PHOTO: Dailynews

 

By Tanakorn Panyadee

Chonburi — Four minivan passengers passed away immediately and another four reportedly died later at a hospital when their vehicle rear-ended a trailer while traveling from Chonburi to Chanthaburi province for a work permit extension at 5:30 AM on Saturday, April 8th.

Four passengers were pronounced dead on impact at the accident site near kilometer marker 82+500 on Highway 7 inbound to Pattaya in the Nong Khang Khok sub-district of Chonburi’s Mueang district. Four others later died at a local hospital and multiple others suffered injuries. There were reportedly as many as nineteen people riding in the same small minivan.

 

Thai media reported that three of the deceased were female, and one of them was pregnant. The male casualty was the minivan driver, Mr. Pattaradej Kaew-in, 55. All victims were Cambodian and Burmese workers traveling to Chanthaburi province to extend their work permits. 

 

Full story: https://thepattayanews.com/2023/04/09/more-details-released-on-fatal-minivan-accident-in-chonburi-that-killed-eight-people/

 

-- © Copyright The Pattaya News 2023-04-10

 

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Not to sound insensitive but this is, and others, are part of the Songkran holiday statistics that we hear of every year, and again, speeding, fatigue and not paying attentions are the main culprits of such disasters, will it ever stop? no. and that because people never learn.

19 persons in what I assume was an 8 passenger minivan. Unquestionably, the braking capability was grossly diminished.

RIP.  So sad. 19 occupants? I was going to say that profit clearly comes before safety, but TIT & money is Number One.  Safety is never a consideration.

23 minutes ago, neeray said:

19 persons in what I assume was an 8 passenger minivan. Unquestionably, the braking capability was grossly diminished.

I have the same sort of van and it was plated for 14 in Australia but i know that Asian models have extra fold down seats into the aisle area and if it was a three seat in the front, still be pushing to get 19 maybe 17 at most.  

2 hours ago, webfact said:

There were reportedly as many as nineteen people riding in the same small minivan.

Nuff said.

But for the obscure way Thai's record statistics only the 4 who died at the scene will be added to the road carnage register!!!!????

He suspected that the driver might have fallen asleep wasn't paying attention at the wheel.

 

There. corrected it.

The single most usual cause of road deaths is speeding.  This should be easily eradicated by CCTV and a police force.

2 hours ago, lockyv7 said:

I have the same sort of van and it was plated for 14 in Australia but i know that Asian models have extra fold down seats into the aisle area and if it was a three seat in the front, still be pushing to get 19 maybe 17 at most.  

I know some Thai minivans are larger and configured differently but I was basing it on standard North American vans, two buckets at front and two 3X rear seats = 8. I can feel my brakes diminish with just a 500 pound load in the back. Steering can be affected too.

My Thai brother in law has a contract to  get young kids  7 to 12 year olds from home to School everyday in  his  second hand Toyota Minibus, he has take out all the factory fitted seats,  & installed  long bench seats  either side, &  down the center allowing him to carry many more passengers then the van is capable of..

4 hours ago, neeray said:

19 persons in what I assume was an 8 passenger minivan. Unquestionably, the braking capability was grossly diminished.

19 average Burmese/Cambodian workers weight less than 8 average farang tourists...

11 minutes ago, actonion said:

My Thai brother in law has a contract to  get young kids  7 to 12 year olds from home to School everyday in  his  second hand Toyota Minibus, he has take out all the factory fitted seats,  & installed  long bench seats  either side, &  down the center allowing him to carry many more passengers then the van is capable of..

That is just one of the many reasons I would never let my daughter ride in one of those so called school bus vans/trucks. Myself or my wife drives my daughter to/from school every day.

Poor wretched souls.  Discarded, poverty stricken immigrant workers who are treated like cheap and insignificant commodities.  Rest in Peace. So sad. Horrific for all involved. Shame on authorities for allowing this to continue. 

7 hours ago, ezzra said:

Not to sound insensitive but this is, and others, are part of the Songkran holiday statistics that we hear of every year, and again, speeding, fatigue and not paying attentions are the main culprits of such disasters, will it ever stop? no. and that because people never learn.

When people don't learn something for their own safety, it's the task of the Government to make Laws and see that they are being respected.
But when you have a government which consist mainly of self-appointed Military and Police officials (the owners of the minivan transport services) who claim they will end this business for the xth-time, you know why they fail to stop that business.

this is why using a phone while driving is  highly dangerous

 

not saying 100% the cause of this horror  but from my own observations here - highly likely

 

RIP

5 hours ago, bdenner said:

But for the obscure way Thai's record statistics only the 4 who died at the scene will be added to the road carnage register!!!!????

That is no so. it's just another of the many urban myths. Deaths at the scene are recorded immediately, Subsequent deaths are added as they arise. 

4 hours ago, mikebell said:

The single most usual cause of road deaths is speeding.  This should be easily eradicated by CCTV and a police force.

no it isn't

5 hours ago, Moonlover said:

That is no so. it's just another of the many urban myths. Deaths at the scene are recorded immediately, Subsequent deaths are added as they arise. 

Link to evidence of that statement, please?

 

IIRC the government recently confirmed that they only recorded deaths at the scene. I will try to find the article. 

 

Correct! There have been any number of reputable references to these statistics, over the 20 plus years I have lived here, in these forums and others.

Where is the contradictory (urban myth)  evidence?

Edited April 10, 20233 yr by bdenner
Typo

20 hours ago, actonion said:

My Thai brother in law has a contract to  get young kids  7 to 12 year olds from home to School everyday in  his  second hand Toyota Minibus, he has take out all the factory fitted seats,  & installed  long bench seats  either side, &  down the center allowing him to carry many more passengers then the van is capable of..

One might expect school run buses to get some special check over etc each year. That sounds like many a songtaew with an extra row. 

20 hours ago, smedly said:

no it isn't

Care to elaborate?  The chances of people dying in road accidents is significantly reduced by lower speeds.