School Van Accident in Northern Thailand Takes Young Student's Life

[snoop1130]

 

A young female student lost her life in a tragic school van accident in Northern Thailand's Nan province, leaving her family devastated and raising questions about existing safety protocols.

 

The accident happened on Sunday, July 4 when the van, carrying 16 students, lost control and overturned. Thirteen students suffered minor injuries, while three others, including the driver, had to be hospitalised.

 

One female student was gravely injured and experienced a cardiac arrest at the scene. Despite an emergency life-saving response, she had to be admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU). Despite best medical efforts, she passed away today. The mourning family took to social media to express their grief and pay homage to the deceased student, tenderly referred to as Luk Yee.

 

In their tribute, they wrote, "You will always be remembered for your joyful spirit. While we didn't grow up together, I cherished our sisterly bond. The world might have been a bit harsh for you. Rest in peace, dear sister. I might not have expressed it often, but my love for you was always deep. May your journey back to the cosmos be safe.”

 

The family’s heartfelt message and their plea for tougher school van safety measures were shared on a social media page, "This is Mueang Nan." The current law allows school vans to carry no more than 12 students, but according to the investigation, the crashed van was carrying 17 passengers including the driver.

 

After the accident, Luk Yee was kept on life-support with her condition critical. She couldn't regain consciousness or breathe on her own and required continuous medication to keep her heart beating. Following her devastating loss, her family highlighted the importance of following safety protocols to avoid similar tragedies in the future.

 

File photo for reference only

 

-- 2024-08-07

 

- Cigna offers a variety of health insurance plans designed to meet the minimum requirement for medical treatment coverage, with benefits reaching up to THB 3 million. These plans are tailored to provide comprehensive healthcare solutions for expatriates, ensuring peace of mind and access to quality medical services. To explore the full range of Cigna's expat health insurance options and find a plan that suits your needs, click here for more information.

 

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[BangkokReady]

Very sad, but nothing will be done.  "Mai bpen rai."  Nobody really cares about safety in Thailand.

[GammaGlobulin]

One of the safest of vehicles, or so it is said, is the standard type of school bus used in many states in the USA.

 

Is this true?

 

If so, why not use them in Thailand where traffic is not the safest in the world?

 

These busses are not especially expensive, and least relative to the value of one young life.

Difficult to think about a parent sending a child off to school, carried by anything other than the safest vehicle possible...

 

 

Busses like this allow children to sit up above traffic level.

Busses are very heavy, and are equipped with seat belts, and much more.

 

 

 

[schultzlivgthai]

19 hours ago, GammaGlobulin said:

Have you seen what’s used for transporting kids to and from school?? ASEANnow finds photos on line with no bearing whatsoever on Thailand! Vans and pickups are overloaded with kids all across Thailand daily, I think we’re fortunate that we don’t see this more often.  No such thing as seatbelts either. 

[GammaGlobulin]

2 minutes ago, schultzlivgthai said:

Have you seen what’s used for transporting kids to and from school?? ASEANnow finds photos on line with no bearing whatsoever on Thailand! Vans and pickups are overloaded with kids all across Thailand daily, I think we’re fortunate that we don’t see this more often.  No such thing as seatbelts either. 

 

Personally, I think the choice of image for this news story is excellent, and it points up what is lacking at the present time.

If you look at the school bus in the image, the bus has a cement block in front of the tire, to keep the bus from rolling.

And, what is that BarberShop Pole doing on the side of the bus?

Is this old bus used as a Barber Shop, or something?

 

So then, the MESSAGE of this Image is that School Buses of Excellent Design are not in use for transporting children to and from school?

 

I have no idea what the relative fatalities might be for children riding US buses to school vs buses used in other countries. However, just looking at Wikipedia, the story is not as simplistic as some might imagine.

 

Is the USA actually safer, or not?

Or, is this just a myth?

 

For example this:  

 

Are some countries shifting to Van Chassis-Based School buses now?

 

Nice article here about US buses, and just how much safer they seem to be:

 

https://www.edweek.org/leadership/are-school-buses-safe-an-expert-explains/2024/02

 

 

 

Zero fatalities is the ideal....

