Thai road carnage: "Hardworking" minivan driver wakes up to the sound of his screaming passengers

[rooster59]

Thai road carnage: "Hardworking" minivan driver wakes up to the sound of his screaming passengers

 

Image: Daily News

 

A minivan driver taking a dozen passengers from Bangkok to the north east said that he had just dropped off a passenger when he himself dropped off. 

 

Suchart, 33, fell asleep behind the wheel of his white van.

 

He said that he had been working very hard and was woken up as he smashed into a parked truck-trailer. The noise of the impact and the subsequent screams of his passengers raised him from his slumbers. 

 

All of the passengers and driver were taken to hospital after the crash on Route 202 in Nong Yeuang sub-district of Buriram. 

 

Two had to be cut out and are in a serious condition.

 

Pornchai, 27,was also having a sleep in the cab of his truck trailer. He said he had put out a warning sign that he was parked.

 

Police are investigating. 

 

Source: Daily News

 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2020-07-04

 

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[keith101]

If its not a big bus its a mini bus , just the normal driver going to sleep .

[Grumpy one]

The truck driver put out a warning sign.

No doubt a small tree branch that you cant see till its too late

Not that Dumbo the bus driver was looking at anything besides the insides of his eye lids

[metisdead]

An off topic post and the replies have been removed. 

[RichCor]

Quote

When I die, I want to go peacefully like my Grandfather did, in his sleep -- not screaming, like the passengers in his car

- Will Rogers

 

[LawrenceN]

Years ago, I was on a full-sized tour bus in Nakorn Sawan Province. I was in the 2nd or 3rd row. I was watching the driver's head bob, and his struggle to keep his eyes open. The beautiful young mother with her preschooler across the aisle was watching the same thing with a panicked look on her face. I couldn't take much of this. I got up and asked the driver if he needed to stop for a break. He laughed it off, but it was enough to wake him up, and there was no more problem. Watch your drivers people. If their lids are heavy or steering out of their lane, say something and save some lives. Speak English if you don't speak Thai. Crow like a rooster. Anything to get those eyes open. 

[poloshirt]

Thai drivers eat lots of rice, also sticky rice, tapioca, yam, all these foods make you not just sleepy but very sleepy.

The Thai government should try out the experiment to test if this is true.

I find that if I drive long distance I will eat very little for the start of the journey and when the break time comes after almost 2 hours driving I take a break and eat a little bit. Little bit means a quarter of what you normally eat.

I don't feel sleepy at all if I do that. It all boils down to discipline. This is what is lacking in Thai's drivers no discipline at all.

However if you eat chicken or pork(often in Thailand they do) these meat when digested turn into tryptophan which induce sleep in very short time.

   I am convinced these foods are one of the causes of sleepiness in drivers on long distance driving.

  Anybody disagree?

[Mansell]

On a bus leaving BKK and the driver was looking at his tablet on the steering wheel. I took video of him and told my wife....when the host came round she spoke to him, and he spoke to the driver who put the tablet away. I asked my wife what she said to the host, And she responded, “I told her the farang wasn’t happy.”

In a Mini Van once same journey and the driver was doing around 80mph about five feet from the vehicle in front....<deleted> idiot.....never again.

[mike787]

Oops!!!  Oh well....just another wonderful day/night on Thai roads.  NO biggie! 

[Surelynot]

If I hire a car and driver or a taxi I tell them they are not allowed their phone.....they are horrified! I also make them stop every 90 mins on a long journey...and limit their speed to 60 mph....everyone should do the same.....these drivers are not 'hardworking' they are dangerous.

[GalaxyMan]

When I first came to Asia back in 1983, I was told/learned that you never sit in the first 6 rows of a bus if you want to survive the accident that was more than likely going to happen. They had these little TVs in the front playing KungFu movies non-stop. I was always too terrified to sleep. ????

Edited July 4, 2020 by GalaxyMan

[Cake Monster]

46 minutes ago, poloshirt said:

Thai drivers eat lots of rice, also sticky rice, tapioca, yam, all these foods make you not just sleepy but very sleepy.

The Thai government should try out the experiment to test if this is true.

I find that if I drive long distance I will eat very little for the start of the journey and when the break time comes after almost 2 hours driving I take a break and eat a little bit. Little bit means a quarter of what you normally eat.

I don't feel sleepy at all if I do that. It all boils down to discipline. This is what is lacking in Thai's drivers no discipline at all.

However if you eat chicken or pork(often in Thailand they do) these meat when digested turn into tryptophan which induce sleep in very short time.

   I am convinced these foods are one of the causes of sleepiness in drivers on long distance driving.

  Anybody disagree?

Most of the causes of these accidents is not to do with Food, its to do with Drink, and a lack of sleep from p!55!7g it up the Night before.

Thats the discipline problem.

[Yankeesvsredsox]

Sad

[johnray]

Pay the fine bro and get some sleep.

