Field trips don’t hurt students, poorly-maintained transport does : PM

[BKKBike09]

Using high-pressure flammable gas to power any commercial public transport vehicle should be prohibited.

[Rolo89]

I'm sure she'll announce a scheme to up the safety of buses taking children on field trips to solve this issue 🙄

[Kwaibill]

My impression is that preventative maintenance is often a foreign concept here. Witness the plethora of unpainted buildings, e.g. “Brake failure” is often the reason cited for accidents.
I also have my suspicions about the qualification situation of “professional drivers” here. One of my hundreds of jobs was as a licensed school bus driver, which required pretty extensive training to qualify for as well as an exacting road test. Ever try parallel parking a seventy passenger bus?

I haven’t seen enough details about this incident to draw firm conclusions, but I weep for all those babies who won’t return from an exciting field trip.🥲

[Henryford]

The driver did a runner after after the crash. That says it all about their approach to safety.

[tau152]

14 hours ago, Watawattana said:

Well said.  The culture of a country comes from its leadership.  I hope she is able to get this implemented and hold to account those who stop or delay this happening.

 

But, of course, TIT, but maybe this time some change might actually happen?

Exactly!!  Watawattana expressed my thoughts precisely and I hope that the new PM is able to hold those responsible for shabby maintenance of the vehicles!!

[MikeandDow]

10 minutes ago, BKKBike09 said:

Using high-pressure flammable gas to power any commercial public transport vehicle should be prohibited.

And WHY should it be prohibited ?? this type of system is used world wide safely if it is installed in the correct manner 

[Surasak]

15 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

 

Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra has expressed disagreement with suspending educational field trips for students, saying that the measure does not solve the basic problem.

 

She said that such trips are not harmful to children and blamed poorly-maintained public transport for road accidents, adding that all transport used for educational field trips should be properly checked, especially for long journeys.

 

The prime minister made the comments after the Education Ministry ordered the immediate suspension of all educational field trips by schools under its supervision, except for trips which are deemed necessary, and that the trips should be confined within the schools’ province.

 

Meanwhile, Transport Minister Suriya Juangroongruangkit announced today that all the 13,000 plus public buses which use compressed natural gas (CNG) as fuel must be subjected to thorough checks within 60 days.

 

Photo: Thai PBS World

 

Full story: Thai PBS World

-- 2024-10-02

 

 

If this is implemented correctly and followed thru with on a regular basis, it is only half the problem solved.

Drivers with no full and proper training is the other half of the problem. But, who will train the drivers, and who will train the trainers!?   

[AustinRacing]

Another knee jerk reaction. Another third world country pretending not to be one. At its core lies the common issues. Poor education, poor planning, poor infrastructure, corruption, poor leadership, poor law and order, to name a few. Hard to get used to it, but it is what it is. 

[mran66]

15 hours ago, Watawattana said:

But, of course, TIT, but maybe this time some change might actually happen?

 

Nobody cares after few months once the media storm is over. Life goes on. That's how this kind of stuff works in Thailand, like it or not. 

[phitsanulokjohn]

She said that such trips are not harmful to children and blamed poorly-maintained public transport for road accidents, adding that all transport used for educational field trips should be properly checked, especially for long journeys.

 

 

Should be,but I fear on many occasions isn't.

[Andycoops]

She is absolutely right.

 

The word maintenance does not exist in Thailand because they would rather squeeze the last satang from a vehicle before having to spend anything on it.

[black tabby12345]

Before I get my Retirement O, I used to rely on Tourist Visa(from Thai Embassy in Vientiane, Lao).

Back then, I always travelled by bus.

Sometimes, the driver advised passengers to stay away from the vehicle during the refueling(natural gas) stop; precaution against possible explosion.

Every time I hear that, I grabbed my stuff and dashed out of the cabin immediately.

And watched how it goes from at least 100m away...