 

 

 

 

 

[hotchilli]

19 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

In their tribute, they wrote, "You will always be remembered for your joyful spirit. While we didn't grow up together, I cherished our sisterly bond. The world might have been a bit harsh for you. Rest in peace, dear sister. I might not have expressed it often, but my love for you was always deep. May your journey back to the cosmos be safe.”

Very touching words, safe journey little one.

[newbee2022]

19 hours ago, GammaGlobulin said:

 

Most times it's the driver's fault.

Also, did you see any seat belts in Thai buses???

[khunpeer]

19 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

 

A young female student lost her life in a tragic school van accident in Northern Thailand's Nan province, leaving her family devastated and raising questions about existing safety protocols.

 

The accident happened on Sunday, July 4 when the van, carrying 16 students, lost control and overturned. Thirteen students suffered minor injuries, while three others, including the driver, had to be hospitalised.

 

One female student was gravely injured and experienced a cardiac arrest at the scene. Despite an emergency life-saving response, she had to be admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU). Despite best medical efforts, she passed away today. The mourning family took to social media to express their grief and pay homage to the deceased student, tenderly referred to as Luk Yee.

 

In their tribute, they wrote, "You will always be remembered for your joyful spirit. While we didn't grow up together, I cherished our sisterly bond. The world might have been a bit harsh for you. Rest in peace, dear sister. I might not have expressed it often, but my love for you was always deep. May your journey back to the cosmos be safe.”

 

The family’s heartfelt message and their plea for tougher school van safety measures were shared on a social media page, "This is Mueang Nan." The current law allows school vans to carry no more than 12 students, but according to the investigation, the crashed van was carrying 17 passengers including the driver.

 

After the accident, Luk Yee was kept on life-support with her condition critical. She couldn't regain consciousness or breathe on her own and required continuous medication to keep her heart beating. Following her devastating loss, her family highlighted the importance of following safety protocols to avoid similar tragedies in the future.

 

File photo for reference only

 

-- 2024-08-07

 

- Cigna offers a variety of health insurance plans designed to meet the minimum requirement for medical treatment coverage, with benefits reaching up to THB 3 million. These plans are tailored to provide comprehensive healthcare solutions for expatriates, ensuring peace of mind and access to quality medical services. To explore the full range of Cigna's expat health insurance options and find a plan that suits your needs, click here for more information.

 

Get our Daily Newsletter - Click HERE to subscribe

confusing message, showing a pic of schoolbus but in the article talk about a van...

[khunpeer]

16 hours ago, GammaGlobulin said:

One of the safest of vehicles, or so it is said, is the standard type of school bus used in many states in the USA.

 

Is this true?

 

If so, why not use them in Thailand where traffic is not the safest in the world?

 

These busses are not especially expensive, and least relative to the value of one young life.

Difficult to think about a parent sending a child off to school, carried by anything other than the safest vehicle possible...

 

 

Busses like this allow children to sit up above traffic level.

Busses are very heavy, and are equipped with seat belts, and much more.

 

 

 

looks very nice schoolbus etc, but here it's about a van, much smaller and more fragile than the schoolbus

[fredwiggy]

15 hours ago, GammaGlobulin said:

 

Personally, I think the choice of image for this news story is excellent, and it points up what is lacking at the present time.

If you look at the school bus in the image, the bus has a cement block in front of the tire, to keep the bus from rolling.

And, what is that BarberShop Pole doing on the side of the bus?

Is this old bus used as a Barber Shop, or something?

 

So then, the MESSAGE of this Image is that School Buses of Excellent Design are not in use for transporting children to and from school?

 

I have no idea what the relative fatalities might be for children riding US buses to school vs buses used in other countries. However, just looking at Wikipedia, the story is not as simplistic as some might imagine.

 

Is the USA actually safer, or not?

Or, is this just a myth?

 

For example this:  

 

Are some countries shifting to Van Chassis-Based School buses now?

 

Nice article here about US buses, and just how much safer they seem to be:

 

https://www.edweek.org/leadership/are-school-buses-safe-an-expert-explains/2024/02

 

 

 

Zero fatalities is the ideal....

