Phuket Motorcycles Crash, Killing European Tourist and Burmese Man
By Sert Tongdee Monday, April 30, 2012
The tourist from Austria killed in the crash was Oliver Praxmarer.
PHUKET: An Austrian tourist and a Burmese laborer died on a Phuket road at the scene when their motorcycles collided on Phuket's holiday west coast last night.
Police were today still trying to determine the cause of the unusual crash, wondering especially why the Burmese man was on Patak Road in Kata at 11.40pm.
The Austrian man was travelling towards Chalong Circle while the Burmese man, Goh, 34, was riding in the opposite direction towards Karon Circle.
An international driver's licence established the identity of the 39-year-old Austrian man. Phuketwan has a name but will refrain from publishing it until his family have been informed.
His pockets contained 1000 baht and a key for the Rawai Gardens Resort. The motorcycle he was riding, a Yamaha Mio, had been rented from April 27 to May 6.
Burmese Mr Goh was riding a red Honda Wave. Neither of the motorcyclists was wearing a helmet.
The crash came near the Kata Temple, near a t-junction where traffic lights now operate.
Police are questioning why the Burmese man was on the road so late at night but the Phuket curfew of 8pm for Burmese has not been enforced for several years and Burmese are allowed to sit for Thai motorcycle and driver's licences, and use mobile telephones.
Mr Goh was a legal worker on a Phuket construction site.
Expats make up an unusually high proportion of deaths on motorcycles on Phuket. Although road deaths on Phuket are trending down, thousands of people are injured and maimed on motorcycles every year.
Lack of an efficient public transport system on Phuket is blamed for the high number of people who are obliged to use motorcycles.
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Comments
Comments have been disabled for this article.
Can't blame lack of public transport for the road toll. I see many expats riding bikes without helmets some with their kids on the bike as well!.
Posted by
LJ
on
April 30, 2012 11:41
Editor Comment:
The article says: ''Lack of an efficient public transport system on Phuket is blamed for the high number of people who are obliged to use motorcycles.''
Come on editor, again... people are obliged to put helmet, and the lack of eff.pub.transpo.syst. (E.P.T.S) cannot be blamed , LJ I agree with your comment !
Posted by
not happy
on
April 30, 2012 12:36
Editor Comment:
We have blamed the lack of a public transport alternative for the large number of motorcycles on Phuket's roads. Nothing more. Please read what we write, not what you imagine we write.
Nobody is obliged to use motorcycles ok. It is their own free choice to do so. But to ride one without a helmet is plain stupid.
.
This is the land of the free, you can do what you like and if it kills you, no sympathy extended.
Posted by
Robin
on
April 30, 2012 13:02
Pretty harsh comments Robin. There's a reason helmets are called brain buckets, a helmet will provide little protection in most accidents (especially the 199 baht specials). I agree with the editor, the real cause is lack of EFFECTIVE public transport, lack of law enforcement and selfish driving. I'm sick of reading about this but maybe someday enough will be enough and something will actually get done. I just hope that day comes before more lives are lost on the roads.
Posted by
Jon
on
April 30, 2012 14:17
Sorry to read that,
I am Austrian too and ride Motorbike, Big and Small on Phuket Island since 1990.
ED-did write right, the Phuket transport system is not efficient!
I think, a public transport system will not service this stretch of road at 11:40 PM anyway, so cannot help that accident, but the use of a real helmet, not a salad bowl, as I use to say, can save lives!
R.I.P. my fellow country man, who I presume, hoped for a fun filled holiday and you Burmese worker who looked for a better life, but both found death!
Posted by
Alfred
on
April 30, 2012 14:37
Does anyone else find it strange that regarding the dead Austrian "Phuketwan has a name but will refrain from publishing it until his family have been informed" yet is happy to name the dead Burmese worker.
Do we presume in this case that the family of the dead Burmese worker have already been informed or is this an unfortunate case of double standards?
Come on Ed. - you are fighting for equality for the Rohingyas so surely you should offer Burmese dying in an accident here in Phuket the same courtesy as you extend to dead Westerners
Posted by
Richard
on
April 30, 2012 14:55
Editor Comment:
There are probably 100 or more Mr Gohs on Phuket but only one Austrian whose name we are withholding. It's also highly unlikely that Burmese construction workers have the time to read English-language news sites, or make inane comments. We mourn both men with equal sadness.
