Stricter road-safety measures promised after 4 Japanese tourists killed

[rooster59]

Stricter road-safety measures promised after 4 Japanese tourists killed

By THE NATION

 

 

AUTHORITIES HAVE promised tighter measures to ensure safer roads after a van accident in Ayutthaya killed four Japanese tourists and a Thai tour guide. The Land Transport Department (DLT) also assured that all the victims would be fully compensated.

 

The accident occurred on Thursday when a tourist van from Bangkok rammed into the back of a lorry on the highway to Ayutthaya at high speed and killed a total of five people.

 

 

DLT director-general Sanith Phromwong said yesterday that the department would impose stricter measures on transport vehicles to prevent a repeat of such an accident.

 

Sanith said the department was sorry for the loss of lives, and assured the families of the deceased that Thai authorities will punish the van driver and his company, RL Service Ltd, if they were found guilty.

 

DLT deputy director-general Kamol Buranapong said that the department had already revoked the licence of the van involved in the accident and ordered RL Service to turn over all their 80 passenger vans to the department for a safety inspection. All of the company’s drivers have been summoned to take a road safety course.

Kamol also said that the department will introduce stricter road safety measures, which include harder procedures to issue a new public driving licence, a specific transport route for large lorries, more resting stations for public vehicle drivers, and new requirements for all public transport companies to have a safety manager.

 

Kamol went to Bang Pa-in Police Station yesterday to inspect the progress of the investigation into the accident.

 

 

After inspecting the crashed van, he said that the vehicles apparently had collided at full speed and he suspected the van driver may have driven recklessly and caused the accident.

 

The last speed reported on the van GPS showed it was travelling at 93kph at the time of impact, and there was no sign of braking on the road. 

 

Kamol said the van driver was experienced and there was no indication of overwork.

 

“I would like to express my deepest sympathies to the families of the victims and I have already ordered Ayutthaya Provincial Land Transport Office to closely monitor the investigation,” Kamol said.

 

Pol Colonel Kritsana Pattanacharoen, Royal Thai Police deputy spokesperson, said that police do not yet know the cause of accident and were not ready to charge anyone.

 

Kritsana said the driver of the van had already given police useful information, which he could not yet disclose. Police also collected blood samples from the van driver to check for alcohol or narcotics.

 

 

“We will ensure that the investigation in this case will be transparent and we will disclose all information once the investigation is finished,” he said.

 

Manit Srithong, the lawyer for RL Service Ltd, said the company was sorry for the accident and assured that the victims’ families will get the full compensation as per their insurance standard. He also said the van had passed all requirements of the DLT.

 

It was reported that the families of all deceased Japanese tourists would get a total compensation of Bt2.2 million.

 

Officials of the Embassy of Japan, and relatives of deceased Thai guide Piyathip Krungtai went to the Institute of Forensic Science at Thammasat University Hospital yesterday to receive the bodies of the victims.

 

 

It was reported that the bodies of the four Japanese victims would be transported back to Japan, while Piyathip’s body will be delivered to her home in Nakhon Phanom province for a funeral ceremony.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30331338

 

 

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2017-11-11

[RotMahKid]

I already read somewhere that the driver confessed that he fell asleep, and that is very difficult to prevent.

Edited November 10, 2017 by RotMahKid

[djayz]

All of these "promised measures" aren't going to bring back the dear nor are the going to prevent/reduce future accidents on the roads here. 

 

[jaltsc]

"DLT director-general Sanith Phromwong said yesterday that the department would impose stricter measures..."

 

And these stricter measures will be enforced by the same ghosts that enforce all the other government safety and health measures. Nothing will change, but this looks good in print for those tourists who might be turned off visiting Thailand and have doubts about their safety after arriving here.

[theguyfromanotherforum]

Higher quality amulets will be bought.

[chopin2]

How about speedbumps every 50m on the highways?

[tracker1]

The last speed reported on the van GPS showed it was travelling at 93kph at the time of impact, and there was no sign of braking on the road. Knew those GPSs would be good for something after the incident not sure they were going to save lives ! Again more Gunna Do from the authorities !

[ezzra]

50 minutes ago, rooster59 said:

AUTHORITIES HAVE promised tighter measures to ensure safer roads

Good to start the day with a joke...

[observer90210]

stricter road measures?....so now the tea money in roadblocks taken from farangs will double ?...or what does this mean ?

