11 Killed In Thai Bus Smash

[george]

11 killed in Thai bus smash

AYUTHAYA: -- A BUS carrying pious Buddhists who had just visited an orphanage to give gifts crashed Tuesday, killing 11 people and injuring dozens, police said.

Witnesses said the bus skidded off a road in Ayuthaya province, 70 kilometers north of Bangkok, hit an electricity pole and overturned, said police Lt. Col. Yutthana Boonmuang.

He said police believe the driver fell asleep at the wheel. He was among the dead, which included 10 passengers.

The remaining 50 passengers suffered minor injuries. No foreigners were among the victims.

He said the passengers had rented the bus to take them to an orphanage where they donated gifts. Thailand is a predominantly Buddhist country, and such charitable activities are encouraged.

--Agencies 2004-05-25

[KevinN]

I surely don't know why there isn't some control over the bus drivers here.

They have a very nice and affordable way to travel and the scheds. are pretty good and some of the equipment should be banned from the hiways and a small percent of it is good. But they have no prevenitive maint. at all for the equipment, so you never know if you will make the trip,if the bus will break down,or if you will be killed.

My last bus trip was a year ago from CM to Lom Sak,and it was the terror trip of my life and I will never get on another bus in Thailand. I bought a car and now drive it in half the time it takes a bus and we do it as safely as you are able to do it,what with Thai drivers on the road,it is never safe to go out of your home.

The only thing I can see good in that wreck is,IT KILLED THE DRIVER, to bad others had to die just to rid the world of another idiot.

[Mai Krap]

One thing this country needs is for drivers to be responsable and if not to be held accountable,,, Nobody wants to take responsibility for anything here unless it is succes and anyone who has money or knows anyone is not usualy held accountable... Public safety should be the chief concern of any free nation... Here it just isnt... I could wear out this keyboard with examples of bad driving Ive personally wittnessed but I will spare us that and just say... Bus drivers slow down... Police, write tickets to influentual people in mercedees, bmw's, etc., concrete haulers, comercial vehichles, bus drivers or anyone who chooses to drive wrecklessly speeding and endangering the public,,, No more get out of jail free cards... For the sake of children who are mamed, killed, and lose parents everyday in this country please take action... Acountability for Irresponsability,,, A simple concept...

[maerim]

I was in a bus crash in Issan years ago I was travelling with a mate of mine from the U.K.

We were (hopefully) on our way to Roi Et from Bangkok the bus driver had other ideas.

He was in my opinion a wide awake drunk,nudged the "Lao khow" and popped some ya ba so its no isolated incident here to have a wide awake drunk at the wheel.

As luck would have it there were no serious injuries but from then on I decided to give bus trasport a miss unless I wanted to commit suicide.

As an aside my missus comes from Prayao province we went there last new year

( the Farang one) we saw the bus crash where the wedding party was on the way to Chiang Rai from Chaing Mai 20 dead and God knows how many injured.

I have some photos of the pick up he hit, it was on display, it might slowdown down a few boy racers?

[roamer]

Bus drivers were supposedly amongst the biggest yaaba users before the drugs war. Then they were accused of being reckless, now they fall asleep.

[maerim]

Bus drivers were supposedly amongst the biggest yaaba users before the drugs war. Then they were accused of being reckless, now they fall asleep.

Either asleep or popped up, you just can't win can you?

Well the passengers certainly can't.

[Up2U]

It is probably partly due to the hours that drivers are forced to work. Big trucks, buses, so on - are on the road for most of their life. As stated above, little or no preventive maintenance. The drivers have no relief driver with them most of the time, so it is one man from start to finish.

Same in the Middle East, where Thai and Pakistani drivers are the most employed. Because they accept the extraordinarily long hours behind the wheel.

It needs tachometer recordings, shift records and strong legal enforcement to change this state of affairs. And that will push up prices.

With regard to concrete transmixers and asphalt trucks - the first have a time limit to get from batch-plant to site of pour, the latter have to get their load to site of pour before the temperature drops too much. So both sets of drivers tend to force their way through traffic very strongly. Can you blame them, if they are penalised for delivering the load too late for use? Get out of their way, as you should do for ambulances, fire appliances, etc.

[astral]

Now I understand.

Making "Merit" brings a better time in the next life.

These people got there a little quicker, as well.