Three students killed, 48 people injured in school bus crash

[MaeJoMTB]

3 minutes ago, YetAnother said:

what happened to the pickup truck and the people inside it ?

The video shows the bus moving at an insane speed, faster than any other vehicle in the video.

Can't see how any person other than the bus driver could be blamed, no matter how they were driving.

[nausea]

43 minutes ago, Jonnapat said:

believe me it's the Thai mindset that needs to be altered

Agree; waiting for top-down solutions in Thailand is just ... well ... pointless. 

[kaorop]

6 hours ago, Briggsy said:

Already there apparently.

And been there for quite sometime already, considering how figures are fudged in so many things here.

[webfact]

UPDATE:

Three including student killed at Korat intersection with no traffic lights

By The Nation

 

 

Authorities have blamed a triple fatality in a road accident in Nakhon Ratchasima, in which a nine-year-old student was among those killed, on the lack of traffic lights at the intersection where the tragedy occurred.

 

It was initially reported that three students had been killed when the chartered bus carrying them home to Chaiyaphum from a field trip in Bangkok collided with a pickup truck at the intersection on

the Sikhiew-Chaiyaphum road in Dan Khunthod district on Wednesday afternoon.

 

Pol Capt Parinthorn Yaijunrthuek said Pinyada Lappinyo, 9, was the sole student killed. Chonthica Sangyanang, a teacher at Ban Nong Saeng School, and the bus driver, Wiraphol Thongkham, also died in the crash.

 

Parinthorn said 55 people were injured. Forty of them were treated at Dan Khun Thod Hospital and the rest at Nakhon Ratchasima Provincial Hospital.

 

He said the bus had been hired to take the students and several teachers and parents to view the Royal Crematorium in Bangkok.

 

A GPS recording of the bus’s movement indicated it had been travelling at 86 kilometres per hour and turning at the Intersection towards Chaiyaphum when it struck the pickup driven by Seksan Waengkham head-on.

 

Nakhon Ratchasima Governor Wichien Channothai said the road where the accident occurred was recently widened from two lanes to four and vehicles were travelling faster now.

 

He acknowledged that the Ban Kud Muang intersection had no traffic lights or pedestrian crosswalks and that pedestrians often walked on the road allowance because of trees in the centre island, leading to occasional accidents.

 

Wichien said there were five accidents at the same location on Wednesday alone.

 

The governor plans to urge the provincial Highway Office to install traffic lights and remove trees blocking pedestrian movement.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30331741

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2017-11-16

[djayz]

It simply never ends... 

[01322521959]

It needs the efforts of government, law enforcement and general citizens to stop these unnecessary accidents daily.

I seem to remember that they wanted to increase driver training but it wasn't implemented because they were worried about the affordability of it to the general population. Oh yeah, right. Thais can afford to buy 1000,000 Baht cars but can't afford to learn to drive correctly.

RIP kids. Nothing will change. It's only got worse in the years I've lived here.

[zaphod reborn]

Quote

Wichien said there were five accidents at the same location on Wednesday alone.

As much as people hate lawyers and litigation, this doesn't happen where municipalities can be held liable for substantial damages where they know highway design is unreasonably dangerous.  In Thailand, even if there was a lawsuit, a death is only worth about US $5,000, so no need for government to take action to make their highways safe.  Yes, speed was a factor in the collision, but as was admitted, the highway had been recently widened and they knew average vehicular speeds had increased.

[hotchilli]

The Thai transport ministry must have extremely thick skin  to keep shrugging off these daily tragedies on Thai roads

how they keep taking their huge salaries yet do nothing to earn them is beyond belief!

It's about time Thai people held them accountable for in-action!!

[Airbagwill]

6 minutes ago, zaphod reborn said:

As much as people hate lawyers and litigation, this doesn't happen where municipalities can be held liable for substantial damages where they know highway design is unreasonably dangerous.  In Thailand, even if there was a lawsuit, a death is only worth about US $5,000, so no need for government to take action to make their highways safe.  Yes, speed was a factor in the collision, but as was admitted, the highway had been recently widened and they knew average vehicular speeds had increased.