[darksidedog]

48 minutes ago, rooster59 said:

 

AUTHORITIES HAVE promised tighter measures to ensure safer roads

Really? I seem to recall hearing exactly the same thing for a very long time now and yet still we have daily carnage. Lets face it, the locals are such appalling drivers, that this is going to carry on until seriously higher standards are imposed. And with the incompetence we see in everything here, I won't be holding my breath for that to happen.

[metisdead]

A derogatory troll post has been removed as well as a reply. 

[worgeordie]

" had already revoked the licence of the van involved in the accident "the van is a right off,

so that means nothing,maybe they need to put governors on these vans to limit the speed,

but no matter what regulations they introduce,nothing is going to change,its the drivers,Stupid.

regards worgeordie

[007cableguy]

The Thai authorities always spiel out the same crap every time these things happen and promise new laws!.............How did the law stopping people in the back of pick ups go on ?..............Sorry forgot just another Thai pipe dream!!


Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect

[Thian]

1 hour ago, RotMahKid said:

I already read somewhere that the driver confessed that he fell asleep, and that is very difficult to prevent.

Getting rid of all the roosters and soidogs around his house will help for better nightrest.

 

And good coffee or red bull can also keep one awake.

 

 

[jaltsc]

1 hour ago, chopin2 said:

How about speedbumps every 50m on the highways?

If the present potholes every 50m aren't a deterrent, then speed bumps won't make any difference. 

[JAG]

Why on earth are we treated to a picture of a victim in a shroud being put in a coffin amongst all the debris out the back of the hospital?

Edited November 11, 2017 by JAG

[thequietman]

Blah blah blah, hub, blah blah blah, inspections, blah blah blah, checks, blah blah blah, stricter measures, blah blah blah, ( add buzzword here) blah blah blah ........... and so it goes. 

[kotsak]

1 hour ago, chopin2 said:

How about speedbumps every 50m on the highways?

Reminds me of the videos posted by a some guys on Youtube who use the BeamNG software

 

 

[burgdawg]

...let me translate this semi-serious message uttered by whomever in the gov't---

NOTHING WILL CHANGE.

These van drivers are amped up on anything they can get their hands on and will drive like the crazy men they are!

[burgdawg]

<<The Land Transport Department (DLT) also assured that all the victims would be fully compensated.>>

 

Here'S 2,000฿....now get lost!

Thai comedy hour. There will be no compensation. What are these lads smoking?

[stanleycoin]

I'm sure the ministry of do nothing,   can fill this,   in no time at all. 

 

[the guest]

After a while you get tired of all these promises.

[impulse]

3 hours ago, rooster59 said:

It was reported that the families of all deceased Japanese tourists would get a total compensation of Bt2.2 million.

 

I hope that's enough to repatriate the remains...

 

[rkidlad]

Yea, I can see the roads becoming safer already. What a load of old b*****. 

 

The only way they'll try to improve the safety of roads here is when some horrible turd who Thailand deems important gets hurt or dies in a car accident. Even then it would just be temporary. 

 

There needs to be a huge reform in education here. Lesson number 1# is that people's lives are the most important thing. There's no good luck or bad luck. There's the here and now. 

[DM07]

Yeah, yeah...and we have heard it all before!

But this...yes...for sure, they are gonna do something about it!

[robsamui]

Phew! That's OK then. The families of foreign tourists can rest assured knowing that if their loved ones are killed on the roads in Thailand, they will be compensated - $12,500 per corpse.

Edited November 11, 2017 by robsamui

[Thaiwrath]

3 hours ago, rooster59 said:

Stricter road-safety measures promised

Takes me back to 1991, the first time I came here.

Same headline, different era. Broken promises.

[Chang_paarp]

So the officials Thaied. This is a cultural phenomenon.

[NCC1701A]

lets hope this makes the Japanese news.

 

anything to stop tourists from coming to Thailand to be murdered by the do nothing police and government.

[Cadbury]

4 hours ago, rooster59 said:

Stricter road-safety measures promised after 4 Japanese tourists killed

   Tough action against transport company following Ayutthaya deadly crash 

I can't help but think that if it had been 4 unfortunate foreign illegal immigrants who were killed would there have been such a sharp knee-jerk reaction along with the responses and promises of tough action and new road-safety measures. I doubt it.

I cynically suspect all the publicity is to appease the Japanese and make the Tourism Minister look as if she is up and about doing something for the benefit of tourists. The benefit of course being not being killed on the roads of Thailand while on holiday. 

Anyway promises by Thai authorities of stronger road safety measures usually amount to nought.