Four Charges Filed Against Driver in Bus Fire That Killed 23

[Dexxter]

2 hours ago, brianthainess said:

I doubt it ran on Gas, I would say Diesel.

 The photos of the burned out bus showed gas cylinders.

[cardinalblue]

Don’t care what type of door it is, it has to be able to open manually in any emergency situation…

 

and for a survivor to say the door wouldn’t operate has to be what he/she heard someone say…

 

I believe it was reported bodies were stacked up near/at the door exit is unacceptable…doesn’t mean everyone lives but a high probability the fatality count would have been lower if not a lot  lower  

 

tragic 

[scott1999]

48 minutes ago, brianthainess said:

He got out to try and extinguish the fire twice, so your saying he should have just stayed on the bus without trying to put the fire out.................

In the event of a fire, your top priority as a bus or coach driver is to help passengers disembark as quickly and safely as possible before the fire escalates. Here's how the procedure should go:

1. Stop the vehicle safely: Pull over immediately and turn off the engine to reduce any additional risk of the fire spreading.

2. Open the doors: Immediately open the doors to allow passengers to disembark and leave the vehicle quickly.

3. Instruct passengers: Calmly but firmly instruct passengers to exit the bus in an orderly manner. Encourage them to leave personal belongings behind to speed up the evacuation.

4. Use emergency exits: If the main doors are blocked or unsafe, direct passengers to use emergency exits, including windows or roof hatches.

5. Move passengers to a safe distance: Once outside, guide everyone to a safe distance, away from the vehicle and out of harm’s way.

6. Call emergency services: After ensuring all passengers are safe, contact emergency services to report the fire and get help.

Once everyone is safely off the vehicle, then, if it’s safe and you are trained, you can attempt to control the fire with a fire extinguisher. However, passenger safety is always the first priority.

 

Like I said how many children could he have saved if he had done it properly and not jumped off the bus to save himself

4o

[scott1999]

1 hour ago, brianthainess said:

Stupid statement IMO to enter an inferno like that would be impossible, your face would be burnt off at the door, even if you could get that close. 

No, you are stupid, (to enter) He should have followed procedure. Tippy tapping on your computer not knowing What you are talking about makes you Stupid

 

In the event of a fire, your top priority as a bus or coach driver is to help passengers disembark as quickly and safely as possible before the fire escalates. Here's how the procedure should go:

1. Stop the vehicle safely: Pull over immediately and turn off the engine to reduce any additional risk of the fire spreading.

2. Open the doors: Immediately open the doors to allow passengers to disembark and leave the vehicle quickly.

3. Instruct passengers: Calmly but firmly instruct passengers to exit the bus in an orderly manner. Encourage them to leave personal belongings behind to speed up the evacuation.

4. Use emergency exits: If the main doors are blocked or unsafe, direct passengers to use emergency exits, including windows or roof hatches.

5. Move passengers to a safe distance: Once outside, guide everyone to a safe distance, away from the vehicle and out of harm’s way.

6. Call emergency services: After ensuring all passengers are safe, contact emergency services to report the fire and get help.

Once everyone is safely off the vehicle, then, if it’s safe and you are trained, you can attempt to control the fire with a fire extinguisher. However, passenger safety is always the first priority.

 

4o

[Peterphuket]

4 hours ago, Tropicalevo said:

The whole thing is just very sad. Those poor mites.

Making the bus driver the sacrificial lamb will not add anything.

It is just a distraction to pretend that something is being done.

Indeed, the government should hold up a mirror to itself.

It always happens afterwards, nothing is ever checked, but is something does happen, the government is ready to punish.

[scott1999]

25 minutes ago, cardinalblue said:

Don’t care what type of door it is, it has to be able to open manually in any emergency situation…

 

and for a survivor to say the door wouldn’t operate has to be what he/she heard someone say…

 

I believe it was reported bodies were stacked up near/at the door exit is unacceptable…doesn’t mean everyone lives but a high probability the fatality count would have been lower if not a lot  lower  

 

tragic 

 

I couldn't agree more so now it looks like the rear exit door wouldn't open which is the first thing the driver should check before he picks up any passengers I've laid out what the procedure is in an emergency of which I've had a few seen as I had a operator's license for over 20 years this could have been avoided or as you say many more saved and for idiots on here to pontificate about the driver trying to put out the fire twice is just a ridiculous uneducated cowardly comment 

 

 

In the event of a fire, your top priority as a bus or coach driver is to help passengers disembark as quickly and safely as possible before the fire escalates. Here's how the procedure should go:

1. Stop the vehicle safely: Pull over immediately and turn off the engine to reduce any additional risk of the fire spreading.

