At least 16 killed and many injured in Korat road accident

[NoshowJones]

23 minutes ago, Cutter said:

I've ridden big bike all over Thailand and the big buses, big trucks and minivans are the worst drivers on the road. Very aggressive and passing other big trucks and buses on blind corners and single lane highways. I have been forced to the shoulder of the road countless times. Many times if I was in a vehicle instead of a motorcycle, then I would have been forced into the ditch by these awful, aggressive drivers. 

Could not have put it better myself.

[Lungstib]

1 hour ago, JOC said:

Nothing wrong with the buses...Many buses on the roads here are high quality Scania or Volvo....

The problem here is solely with the drivers and probably lack of maintenance.....

You can't build a bus that can withstand an accident going downhill trying to negotiate a bend at 100 km/h +

Engine, gearbox, chassis maybe Scania or Volvo but have you ever seen anything like these double-deck tourist buses in Europe? I think the local made bodies are tack welded and fibreglass constructions that cant even stand a slow roll. p.s. I used to drive a Volvo and it didn't look anything like the ones seen here.

[khunpa]

Clearly the bus driver had not been to the temple lately or was not wearing the correct amulets. Yet another case of just “bad luck”.

 

May this be a reminder to all bus drivers, to wear the correct amulets and vist the temple often. This way they can drive as crazy as they want and be total accident free.

 

RIP to all the victims, while we wait for the next “bad luck” accident to happen...

 

 

 

 

Edited March 22, 2018 by khunpa

[Jingjock]

Loads on these drivers are on drugs to stay awake while they drive 18 hours a day (MONEY) it will never change. RIP to all those killed. So I will not travel on a bus or mini bus at all.

[Daveyh]

It's always the buses that seem to have these problems. On this Kabinburi road it is particulary steep & I've travelled it many times & it's a place that's very dangerous. The road is quite narrow, safe overtaking is limited, with "run off points" in places for heavy goods vehicles in an emergency. Lorries seem to understand the problems that exist & I've found them to be really cautious, in low gear, giving way to traffic etc etc ..... & very polite .

However, Buses, especially the tourist type with "double decker" design seem to be always in a hurry, impatient & drive too fast! Police in this area are vigilant as there are check points & police boxes in the area clearly visible, but I don't think they have CCTV in the "mountain pass" to assist them, which in my option is paramount & should be installed asap & manned 24/7. Also, not enough control is enforced in this area with regards to speeding. It's a really hazardous area & the tour buses should be targetted travelling through this pass as they are the main offenders ...... police should stop them, check their documents, give them a warning about speeding etc ...... after all they have 60+ souls on board that are trusting the driver with their lives. The buses should be "governed" to limit their speed as relying on the driver is not an option here. In my opinion, I don't think these buses meet "european safety standards" as they don't appear to sit the road well, especially at speed. Perhaps the suspension is softened to give a smoother ride, but I think these vehicles visibly struggle when changing direction & become unstable. Any views on this anyone??? ...... I think slowing these buses down would be a great start to saving lives by "governing" the engines with an Thai Govt official tamperproof seal to stop meddling!  Please Thailand ................. you need to do this immediately & stop this carnage ............ punitive action is required. Loss of licence, even confiscation of vehicle, heavy fines & jail terms must be introduced ... you've gotta face it Thailand & get tough now with everyone.

[Airbagwill]

1 hour ago, JOC said:

Nothing wrong with the buses...Many buses on the roads here are high quality Scania or Volvo....

The problem here is solely with the drivers and probably lack of maintenance.....

You can't build a bus that can withstand an accident going downhill trying to negotiate a bend at 100 km/h +

This comment is completely wrong! But it shows how misled the public can be.

 

There are NOT Scania or Volvos, they are Thai built chassis which use secondhand parts and may or may not at the end stick a Scanai or Volvo or Merc badge on, the logic being the the engine came out of one once upon a time.

 

The construction of the bodies on these buses is about the same as a 1960s touring caravan (trailer in the US) i n short they are all face and nothing more.

 

You might want to rethink after you've read this article from last year by Scania themselves....

 

"False ‘Scania’ bus in yet another deadly Thailand traffic accident"

https://scandasia.com/false-scania-bus-in-yet-another-deadly-thailand-traffic-accident/

 

[Airbagwill]

BTW - here is a Thai coach chassis.

Take a look in the background! You will see how flimsy the coach bodies are!

Edited March 22, 2018 by Airbagwill

[gk10002000]

Mother fer speeding going down hill.  and because the thais drive on the left, the driver is on the left front part of the bus. So he went all the way across the lane

[Daveyh]

3 minutes ago, Airbagwill said:

This comment is completely wrong! But it shows how misled the public can be.

 

There are NOT Scania or Volvos, they are Thai built chassis which use secondhand parts and may or may not at the end stick a Scanai or Volvo or Merc badge on, the logic being the the engine came out of one once upon a time.

