[Drysnyaty]

phuketgazzet.com

Sunday, December 6, 2009

Motorbike in Phuket pond: one dead, one injured

CHALONG, PHUKET: A woman drowned after crashing her salaeng (motorbike with illegal side-car) into a tin mining pond on Wednesday evening.

The victim’s grand-daughter was also seriously injured in the crash.

Another passenger, whose age and gender were not reported, escaped unharmed.

Witnesses reported that at around 7:30pm, 56-year-old Wanna Rachathanarak lost control of the vehicle, which slid into a pond located off Soi Phon Chalong in Chalong Village 9.

The dirt lane is best known as the access road to the Ao Chalong Yacht Club (ACYC).

Bystanders rushed to pull Mrs Wanna and her two passengers from the pond.

The two were rushed to Vachira Phuket Hospital by rescue workers from the Tourist Rescue Center at Chalong Pier.

Vachira's doctors were unable to save Mrs Wanna. Her grand-daughter remains in serious condition.

As modified vehicles, all salaeng in Thailand are illegal. Traffic police seldom enforce the law because the vehicles are the only means of transport that low-income workers can afford.

Because of this, salaeng operate without ever having to pass any sort of inspection regime.

Typically 'unroadworthy' and poorly balanced, they are involved in many accidents in Phuket every year.

The worst in recent years was a November 2008 bus crash on Thepkrasattri Rd in Mai Khao that killed two and left 30 injured.

Witnesses to that crash told police that it occurred when a salaeng driving against the traffic suddenly veered into the path of the oncoming bus.

[Drysnyaty]

I'm surprised nobody has commented on this story, i live in Thailand and see these all day and every day, basically every thai food business on every soi, every corner and every where that sell BBQ or noodles or any thai food use these vehicles, also many other business use these side carts as there main form of transport, please give point of view as I'm shore many people may be misunderstood the original description, if not that's like turning a blind eye to people in England not wearing crash helmets, cause that's the equivalent to how many of these machines are on the roads in thailand, so if uninsured what happens if you get hit by one?

[Gudronich]

come on Ian this is Thailand not England,thats the way of life and what has to be done,if you are too worried about getting hit by one i suggest you return to boring England,because if you did get hit by one of these fantastic vehicles i would imagine you would'nt have a leg to stand on(literaly)

[OGOGOogoloshennya]

basically every thai food business on every soi, every corner and every where that sell BBQ or noodles or any thai food use these vehicles,

I guess you go to a different part of Thailand than me, I see many more street food businesses using hand carts than motorcyle combinations.

David

[Drysnyaty]

emm
bit of a misunderstanding i think with some the above comments,
im only shocked there illegal because they are everywhere and no one commented on this fact, thats my point,
ive got no problems with them i eat from the stalls and would have one myself if i ran a food business, and sorry but phuket and pattaya they are the norm for food stalls, i would be surprised to see a hand cart with no motor bike attached.

And as for boring England? As much as i love thailand,you cant earn decent money there!
so while im bored back home earning silly amounts of money to be able to come back to thailand, and enjoy being lazy and maybe board in lovely thailand, without working with all my hard earned cash from home,

but i will take special are now crossing the roads as ill be looking out for those motor bike side carts,he he

[OGOGOogoloshennya]

and sorry but phuket and pattaya they are the norm for food stalls, i would be surprised to see a hand cart with no motor bike attached.

Even when I have stayed in Pattaya a couple of time, just north of North Pattaya Road, most street food vendors around the soi have been either handcarts or pedal tricyles which pass by at certain times of the day either ringing a bell or tooting a hooter.

David

[L8fGLM4d]

lots of the food vendors in Chiang Mai are on motorcycles. many are on carts. depending on size and location, how far it is necessary to go, not only on finances, I would guess.
part of life, what can we do.
riding without a helmet is illegal too, yet when the police go home at 4 p.m., 80% ride without one.
not to mention driving without a licence.
not paying taxes on the income from the food cart.

legal and illegal seem to work differently.

[Gudronich]

Alot of unsafe things occur on the roads of Thailand,it reminds me of a story my wife tells me of how she used to travel to school in Nakhonpathom,there used to be five seventeen year old girls on a 110cc moped,i dont know how they did it but i'd love to have seen it.

[Drysnyaty]

Its strange the crazy things you see in thailand, and just except it as normal, ive seen 5 on a motor bike many times in phuket, and do you know how easy it is to stop it? you do what they did in pattaya enforce crash helmets for driver and passenger,police fines if not, when you get a motor bike taxi now in pattaya the driver gives you a spare helmet,but back in phuket you see 3 up all the time on bikes where its only the driver that has to wear a helmet,
The other crazy one i see is the pick up truck with about 10 in the back(hilux) not to mention the lorrys with all the burmease workers in the back!
Now both of these anywhere in the world exept Africa and Asia and maybe South America you would be sent to jail! You try doing this on the M4 or M5 in the uk, maybe the western world is too health and safety or is it life is seen to be worth less in the developing world?

[OGOGOogoloshennya]

You try doing this on the M4 or M5 in the uk, maybe the western world is too health and safety or is it life is seen to be worth less in the developing world?

I think in the West we are far to health and safety centric with everyone affraid of being sued. When I was in Vietnam I got friendly with a guy that worked in my hotel and he showed me around. To get from place to place around the city he would tow me in my wheelchair behind his motorbike. No problems with the police and on a number of occasions when we got to the major traffic island any police there would put their vehicle between us and approaching traffic from the left then wave us on after we crossed.

Try doing that down the road here in Wales...

David