wrong use" according to the law.

 

He stressed that the ban will be relaxed in slow moving areas that are clearly marked as places where Thais will engage in water splashing activities at Songkran.

 

And he said that the fines will not apply to pick-ups transporting agricultural produce in rural areas. Workers will be able to sit in the back in these cases.

 

Meanwhile Thai Rath prepared a video entitled:

 

"Concerned for us or after our money?" as Thais everywhere hit out at what many see as government control over an accepted part of the Thai way of life - and possibly just another way for the police to extract money in more fines.

 

Foreigners commenting on Thaivisa also questioned whether the police could really enforce such a ban.

 

Some asked how people at Songkran were expected to get to and from the areas where they might play water fights.

 

Poster "davehowden" said: "Thais not allowed to sit in the back of a pick-up? You might as well stop my mother-in-law from picking her nose".

 

But responding to a timely "Midweek Rant" published by Thaivisa referring to a "Songkran Smokescreen", "pattayadgw" said: "I see that FINALLY they are making riding in the back of pick-ups illegal.....NOT BEFORE TIME!!"

 

Source: Thai Rath

 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2017-04-05

 

[AGareth2]

the worrying thing is that the Thai community reads Thai Visa!

also how does this relate to 4 door pick-ups?

[colinneil]

For years police have been trying to enforce the wearing of helmets on motorbikes.

That hasnt worked, neither will this 1.

[geriatrickid]

15 minutes ago, AGareth2 said:

the worrying thing is that the Thai community reads Thai Visa!

also how does this relate to 4 door pick-ups?

Please use common sense: A 4 door vehicle will have a proper seating restraints in the passenger area. The intent is to keep people out of the interior cargo area in the 2 door vehicles because the passengers are trapped and  cannot exit when the vehicle crashes. Passengers typically asphyxiate or burn to death in serious crashes that crumple the front ends. One should not transport people in a vehicle trunk either.

 

 

The government is to be commended for this attempt at dealing with a major source of death and serious injuries in car crashes. People are thrown out of the vehicles and have their heads split open like melons dropped on the  ground. Sadly, I anticipate it will be as enforced as effectively as the helmet law.

[Jeremy50]

It's a start, now all the other road madnesses need to be addressed.  Driving on the wrong side of the road, driving without lights, insane overtaking, cutting the corners at junctions, driving slowly in the fast lane, etc etc etc

[thequietman]

3 minutes ago, geriatrickid said:

Please use common sense: A 4 door vehicle will have a proper seating restraints in the passenger area. The intent is to keep people out of the interior cargo area in the 2 door vehicles because the passengers are trapped and  cannot exit when the vehicle crashes. Passengers typically asphyxiate or burn to death in serious crashes that crumple the front ends. One should not transport people in a vehicle trunk either.

 

 

The government is to be commended for this attempt at dealing with a major source of death and serious injuries in car crashes. People are thrown out of the vehicles and have their heads split open like melons dropped on the  ground. Sadly, I anticipate it will be as enforced as effectively as the helmet law.

Are smart cabs to be excluded. The back doors do open?

[worgeordie]

Can see another U-turn coming,

regards worgeordie

[LazySlipper]

Thainess rule # 1 

There is no such thing as a rule that must be followed. Rules are meant to be bent!

[taichiplanet]

if people are stupid enough to sit or stand in the tray of a pickup, let them. At least there is a good chance it will take them out of the gene pool. Just don't complain or try to extract money out of someone when your loved one ends up dead. Same goes for not wearing a helmet.

 

The laws are there, all that is lacking is enforcement. i don't want a nanny state but i don't want to see the madness on Thai roads every single minute!

 

 

[inzman]

 The plod can't and won't enforce any existing laws, this will not be enforced either. There is no proactive enforcement here only reactive, roadblocks to collect  tea money. 

[geriatrickid]

24 minutes ago, thequietman said:

Are smart cabs to be excluded. The back doors do open?

