Phuket Big Bike Triple Tragedy: Brit Loses Yamaha 1000 and His Life on Phuket Curve
By Chutima Sidasathian and Sert Tongdee Monday, April 22, 2013
PHUKET: A British man was killed last night when his big bike crashed on a curve in southern Phuket. It is believed it was his first time on a big bike.
The British man's death becomes the third in quick succession and follows the deaths of two Malaysian big bikers - one coming to the Phuket Bike Week 2013 event, the other going home.
Last night's tragedy occurred at 11.15pm when the British man, dressed only in a pair of shorts and not wearing a helmet, lost control of his Yamaha 1000 on a bend near Wat Ladthi Wanaram in Chao Fa Road East, Chalong.
The big bike crashed into the metal safety barrier at the side of the road. Lieutenant Kaisorn Boonprasop, of Chalong Police Station, said he believed the man, aged 31 and understood to be a Thai kickboxing exponent, had been drinking.
He may have been keen to elude a checkpoint that was a little further down the road towards Chalong Circle, a well-known southern Phuket landmark, officers speculate.
His body was taken to Vachira Phuket Hospital. Police were notifying British diplomats. Phuketwan has been given a name but will not publish it until relatives have been notified.
Malaysian biker Loh Zhi Wei, 29, died on the notorious Ko Ean curve on Thepkasattri Road in northern Phuket while riding home yesterday with a group of other bikers.
A second Malaysian biker, Hasal Muhammad Bin Yunus, 45, is reported to have been killed on his way to join Phuket Bike Week on Thursday when his Harley crashed on a curve in the province of Phattalung, south of Phuket.
The three fatalities are likely to inspire Phuket authorities to call for greater safety by big bike riders from Phuket authorities, especially during Phuket Bike Week 2014.
A disprportionate number of foreigners die on Phuket's roads, mostly on motorcycles.
However, Phuket authorities have not released road toll figures for 2012 yet and ceased publishing monthly updates in April last year.
In other parts of the world, road safety has only improved with regular publication of road toll figures.
Phuket's death toll on the island's roads was trending down and stood at a rate of about 11 fatalities a month when the statistics became a secret.
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Comments
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May have been drinking? Then with no helmet drive a 1000 cc monster bike, lets hope the police are wrong, sorry for the mans death, but can he have been that stupid?
Posted by
Simon
on
April 22, 2013 08:57
Whilst not sure if this is the case here I have posted so many times big bikes should only be rented out to people that have a license for the actual bike's power like in any competent juristiction. Once again greed motivates people to rent large bikes to anyone.
Posted by
Fiesty Farang
on
April 22, 2013 09:45
I'm sorry for the loss of life but in fairness it has to be said that protecting people from their own stupidity is often the most difficult task to accomplish.
I've driven big bikes for 30 years but I prefer not to on Phuket. The road surface is very slippery and unpredictable but above all the way people drive on Phuket is just insane. Always expect the unexpected.
Only India is worse from what I've seen.
Posted by
Stephen
on
April 22, 2013 09:46
On Phuket roads with such heavy and
strong traffic nowadays, a "Sport" bike with more than 400 cc is more or less unnecessary. Choppers, Cruisers and Touring bikes is a different chapter. But as we see, riding these types, can also cost the life!
I know what I am writing about.
I drive since 35 years "sport" bikes and on Phuket since 1990.
Posted by
Alfred
on
April 22, 2013 10:34
Until the authorities clamp down hard on bike rentals (big or small) then nothing will change! With no experience or licence, foreigners will continue to be offered these machines of death.
Even if one does get stopped at a checkpoint, the penalty is so small that most view the experience as a joke and something to have a laugh about later with friends!
One cannot blame the tourists entirely, common sense does not prevail when they are on holiday and as they are offered these bikes so easily they just assume it is OK and part of the holiday fun! Tragically, many are proved sadly wrong!
Thank you Phuketwan for constantly drawing the attention to the fact road accident figures have stopped being produced, but I think you may find it is falling on deaf ears!
