Inferno bus in use for 54 years

[saintdomingo]

I think many AN accident investigators are keen to hear as many professional, qualified comments as possible.

[mran66]

Clearly the body of the bus is not that old. Chassis maybe but even that a bit doubtful. 

 

Either way, the age of it unlikely to be reason for the incident, rather maintenance (tires, door locks, gas system, fire extinguisher system etc). 

[SantiSuk]

2 hours ago, impulse said:

 

Unless you count the problems due to low GDP per capita, crap wages, and not enough money to adopt nanny state standards...

 

 

 

I doubt that many would support your derogatary remarks about standards and regulation being applied by public authorities to public transport, particularly as regards the carriage of our kids. 

[AndreasHG]

7 hours ago, RandolphGB said:

This is pure greed from the bus company owner. Most Thai businesses keep all the profit instead of reinvesting in improvements.

 

B.S.: Thai companies compete ferociously for business (unless they operate in "protected" businesses, like the liquor and alcoholic beverages industry). And competition keeps the prices low, so low that these companies often cannot afford to renew their obsolete equipment.

 

Thai authorities are the ones who shall ensure that all vehicles circulating on Thai roads are safe, starting from the biggest and most dangerous ones: busses and trucks.

 

Allowing 50 yo busses and trucks on the road, keep prices of transport low, at the expenses of safety.

 

Greed and profit have nothing to do with this accident. Dereliction of duty and corruption have a much bigger role.

 

[impulse]

1 hour ago, SantiSuk said:

I doubt that many would support your derogatary remarks about standards and regulation being applied by public authorities to public transport, particularly as regards the carriage of our kids. 

 

I was responding to a claim that "Every problem in Thailand always comes down to laziness and greed." 

 

Injecting a little dose of economic realty that low wages and lack of funds make even the most genuine of efforts difficult at best.  It's not all laziness and greed.  That claim is the derogatory one.  Coming from nanny state refugees...  Who want "back home" safety at Thai competitive prices.  You can have one, or you can have the other.  Not both.

 

[Grumpy one]

It's not uncommon to rebody old vehicles.

I worked at a private bus company in Aus, we had several buses with 2 year old bodies.

The chassis and mechanicals were first built in 1950.

Mind you they did get repaired when needed, unlike here

[ignis]

29 minutes ago, Grumpy one said:

It's not uncommon to rebody old vehicles.

I worked at a private bus company in Aus, we had several buses with 2 year old bodies.

The chassis and mechanicals were first built in 1950.

Mind you they did get repaired when needed, unlike here

 

Also in UK was common to have new bodies on older Coaches, we also have  a new body single body coach that used to be a double decker..  main give away was the crash box, but as I learnt to drive buses with crash boxes so was in heaven 

 

Main problem on a Diesel is the turbo, which can explode   > also a disadvantage of the rear engine buses as you cannot hear, [must keep a eye on the turbo booster gauge] 

[RandolphGB]

20 hours ago, impulse said:

 

Unless you count the problems due to low GDP per capita, crap wages, and not enough money to adopt nanny state standards...

 

 

 

 

Let's ignore racial inferiority. 

[RandolphGB]

17 hours ago, AndreasHG said:

 

Greed and profit have nothing to do with this accident. 

 

 

Corruption is driven by greed and laziness. 

 

 

[lordgrinz]

Just now, RandolphGB said:

Corruption is driven by greed and laziness. 

 

Hallmarks of the Thai culture.

[Lorry]

4 minutes ago, lordgrinz said:

 

Hallmarks of the Thai culture.

As opposed to which country's culture?

[lordgrinz]

1 minute ago, Lorry said:

As opposed to which country's culture?

 

Here it is embraced by the Thai people, stop fooling yourself.

[Lorry]

7 minutes ago, lordgrinz said:

 

Here it is embraced by the Thai people, stop fooling yourself.

You didn't answer my question. 

So I guess "greed and laziness" are not hallmarks of your own county's culture?

(Wasn't that the USA? IIRC)

[lordgrinz]

2 minutes ago, Lorry said:

You didn't answer my question. 

So I guess "greed and laziness" are not hallmarks of your own county's culture?

(Wasn't that the USA? IIRC)

 

You damn well know about the amount of Corruption/Greed/Laziness here, and it's embracing by the whole of the population is way worse than in the USA. Thai's only despise corruption if they aren't part of it, completely at odds with the West.

[Lorry]

1 minute ago, lordgrinz said:

 

You damn well know about the amount of Corruption/Greed/Laziness here, and it's embracing by the whole of the population is way worse than in the USA. Thai's only despise corruption if they aren't part of it, completely at odds with the West.

Sorry to tell you that I know many people who think "greed and corruption" are hallmarks of US culture. Some of them are Americans.

The "Economist" once ran a nice story about it.

