PHUKET: A Frenchman died in a Phuket hospital yesterday after suffering severe injuries in a head-on collision between two motorcycles in Patong on Saturday night.
The 56-year-old man, who cannot be identified until relatives have been notified, was not wearing a helmet when his motorcycle and a motorcycle ridden by a 22-year-old Thai man crashed on the road behind the Jungceylon mall.
Both men were taken to Patong Hospital after the crash then transferred to Vachira Phuket Hospital in Phuket City.
The Thai man, who was wearing a helmet, broke both arms and legs.
The Frenchman, suffering severe injuries to his face, died at 5.53am on Sunday, Phuketwan learned today.
Police in Patong tried to contact the French embassy yesterday but said that they were unable to make contact.
However, Phuket also has a French honorary consul.
Phuketwan contacted the office of the French honorary consul today, and staff made contact with Vachira Phuket Hospital.
The delay in notifying relatives is the latest gap in the relationship between international envoys and Phuket police.
When the honorary consuls met with Phuket's governor and police commander every three months between 2011 and 2014, the need for police to contact honorary consuls about deaths and serious injuries was clearly understood.
Since the governor and his predecessor have failed to maintain the three-monthly meetings, police have sometimes failed to advise embassies speedily about deaths and other serious matters.
The return to bad habits does not encourage tourists and expat residents to believe that police and other Phuket authorities fully understand their international obligations
A meeting between the present governor and Phuket's 24 honorary consuls - the first since September last year - has been postponed until April 21.
It's not clear whether the police commander and other Phuket authorities are to join the meeting, which is being held for the first time at a hotel instead of Phuket Provincial Hall.
Now that standards are lapsing again, the need for police and other authorities to notify consuls or other envoys immediately of cases involving deaths or serious injury is likely to return to the agenda.
The 56-year-old man, who cannot be identified until relatives have been notified, was not wearing a helmet when his motorcycle and a motorcycle ridden by a 22-year-old Thai man crashed on the road behind the Jungceylon mall.
Both men were taken to Patong Hospital after the crash then transferred to Vachira Phuket Hospital in Phuket City.
The Thai man, who was wearing a helmet, broke both arms and legs.
The Frenchman, suffering severe injuries to his face, died at 5.53am on Sunday, Phuketwan learned today.
Police in Patong tried to contact the French embassy yesterday but said that they were unable to make contact.
However, Phuket also has a French honorary consul.
Phuketwan contacted the office of the French honorary consul today, and staff made contact with Vachira Phuket Hospital.
The delay in notifying relatives is the latest gap in the relationship between international envoys and Phuket police.
When the honorary consuls met with Phuket's governor and police commander every three months between 2011 and 2014, the need for police to contact honorary consuls about deaths and serious injuries was clearly understood.
Since the governor and his predecessor have failed to maintain the three-monthly meetings, police have sometimes failed to advise embassies speedily about deaths and other serious matters.
The return to bad habits does not encourage tourists and expat residents to believe that police and other Phuket authorities fully understand their international obligations
A meeting between the present governor and Phuket's 24 honorary consuls - the first since September last year - has been postponed until April 21.
It's not clear whether the police commander and other Phuket authorities are to join the meeting, which is being held for the first time at a hotel instead of Phuket Provincial Hall.
Now that standards are lapsing again, the need for police and other authorities to notify consuls or other envoys immediately of cases involving deaths or serious injury is likely to return to the agenda.
Looks as though a few more "advisory" speed signs are needed. Considering where the accident occurred I'm surprised by the lack of information, like, how did it happen, surely there would have been witnesses.
Posted by Laurie Howells on April 6, 2015 15:02
Editor Comment:
No doubt. But in Patong, nobody is obliged to say what they saw - or didn't see.