8 killed and 3 injured after pickup collides with train near Bangkok

[webfact]

A pickup truck collided with a train in the early hours of this morning killing eight Thai people and injuring three others near Klong Udon Chonlajon in Chachoengsao province near Bangkok.

 

Mueang Chachoengsao Police Station officers and a rescue team promptly rushed to the scene at approximately 3am today, August 4. They found a train, laden with containers, positioned on the railway tracks. Around 50 meters away from the train’s front, lay a completely wrecked bronze Isuzu pickup.

According to the police report, the victims were identified as five men and three women, all found dead along the railway. The three injured individuals were swiftly transported to the hospital, with one of them in critical condition, suffering from a broken left arm and right leg. The other two sustained relatively milder injuries, comprising of wounds and bruises.

 

The pickup driver, 55 year old Wichai Yulek, miraculously escaped the accident unharmed and waited at the scene to provide his account of the incident. Wichai recounted that he and 11 other colleagues were en route from Bua Roi Temple in the Latkrabang district of Bangkok to a fish farm in the Klong Udom district of Chachoengsao province.

 

by Petch Petpailin

Photo via Facebook/ Nititham Cheevatham

 

Full story: https://thethaiger.com/hot-news/road-deaths/8-killed-and-3-injured-after-pickup-collides-with-train-near-bangkok

 

-- © Copyright Thaiger 2023-08-04

 

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[RichardColeman]

11 people in that transport speaks volumes

[Bangkok Barry]

Around 50 meters away from the train’s front, lay a completely wrecked bronze Isuzu pickup.

Then why is there a photo used of a heavily damaged silver vehicle. Actually, my wife tells me that silver and bronze are the same. Same same colour in Thailan, mista.

Wichai noticed the oncoming train and came to a stop. However, one of the passengers urged him to proceed

Me First.

 

And 11 in a pickup, with me thinking that riding on the back of one was illegal. Now, if only they had obeyed the law more might still be alive because they wouldn't all have been in the pickup. But up to them I suppose.

[hotchilli]

11 people in a pick-up truck trying to beat a train... 

one day Thailand will wake up and do something.

[I didn't say when that day would come]

[billd766]

18 minutes ago, hotchilli said:

11 people in a pick-up truck trying to beat a train... 

one day Thailand will wake up and do something.

[I didn't say when that day would come]

quote from the OP link.

 

"Disturbingly, pictures shared by news agencies revealed the absence of a barrier gate or warning light at the location to signal motorists about the oncoming train." 

 

It appears from this that it was an illegal crossing.

 

As for listening to a passenger who said 'of course you can make it before the train comes'. A foolish thing to say, sometimes but not many, you get lucky, but sadly many times you don't.

 

A few minutes wait, would have saved 8 lives.

Edited August 4, 2023 by billd766
corrected some bad spelling

[JeffersLos]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

55 year old Wichai Yulek

I fought the train.

 

The train won.

 

 

3 hours ago, webfact said:

miraculously escaped the accident unharmed

Let's hope he doesn't escape doing 40 years in jail for the manslaughter of 8 people. 

[JeffersLos]

 

To be reincarnated as a police truck? 

[trainman34014]

They never learn and they never will !

[rwill]

From the linked article the driver claimed:  As they approached the railway, Wichai noticed the oncoming train and came to a stop. However, one of the passengers urged him to proceed, assuring him that they could cross the railway in time. Tragically, they could not make it in time, and the train collided with the back of the pickup, where most of the colleagues were seated.

 

I'm guessing if pressed he will say it was one of the people that died that told him.

The article does go one with another explanation of what might have occured.

[Enoon]

2 hours ago, billd766 said:

quote from the OP link.

 

"Disturbingly, pictures shared by news agencies revealed the absence of a barrier gate or warning light at the location to signal motorists about the oncoming train." 

 

It appears from this that it was an illegal crossing.

 

As for listening to a passenger who said 'of course you can make it before the train comes'. A foolish thing to say, sometimes but not many, you get lucky, but sadly many times you don't.

 

A few minutes wait, would have saved 8 lives.

Google route check points to an obvious crossing point.

 

Photos and more specific details from other news sources enable identification of location.

 

Vehicle approached from this side.  It finished between the yellow and red signs on the opposite right side.

 

Vehicle finished up astride the road between yellow and red signs.

 

Other sources show rear of freight train in the distance on this line. with vehicle between the signs in the left foreground.

 

 

 

 

Edited August 4, 2023 by Enoon

[billd766]

33 minutes ago, Enoon said:

Google route check points to an obvious crossing point.

 

Photos and more specific details from other news sources enable identification of location.

 

Vehicle approached from this side.  It finished between the yellow and red signs on the opposite right side.

 

Vehicle finished up astride the road between yellow and red signs.

 

Other sources show rear of freight train in the distance on this line. with vehicle between the signs in the left foreground.

 

 

 

 

Now that is a completely different story compared to The Thaiger and the police report. The police have actually been to the site and I expect the Thaiger took its report from them.

 

In a different report from the Thaiger link says something else again

 

quote "In a contrasting account reported by Channel 8, it was suggested that the driver might not have noticed the approaching train due to poor visibility caused by the dark accident spot and the elevated position of the railway, creating a blind spot for motorists. Disturbingly, pictures shared by news agencies revealed the absence of a barrier gate or warning light at the location to signal motorists about the oncoming train."

 

Your photos show a flat track and road and warning lights but no barrier.

 

Something is not correct somewhere in the posts.

 

 

[Enoon]

22 minutes ago, billd766 said:

Now that is a completely different story compared to The Thaiger and the police report. The police have actually been to the site and I expect the Thaiger took its report from them.