THai road design is "criminally" insane - they just build faster, wider straighter and wonder why accidents are increasing in severity.

 

 

[Cuchulainn]

Lack of traffic lights, eh?

 

Lack of care, courtesy, consideration, forward thinking (in fact, any thinking), awareness, judgement and on and on and on.................................... 

[Ratcher]

R.I.P. So tragic. 

[Cranky]

Good news is the driver died.  Hope that bit of the report is accurate, the rest, like the comments, is guesswork. 

 

Sadly, much like nutters in the States shooting up the place, this news is becoming desensitised due to the frequency of it.  

 

So many similarities between the two issues.  Drivers not vehicles - People not guns that do the killing.  Both totally avoidable, or at least reduceable (is that even a word?) with some common sense laws.  Both seemingly uncontrollable for the foreseeable future.

[Black arab]

As the village where this school was is not that far from us locals have spoken of 7 killed including the driver and 6 children these others must have been on way or at the hospital

[marko kok prong]

Well it takes some doing to overtake Libya who are in the midst of a civil war to become number one, i have not seen many pickups here with a 50 cal mounted on the back tray,i guess they don't need them,nothing will change until Thailand introduces a proper driving test with a mandatory number of hours driven as a learner with at least half of those supervised by a proffesional driving instructor[ even then i guess a 1000 b may buy thier signature], a proper Traffic police dept,and the govt stop wasting money on subs,and invest in curing this terrible blight on this country.

[johnarth]

most of the answers are here in this forum, I think the major problem is their attitude to driving and the to hell with  road laws, (I do what I want why do you get in my road) where I live over 50 women on scooters are total in their own cap shell (a world of their own) a cause of many accidents of other people. high finds would be good, but because of tea money not good, confiscating verticals better, but where would the cops put all the verticals? perhaps they could send them straight to the wreckers no insurance paid that would make them sit up and take notice

[steve73]

Many of you asking about the offending pick-up truck...

 

There's a still photo towards the end of the video showing a P-U with a damaged front off-side... although whether this had anything to do with the accident is difficult to determine.. I can't see how it could have damaged its front end if it's just overtaken and then cut in front of the bus.

 

RIP to all... and to future fatalities.  

Edited November 16, 2017 by steve73

[Artisi]

8 hours ago, Briggsy said:

Already there apparently.

For many years, have always massaged the numbers ---

[glasswort]

Maybe something wrong with my eyesight but I cannot see any pick-up on the video.

[balo]

Luckily the bus did not crash into other vehicles when it crossed into the opposite lane .  Or else it would have been a lot worse , only 3 victims this time . RIP. 

 

[jenny2017]

Dan Khun Tod police said three people were killed in the accident, including the bus driver, a woman, and a girl student aged about 9 years old.

 

 

I watched the movie a few times, but only saw a speeding driver who was much faster than the vehicles before him. I was on school trips with 20-year-old bus drivers who had not much experience in driving a bus.

 

   When will these bus drivers have the right training, tests, etc?  Never? In ten years? In 30 years? 

 

   Rest in peace to the deceased and a speedy and full recovery for the injured ones. 

Edited November 16, 2017 by jenny2017

[richard_smith237]

It appears to me as though there was a pickup waiting to U-Turn, it appears that the pick-up has 'edged out' into the path of the buss. The bus appears to have 'clipped' the pickup and shunted it back towards another vehicle before the bus lost control. 

 

Tragic consequences, the bus was clearly speeding. The driver of the pickup was clearly not paying full attention. 

 

2 idiots cause the death of innocents. 

 

This is also clearly the consequence of awful road design where risk mitigation has been given no consideration whatsoever. 

 

Its a terrible combination - Inattentive drivers, poor road design. 

 

Edited November 16, 2017 by richard_smith237

[kwak250]

4 hours ago, Airbagwill said:

most people posting on this thread took there "tests" years ago and they were rubbish too.....to claim that tests are the be-all and end-all solution is just facile.

Never claimed it was going to end all carnage but hey got to reduce the accidents if people learnt how to drive and who to give way to on roundabouts!

Don't forget the people posting on this thread years ago had much less traffic.

Probably had more horses to navigate around than cars.