I expect that smart cabs that have  proper seat restraints will be classified as acceptable. Honestly,  my impression is that the Thais are applying the same approach as is employed in  Canada/New Zealand/Australia/USA where these types of  vehicles are common. Can't say I have seen too many of these types of vehicles on the roads in London or  Milan  :)

[thequietman]

Just now, geriatrickid said:

I expect that smart cabs that have  proper seat restraints will be classified as acceptable. Honestly,  my impression is that the Thais are applying the same approach as is employed in  Canada/New Zealand/Australia/USA where these types of  vehicles are common. Can't say I have seen too many of these types of vehicles on the roads in London or  Milan  :)

GK, any ideas where we could buy restraints?

[Thailand]

Massive income increases on the way for the BIB

 

Awesome day today with another few billion baht spent on more usless tanks to go with the submarines and now this from the non think tank.

[KhunBENQ]

Will transportation of 30+ Burmese slaves workers standing on the cargo area of big trucks also be forbidden?

Parts of the economy would come to a halt.

 

Completely unrealistic that the pickup ban will be enforced nationwide.

Also I doubt that there is something new about it.

I am quite sure it was always forbidden as so many other dangerous practices.

[thequietman]

17 minutes ago, geriatrickid said:

I expect that smart cabs that have  proper seat restraints will be classified as acceptable. Honestly,  my impression is that the Thais are applying the same approach as is employed in  Canada/New Zealand/Australia/USA where these types of  vehicles are common. Can't say I have seen too many of these types of vehicles on the roads in London or  Milan  :)

Just checked under seat for smart cab. There is no where to bolt a restraint ! <deleted> !

[darksidedog]

It is so very obvious to us that traveling in the back of a pick up is dangerous and yet 76% of Thais object.  If this is indeed enforced, I predict the number of deaths on the roads here will drop dramatically.

Problem is many Thais have bought pick ups as the tax is lower.

[onemorechang]

Ha Ha

Suck it up. boys.

If you lot were not such bad drivers,   on the roads this may have not have ever come into play.   ( think its a good idea myself but un workable ) Any rules that clamp down on bad  Driving  practices of the Thais i'm all for it.

Lets have a load more rules brought in !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yes,    It's time to call time on the roads of Thailand

it may even save a few lives.

 

Maybe start with the Police arresting themselves,   as they don't where seat belts and they  travel in the open back of pick up. Maybe it will be ok for official police business. ?

 

Think this will be a nice little earner for them.

Amazing Thailand.

 

 

[Cuchulainn]

OK then, leave it. Let them kill themselves!!

[Gulfsailor]

54 minutes ago, thequietman said:

Are smart cabs to be excluded. The back doors do open?

If the license plate is black on white, then it's classed as a passenger vehicle, and with seat belts it should be allright to sit in the back. 

If the plate is green on white, then it's classed as a two door pick up and no passengers are allowed in the back. That's also why these cars are much cheaper than double cab or sedans and SUVs, because they have a much lower tax on it. 

[Cuchulainn]

46 minutes ago, LazySlipper said:

Thainess rule # 1 

There is no such thing as a rule that must be followed. Rules are meant to be bent!

 

Bent?

 

Twisted, mangled, ignored, laughed at and finally smashed to smithereens.

[fforest1]

No more arresting criminals,beach road riff raff,or thieving ladyboys

because they now cant ride in the back of a police pick-up to be taken

to jail....

 

[overherebc]

43 minutes ago, thequietman said:

GK, any ideas where we could buy restraints?

Most car spares shops sell them.

Just replaced all four in my car.

One problem for pick up mounting in the rear seat is that there may not be bolting points fitted.

Re two doors, my car is two door, will the law have any impact on that? Same as two door pick up with a back seat.

Just sayin.

?

[jaltsc]

“The Thai public has given a massive thumbs down to the authorities after plans to ban people in the back of pick-ups were announced.”