 

The construction of the bodies on these buses is about the same as a 1960s touring caravan (trailer in the US) i n short they are all face and nothing more.

 

You might want to rethink after you've read this article from last year by Scania themselves....

 

"False ‘Scania’ bus in yet another deadly Thailand traffic accident"

https://scandasia.com/false-scania-bus-in-yet-another-deadly-thailand-traffic-accident/

 

Yup, the government need to really clamp down on this!! How many tourists are unaware of this by thinking Scania, Volvo etc are all vehicles with high safety standards & have been rigorously tested before being passed for public use ........ appalling & disgraceful! I never use public transport here because of the "money number one" attitude where public safety does not matter ..... the dark side of Thailand is really tacky ....... sad. 

[Daveyh]

8 minutes ago, gk10002000 said:

Mother fer speeding going down hill.  and because the thais drive on the left, the driver is on the left front part of the bus. So he went all the way across the lane

What are you on about????

[EnlightenedAtheist]

Not sure when exactly this tragedy took place, but going by the picture alone, it seems it happened during the night. 

 

What seems to escape most people is that you must account for the different variables: night driving and day driving. I bet there is a huge difference in rates of accidents. I think night driving should be banned. There are plenty of research that shows that sleep is vital. Who wants to sleep on a bus at night anyway? If it costs more to travel. So be it.

 

I realize that this does not seem to involve this issue, but we need government to create and spend ads that explain to the older folks who merge with their truck or car as they are used to do with their scooter to change their ways (and be fined heavily) instead of delivering talks that last 1 hour and that no one --I am told-- listens to.

 

Are there any stats on this and that?

 

Oh, and yes, sue those who wear and sell amulets.

[moe666]

4 hours ago, zoza said:

If you are on or even near the roads in Thailand you are playing Russian Roulette, even the pavements are not safe, this because of an attitude in Thailand that they

not going to have an accident so they do not have to follow the rules. and the police do not want to be bothered with having to enforce them. the ruling elite look after the ruling elite, and the poor pay the price of having a very poor educational system, and on top of that no criticism is allowed so nobody is held accountable. and it goes on and on...... RIP people  

Russian Roulette, I guess you can back this up with your own personal proof. I just finished a drive to Bangkok from Chiang Mai, Bangkok to Kanchanaburi then back to Chiang Mai thats about 1500k guess what not one accident over this trip by me or anyone else.

 

Yes there are accidents here as there are in any country that has drivers. But Russian Roulette a bit over the top

[fabphil]

ive seen these buses overtaking on this hill both going up and down, its one of the most dangerous spots...

 

[sawadee1947]

It's a fact that human genes are matching in 35% with CABBAGE. I wonder if Thai drivers got more in their heads....

[whaleboneman]

2 hours ago, DM07 said:

Aside from all the sad and absolutely unnecessary loss of life and the fact that -of course- absolutely NOTHING will be done, to prevent this, but there will be some @$$40LE, talking some hot air- balloon full of BS...

 

...ins;t it kind of telling, that the driver makes a runner, because he is in fear of his life, because he might be clubbered to death by some bystanding village- folk!

Thailand would so much want to be part of the first world, yet they believe in the power of amulets, in little fairies in the garden, who need a house and in an unhealthy portion of lynch- mentality on a daily basis!

Do you have any lynching links? I'd be interested in reading about any.

[kaorop]

2 hours ago, Bangkok Barry said:

The Thais obviously don't care, reflected in having no proper system of driver instruction or test, so why should we foreigners? Just leave them to it. Nothing will ever change until a VVIP or member of the royal family gets killed.

And while on the subject of senseless waste of life - there is a rule in place that those huge double-trailer lorries that haul sugar cane to the factories are supposed to have their load properly covered and secure. But, as is usual in Thailand, no-one takes any notice and the police don't enforce it because they get paid anyway, with the result that some of the load falls onto the the road. This particularly presents a serious hazard to motor cyclists, and sometimes they hit the sugar cane and are thrown off their bike. Sometimes, as happened close to my house last week, the motorcyclist falls under a lorry and is killed. But, like failing to teach Thais to actually drive properly, nobody cares. Life is cheap. Easier to accept the deaths than do anything about it.

 

Nobody cares. Nobody cares.

not to mention the incredibly dangerous road conditions if it rains where there is a lot of dropped and crushed cane. its like ice to a thin worn mocy tyre..or any bike for that matter.

 

you ought see around the factories. the one south of wangsaphung trucks everywhere and the road leading to it from the south is a winding single lane road so there are multiple traffic jams with high risk passing the norm.

 

and the amount of cane on the roads is rediculous...the company a huge exporter is suposed to maintain the roads in that area...lol

Edited March 22, 2018 by kaorop

[kannot]

2 hours ago, Damrongsak said:

That's like the airlines telling passengers about the flotation vests and cushions to be used "in the event of a water landing".  A "water landing" is a crash.