Posted by
Richard
on
April 22, 2013 10:38
Stephen your point is very valid and indeed I only drive a "lady" bike for these reasons. However we have to consider that tourists come here and do not know the roads are lower quality, the standard of driving is less as they relate to being in their own country where their main "mode" is followed meaning that they need more protection in terms of making sure they have some experience of large bikes by having a license. Is there ANY developed country that will let people ride any motorbike by merely showing ID and money. Another young man loses his life it is not acceptable, Simon I think that people need protecting and to call him stupid is not constructive, people have accidents for all types of reasons and we do not even know he was over the alcohol limit.
Posted by
Fiesty Farang
on
April 22, 2013 10:45
It could be said that it is only coincidental that this accident occurred on Big Bike Week. However, I was surprised to see some of a Malaysian contingent arriving at and going from a nearby hotel helmetless. Do the organizers not make participation contingent upon abidance with the laws of the land.
Posted by
juswunderin
on
April 22, 2013 10:47
@fiesty farang, I did question the drinking "may have been drinking" it was my first sentence ...... However no helmet on a bike that size and maybe no experience, stupid is the only word I can think of, or lets be diplomatic for your sake, let's call it unwise, OK
Posted by
Simon
on
April 22, 2013 12:47
3 fatalities are likely to inspire Phuket authorities to look at safety for next years Phuket Bike week.....A huge percentages of the riders on bike week wear not only helmets but other safety equipment so why think about bike week...The law states that helmets must be worn at all times..Go to any school in the morning hardly any parents are wearing helments so what chance for the future of their children if they see their parents not wearing one. Even seen police riding with no helments !!! Time for Phuket authorites not to look at bike week but more at the schools, their police force and bike rental people who rent to anyone !! How many accidents have been caused by dogs running out, I hit one the other day, do we shoot all stray dogs ?
My friends and I ride big bikes we accept the risks even wearing the protective gear..if someone choses to ride with no helmet or license then they have to deal/pay for their supidity.......
Phuket authorities time to be strong impound all the bikes that they catch where the rider is not wearing a helmet or no license bet that gets everyone everyone wearing and checking hirers have license.
Posted by
Sean
on
April 22, 2013 12:50
I saw an older guy with passenger riding out of Patong yesterday around 7 p.m. on a big bike. He had virtually no control and was all over the road trying to achieve some balance. Like most farang bike riders, he probably thought he looked cool.
Posted by
petr
on
April 22, 2013 12:51
What a truly terrible loss of an excellent bike. They really should never rent out such a bike to anyone unless they can prove they have passed a test on a bike of that power level.
Posted by
Andy
on
April 22, 2013 18:45
Don't you dare start slacking him off and dont speak ill of the dead you didnt no him i did he was the kindest bloke i have ever met in my life. I cant believe you sick sick people would write s*** on here you make me sick what if it was your friend or relative and you saw your s**** comments on here disgraceful the lot off you. You didnt know him, i did. you're disgusting.
Posted by
Shona
on
April 23, 2013 04:16
@Shona.With all due respect, any nut that rides a motorcycle of any size without a helmet, has nothing to protect between the ears. This applies to every human being. If this was my friend, I would not sympathise with a stupid decission to ride to die.
Posted by
Robin
on
April 23, 2013 07:52
Shona I did not say anything bad about him and try to suggest laws to minimise deaths on the roads. I am sorry for your loss.
Posted by
Fiesty Farang
on
April 23, 2013 08:26
@shona
R.I.P. your nice friend who has been imprudent but do not blame it on people posting he did something stupid hiring a big bike without wearing an helmet. UK does have strict laws about wearing helmets and penalties are quite harsh so, ask yourself a question: why your friend felt like to behave differently here than in his home town ? A big bike is a big bike anywhere in the world. What about if the bike hit an incoming family of 4 on a motorbike ? With all the due respect, unskilled drunk drivers without an helmet are not stupid but purely insane.
Posted by
cekipa
on
April 23, 2013 10:07
I do not know this man but I would like to remind everybody that there is no proof that he was over any alcohol limit. He might have drunk half a beer. So please do not say he was drunk. A Policeman sniffing for alcohol is not accurate is any country.
Posted by
Fiesty Farang
on
April 23, 2013 12:03
@ Shona.. have u ever even drive a bike of that size anywhere and particular in Phuket. if not u should try to understand how stupid it is to waste ur own life that way.... Sorry About ur friend, he was sure a good guy but he did a thing not very smart...
