Chilean Cyclist's Record Quest Ends In Death In Thailand

[cavanami]

...just can't stop killing the tourists

 

Chilean cyclist's record quest ends in death in Thailand

 

 

http://news.yahoo.com/chilean-cyclists-record-quest-ends-death-thailand-052330695.html

 

A Chilean cyclist's quest to bike around the world in five years has ended with his death in a road accident in northeast Thailand, police said Sunday.

 

Juan Francisco Guillermo, 47, was hit by a pickup truck and immediately killed Saturday on a highway in Nakhon Ratchasima province.

 

According to police and accounts on social media, Guillermo was attempting to set a Guinness World Record by cycling 250,000 kilometers (155,350 miles) on five continents in five years. His journey started in November 2010 and was scheduled to end in November this year.

 

Guillermo's wife from Hong Kong, who was on another bicycle with their 2-year-old son, suffered a slight sprain in the accident, said police Col. Torsak Thammingmongkol. It was not clear how long they had accompanied Guillermo in his round-the-world cycling odyssey.

 

The driver of the pickup truck was arrested on a charge of causing death by dangerous driving and released on bail, said Torsak. The offense carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison.

 

"It was an accident caused by the driver's recklessness. The road was straight and the cyclist was in his own lane," the officer said.

 

The death comes as Thailand's government is trying hard to promote bicycling for commuting, sport and tourism.

 

In February 2013, a British couple on a similar round-the-world quest was killed in a road accident in eastern Thailand.

[Coss]

I remember a number of years ago, many even, the local worthy women of Bangkok, the ones with Emelda Marcos hair, decided to enhance the tourist pedestrian experience in Bangkok, by installing little buckets of flags either side of pedestrian crossings.

 

The idea was, that when one used the pedestrian crossing, one picked up a little flag and waved it, to make oneself visible to the traffic, thereby making the experience of crossing a Bangkok road, safer.

 

On the first day, an elderly Swedish (I think) couple did as directed and were promptly and efficiently mowed down by a front end loader, yellow, and the Somchai who was driving it, equally promptly, did a runner.

[Dexi]

The more I see of the roads here,the more carefull I become.The strange thing is,that many of the main roads look as if they should be safe ie.straight and wide.However it only takes a moment of driver error/carelessness to end a life.Something I find particularly dangerous here is motorcys racing along narrow sois with no regard for people walking at the side .

[bust]

bummer....

[zzzz]

The road was straight and the cyclist was in his own lane," the officer said.

 

In February 2013, a British couple on a similar round-the-world quest was killed in a road accident in eastern Thailand.

 

I remember a couple of years when the British couple lost their lives. It's a terrible thing. A lot of these cyclist believe that they can have a lane to themselves. You can have your own lane and be relatively safe if you have a support vehicle behind you to protect you from other vehicles. (Even then you could run into or be run over by your own support vehicle.)http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/02/18/17005973-globe-trotting-british-cyclists-killed-in-road-accident-in-thailand?lite

[scoobydoo]

I have been hit 3x cycling in Cambridge uk, I consider myself a very defensive rider and drive my car often enough to see both perspectives......I see plenty of arrogant wankers on their bikes and in their cars. not to suggest this poor bugger was so. roads are lethal everywhere.

[cavanami]

One issue in Thailand, is that the drivers (of any type of vehicle) have no idea of the concept of "right of way" and

they drive as such!

 

Some weeks/months ago, on the 1730 Thai TV News, they had one minute of examples of the correct driving manners,

but these last weeks it has become spotty, at best. Sometimes they show it but mostly not.

 

So how does a Thai driver learn the rules of the road and the concept of "right of way"...they don't!!!

[Mekong]

Come on Cav, you have been driving in Thailand long enough now to realise that right of way is directly proportional to the size of the vehicle one is driving / riding.

 

I say this in jest but I actually think that many Thais on the highways and byways do believe in this logic.

[Flashermac]

I remember a number of years ago, many even, the local worthy women of Bangkok, the ones with Emelda Marcos hair, decided to enhance the tourist pedestrian experience in Bangkok, by installing little buckets of flags either side of pedestrian crossings.

 

The idea was, that when one used the pedestrian crossing, one picked up a little flag and waved it, to make oneself visible to the traffic, thereby making the experience of crossing a Bangkok road, safer.

 

On the first day, an elderly Swedish (I think) couple did as directed and were promptly and efficiently mowed down by a front end loader, yellow, and the Somchai who was driving it, equally promptly, did a runner.

 

I remember it well. Also, back in the mid 1980s, an American professor - author of a history of Thailand - was paid to come to Bangkok to give a lecture on the subject to an academic group. The guy flew here, checked into the First Hotel (I think), and decided to go for a walk. He was run over by a bus when he tried to cross the street in front of his hotel. He'd been in Thailand no more than half an hour.

[cavanami]

I always say about "right of way" in Thailand, the Thais have the right to go whatever way they want, when they want!