 

 

 

 

 

What also makes it safer for students in the US is actually having people who passed a hard test before they were put in the driver's seat shuttling children.

[GammaGlobulin]

14 minutes ago, khunpeer said:

looks very nice schoolbus etc, but here it's about a van, much smaller and more fragile than the schoolbus

 

The point is...

If you look closely, it seems that the bus in the photo might be some sort of old bus which has now been repurposed as a barber shop.

 

So, this is why I like this photo for this article.

 

It says to me:  Children's lives are more important than having one's hair cut at a barber shop.

And also, it says that there is enough money to buy better school buses, if only we would choose to allocate the required funding.

 

It would be better to do without certain luxuries in order to redirect spending to providing children with safer transport to their schools.

 

So, a very good image, IMHO...

 

 

[GammaGlobulin]

1 minute ago, fredwiggy said:

What also makes it safer for students in the US is actually having people who passed a hard test before they were put in the driver's seat shuttling children.

 

If you look at the article that I linked, you will see that much more driver training is required for US school-bus drivers.

The US recognizes that further driver training will be required to decrease fatalities.

 

[fredwiggy]

15 hours ago, schultzlivgthai said:

Have you seen what’s used for transporting kids to and from school?? ASEANnow finds photos on line with no bearing whatsoever on Thailand! Vans and pickups are overloaded with kids all across Thailand daily, I think we’re fortunate that we don’t see this more often.  No such thing as seatbelts either. 

True. I mentioned in another post what I see almost daily here in the country. Trucks not only overloaded inside but up to 12 or more students riding on the top. One false move and all those on top either die or are very hurt. This I will never allow with my daughter and is another reason I will leave within 2 years, before she's in a higher school where this mode of transportation occurs.

[fredwiggy]

Just now, GammaGlobulin said:

 

If you look at the article that I linked, you will see that much more driver training is required for US school-bus drivers.

The US recognizes that further driver training will be required to decrease fatalities.

 

That's what I meant. I've known many school bus drivers when I lived there, as I had 4 children in schools.

[billd766]

15 hours ago, schultzlivgthai said:

Have you seen what’s used for transporting kids to and from school?? ASEANnow finds photos on line with no bearing whatsoever on Thailand! Vans and pickups are overloaded with kids all across Thailand daily, I think we’re fortunate that we don’t see this more often.  No such thing as seatbelts either. 

The closest bus price I can get to the OP photo is this.

 

what is the cost of a school bus made by International in the USA

 

How much does a US school bus cost?
Both Type C and D buses weigh over 10,000 pounds and can carry up to 72 people. The cost of an electric Type C or D school bus ranges from $320,000 to $440,000, while their diesel counterparts come in between $90,000 to $110,000.

 

To this must be added shipping costs, the cost of converting the vehicle from LHD to RHD, to make it safer for school children in Thailand to enter and exit, the forex rate between the USD and the THB, import taxes and VAT on the top.

 

Just the price of the bus alone at a forex rate of 34thb/USD is 3,400,000, conversion costs are unknown but probably IRO of 680,000, shipping costs unknown, importation fees and customs duty @ 250% would bring it to over 10,000,000 plus VAT at 7% would bring each bus to around 11,000,000 thb. That does not include spares (all imported), service and a back up service.

 

For the costs alone, how many would each school need, and who would pay for it?

[Burma Bill]

16 hours ago, schultzlivgthai said:

Have you seen what’s used for transporting kids to and from school?? ASEANnow finds photos on line with no bearing whatsoever on Thailand! Vans and pickups are overloaded with kids all across Thailand daily, I think we’re fortunate that we don’t see this more often.  No such thing as seatbelts either. 

 Yes indeed.

The photo below shows the common mode of transport for carrying kids daily to and from school in Northern Thailand where I used to live.

 

[brianthainess]

1 hour ago, khunpeer said:

confusing message, showing a pic of schoolbus but in the article talk about a van...

It looks more like a mobile hairdresser with that barber pole instead of a wing mirror, with a Thai flag left hand drive with no other wing mirror, it also looks hooked up to the electric.