2. Open the doors: Immediately open the doors to allow passengers to disembark and leave the vehicle quickly.

3. Instruct passengers: Calmly but firmly instruct passengers to exit the bus in an orderly manner. Encourage them to leave personal belongings behind to speed up the evacuation.

4. Use emergency exits: If the main doors are blocked or unsafe, direct passengers to use emergency exits, including windows or roof hatches.

5. Move passengers to a safe distance: Once outside, guide everyone to a safe distance, away from the vehicle and out of harm’s way.

6. Call emergency services: After ensuring all passengers are safe, contact emergency services to report the fire and get help.

Once everyone is safely off the vehicle, then, if it’s safe and you are trained, you can attempt to control the fire with a fire extinguisher. However, passenger safety is always the first priority.

4o

[andyman57]

So sad r.i.p

[john donson]

the merc does not have a dashcam that could show us more?

 

doing a runner instead of using a fire extinguisher or breaking windows to help the poor kids escape is criminal... 

[AdrianUk]

The armchair experts are out in force, judging with limited info, its clear its a series of errors and lots of people need to be held responsible. The only good thing that can come of this is to check/adjust all the other buses and diesel only. A major check and recall of all the buses.  Its a very sad week for everyone.  I see these convoys going way too fast down the motorways, with police infront and sometimes ambulances behind them.

[khunpin]

"... retrieve a fire extinguisher from the following bus..."

Shouldn't it be mandatory that EVERY bus has at least 2 fire extinguishers on board? 

Oh, sorry. Not in Thailand. 

Excuse my stupid question. 

[Lacrimas]

School, teachers and bus company need to be punished as well! Stop scapegoating Thailand!

[WDSmart]

I think of the four charges filed against the driver, only the last one, "failing to assist or report the incident leading to fatalities," will prove to be valid.

[smew]

Poor or no maintenance on all the buses here in Thailand. Nicely painted and comfortable looking but mechanically poor conditions would be my guess. 
No safety introduction to young passengers , no one knows how to break the windows, no one knows where fire and extinguishers are if any, flammable materials inside…… so very sad… 

[sateuk]

Why don't they charge the school, the schools should hire a decent bus and get the bus checked out before letting students on it, and all buses should have 2 drivers as well, this might stop some accidents 

[FruitPudding]

1 hour ago, baipaibkk said:

This is a Option. But can't run away.

 

I think if you report it to the police after fleeing an accident it's OK. I think it has to be within 24 hours though.

 

People get lynched in Thailand hanging around after an accident if it was deemed their fault and someone got killed, maybe that's why he ran, or maybe he was traumatised. 

 

 

[Gobbler]

5 hours ago, brianthainess said:

I agree, looking at that fire, I don't think one extinguisher would have helped, that also brings up the question did his bus have a extinguisher, did he use that one first.

 

A few seconds could have been added to the survivor list.

[PETERTHEEATER]

6 hours ago, webfact said:

He was transporting students on a field trip when the fire broke out. After a thorough investigation, Mr. Saman voluntarily surrendered to the police at Wichai Chai Police Station in Ang Thong last night (October 1). He was then transferred for further questioning at Khu Khot Police Station in Pathum Thani.

Mr Saman carried out a 'thorough investigaion'. On what? What was the conclusion?

[Gobbler]

Add to it checking for LP gas. 

[LukKrueng]

6 hours ago, webfact said:

decided to flee

All that has happened might have actually been an accident, might even be unavoidable, but his final decision - that is totally on him, and for that he should be harshly punished

[Stuart dunsmore]

5 hours ago, retarius said:

What to say? Tragic loss of life and a bag of scum driver who runs away to get a fire-extinguisher? What about evacuating the kids first. Hang the bastard. 

Totally agree. Then go after the installer of the gas conversion. 

[ChrisY1]

6 hours ago, watchcat said:

 

I bet it was a soi dog.

A soi dog on that road would only last 10 seconds at best.....20 minutes later there's not trace

However...these a**hole drivers say anything....just a moron, that another moron put in charge of a bus!

[Surasak]

6 hours ago, KhunLA said:

Actually the driver's version sounds very believable.  If lost control and couldn't come to a rolling stop, think I'd be thinking about hitting something to slow down or stop with.

