Multiple Farang Deaths in Phuket

[amingaz]

what are the dangers of owning a motorcycle in phuket? type of insurance, driving license, laws, liability ..... what?

[tvh13]

Just to be clear. You are referring to Pattaya in your post NOT Phuket? Phuket is an island on the south west coast and Pattaya is near Bangkok with crap beaches and known almost exclusively for sex trade and Russian tourism. I am curious how you can confuse the two?

[tvh13]

what are the dangers of owning a motorcycle in phuket? type of insurance, driving license, laws, liability ..... what?

I motorcycle or one of the ubiquitous scooters? Driving in Phuket has many different flavors. on the touristic side of the islad it is quite congested. The Tuk Tuk drivers basically control that part of he island and you don't want to have anything to do iwth them they are like the mafia most of them ignorant scoundrels who will call their friends and attack you as a gang if any altercation ensues like you park in a place that they deem their own. There are many news stories about these crooks online.

If the cops pull you over they will need payment if you don't have a license. Many many people drive without a license. When you rent a bike they will not ask to see a license but they will take your passport. Any damage will need ot be paid and at top dollar rates - don't get into an accident. The roads are of mostly high quality. You need to be careful of the motobikes driving in the opposite direction and get used to Thais who will pull out into traffic without looking. Also at intersections you must look before proceeding through a green light. Thai like to run through red lights in Phuket if you watch how Thais deal with lights and drigving in general it wont take you long to acclimate to the new conditions. If you can have an internationdrivers license that will be acceptable

[amingaz]

i a retiring to phuket as soon as the condo completes work the middle of the year and my plan is to start purchasing a new scooter using an international car driving license.I have extensive motorcycle experience dating back to the 60's in the middle east and europe.Eventually i guess i'll have to buy a second hand small car to go to tesco,rainy days etc and i'm getting older not vice versa.from your comments what is the definitive motorbyke and car insurance to go for covering personal injury to self companions and victims as well as third party damage? as for areas of domination along the coast i presume i'll be parking my scooter along the shoreline to go for a swim,with time a car would be more practical keeping items in the boot etc when going much further up the coastline.My condo is new complex in Phuket area looking down from far on the south coast to karon mainly so i would take the main road down there or up to surin etc.I am looking forward to this stage of my life.A hell of a lot better than stuck in the long miserable european winters getting older by the hour just waitting to die and at what cost? I have been through civil wars,family tragedies,hard work in hostile enviromments,have you heard of nigeria to be extreme? so a little salt and pepper on phuket island is not going to detter me.The island is clean,small and yet not boring,has a lot to offer in outdoor activities,infrasstructure,hospital, dentists, quality shopping ,sports,excellent for cooking quality meals the fruit is fabulous and varied, where can you retire for 1000usd a month with what this place offers? where? south of france?the caribbean? come to switzerland and see how the majority of 65 year olds live and tell me wether they are not better off dead and thats with much much more money.The rest i will leave to fate and destiny.

[wayneisme]

As a regular (european ) visitor to Thailand with my Thai wife from New Zealand I can see why some of these deaths occur,there is a saying "stranger danger "and I think they become to trusting with cons or travel to places which are not safe.
In New Zealand the same occurs and lots of asians get robbed,mugged and raped here as well so it is not only Thailand that has this problem,we are a small country of 4 million people with a much higher crime rate per capita than Thailand

[GenetheMachine]

This forum makes me pause to consider if I want to visit Puckett or Pattaya.

During the 70's tourists visiting Jamaica were robbed and beaten all of the time. Jamaica developed a bad reputation. As a result the tourists stopped coming. All of Jamaica's economy suffered and the thieves had no one else to rob. I would hate to see the same thing happen to Thailand. Even if the bad news is not published, the word will get out and tourists will stop coming. There is plenty of Baht to be made legally.

[Gavelind]

First of all, no it does not happen in every country! Should something awful like that happen, it is not considered like 'business as usual'. Victims come first and the police do what they can. Second and most importantly: STAY HOME!
Why in h... would anyone want these days, ignore the economic meltdown, increasing joblessness, crime and violence? Why go somewhere see their \\ //// when you have the exact same at home, and perhaps even a better one! At least it's yours!

Try to find at home a spot you do not know of; perhaps visit an old friend; the place where you were born; your old school, or...

It bugs me down that seas of foreigners come here to take what we have and like it so much they stay no matter what, while we leave it all behind for them to grab, these damned Farangs, and travel to these backwards countries and pay the visit with our lives!
I have no explanation for that, but is it not better to live another day in the rain, than die for a few hours in the sun?

[Erland]

I've been following the disussions around the Multiple Farang Deaths in Phuket.
I am a frequent traveller to Thailand since 10 years ago. In the later years I have noticed the lack of interest from the Thai police to follow up and prosecute thai people when the victim is a "farang".
The common point of view from the police is that it is always the "farang" who is guilty.
I was myself was involved in a traffic accident in Jomtien Beach south of Pattaya.n
I had parked my moto-bike close to lefthand side of Soi 7, and stood there talking to a friend from Sweden when a highly drunk thai moto-bike driver drove right into me and my rented moto-bike. I had witnesses from both farang people and thai people assuring that I was standing still without hindering the traffic in any way.When the police arrived they started to accusing me for causing the accident. They said it was my fault that I was visiting Thailand and the accident would never happend if I stayed at home in Sweden. They even demanded me to pay for the damages on the thai mans moto-bike and
of course was I also guilty to pay for the damages on the rented moto-bike.
The general opinion of the Thai police is that "The farang is always guilty".
For me it ended well because of good help from the Swedish Embassy in Bangkok.Many tourists has not like me good political contacts in Sweden who could help them fighting the corrupt Thai police. It ended for me that I only had to pay 5000 Bath for the damages on my rented moto-bike. The drunk moto-bike driver was not prosecuted.
Out of love for Thailand have I decided not to tell people in Sweden about this just warning them to be very careful when they are visiting Thailand.
The big problem for Thailand is, if the authorities doesn't act on police corruption will Thailand loose incomes from tourism.

[TomBadBoll]

It's just not all the unresolved deaths of farangs, it's the resolved ones as well, particularly when the conclusion is suicide.

I remember one instance when a farangs head was found in a plastic bag, the comment made by the police was "We don't suspect suicide but we don't rule it out at the moment"

[Dpbours]

Places with rampant prostitution like Phuket and Pattaya just attrackt certain Farang - next to the normal tourists. Illegal prostitution is not there in itself, but surrounded with excesses like child prostitution and child and female trafficking. All of that attacks people - Thai and Farang - who are not so sensitive about strangling people or bashing someone's head in.

I personally think Thailand should take a much more strict approach towards prostitution, child prostitution, child and female trafficking and you would get totally different people in these areas that would attrackt also a different kind of tourists. But I have to say that 95% of the current tourists are pleasant sun-lovers who have no harm in mind.