"PHUKET: A British man was killed last night when his big bike crashed on a curve in southern Phuket. It is believed it was his first time on a big bike.
The British man's death becomes the third in quick succession and follows the deaths of two Malaysian big bikers - one coming to the Phuket Bike Week 2013 event, the other going home.
Last night's tragedy occurred at 11.15pm when the British man, dressed only in a pair of shorts and not wearing a helmet, lost control of his Yamaha 1000 on a bend near Wat Ladthi Wanaram in Chao Fa Road East, Chalong.
The big bike crashed into the metal safety barrier at the side of the road. Lieutenant Kaisorn Boonprasop, of Chalong Police Station, said he believed the man, aged 33 and understood to be a Thai kickboxing exponent, had been drinking.
He may have been keen to elude a checkpoint that was a little further down the road towards Chalong Circle, a well-known southern Phuket landmark, officers speculate.
His body was taken to Vachira Phuket Hospital. Police were notifying British diplomats. Phuketwan has been given a name but will not publish it until relatives have been notified.
Malaysian biker Loh Zhi Wei, 29, died on the notorious Ko Ean curve on Thepkasattri Road in northern Phuket while riding home yesterday with a group of other bikers.
A second Malaysian biker, Hasal Muhammad Bin Yunus, 45, is reported to have been killed on his way to join Phuket Bike Week on Thursday when his Harley crashed on a curve in the province of Phattalung, south of Phuket.
The three fatalities are likely to inspire Phuket authorities to call for greater safety by big bike riders from Phuket authorities, especially during Phuket Bike Week 2014.
A disprportionate number of foreigners die on Phuket's roads, mostly on motorcycles.
However, Phuket authorities have not released road toll figures for 2012 yet and ceased publishing monthly updates in April last year.
In other parts of the world, road safety has only improved with regular publication of road toll figures.
Phuket's death toll on the island's roads was trending down and stood at a rate of about 11 fatalities a month when the statistics became a secret."
GN.
