Police are targeting the rental operators of motorbikes when unlicensed foreigners have motorbike accidents.

Police today say they are questioning the renters of the bike involved in Sunday night’s crash on Patong Hill between a pickup truck driven by 47 year old Thavorn Glasueak and a motorbike carrying two Russians, a 29 and 31 year old.

This incident happened at the notorious hair-pin curve on the way up Patong Hill, from Kathu. Police say the motorbike veered out of its lane into the oncoming pickup truck travelling in the other lane.

The two Russians were rushed to Patong Hospital but died.

Meanwhile, the motorbike rental operator that rented out a motorbike to 17 year old British teenager Anthony Ryan last month was fined 2,000.

Anthony was on traveling in Thailand with a friend when he tried to pass traffic on the Kamala to Patong road and drove into an oncoming minivan in the opposite lane.

Read the report of his accident HERE.

Kamala Police report that the rental operator has already been fined 2,000 baht. They also warned other motorbike rental shops to ensure that the riders were properly licensed and took out legal insurance with their rental agreement.

In their defence police claim the rental operator said they had rented out two bikes to a second man that had a valid license. Police didn’t explain what the renter was going to do with the two motorbikes. (And if the renter had a valid license, why was the shop fined?)

At this stage Kamala Police have not named the rental operator in Patong.

With the election campaign now digging into its first week on the hustings, the polls are starting to indicate where the early poll sentiments are leaning.

Thai PM Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha is the favourite for the prime minster’s position following the election, but Pheu Thai is the party people want to see lead the formation of the new government, according to an opinion survey. Pheu Thai has won the majority of votes in every election contested since 2001. Their stronghold is in the country’s population-rich north-easter and northern regions.

Yesterday’s Nida Poll was conducted between February 5-7 and interviewed 2,091 people nationwide.

PM Gen Prayut, who is now the prime ministerial candidate for the Palang Pracharath Party, received 26% of the poll support to be the next PM. He was followed closely by Khunying Sudarat Keyuraphan of the Pheu Thai Party at 24%.

12% y they’re uncertain while the Democrat Party’s Abhisit Vejjajiva received 11.4% support. 6.3% say they will not vote for anyone.

6% want to see the newcomer Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit of the Future Forward Party as PM.

Choosing a party to win the majority of votes in the March 24 poll, 36.5% chose Pheu Thai, followed by 22.6% for Palang Pracharath, Democrat – 15.2%, Future Forward – 8.2% and Seri Ruam Thai – 5%.

The main priorities voters wanted the new government to address included ‘the economy’ – 54.8%, farm price slumps – 27.9%, free education up to a bachelor’s degree – 4.3% and fighting corruption.

98% say they will vote on March 24. 1% said they won’t and the other 1% said they weren’t sure.

The election has the highest number of MPs running for office of any election in the past.

Round ’em up. Ship ’em out. The “X-Ray Outlaw Foreigners” crackdown to rid Thailand of over-stayers and illegal workers continues with more than 500 arrested in the past week.

The Immigration Police Bureau deputy chief Pol Maj-General Itthipol Itthisarnronnachai announced yesterday that a total of 522 people had been arrested at 220 different locations.