BTW who coined the phrase "greed is good"? Was it a Thai?

[lordgrinz]

Just now, Lorry said:

Sorry to tell you that I know many people who think "greed and corruption" are hallmarks of US culture. Some of them are Americans.

The "Economist" once ran a nice story about it.

BTW who coined the phrase "greed is good"? Was it a Thai?

 

You're delusional on a whole new level, but keep defending this horrible unsafe culture. We do have a police force in the US, and they do indeed enforce laws, daily!!! not just to benefit themselves, you know ...like the Thai Mafia (RTP). We also punish corruption in the West, here the locals just get upset if don't get to enjoy the spoils too, there is nobody championing justice, there is no justice here.

[gk10012001]

Looks like that bus has one piece solid windows so no way to open them or push them out as many busses do.  A death trap waiting to happen.... and it did. 

[Ralf001]

That bus woulda looked very futuristic back in the 70'S !

[jaiyenyen]

On 10/2/2024 at 10:46 AM, impulse said:

 

I've seen some of the shops where they take a 50+ year old chassis and add a plywood shell with tinfoil skin to make it look newer.  I'm appalled at how flimsy the bodies are built.

You can put lipstick on a pig..........But it's still a pig.

[Captain Monday]

There is no way that is a bus from 1970.

[chiang mai]

11 minutes ago, Captain Monday said:

There is no way that is a bus from 1970.

The chassis and drive train will be but the coach work will have been replaced a couple of times in that period. Truck and coach companies sell the chassis/drive train and the after market constructs different bodies.

[Lacessit]

On 10/2/2024 at 2:02 PM, PJPom said:

I think the one aspect people are overlooking is the source of the fire, the LNG tanks. If fitted correctly they are only as dangerous as a tank of petrol but if they are installed by unskilled persons their potential for leaking in an accident is probable. I worked with LPG fitted cars and regular tank testing was mandatory, I wonder how long since the tanks were tested.

All the above is just my speculation however I will never have a car fitted with gas here, I like living.

I am wondering if the fuel source was LPG or CNG. There is a big difference in the storage pressures involved, 2500 psi vs 25,000 psi.

 

LPG tank testing is every ten years. With CNG, it is supposed to be every year.

[Captain Monday]

17 minutes ago, chiang mai said:

The chassis and drive train will be but the coach work will have been replaced a couple of times in that period. Truck and coach companies sell the chassis/drive train and the after market constructs different bodies.

Is this to save on registration fees or taxes?

 

[jayboy]

On 10/2/2024 at 2:02 PM, PJPom said:

I think the one aspect people are overlooking is the source of the fire, the LNG tanks. If fitted correctly they are only as dangerous as a tank of petrol but if they are installed by unskilled persons their potential for leaking in an accident is probable. I worked with LPG fitted cars and regular tank testing was mandatory, I wonder how long since the tanks were tested.

All the above is just my speculation however I will never have a car fitted with gas here, I like living.

 

Thank you.Your speculation seems to be absolutely on the money though I believe the canisters were compressed natural gas (CNG).The News Report and the subsequent comments unfortunately give no insight into the causes of this tragedy.

 

The BBC corespondent in Bangkok, Jonathan Head, made some important points in his Twitter feed which can be summarized as follows:

 

The bus was essentially a bomb on wheels waiting to explode.All long distance buses in Thailand should be regarded as dangerously unsafe unless proven otherwise by credible inspections.In this case 11 gas canisters were distributed around the lower deck and not restricted to 3 canisters in the rear per the regulations.This explains the rapid and intensive fire.

 

Jonathan Head expresses the view that in many countries the Transport Minister would feel compelled to offer his resignation after this appalling tragedy in which incompetence and probably corruption resulted in the death of so many young lives.

 

So far Minister Suriya has not submitted his resignation

[Captain Monday]

1 hour ago, Captain Monday said:

There is no way that is a bus from 1970.

I spent part of the 70 and 80s on school buses 

from G1-6 the school was close I usually walked. If it was raining my mom would drop me off on her Mercedes 

Middle school I rode my bike

High school was farther but I got credit for riding my bike 6 miles (each way) and did not have to do PE

 

There was an outdoor smoking area for High school students . A different world

[chiang mai]

42 minutes ago, Captain Monday said:

Is this to save on registration fees or taxes?

 

Versatility and range of options mostly. I worked with Iveco/Ford for a year and they did the same thing, produced bodiless trucks that the aftermarket fitted out according to what the customer wanted, there was something like thirty five different configurations, far too many for the manufacturer to make and sell.

[it is what it is]

On 10/2/2024 at 4:06 AM, impulse said:

So the driver is basically a scapegoat.

 

 

that was obvious from the start, though he didn't do himself any favours by scarpering the scene instead of staying and trying to help.