 

Typical of the thinking that is prevalent. When you are taught what to think and not how to think, you cannot identify the risks and benefits of any action. All these protesters see is the inconvenience and do not have a clue of the dangers involved with having 10+ people riding in the bed of a pickup. Sometimes it is the job of the government to protect its citizenry from their own stupidity and ignorance.

 

In this case, people will continue to do what is convenient for them. Perhaps the only law that will affect them is that of natural selection. Unfortunately, there will be many innocent children who will affected by their elders stupidity.

[hgma]

I just come back from the police station and asked if my Mazda B50 2 by 2cab doors was illegal as well.

Clearly the second back cab door was designed to let personal in&out.

They explained to me that it was illegal as well, they were not amused by this ruling , i can tell you.

Anyway......i carry on taking my kids from school and will install 2 new seat belts at the back!!

Noted

[jaltsc]

1 hour ago, Jeremy50 said:

It's a start, now all the other road madnesses need to be addressed.  Driving on the wrong side of the road, driving without lights, insane overtaking, cutting the corners at junctions, driving slowly in the fast lane, etc etc etc

How many lifetimes are you talking about?

[Gulfsailor]

1 minute ago, hgma said:

I just come back from the police station and asked if my Mazda B50 2 by 2cab doors was illegal as well.

Clearly the second back cab door was designed to let personal in&out.

They explained to me that it was illegal as well, they were not amused by this ruling , i can tell you.

Anyway......i carry on taking my kids from school and will install 2 new seat belts at the back!!

Noted

So until now you had your kids in the car without them having on a seatbelt? I guess some people adjust better to the Thai ways and the lack of value for life (of their own kids even!!) than others...

[trainman34014]

29 minutes ago, darksidedog said:

It is so very obvious to us that traveling in the back of a pick up is dangerous and yet 76% of Thais object.  If this is indeed enforced, I predict the number of deaths on the roads here will drop dramatically.

Problem is many Thais have bought pick ups as the tax is lower.

It will never be enforced after the normal 'crackdown' period, which in this case will last about a month, just long enough to collect enough for the Generals new Chinese Tank purchase.

 

Many Thai's buy large Pick-Ups because...as some have told me...'They look big and strong'.   In a lot of cases it's just about face as they think having a big truck will make them look rich and important.   The fact that many of them are parked outside of broken down wooden or tin shacks and are only used for picking up a bag of vegetables from the local market shows how 'intelligent' the Natives really are !

[robblok]

1 hour ago, geriatrickid said:

Please use common sense: A 4 door vehicle will have a proper seating restraints in the passenger area. The intent is to keep people out of the interior cargo area in the 2 door vehicles because the passengers are trapped and  cannot exit when the vehicle crashes. Passengers typically asphyxiate or burn to death in serious crashes that crumple the front ends. One should not transport people in a vehicle trunk either.

 

 

The government is to be commended for this attempt at dealing with a major source of death and serious injuries in car crashes. People are thrown out of the vehicles and have their heads split open like melons dropped on the  ground. Sadly, I anticipate it will be as enforced as effectively as the helmet law.

Helmet laws are in BKK better enforced as in other parts of the country. The amount of people wearing helmets is a lot higher then I have seen at other places. Either its because of enforcement or that Thais from BKK are just smarter.. i think its the enforcement myself.

 

This is a nice little earner for the police.. but yes if really enforced it might bring down the high fatalities because you read about it often that people get launched from pickups. 

[thequietman]

19 minutes ago, Gulfsailor said:

If the license plate is black on white, then it's classed as a passenger vehicle, and with seat belts it should be allright to sit in the back. 

If the plate is green on white, then it's classed as a two door pick up and no passengers are allowed in the back. That's also why these cars are much cheaper than double cab or sedans and SUVs, because they have a much lower tax on it. 

Daft question but can you pay the increased cash for tax and get the truck classed as a passenger vehicle ? it probably is based on the model of truck.

[Bluespunk]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

And they are shocked that the moves are not just for Songkran - they are for keeps.

Common sense is forever not just songkran...