Swedish expat Peter Nyman, 48, who ran a guesthouse in Karon (Phuket) died in a single-vehicle motorcycle accident while riding between Patong and Karon in heavy rain. The road he was traveling on was also known to be particularly treacherous, even when dry. The accident occurred at 1020 on Saturday (October 8).
COMMENT: Nyman overshot a curve (near the Le Meridien Phuket Beach Resort), which can easily happen in heavy rain, and hit a utility pole. He was killed instantly. The road conditions on the Patong-Karon road were further complicated by countless potholes and uneven surfaces, which, in heavy rain, would render the road even more dangerous.
Since 1994, the Phuket Land Transport Office has been attempting to establish public transportation for the route, but few have dared to do so after the notoriously aggressive and frequently violent "tuk-tuk" drivers beat an entrepreneur who tried to set up a bus service was nearly beaten to death.
Largely because of the unreasonably high rates the "tuk-tuks" charge to travel from Patong to Karon, many residents and tourists are forced by necessity to use motorized bikes and motorcycles.
As a post-script, during my years in Bangkok as Regional Security Officer (RSO) at the US Embassy, it would be hard for me to estimate the number of diplomats and embassy staff who were in serious motorcycle accidents during periods of heavy rain.
Although Thailand is a beautiful country to live in, residents and expats alike face atypical environmental factors that tourists often don't see at first-blush. Clearly, folks who must use the Patong-Karon road find themselves in a dangerous Catch-22.
COMMENT: Nyman overshot a curve (near the Le Meridien Phuket Beach Resort), which can easily happen in heavy rain, and hit a utility pole. He was killed instantly. The road conditions on the Patong-Karon road were further complicated by countless potholes and uneven surfaces, which, in heavy rain, would render the road even more dangerous.
Since 1994, the Phuket Land Transport Office has been attempting to establish public transportation for the route, but few have dared to do so after the notoriously aggressive and frequently violent "tuk-tuk" drivers beat an entrepreneur who tried to set up a bus service was nearly beaten to death.
Largely because of the unreasonably high rates the "tuk-tuks" charge to travel from Patong to Karon, many residents and tourists are forced by necessity to use motorized bikes and motorcycles.
As a post-script, during my years in Bangkok as Regional Security Officer (RSO) at the US Embassy, it would be hard for me to estimate the number of diplomats and embassy staff who were in serious motorcycle accidents during periods of heavy rain.
Although Thailand is a beautiful country to live in, residents and expats alike face atypical environmental factors that tourists often don't see at first-blush. Clearly, folks who must use the Patong-Karon road find themselves in a dangerous Catch-22.