 

Unfortunately, that put the bus doors against the wall, and possible trapped the folks in side, depending how the doors actually operated.

 

Would think the following bus would have had a dash cam, hopefully.  If open road, can't see any CCTV being available, unless very lucky.

 

Just need to figure out why he lost control, and what actually ignited the fire.   Could negate 3 of the charges.

Actually, the door is on the near side (left) of the bus, so the door was not obstructed. The driver sits on the right, but it can be difficult to get out that way for passengers.

[RocketDog]

4 hours ago, LespaulAN said:

As a new expat, I feel that the people in this country don't care about safety in every aspect of their lives is partly responsible for such tragedy. This country has a culture of taking the easy way out, the lazy way mai pen rai. don't care about safety at all. This culture need to change if they want to do better. 

You are of course correct in your first two sentences.

The root of the problem appears in your third sentence.

After being here for 7 years and now tired of pondering the problem I have concluded that the Thai culture does not want to do better; they are satisfied to regularly lose family members to needless death and injury. Every culture faces such decisions and lives accordingly.

 

As visitors here we have no choice but to accept the danger of living in such a culture as we can not change it.

 

When anywhere within sight of a road, path,sidewalk, or trail it is wise to assume that every vehicle approaching you intends to do you bodily harm. Of course this is seldom true but it still happens because the Thai people collectively choose not to change.

 

If the risk is not acceptable then you have the option of never leaving your domicile or just leave the country. 

 

Other than to pass the time there is no reason to waste any emotion on such reports......the Thai people certainly don't.

[Surasak]

4 hours ago, scott1999 said:

The very first job of any driver is to check the emergency doors before the customers enter the vehicle. Having held  PSV license which was replaced by the Operator’s License (O-Licence) Which then became the PCV. 

As I said on my Facebook post

(Just to add to this video as a driver I would rather have died in the fire trying to save the children there is just no chance that I could have left anyone on that bus, impossible)

 

Any driver worth their salts would never leave the children on the bus they would get them off first, before trying to put the fire out. 

The things that surprised me the most about these buses and coaches are the paraphernalia hanging from the ceiling flammable flags plastic fans other ridiculous mementoes it make the Vehicle a tinderbox. 

 

Here's an idea instead of spending 300,000 on a respray with cartoon characters on the outside buy some new tires get some flame resistant seats train your drivers what to do in an emergency and have a government agency come on a regular basis to check the vehicles.

 

 

 

 

Who will train the government agency staff? Who will train the trainers!?

[Surasak]

4 hours ago, brianthainess said:

Stupid statement IMO to enter an inferno like that would be impossible, your face would be burnt off at the door, even if you could get that close. 

Referencing the driver should have, 'The driver was already in the bus, not trying to get in.

[Electy]

The driver knew he’s done wrong that’s why he ran away instead of helping the kids and other passengers. In addition turning the phone off?? What a dumb idiot…

[Toby1947]

6 hours ago, johnnybangkok said:

Irrespective of whether he could/couldn't help, once he 'decided to flee to a relative's house in Ang Thong.' a very large book is going to land on him from a very large height.

How could you run away when those poor kids are still trapped inside the bus? Beggars belief. 

Because they are the most cowardly men on the planet 

[Bruce Aussie]

6 hours ago, Will B Good said:

 

 

I guess there is just a chance he is telling the truth........it is hard to see how this will progress through the courts if he continues to claim a tyre burst, for whatever reason, and no one can prove otherwise.

 

If he was negligent, drunk, on his phone, falling asleep, I hope he rots in hell. 

The NSW courts just put a 59 year old bus driver in jail for 32 years  with no parole for 24 years.  He went round a roundabout to fast flipping bus. 10 deaths. The driver never ran away.

This much worst so guess he get 200 years 

 

[Surasak]

3 hours ago, brianthainess said:

He got out to try and extinguish the fire twice, so your saying he should have just stayed on the bus without trying to put the fire out.................

Yes ,he should have stayed on the bus, to assist where possible to get as many off as possible. But he fled the scene. Was the result of his fleeing, a contributing action of more deaths than necessary?! The answer to that we may never know. However, self preservation is a very, very strong instinct. 

[tomazbodner]

5 hours ago, brianthainess said:

I doubt it ran on Gas, I would say Diesel. 

Oh hold all This the bus was 54 years old !!!!!!!!!, and had recently had a Benz engine fitted. Now who was the one who fitted the engine ? 54 years old JFC

Never saw diesel tank looking like this...