Can anybody give me a sensible answer as to why the seatbelts in the back seats of most Thai taxis have had the buckles removed or hidden under the seat?

Gareth from cardiff says:

so they can't get sued for whiplash. straight through window for death is cheaper than compo

Thai national Natnaree, from Bang Sue says:

If u r not afraid not wearing helmet on the back of taxi bike, there is no point asking for a safety belt on the back of taxi car.

So I replied...

Why are you avoiding the question and defending them woman?? I AM afraid of not wearing a helmet on the back of a bike, and it's a risk we all take, but my point is that there ARE seatbelts in the back of taxis but they are modified so that they can't be used. So if there's a group of friends in the back or a mother and child and the driver makes a mistake, they die and the driver lives.

Pete from Dover says:

maybe if the seatbelts are enforced then only 3 people can sit in the back rather than the usual 8?

To which I replied:

You haven't thought this through at all have you. Look, you could still fit more than three in the back. A seatbelt buckle is smaller than a pack of cigarettes and has softer edges... I'll say it again. A seatbelt buckle is smaller than a pack of cigarettes and has softer edges.

And he goes:

if seatbelts were enforced as in people must wear them !

So I said:

People would have to wear them in the back (which is not the law) and no more than three people could sit in the back (which is the law here though it's hardly enforced) - the buckles are deliberatly hidden under the seat or cut off. Is it illegal to give people the option of saving their lives in the back seat??

Which I think is a very valid point, and only Travis from Long Beach CA is on my side and he had this to say:

bro. i asked the same question the first day i was in bangkok... i asked the driver and said if we where to die the seatbelts wouldnt matter. tis the way of buddha. then he pointed at his little buddha on the dash and said we will be fine... and the crazy thing was we ended up ok...

Seriously - this has to be one of the most idiotic, dangerous and stupid traits of Thai motorists, it doesn't make any sense at all - or does it?