This is a particular problem on Koh Samui, and indeed other popular tourist destinations throughout the country. Many people just turn up at a destination and hire a motorcycle, despite having little or no experience of driving a vehicle of this kind, as well as never having driven in Thailand before. They also seldom wear any protective clothing or even a helmet! With all of these factors combined it is little wonder why a large number of foreign tourists that hire motorcycles in Thailand end up having an accident, which not only ruins their holiday and potentially leaves them with a hefty medical bill, they are also scarred for life, which acts as a permanent reminder of their accident.
But it is not just foreigners who fail to wear a helmet or adequate protective clothing whilst driving a motorcycle, often Thai people will also failed to take the necessary measures with regards to motorcycle road safety.
As many road traffic accidents in Thailand end fatally, for the lucky motorcyclists that are involved in an accident they might only receive broken bones, severe cuts or grazing to the skin; all of which are relatively common.
‘Thai tattoos’ or ‘road rash’, as they are know, are the names given to the cuts, grazes or scars that someone suffers from after they have been involved in a motorcycle accident of some form or other. You may have noticed a lot of Thai people with these types of scars or ‘tattoos’ on their arms and legs. Just imagine being thrown from a motorcycle and dragged along the road at 40 kilometres an hour, without wearing any protective clothing or a helmet, it is bound to do a great deal of damage.