Scores of people die every day on Thailand’s roads and even more are injured through road traffic accidents involving motorbikes. On Tuesday in Bangkok, a 10-year old schoolgirl had a lucky escape with her life after she was hit head-on by a motorcyclist travelling at speed on a one way street in the wrong direction. The video of the incident brings home the chaos and carnage of motorbike use in the land of smiles and explains why Thailand’s roads are the second deadliest in the world.
A Canadian tourist has become another foreigner casualty of motorbikes in Thailand after being killed following a smash in the early hours of Friday morning in Pattaya. Police have not yet named the 51-year-old man as they are reaching out to his family.
Just days after the Thai transport minister launched a campaign to curb the deaths on Thai roads due to motorcycles and ordered the end of foreigners hiring bikes without a valid licence, comes another tragedy of a foreigner being killed on Thailand’s chaotic roads.
This time it was a 51-year-old Canadian tourist in Pattaya who was hit by a big motorbike on a main street in the city in the early hours of Friday morning.
25-year-old Thai man seriously injured in collision
It is reported that the larger motorbike was travelling at speed and that its driver named as 25-year-old Samart Budboran was doing wheelies. However, a witness has suggested that the Canadian tourist on a smaller motorbike crossed the road into the Thai man’s path as he attempted to reach a well-known supermarket.
Big bike driver could not stop as Canadian’s bike crossed the road on to his path
The young Thai man received serious injuries when his motorbike could not stop in time and crashed into the smaller white and orange motorbike being ridden by the Canadian visitor. He was removed by responding rescue services and medics who took him at speed to Pattaya Memorial Hospital.
Medics tried to revive the Canadian but to no avail
The 51-year-old Canadian was also found seriously injured and was not as lucky. He was in an unconscious state when rescue services reached him with obvious and severe injuries. Medical personnel attempted to revive him by performing CPR but it is reported that he died shortly after while he was being taken to the same hospital as the Thai driver who had crashed into him.
Witness says Thai man was taken by surprise as the smaller bike crossed to the road to reach the popular Foodland supermarket
A 56-year-old Thai man named as Kristhanat Pararak witnessed the accident. He observed the bigger and more powerful motorbike travelling at speed. He said that the front wheel was coming off the ground. He observed the orange and white motorbike driven by the tourist, attempting to cross the road to the well known Foodland supermarket. Foodland is a supermarket chain which is very popular with foreigners and tourists in Thailand.
Brakes could not stop the Thai man’s bike
It appeared to the witness that the Canadian on his bike had crossed into the big path’s path and that its brakes were unable to halt the motorbike as it was travelling at speed. The accident happened on the Pattaya Klang Road in the centre of Pattaya.
Footage of young girl being hit by a small motorbike travelling at speed in Samut Prakan on Tuesday
It comes as internet footage from Tuesday shows just how dangerous motorbikes, even smaller bikes, are on Thailand’s roads both for other motorbike users, cars and pedestrians. Thankfully, the accident did not result in death or even life-threatening injury but it did leave a young Thai school girl shocked and in a hospital with damage to her stomach.
The motorbike driver on a small yellow bike did not even stop at the scene. He drove his motorbike around the girl’s prostrate body and off again at speed. The incident occurred in Samut Prakan province which is adjacent to Bangkok.
10-year-old crossing the road of a one-way street, motorbike going in the wrong direction
The 10-year-old was crossing the road. Admittedly, she attempted to cross the road from behind a pickup truck which is always a dangerous proposition but she had some justification not to look as it was a one-way street. She did not expect a motorbike to be travelling on the street in the wrong direction but this is Thailand. In fact, this is quite normal in Thai cities with those riding motorbikes. It is a case anything goes particularly if the motorbike rider is in a rush to get somewhere.
Onlookers, even street dogs concerned
The motorbike struck the school girl sending her into the air and onto the ground in front of him. Onlooker including some very concerned street dogs rushed to her assistance. The brave young girl was pulled up and managed to stumble towards the footpath with the help of onlookers. She was later named as 10-year-old Sirontorn Charoenrum.
Motorbike driver handed himself in to police and has been charged with negligent driving causing injury
The girl was taken to the hospital shortly after the accident with cuts and abrasions but also more significantly, she reported that she had been hit in the stomach by the impact of the bike.
The motorbike driver later handed himself into to Thai police and has been charged with negligent driving causing an injury. He has promised to pay for the young girl’s medical bills following her hospitalisation.
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Further reading:
Tourists to Thailand will be required to have a valid licence to ride a motorbike under new order
UK man’s crisis in Thailand after finding himself behind bars when he came to court as a victim
Police in Chiang Mai reported to be looking at new legal action against UK man freed on phone theft