[rosst]

3 hours ago, Mansell said:

On a bus leaving BKK and the driver was looking at his tablet on the steering wheel. I took video of him and told my wife....when the host came round she spoke to him, and he spoke to the driver who put the tablet away. I asked my wife what she said to the host, And she responded, “I told her the farang wasn’t happy.”

In a Mini Van once same journey and the driver was doing around 80mph about five feet from the vehicle in front....<deleted> idiot.....never again.

I was in a van on the way to Pattaya on the freeway and the idiot driver was running late so he was speeding and driving like a formula one try hard. 

A couple of times I told him to slow down and be a bit careful.  He laughed and muttered some reply. 

He scared me so I made him stop and let me out and there I was on the side of the freeway wondering what I was going to do and a pickup stopped. 

Cut a long story short he was the commanding officer of the local police and he radioed down the road and the driver was arrested. 

The company had to send a private car for me and another driver for the van. 

I am still alive but I am not sure if I would be if I hadn't got out of that van. 

[Pilotman]

3 hours ago, poloshirt said:

Thai drivers eat lots of rice, also sticky rice, tapioca, yam, all these foods make you not just sleepy but very sleepy.

The Thai government should try out the experiment to test if this is true.

I find that if I drive long distance I will eat very little for the start of the journey and when the break time comes after almost 2 hours driving I take a break and eat a little bit. Little bit means a quarter of what you normally eat.

I don't feel sleepy at all if I do that. It all boils down to discipline. This is what is lacking in Thai's drivers no discipline at all.

However if you eat chicken or pork(often in Thailand they do) these meat when digested turn into tryptophan which induce sleep in very short time.

   I am convinced these foods are one of the causes of sleepiness in drivers on long distance driving.

  Anybody disagree?

agree or disagree, just don't use public transport if you have any sense at all, ever.  

[RichardColeman]

7 hours ago, rooster59 said:

The noise of the impact and the subsequent screams of his passengers raised him from his slumbers. 

Good job there were not dead then, he'd still be asleep

[hotchilli]

19 hours ago, rooster59 said:

He said that he had been working very hard and was woken up as he smashed into a parked truck-trailer. The noise of the impact and the subsequent screams of his passengers raised him from his slumbers

Absolutely terrifying these days in public transport.

[brianthainess]

You can trust Thailand not to have laws about drivers rest times. When will the transport ministry wake up from *their* slumber ??

[hotchilli]

18 hours ago, poloshirt said:

Thai drivers eat lots of rice, also sticky rice, tapioca, yam, all these foods make you not just sleepy but very sleepy.

The Thai government should try out the experiment to test if this is true.

I find that if I drive long distance I will eat very little for the start of the journey and when the break time comes after almost 2 hours driving I take a break and eat a little bit. Little bit means a quarter of what you normally eat.

I don't feel sleepy at all if I do that. It all boils down to discipline. This is what is lacking in Thai's drivers no discipline at all.

However if you eat chicken or pork(often in Thailand they do) these meat when digested turn into tryptophan which induce sleep in very short time.

   I am convinced these foods are one of the causes of sleepiness in drivers on long distance driving.

  Anybody disagree?

Me.. It's got nothing tho do with diet, it's about getting behind the steering wheel without enough previous sleep, and then driving god knows how many miles/hours without a break.

[pixelaoffy]

So there was supposed to have been a ban on minivan public transport! Another measure that got dumped after initial announcement! Death traps 

[NoshowJones]

41 minutes ago, brianthainess said:

You can trust Thailand not to have laws about drivers rest times. When will the transport ministry wake up from *their* slumber ??

They do have laws but they are not enforced, the government and their fancy Generals are too busy sitting round tables, making up laws, but do not have the brains too do anything to enforce them, and if they do enforce any new laws, the enforcement only lasts for about 24 hours.

[Road Warrior]

yet a another Thai driver who is a total idiot !!!

[ignis]

1 hour ago, pixelaoffy said:

So there was supposed to have been a ban on minivan public transport! Another measure that got dumped after initial announcement! Death traps 

Makes NO difference the size of the public transport if the driver falls asleep, a few days ago was a big Tour bus..

[Redline]

Completely normal in Thailand.  They still get in them

[balo]

Happens every week in Thailand.

I stopped taking the mini vans in 2011, when I realized it could cost me my life.  Instead I bought a car, and I am the only driver. I trust myself and my driving skills over any Thai taxi driver.

Edited July 9, 2020 by balo

[poloshirt]

On 7/5/2020 at 11:25 AM, ignis said:

Makes NO difference the size of the public transport if the driver falls asleep, a few days ago was a big Tour bus..

In Malaysia there are thousands of Vans being used as Tour Vans and School transports as well, the accident rate of vans are low I must say. I live there if you have any doubt of what I said.

It's just bad driving and under paid drivers.