Unless its on the HUDSON

[kannot]

1 hour ago, Lungstib said:

Engine, gearbox, chassis maybe Scania or Volvo but have you ever seen anything like these double-deck tourist buses in Europe? I think the local made bodies are tack welded and fibreglass constructions that cant even stand a slow roll. p.s. I used to drive a Volvo and it didn't look anything like the ones seen here.

The only part thats really Scania or  Volvo is the  badge, the rest is  just a bodge, actually come to think of it I doubt  the badge is  genuine!

[kannot]

3 hours ago, CGW said:

I thought that the last time this happened the action was all double decker buses were to be BANNED!

The "order" failed to filter down! - again............

Sad RIP

Maybe they couldnt count to two??

[Airbagwill]

57 minutes ago, Daveyh said:

Yup, the government need to really clamp down on this!! How many tourists are unaware of this by thinking Scania, Volvo etc are all vehicles with high safety standards & have been rigorously tested before being passed for public use ........ appalling & disgraceful! I never use public transport here because of the "money number one" attitude where public safety does not matter ..... the dark side of Thailand is really tacky ....... sad. 

There were promises of tilt testing and other safety measure a year or two ago, but of course it would mmean putting some of the coach-builders out of business......their "garages" are dotted all over.... take a peak inside, you'll be horrified.

[kaorop]

1 minute ago, kannot said:

Maybe they couldnt count to two??

yes they can yes they can...it goes like this:

1 for the project,

1 for me.

1 for the project,

2 for me.

1 for the project,

3 for me.

 

and so on, dont be so disparaging about your hosts maths abilities, because when ever filling their boots is on the cards they are geniuses..

[Scott]

Inflammatory post reported and removed. 

[kannot]

2 hours ago, DM07 said:

Aside from all the sad and absolutely unnecessary loss of life and the fact that -of course- absolutely NOTHING will be done, to prevent this, but there will be some @$$40LE, talking some hot air- balloon full of BS...

 

...ins;t it kind of telling, that the driver makes a runner, because he is in fear of his life, because he might be clubbered to death by some bystanding village- folk!

Thailand would so much want to be part of the first world, yet they believe in the power of amulets, in little fairies in the garden, who need a house and in an unhealthy portion of lynch- mentality on a daily basis!

No different to any fantasy religion anywhere, beats me why they fall for that nonsense, guess  reality might be hard  pill to swallow.

[Airbagwill]

4 hours ago, SWW said:

We need to stop using the word 'accident' for such incidents. It was a 'crash'.

Except this time exceptionally, they are using the word "incident", which would indicate at least the reporter is becoming familiar with the terminology of road safety.

[kannot]

3 minutes ago, kaorop said:

yes they can yes they can...it goes like this:

1 for the project,

1 for me.

1 for the project,

2 for me.

1 for the project,

3 for me.

 

and so on, dont be so disparaging about your hosts maths abilities, because when ever filling their boots is on the cards they are geniuses..

Why do my hosts always use a calculator?

[Lemonltr]

I have been over this mountain scores of times by bus and scores in the last few years by car. Twice by car last week.

Something is wrong in the report. It seems clear that the lorry was going TO Kabinburi not from and that the accident happened going down from Wang Namkeao to Khorat. This newish road is wide; good quality and dual. However it is very steep downhill and some of the bends are unexpectedly and VERY sharp although well signed. The 'shops' of course are on the slower upward other carriageway.

Even experienced drivers are surprised at the necessity to brake so sharply. No excuse for the bus driver intended.

[kaorop]

2 minutes ago, kannot said:

No different to any fantasy religion anywhere, beats me why they fall for that nonsense, guess  reality might be hard  pill to swallow.

look up a video of steven fry on his thoughts about a gawd. very well put and its hard to believe that so many believe, frightening actually

[Acemaker]

5 hours ago, 4MyEgo said:

I remember a few years back when I said to the Mrs I am going to bus it down to Phuket to catch up with the boys and the reason I wanted to get the bus, is that I would take in the countryside, her reply was swift, NO, you are NOT.

 

I said and why do you think I am not, and she said; if you want to spend some happy time in Phuket, you have to get there 1st, so I have been flying ever since , smart girl my Mrs...

Yes She is, but ive heard she likes a Drink.     

[Airbagwill]

2 hours ago, JOC said:

You can't build a bus that can withstand an accident going downhill trying to negotiate a bend at 100 km/h +

I just noticed this piece of nonsense too.....I get the feeling you really haven't thought this through.

you seem to think that alll crashes (not acidents) are the same - the bends are te same and the results of speeds (how do you know t speed?) are the same, all hills are th same gradient etc etc.

however the main thing you overlook is that the design and construction of a vehicle is crucial to the mitigation of death or injury caused in a crash, regardless of speed vehicle and incline.....

[superal]

UK Sky News report that the accident was due to the bus had brake failure , didn't take long to discover that .