[brianthainess]

No mention of 'curves' rain or hills up or down. 

[newbee2022]

1 hour ago, billd766 said:

The closest bus price I can get to the OP photo is this.

 

what is the cost of a school bus made by International in the USA

 

How much does a US school bus cost?
Both Type C and D buses weigh over 10,000 pounds and can carry up to 72 people. The cost of an electric Type C or D school bus ranges from $320,000 to $440,000, while their diesel counterparts come in between $90,000 to $110,000.

 

To this must be added shipping costs, the cost of converting the vehicle from LHD to RHD, to make it safer for school children in Thailand to enter and exit, the forex rate between the USD and the THB, import taxes and VAT on the top.

 

Just the price of the bus alone at a forex rate of 34thb/USD is 3,400,000, conversion costs are unknown but probably IRO of 680,000, shipping costs unknown, importation fees and customs duty @ 250% would bring it to over 10,000,000 plus VAT at 7% would bring each bus to around 11,000,000 thb. That does not include spares (all imported), service and a back up service.

 

For the costs alone, how many would each school need, and who would pay for it?

I reckon you should start a #gofundme campaign immediately.

If each member here will donate 10 USD, a second hand one might be possible.

[billd766]

15 minutes ago, newbee2022 said:

I reckon you should start a #gofundme campaign immediately.

If each member here will donate 10 USD, a second hand one might be possible.

A nice thought but if only one were bought, which school should get and who would yake on the responsibility for it, and who would service and maintain it?

[GammaGlobulin]

2 hours ago, billd766 said:

what is the cost of a school bus made by International in the USA

 

Great Company!!!!

 

I think this company might also manufacture Top-Of-The-Line FIRE ENGINES, too!

 

But, if I were issuing a major contract for 20,000 school buses, then I think I might opt for one of these....

 

 

 

 

I have such fond memories of waiting for the school bus at the corner, when I was in elementary school.

 

But then, when I got my license to drive, I chose a different mode of transportation....

 

 

 

And what would school-transport be without a 426 cubic Hemi?

 

 

Please Note:  Always drive safely...

 

[Peterphuket]

20 hours ago, BangkokReady said:

Very sad, but nothing will be done.  "Mai bpen rai."  Nobody really cares about safety in Thailand.

We all know it, now it's the government but they are busy with other things.

[newbee2022]

53 minutes ago, billd766 said:

A nice thought but if only one were bought, which school should get and who would yake on the responsibility for it, and who would service and maintain it?

Every journey starts with a first step 

[Captain Flack]

There are a number of posts showing a US yellow bus, which I have been allowed to remain, as it shows as comparison with the standard of Thai school transportation.

[GammaGlobulin]

You know, just from my own personal perspective, as one who truly cares about education.....

 

I do wonder how many Top-of-The-Line school buses one might be able to negotiate with a US school-bus manufacturer, for the price of JUST ONE of these F16 fighter aircraft?

 

 

 

How many school buses could one buy with the money needed to purchase and maintain just one BLOCK 70?

 

All we know is that the Lockheed Martin aircraft is very "COST-EFFECTIVE".....

 

My guess is that it might be possible to buy...about....MANY school buses for the price of buying and maintaining just one Lockheed Martin....at USD63 million, plus maintenance, and plus pilot training....

 

Still, just one school bus is not so exciting as an F16.....

 

 

And, compared to the fighter?

The school bus is just too boring....

 

There is really no comparison for guys making the purchasing decisions...

It's just a matter of GUNS or BUTTER....

 

 

Why buy a school bus when fighter aircraft are just tooo Sexy?

 

 

[billd766]

4 hours ago, newbee2022 said:

Every journey starts with a first step 

 

From the internet.

 

There are over 37,000 Educational Institutions and nearly 20 million students in the Thai education system.

 

If each school only had 4 buses that would be around 150,000 school buses that would be required and an average of 133 pupils per bus per day.

 

The school that my son went to from M1 to M6 had at least 20 school buses, trucks, vans and pickups every school day, not counting the parents who drop and collect their children every school day by car, pickup, motorbike or scooter.