Advice regarding traffic accident

[Prakhonchai Nick]

Glad to hear Freddy is ok, and up and running.

As others have said, leave it all to the Insurer. Whatever, they will pay you, and then do what is required to obtain any money available from the truck driver.

A 400baht fine for no insurance is crazy. What incentive is there to have it?  20,000baht fine and 6 months confiscation of vehicle might stop him and others from having no insurance.

I came to the conclusion some 30 years ago that anything with 2 wheels is dangerous and you are a sitting duck here in Thailand, and nothing has changed my mind since. Only 4 wheels for me.  Even so, when contemplating a similar turn to Freddy in my car from a main road to a soi, with right turn blinker flashing, but stopped, waiting for oncoming traffic to clear, I always double check my mirror before turning.

Thailands roads are full of brainless idiots

[iammike]

Freddy,

maybe put a Dash Cam on your Bike. Here is one (High Quality) special for Bikes

http://i.nvade.it/7NZ

here details from the Manufacturer: http://www.dod-tec.com/index.php/product/detail/81

[Smithy]

 Riding a motorbike or Driving safely in Thailand is not like Riding/Driving how you would ( or have been taught ) in your Home Country .You must learning how the Thai Road users think and adjusting your Riding /Driving to suit the environment

In Thailand Right-side flashing indicator lights tell the vehicle behind that they may pass/overtake.Left-blinking lights indicate that it's not safe for them to pass/overtake, especially on a long straight main road's .
How often have you heard Ex pats say the Thais never use their indicators for turning !!!!
To most Ex-pats flashers/Indicators have more than one meaning......To indicate to others our intention to turn and to advise others what to do
If you notice most Thais on a Motorbike indicate Left ( or right  ) and pull over to the left and wait for the their way to be clear before turning right . Or on a quite road ( or even busy roads  ) they pull over to the right before the right turn ,drive along on the wrong side of the road until they get to the right turn they want to turn into .

If you sit stationary in the middle of the road with your right-hand indicator on then your a sitting duck for any Thai Driver to wipe you out as Thai Riders don't ride this way ( as a general rule ) !!!

Most Ex-pats think they are good drivers......but to be safe and a good driver/rider you need to adapt and not just expected that Thais should Drive like you do. 

I remember when I went back to the UK about 9 years ago and I couldn't believe how fast everybody was driving .But it's fairly safe as most people have been taught drive the same way so people's driving is fairly predictably and there are fewer accident compared with Thailand.

Here in Thailand most people haven't had the same amount of training before they are allowed out on the road on their own ..... so accident happen more often. But by adjusting the way you ride/drive can make things a little bit safer.

[mahdam]

Riding a motorbike or Driving safely in Thailand is not like Riding/Driving how you would ( or have been taught ) in your Home Country .You must learning how the Thai Road users think and adjusting your Riding /Driving to suit the environment

In Thailand Right-side flashing indicator lights tell the vehicle behind that they may pass/overtake.Left-blinking lights indicate that it's not safe for them to pass/overtake, especially on a long straight main road's .
How often have you heard Ex pats say the Thais never use their indicators for turning !!!!
To most Ex-pats flashers/Indicators have more than one meaning......To indicate to others our intention to turn and to advise others what to do
If you notice most Thais on a Motorbike indicate Left ( or right  ) and pull over to the left and wait for the their way to be clear before turning right . Or on a quite road ( or even busy roads  ) they pull over to the right before the right turn ,drive along on the wrong side of the road until they get to the right turn they want to turn into .

If you sit stationary in the middle of the road with your right-hand indicator on then your a sitting duck for any Thai Driver to wipe you out as Thai Riders don't ride this way ( as a general rule ) !!!

Most Ex-pats think they are good drivers......but to be safe and a good driver/rider you need to adapt and not just expected that Thais should Drive like you do. 

I remember when I went back to the UK about 9 years ago and I couldn't believe how fast everybody was driving .But it's fairly safe as most people have been taught drive the same way so people's driving is fairly predictably and there are fewer accident compared with Thailand.