Posted by
frog
on
April 23, 2013 12:32
While its tragic and horrible this bloke lost his life, he and no one else is responsible for his actions... While you farang are quick to blame everyone else except the fact that of personal responsibility is the reason why we all left our over-ruled, excessively lawed and highly restrictive lives in the western world, to buy into the freedom lifestyle of Thailand... Stop blaming everybody else and focus on individual responsibility, the law requires you to wear a helmet, if you choose to ignore that and further more rent a sports bike without the required skills or competences then you have no one else to blame but yourself... That's it, you can't ban everything to protect the stupid, reckless or unfortunate, people will die no regardless and if we did, we'd end up like England or aus or America with our speed cameras, radar detectors and 20thousand rules to live by just to leave the house... The sacrifice of few shouldn't burden and sacrifice the many!
Posted by
My2cents
on
April 23, 2013 13:11
@ My2cents
"..the reason why we ALL left..." ??
Speak for yourself. You most definitely don't represent me.
If the fact that you can bend and break the rules and laws at will, pay your way out of murder and live in a society where there's no justice, only the rule of those more powerful is what brought you to Thailand, then good for you.
It sure says a lot about your morals.
I for one dislike all of those more than anything else in Thailand and certainly hope Thailand would adapt the discipline, rule of law and justice from the very countries you lambasted.
I'd like to see how much you love your newly found freedoms when you become a victim of a crime and the perpetrator happens to be an untouchable Phu Yai.
Almost everything is acceptable as long as it happens to someone else, huh ?
I guess if you had your way, we'd all go back to behaving like cave men.
Posted by
Stephen
on
April 23, 2013 13:56
I have friends trough the years living a DANGEROUS life, they all know it and they all choose it. when they end up in prison, hospital or dead... i not feel pity for them but the`re families and there friends... we are the on to grieve. not the ones that dies. respect or not but i am angry with my friends ending up like this coz they had a choise. if. i say if. this bloke was drunk he choose to ride drunk. the fact he did not wear a helmet makes it even worse.. no. not give me the crap its sorry for him. it is very sad yes but it was his choose. sorry for his family and his friends though...
Posted by
frog
on
April 23, 2013 14:00
I too knew this man very well, he was a very close family friend. We are all heart broken! He was actually a very experienced bike rider, he always wore a helmet when riding! Maybe it's time the laws out there are changed, this would help to reduce the number of fatalities! There was a great deal between this mans ears that needed protecting, I only wish I could turn back the clock!
Posted by
Dude
on
April 23, 2013 16:36
@dude there is a helmet law in thailand,also riding a bike with just a pair of shorts on is just madness...people come to LOS and all there responsibilitys go out the window..
Posted by
Darren walker
on
April 24, 2013 00:04
How dare any of u judge him, he was a very close friend of mine, and seeing u people write stuff like u have hurts his family and friends. It doesn't matter how he died all that matters is he has and is needing 2 get him home.
None of u lot knew him so have abit of bloody respect!!! And as 4 his lack of experience with big bikes..... He had plenty.
His always ridden big bikes, so had plenty of experience. An I don't beleive 4 1 min he had been drinking, he may have had a pint or 2 earlier in the day but there's no way he would have been drinking exsesivly. He was counting the days 2 come back 2 his daughter and her mum.
So I beg all of u have some respect and don't comment about things u have no clue about, he was a much loved man, we just need him home with us!!!
Posted by
Emma
on
April 26, 2013 13:35
Mayb some of u need 2 think about writing these comments, how would u feel if it was a member of ur family??
This person just so happend 2 b a part of my family and he hadn't been drinking, and he had plenty of experience on big bikes had his full licence in Britain, this was just a
Tragic accident!!!! Either way a man died and left behind a lot of people that loved him so please have abit of respect 4 the people that r grieving 4 him
Posted by
Emma
on
September 25, 2013 16:57
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May have been drinking? Then with no helmet drive a 1000 cc monster bike, lets hope the police are wrong, sorry for the mans death, but can he have been that stupid?
Posted by Simon on April 22, 2013 08:57