Video: "Suay!" Trucker laments end of year disaster as Thailand's infamous hanging wires strike again

[webfact]

Picture: 77kaoded

 

Thailand's world famous hanging wires - cited ironically recently as a possible tourist selfie boon - have caused more trouble for a Ratchaburi farmer.

 

Bunlert, 57, from Bunlert Farm, was taking a consignment of 400 bales of compressed straw to Phetchaburi when another trucker coming in the opposite direction told him he was on fire.

 

He quickly dumped his load to mitigate further damage to his truck as the blaze took hold and the fire spread to the adjacent undergrowth by the road. 

 

It took firefighters 3 hours to bring the inferno under control. 

 

Bunlert called it a New Year "suay" - a word when pronounced with a common tone that means a misfortune not beautiful! (rising tone).

 

Picture: 77kaoded

 

He said it had cost him 10,000 baht for the straw load and more because of the damage to his truck, reported 77kaoded. 

 

He said that he thought his truck had hit hanging wires and cables causing the fire. 

 

He called on the authorities to act and clear them up on his route noting that it had never happened to him before.

 

A witness called Laksmi, 55, said she was buying some things and saw the truck was on fire.

 

She yelled at the driver but he didn't hear her cries. 

 

Police were on the scene after the incident in Khu Bua sub-district.  

 

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[ikke1959]

Just in line with the topic about overloaded trucks.

[NanLaew]

36 minutes ago, webfact said:

He said that he thought his truck had hit hanging wires and cables causing the fire. 

 

He called on the authorities to act and clear them up on his route noting that it had never happened to him before.

 

A witness called Laksmi, 55, said she was buying some things and saw the truck was on fire.

 

She yelled at the driver but he didn't hear her cries. 

Yes, must be those power lines that never caused a fire before.

 

Being unable to see the inferno he's hauling despite having a couple of these confirms that they are for ornamental purposes.

 

 

Didn't hear anything either?

 

My money's on the cigarette butt he flicked out the window.

 

[Pedrogaz]

We need an epidemic of these disasters to make the government act.

[RichardColeman]

Long as somebody in government probably has a finger in the wire companies, there will be no end of it

[hotchilli]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

He quickly dumped his load to mitigate further damage to his truck as the blaze took hold and the fire spread to the adjacent undergrowth by the road.

I guess he was scared... understandable under the circumstances.

[Maejo Man]

Nothing to do with the hanging wires at all!  Damp straw bales generate incredible heat when stacked together then suddenly you have spontaneous combustion.

[rwill]

Those hay trucks load hang out at least a meter on both sides.  Drive a little to close on the shoulder and something is bound to happen.  I always pass them as quickly as possible because they always look like they could topple over at any time.

[Burma Bill]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

and the fire spread to the adjacent undergrowth by the road. 

This must have been the last straw for him!!

[mwbrown]

Man driving overloaded truck complains about wires he didn't see.  Nice.

[Tropposurfer]

Ah ... I wonder ... not from spontaneous combustion in the straw bales?

[bbko]

18 hours ago, Maejo Man said:

Nothing to do with the hanging wires at all!  Damp straw bales generate incredible heat when stacked together then suddenly you have spontaneous combustion.

Excellent point.