Here in Thailand most people haven't had the same amount of training before they are allowed out on the road on their own ..... so accident happen more often. But by adjusting the way you ride/drive can make things a little bit safer.

Wise words Smithy. Some good points in there that we should all think on whilst driving over here.

[Prakhonchai Nick]

No comment other than most Thai drivers are fcuking idiots!

[Tassie]

They are even worse than you described.
Regards

[Freddy]

Freddy, Steve said he offered 15K was just wondering if already paid in which case the police would possibly consider that case closed.

Ahh, got ya Dave. Crossed wires. Nickname is Freddy but I am Steve also.

[Freddy]

Freddy,

maybe put a Dash Cam on your Bike. Here is one (High Quality) special for Bikes

http://i.nvade.it/7NZ

here details from the Manufacturer: http://www.dod-tec.com/index.php/product/detail/81

Thanks Mike,
I actually have a Go-Pro still boxed that I can get set up for my helmets.

[secosteve]

Just an update om my original post. The first time I went to discuss this matter at the police station the Police were clearly on the woman's side and I felt everything was stacked against me, her original claim went up to 25k, which the police indicated I had to pay.  I refused this and the woman began to get angry and started shouting, with this I stood up and walked out, the police said I must come back but I continued walking waiting for a tap on the shoulder but it never came.

A week later a second meeting was set up but in the mean time I sought legal advice and armed with this I attended. As I sat down at this meet the policeman started to tell what I must do, I pointed out that he is only a mediator and should not be interfering just observing. I informed the lady that I had spoken with a lawyer and he had told me that if she wanted any money from me she has to take me to court but, as there was no injury and, that the insurance had paid out I have no obligation to pay her anything. She started to get angry again again but the policeman calmed her down, I offered he 12k for her loss of work and car hire and she refused. I told her the offer was on the table until I left the station and that every minute she refused the offer it would decrease by 1k. After four minutes of thought she said she would take the 12k, I told her it was now 8k and in another 15 seconds it would be 7k, she immediately accepted the 8k.

The woman appeared happy and more importantly had not lost face, for me it was a satisfactory end to a problem I caused.

The lawyer had told me that if there is no injury in a road accident you do not have to attend the police station or give the other driver/rider any money however, he did say it is maybe a good idea to go and see what is being claimed.

[Freddy]

Secosteve.
Interesting stuff. I also felt very much that the Police were pretty uninterested in anything that had happened to me or that I had to say. Things really only started going my way in terms of who was responsible once the insurance Agent became involved and from that point the driver quickly agreed to sign the report accepting responsibility.
I guess injuries are subjective. I took a few knocks, am black and blue in places and hobbling a bit but no breaks, dislocations so in that respect I considered myself unInjured. I also guess that in many countries armed with photos of my bruising I could obtain money/ compensation.
I'm genuinely not out to obtain anything more than not facing any financial loss as a result of his actions. What was very clear however is that he and his family who all thought it necessary to arrive at the scene and then the Police Station were frantically trying to find a way to aportion the blame to me and get some money out of it for him/themselves.
One family member, I think maybe the drivers Son who arrived at the accident scene started questioning my wife as to why my bike was so far down the road, with what seemed no comprehension of that being an indication of how hard i had been hit. He then proceeded to sit and glare at me both there and at the Police Station.
I understand the culture if not loosing face but do they not realize that they loose more face by making themselbes look so idiotic and stupid with some of their irrational lack of logic.
Anyway, I will climb off my soap box and keep my fingers crossed that the insurance company do their stuff effectively and I don't have to become directly involved.

[SOM LUCK]

A few months back, a delivery truck side swiped my car.  At the Buriram police station, the story I told was that the truck came over into my lane and struck my car.  The story that the delivery driver told was that I came into his lane and caused the accident.  The police decided that I was telling truth. The delivery company's insurance agent was called and later escorted  me to a body shop and made arrangements to repair my car.