A Thai tourist was killed and nine others were hurt, including five who have serious injuries, when a van in which they were travelling crashed into roadside rocks in the Doi Ang Khang mountainous tourist area in Chiang Mai province today (Monday).

 

A witness, who was travelling in another van, told the police that there were about 20 of them who had travelled from Samut Prakan to Chiang Mai over the long weekend in two vans.

 

They stayed overnight at a resort at Doi Ang Khang and left for home in Samut Prakan today. While driving downhill, the witness said that the van behind them accelerated to overtake, but the driver apparently lost control and crashed into the roadside rocks.

 

Full Story: https://www.thaipbsworld.com/thai-tourist-dies-and-nine-injured-in-a-road-accident-at-doi-ang-khang-in-chiang-mai/

 

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Brake failure or Bangkok van driver trying to show off at the mountains. RIP the unlucky tourist. 

I've seen a lot of Thai drivers who don't have any driving ethics. If you are a slow driver, just move to the left and let the cars behind overtake on the middle lane.

 

Instead the slow drivers keep on hogging the lane.

These mountain roads up there have tight corners that you can't see around, steep drop offs, branches, rocks, debris, wet spots, with few straight sections.

 

For idiots, that means any place is as good as any other one to overtake and risk the lives of your 10 passengers trusting you with their care.

 

If you drive like a crazy madman to get your cargo to the destination and save a couple minutes on the trip, the sooner you are finished for the day, even though you are travelling with a second van.

 

Sadly here, there are and will never be enough consequences for dangerous behaviour to prevent this from happening. The value of life becomes cheap, and the carnage continues.

Rode all thru that area numerous times.

One good thing about Covid is the crowds of mini bus drivers had largely disappeared - I thought

Condolences

The wide rim after market alloys (I call them W#nkur Wheels) should give you a good idea of the type of driver you're dealing with.

 

 

 

 

 

No mention of any use of seatbelts that I inevitably find folded away and have to untangle before I can fasten much to the amusement of Thai passengers who never bother.

34 minutes ago, Classic Ray said:

No mention of any use of seatbelts that I inevitably find folded away and have to untangle before I can fasten much to the amusement of Thai passengers who never bother.

...get an amulet round your neck, then you won't need to wear one!

10 hours ago, Led Lolly Yellow Lolly said:

The wide rim after market alloys (I call them W#nkur Wheels) should give you a good idea of the type of driver you're dealing with.

 

 

 

 

 

...soft-cock, boy-racer..hope they hang him out to dry...RIP poor passenger.

12 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

While driving downhill, the witness said that the van behind them accelerated to overtake, but the driver apparently lost control and crashed into the roadside rocks

Another suicide jockey.

12 hours ago, Gold Star said:

These mountain roads up there have tight corners that you can't see around, steep drop offs, branches, rocks, debris, wet spots, with few straight sections.

 

For idiots, that means any place is as good as any other one to overtake and risk the lives of your 10 passengers trusting you with their care.

 

If you drive like a crazy madman to get your cargo to the destination and save a couple minutes on the trip, the sooner you are finished for the day, even though you are travelling with a second van.

 

Sadly here, there are and will never be enough consequences for dangerous behaviour to prevent this from happening. The value of life becomes cheap, and the carnage continues.

What Qualification's does one need to drive a van here, other than be able to breath?

48 minutes ago, tandor said:

...soft-cock, boy-racer..hope they hang him out to dry...RIP poor passenger.

No he will driving today but not in that van.

23 minutes ago, Almer said:

What Qualification's does one need to drive a van here, other than be able to breath?

Ability to drive as if the whole road belongs to them. 

sad --  more incompetent thai driving !!

Whether driving commercial vans or private vehicles, these people think slapping on a few pieces of after-market trinkets turn their ride into a Lamborghini Sesto Elemento. Come on guys - every other somchais on the soi have the exact same vehicle as you lot. You're not that different. Stop fancying yourselves as a Fangio, Stewart or Schumacher. You don't know the first things between a cornering line and an ECG flatline. Stop the delusion!

The fact is that driving any vehicle is actually a rather low skilled job. I personally only needed 20 one hour lessons when I learned  and that was without ever having ridden a motorbike for a number of years previously.

 

The reality is that driving a vehicle SAFELY  is actually a highly skilled job and comes with years of practice and  awareness that some people never have or achieve. 

 

I'm not a gambling man but I would lay odds with anyone that the situation in this country will never change due to the transition of skills and mentality that arise from a 12 year old on a motorbike to 18 year old driving a 4 wheel vehicle.

Several year ago my Thai family rented a Toyota van driven by a friend of the family.

We went up to the top of a mountain near Chiang Mai, then the friend told my 

brother in law, that he only had 2 working brakes on the rear of the van.  It took us

longer coming down the mountain as the brakes kept getting hot and we had to stop

and let them cool down. It was the last time we hired their friend, who turned out to be a distant relative.

  Since then, when we rent any vehicle, I always ask how the brakes are working. That is one

kind of adventure I do not want to rrepeat.

16 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

Doi Ang Khang mountainous tourist area

Very sad for the deceased (RIP) and injured returning, no doubt, from experiencing a wonderful long weekend in the mountains. Doi Ang Khan is near the Burmese border and, IMO, is a very scenic area to visit with its vast strawberry gardens among the mountains. So different from the hustle and bustle of the flatlands of Samut Prakan and the Bangkok area. As a Tourist Police Volunteer based in Chiang Rai, I often drove into these mountains bordering Burma and I can assure you the roads can be scary! A minibus driver from the Bangkok area without mountain driving experience - need I say more????

Photo shows a Hill Tribe lady standing in a strawberry field in Doi Ang Than.

Dedicated to the memory of the deceased.

 

 

https://www.freepik.com/free-photo/woman-wearing-hill-tribe-dress-strawberry-garden-doi-ang-khang-chiang-mai-thailand_13180446.htm

Speed + Rot Tot + Thai Driver + Mountain roads = Recipe for disaster 

The death rate from Thai driving continues to outpace the death rate from CoronaVirus.   The PM tells his people not to panic......