 

In a different report from the Thaiger link says something else again

 

quote "In a contrasting account reported by Channel 8, it was suggested that the driver might not have noticed the approaching train due to poor visibility caused by the dark accident spot and the elevated position of the railway, creating a blind spot for motorists. Disturbingly, pictures shared by news agencies revealed the absence of a barrier gate or warning light at the location to signal motorists about the oncoming train."

 

Your photos show a flat track and road and warning lights but no barrier.

 

Something is not correct somewhere in the posts.

 

 

There are plenty of other reports giving information and showing photos from different angles.

 

Thaiger tells as good as nothing.

 

Google Streetview will show you the twin lines in the foreground, on an embankment, and the single line beyond them at a lower level. The embankment could conceivably mask the approach of the freight train. You really need to use that to look around and get the lie of the land.

 

Thaiger report is wholly inadequate as a resource.

 

I did not mean to spend as much time as I did chasing it up.......the issue is now very much yesterdays concern for me.

 

Thank you for taking the time to write a cogent and civil reply to my post.

 

 

Edited August 4, 2023 by Enoon

[digger70]

RIP,,,,,,, But Can't fix Stupid .

[billd766]

4 hours ago, Enoon said:

There are plenty of other reports giving information and showing photos from different angles.

 

Thaiger tells as good as nothing.

 

Google Streetview will show you the twin lines in the foreground, on an embankment, and the single line beyond them at a lower level. The embankment could conceivably mask the approach of the freight train. You really need to use that to look around and get the lie of the land.

 

Thaiger report is wholly inadequate as a resource.

 

I did not mean to spend as much time as I did chasing it up.......the issue is now very much yesterdays concern for me.

 

Thank you for taking the time to write a cogent and civil reply to my post.

 

 

i do try to do my best to respond pleasantly and do some research before I post but sometimes I respond to posts that IMHO are so foolish, that I forget about being polite and head into sarcasm.

 

Your posts are a good read and deserve a good reply.

[PETERTHEEATER]

The headline states .....pickup collides with train......

The article states:

...........and the train collided with the back of the pickup, ........

But I loved this bit:

Displaying immense bravery, Suraphat decided to jump out of the vehicle to save his life. He urged his colleagues to do the same,...........

 

 

 

[AhFarangJa]

On 8/4/2023 at 1:29 PM, Bangkok Barry said:

Around 50 meters away from the train’s front, lay a completely wrecked bronze Isuzu pickup.

Then why is there a photo used of a heavily damaged silver vehicle. Actually, my wife tells me that silver and bronze are the same. Same same colour in Thailan, mista.

Wichai noticed the oncoming train and came to a stop. However, one of the passengers urged him to proceed

Me First.

 

And 11 in a pickup, with me thinking that riding on the back of one was illegal. Now, if only they had obeyed the law more might still be alive because they wouldn't all have been in the pickup. But up to them I suppose.

If memory serves me correctly, did they not make it illegal, then everyone screamed unfair on the poorer people because for many people in the villages it was the only way to get around. So the Government relented, and said o.k. but only 6 maximum.?

[Bangkok Barry]

6 minutes ago, AhFarangJa said:

If memory serves me correctly, did they not make it illegal, then everyone screamed unfair on the poorer people because for many people in the villages it was the only way to get around. So the Government relented, and said o.k. but only 6 maximum.?

As far as I know, they relented only for the Songkran holiday two or three years ago when the people demanded the right to risk their life. Now it's illegal but, like every law, it isn't enforced and so people die. I wonder what poor people do in other countries.

[FruitPudding]

On 8/4/2023 at 1:53 PM, hotchilli said:

11 people in a pick-up truck trying to beat a train... 

one day Thailand will wake up and do something.

[I didn't say when that day would come]

I'll never understand why they have such a problem with just letting people pass by in front of them. 

 

Though, this is the first time I've known them to take on a train in their game.

 

How does this mentality get ingrained?

 

I don't think it's explicitly taught, yet from a young age you can observe this in Thais.

 

If anyone has ever worked at a busy school, they'll know that even the kids don't let you pass by in front of them in the corridors -- they'll move in front quickly so that you have to walk behind them -- which is quite challenging when it's crowded and they all do the same thing, so you inevitabley get blocked and have to stopped. 

 

Same can be observed in a taxi. The drivers seem very adverse to going in behind someone; they'd rather push in front.

 

Is it a loss of face thing: to let someone get in front of you rather than behind you? Or to choose to yield to someone, rather than get ahead of them?

 

 

[KhunBENQ]

All the discussion about proper crossing or not is pointless if the driver acknowledges that he noticed the train.

Whether there was really this voice from behind urging him to speed through?

Guess this voice is dead an no proof possible.

[KannikaP]

8 hours ago, AhFarangJa said:

If memory serves me correctly, did they not make it illegal, then everyone screamed unfair on the poorer people because for many people in the villages it was the only way to get around. So the Government relented, and said o.k. but only 6 maximum.?

5 in the cab and 6 in the back = 11. All those in the back and three in the back of the cab were killed. The driver and one other passenger escaped.

Ooops sorry, it was a single cab, so 9 in the back,

Edited August 6, 2023 by KannikaP

[redwhiteandblue]

11 people in a pick-up truck travelling from a temple to a fish farm.... at 3.00am.  What the hell were they doing?

[couchpotato]

10 minutes ago, redwhiteandblue said:

11 people in a pick-up truck travelling from a temple to a fish farm.... at 3.00am.  What the hell were they doing?

Ahh, maybe travelling to a fish farm.....just a guess mind you.

Edited August 9, 2023 by couchpotato

[swerve]

What is it with Thai drivers and train crossings?  Such poor judgement.  Now 8 dead.