"The crash came near the Kata Temple, near a t-junction where traffic lights now operate."
Mostly in only yellow light blinking mode!
Actually, this is not a real t-junction, it's more the entrance/exit of the temple!
Why there is a traffic light, but still 'using' officers to regulate traffic during school end times, who knows!
The traffic light would be much better , installed at the t-junction, 300m further to Chalong, where the road, coming from Kata Beach ends into Patak road!
Posted by
Steve
on
April 30, 2012 18:31
drove past the spot at 9am this morning.Saw a MASSIVE pool of blood and OTHER stuff(too gruesome to mention).Made a mental note to myself to see if it was an accident when i had the chance to check online.If the reported times are correct WHY is this disgusting aftermath not cleaned up? Its not the first time i have seen this, is it a policy to remind people of the dangers of driving on the roads here? in a way i hope so, otherwise it shows a lack of respect to the dead riders.
Posted by
disgusted
on
April 30, 2012 18:56
*****but the Phuket curfew of 8pm for Burmese has not been enforced for several years and Burmese are allowed to sit for Thai motorcycle and driver's licences, and use mobile telephones.*****
It seems pretty much like slavery doesn't it?
Posted by
Jonathan
on
April 30, 2012 19:00
jonathan
Slavery is unpaid work. Plus, slavery implies you bought somebody here against their will. So, no not slavery. Unnecessary and a bit OTT, yes. Slavery, certainly no. People need to learn what different words actually means, this reminds me of the totally stupid and common misuse use of the word 'racist'.
Posted by
christian
on
April 30, 2012 21:24
i seen them hosing the road down this morning ... wear a helmet, it could happen to anyone.
Posted by
poppops
on
April 30, 2012 21:30
It was obviously a hyperbole. However Thailand signed various conventions on human rights. Maybe is not slavery but it's certainly a breach of human rights. And it's sad to see that is considered a side aspect.
People scream on racism for minor things like double prices, but turn a blind eye on things like that.
Police doesn't seem focused on "especially why the Burmese man was on Patak Road in Kata at 11.40pm. "
The poor Burmese, which as far as we know could have not done anything wrong, could be entitled to a compensation. But they're worrying why he was on the road so late.
Posted by
Jonathan
on
May 1, 2012 21:59
R. I. P. Mr Oliver Praxmarer the Austrian man and Mr. Koa the Burmese man.
Helmets folks, helmets please?
Posted by
DunB
on
May 2, 2012 15:39
Hello Jonathan,
if you would have seen the damage to both vehicles,
it would be clear to you that the Burmese had probably caused the accident.
His vehicle is badly damaged on the right side; the other vehicle has extensive damage in the front.
This suggests that the Burmese coming from the road to Wat Kata looked not to the right as he turned onto the road to Kata / Karon
Oliver came from the direction of Karon and drove towards Chalong
He's probably still trying to avoid, the collision has occurred then in the opposite lane.
In addition, Oliver has never ridden without a helmet.
Anyone who has seen the total destroyed motorcycles know, that it would have made no difference in this case.
Posted by
Andreas
on
May 3, 2012 15:37
@Andreas. If "Oliver has never ridden without a helmet." What happened to it in this accident? Never found right, so he did indeed ride without a helmet is this case.
Regardless of who is to blame for the accident, I have seen motorbikes torn apart in accidents and the riders surviving because they wore a helmet. Stop telling yourself Oliver was blameless. Both motorbikes tried to share the same space of road at the same time and it didn't work ok. The riders paid the price.
Posted by
DunB
on
May 3, 2012 16:28
Was kinda surprised to hear about the curfew and suggestion that Burmese can't use mobile phones. A decade here and I never knew that Thailand instituted such restrictions based on country of origin.
Posted by
Joe
on
May 3, 2012 19:22
Editor Comment:
Not Thailand, Phuket. It's been some years since there were major problems but in the early part of the century, there was plenty of cause for concern.
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Can't blame lack of public transport for the road toll. I see many expats riding bikes without helmets some with their kids on the bike as well!.
Posted by LJ on April 30, 2012 11:41
Editor Comment:
The article says: ''Lack of an efficient public transport system on Phuket is blamed for the high number of people who are obliged to use motorcycles.''