I know my father was the only car owner in the road and children used run along next to it.

Different times airbagwill.

[berybert]

Having a U-turn/RHT on a 4 lane highway is a death trap. Shut the gaps and stop the killing. 

Sure you can add lights and teach the drivers how to drive, but they will ignore the lights and still take a chance on the gap.

I've said it before, most Thais struggle to walk in a straight line, they shouldn't be allowed to drive full stop.

Edited November 16, 2017 by berybert

[Eloquent pilgrim]

R.I.P. the deceased and sympathy and condolences to everyone affected by another tragedy on Thailands roads. They seem to have enough basic driving regulations here, but the problem appears to be an almost complete lack of implementation. 

 

As an example, last year a friend was stopped and breathalysed. He was told he had failed, which he thought was probably correct, and was given an on the spot 3,000 Baht fine. He had insufficient funds with him, so the Police held his (Thai) licence and told him to DRIVE to the nearest ATM and get the money. When he got back he paid the fine, was given his licence back and told that he could go. Somewhat nervously he drove home but was not pursued or stopped again. Like myself, he has only been here a couple of years, so we don't know if this is commonplace, but if so, it is certainly no deterrent. ??  ✌️✌️

[Tilacme]

Don't stop your kids going on school outing and, following the bus in your farang pick up is just pathetic.  Check the school bus, driver and insurance and, let the kids go on school outings.

[Thian]

Last week i was in a private hired coach from BKK to Chayaphum...our driver kept on driving the fast lane non-stop...even when there was no traffic at all.

 

I hoped the police would stop us and fine him for that but hey this is Thailand where one can do as he pleases.

[CGW]

7 minutes ago, Thian said:

Last week i was in a private hired coach from BKK to Chayaphum...our driver kept on driving the fast lane non-stop...even when there was no traffic at all.

 

I hoped the police would stop us and fine him for that but hey this is Thailand where one can do as he pleases.

I find this a very dangerous behavior here that no action or very little mention is made off. Many "hog" the outside lane, often driving very slowly, mainly because they lack the driving skills to use more than one lane! They in turn back traffic up behind them which leads to impatience................. we all know what that can lead too!

In a nutshell, many drivers here are totally incapable of "driving" a vehicle, how can anything change with these idiots on the roads?

[strawpanda]

Scotland has the right idea: 'The Seat Belts on School Transport (Scotland) Bill was introduced in the Scottish Parliament by Gillian Martin MSP on 28 February 2017. The Bill would place a duty on every school authority to ensure that all services provided solely to transport school pupils to and from the establishments where they receive primary or secondary education use vehicles fitted with seat belts.'

 

http://www.parliament.scot/ResearchBriefingsAndFactsheets/S5/SB_17-16_Seat_Belts_on_School_Transport_Scotland_Bill.pdf

[ratcatcher]

1 hour ago, steve73 said:

Many of you asking about the offending pick-up truck...

 

There's a still photo towards the end of the video showing a P-U with a damaged front off-side... although whether this had anything to do with the accident is difficult to determine.. I can't see how it could have damaged its front end if it's just overtaken and then cut in front of the bus.

 

RIP to all... and to future fatalities.  

'There's a still photo towards the end of the video showing a P-U with a damaged front off-    driver's    side... "

If the pickup did indeed try to cut in front of the bus, that, the driver's side,  is the first point of contact. The bus would probably have swerved and careened across the median and into the far side of the highway.

 

[Russell17au]

There are many on here that are pointing the finger at the driver of the bus without knowing the mechanics of these vehicles. Looking at the picture of the pick up at the end of the video it has been hit on the drivers side which would indicate that the bus has also been hit on the drivers side. On the drivers side of the bus right at the front corner is the accelerator linkage which is a cable connection to the rear engine and which after the collision the bus driver would not be able to stop that bus from accelerating to a higher speed also the front right steer wheel is directly behind the driver which would also be hit by the pick up those the bus driver would not have any control of that bus. It would be impossible to steer that bus or stop it after the collision with the pick up. My experience is 45 years driving heavy vehicles with 17 of those driving interstate express coaches and extended tour coaches in Australia.