Hit-Run Driver Seriously Injures German Tourist in Central Khao Lak
By Chutima Sidasathian Thursday, March 21, 2013
PHUKET: A tourist was struck and seriously injured by a saloon car that failed to stop in central Khao Lak, north of Phuket, this evening.
The tourist, a German man aged 35, suffered tissue damage to both legs and was being treated tonight in Takuapa Hospital.
He was undergoing an emergency operation about 9pm.
The road north along the Andaman holiday coast widens as it goes through central Khao Lak into three lanes each way, with a median strip.
It's regarded as risky to cross without great care, especially after dark.
The tourist was struck around 7.50pm and the driver, a man, kept going. Soon after he reported directly to Khao Lak Police Station.
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Comments
Comments have been disabled for this article.
Knowing that hospital, I would recommend the tourist to go as soon as possible to Phuket and visit one of the private hospitals there. No matter what.
But this road through Khao Lak is pretty heavy driven. The local wanderers and the high speed Phuket/Ranong or Bangkok chaser mingle on the lanes.
Posted by
Lena
on
March 21, 2013 21:45
We have many incidents here every day with careless driving and speeding. The last couple of years the road has been widen but nothing is done to slow down the speed. We only see the police in action after an accident... Last year when the road was widened in Khaolak all road signs saying 'City limit - reduce speed' was removed and now it show 80 kph when you enter the city from north. How many more local people and tourists has to end up at hospital or in a B-bags before something is done to the terrible situation here??
Posted by
OJ
on
March 21, 2013 22:16
The traffic situation through the Khaolak area is terrible with all this heavy lorries and buses, overloaded pick-ups and other careless drivers, flying down the road in full speed. There need to be more speed bumps, traffic lights in the intersection at Nang Thong and at Bangniang market and improved street lights. Traffic police in the street and not in the barracks. But most important is to get drivers to understand that speed kills and that cars are hard and bodies soft (or is it to ask to much?).
Posted by
OJ
on
March 21, 2013 22:32
The spot where the accident took place near the Happy Snapper Bar is two lanes plus cycle lane each way with no central median strip but is still dangerous to cross at virtually any point through Khao Lak these days. I fail to understand why traffic calming measures in Thailand seem to be to make wider, faster roads through towns rather than narrowing them to slow traffic. Khao Lak is in the process of making 4 lanes plus cycle lanes with an access road at each side straight through the main townships of Bang La On and Bang Niang which seems to be a standard feature in Thailand where the highway bisects a town. I doubt whether it will make the roads safer to cross!!
Posted by
Alan
on
March 21, 2013 23:03
It might have been a nice behaviour of the driver to stop immediately and ask if he might help the victim...
Posted by
Fritz Pinguin
on
March 21, 2013 23:26
OMG, I just was at Khao Lak last night and before, this place,as described, is probably Ban La On - the very central place in Khao lak, where tourists in mass came for dinner and shopping. Actually, it is much much safer to cross that road than any road in Phuket, as traffic is much smaller. I observed that policmen from the booth often takes care about crossing of road by families with childern, either stopping traffic and walking along them, Even for me he tried to regilate traffic. But still pedestrian part of the road is very busy, and is not separated by a kind of green zone or alike from the main road. And lighting beyond the very central part is very minimal.
Posted by
SUe
on
March 22, 2013 02:46
Seems to me like a pedestrian crossover bridge (or 2 or 3) would be a logical and relatively inexpensive option for that area.
Posted by
Relox
on
March 22, 2013 10:01
The main road is cutting straight through this busy area for 5 km. There is no other alternative than to reduce the speed to maximum 60 kph and for the police to monitor it. I have lived here many years now and during the last 4-5 the number of vehicles passing has probably tripled and with that the number of careless drivers. The tarmac looks more white than black nowadays, from all the police spray paint at the accident sites...
Posted by
OJ
on
March 22, 2013 12:00
The road is a major road linking Phuket to the major stop-points like the Thap Lamu pier for trips to Similan and Surin, and then to Ranong for the visa runners etc.
It makes sense to widen it due to the amount of traffic expected, but for pedestrian safety, an overhead crossing makes sense. He who is too lazy to climb one risk life and limb with the speeding traffic.
Posted by
May
on
March 22, 2013 15:52
This road is like the love child of a tranquil beach road with shops and strolling around areas and one autobahn for overland traffic racers.
Posted by
Lena
on
March 22, 2013 18:45
How can it make sense to make race tracks through any built up area. Having earlier this year been crashed into by a drunken Thai with a truck full of fellow drunks coming straight across 3 lanes into me, just where they are going to add medians and acres roads at either side in Bang Niang, I cannot for the life (or near death) of me understand this as being any kind of traffic calming measure.
Posted by
Alan
on
March 23, 2013 12:05
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Knowing that hospital, I would recommend the tourist to go as soon as possible to Phuket and visit one of the private hospitals there. No matter what.
But this road through Khao Lak is pretty heavy driven. The local wanderers and the high speed Phuket/Ranong or Bangkok chaser mingle on the lanes.
Posted by Lena on March 21, 2013 21:45