Later, a friend of mine(retired  Thai engineer) told me that that it could happen only when the fuel system is ill-fitted.

 

 

 

[Humpy]

Which member of the school staff orders the buses ? The bus that caught fire was 56 years old and converted to compressed gas and was perhaps cheap to rent !! 

[sanabavy IV]

she's got some brain.

[black tabby12345]

To prevent such a disaster, there should be a mandatory regular inspection by the govt agency.

But for that, operators will have to put the cost of travel up(to cover their expenses for better maintenance).

Will it end up as the typical case of Big Voce, Small Action?

 

[NanLaew]

14 hours ago, dinsdale said:

I'm sorry but this is a ridiculous and tasteless comment. School excursions are a legitimate part of education. This one ended in tragedy.

 

And the Education Minister is correct in saying that youngsters cannot be exposed to risk of death or injury because the Ministry of Transport and the Department of Land Transport hasn't done their jobs properly. Going to school and getting educated doesn't mean you have to accept that it's fraught with danger due to cultural mores, political torpor and corruption.

 

The PM should know better. I think I am correct is saying she has two children, both probably pre-school. If they were older, do you think she would allow them to travel on these mobile funeral pyres just because they are going learn something, or it being a "legitimate part of education" as you put it?

[AhFarangJa]

6 hours ago, Kiwiken said:

As others say poor enforcement of regulations and laws is an issue. As One who used to be involved building buses I am surprised legally that they are not required emergency exit doors at the back and small hammers to break windows in the event of emergency. I am sure Europe has similar requirements

Exactly what I said to the Wife this morning. I told Her about the hammers for the windows as She said the reports say they could not break the windows, also no emergency exit at the back where a dead teacher was found holding two or three children. So very sad that money comes before safety. 

Also, how long will these "inspections" last. I remember when they made it compulsory for buses to have seat belts, and I would put my pension on probably less than 20% are either still fitted, or in working order.

[dinsdale]

6 minutes ago, NanLaew said:

 

And the Education Minister is correct in saying that youngsters cannot be exposed to risk of death or injury because the Ministry of Transport and the Department of Land Transport hasn't done their jobs properly. Going to school and getting educated doesn't mean you have to accept that it's fraught with danger due to cultural mores, political torpor and corruption.

 

The PM should know better. I think I am correct is saying she has two children, both probably pre-school. If they were older, do you think she would allow them to travel on these mobile funeral pyres just because they are going learn something, or it being a "legitimate part of education" as you put it?

There are kids on buses going for excursions almost every day of the school year all across Thailand. This incident which yes is a tragedy and yes poor maintenance probably played a part doesn't detract from the fact that this is an isolated incident. As for going to school being "fraught with danger" tell me it's not the case that just getting to and from school isn't dangerous in and of itself. I will bet my bottom dollar baht that more kids have died going to or from school (more than likely on a motorcycle and helmetless) than have died in bus crashes/fires whilst on school excursions.

[Tropicalevo]

5 hours ago, hotchilli said:

You're the PM.... make it happen.

Therein lies the problem with the politicians in Thailand.

No matter what the PM does or says, the dinosaurs in opposition will veto it, call in ethics committees and whatever to make sure that nothing happens until the PM is ousted.

[ChipButty]

We all know how it works here, was the school head related to the bus company owner? just hope there was no corruption involved here over the safety of the children, I have my suspicions 

[lordgrinz]

11 minutes ago, dinsdale said:

doesn't detract from the fact that this is an isolated incident.

 

I'm sure that will make the families of the dead feel much better.

[Watawattana]

13 hours ago, lordgrinz said:

These weren't children from Elite families, expect nothing to change.

I live in hope.  “It's not the despair. I can take the despair. It's the hope I can't stand”.  Apparently a quote by Peter Ustinov, or might have been Ted Lasso.

[Watawattana]

1 hour ago, mran66 said:

Nobody cares after few months once the media storm is over. Life goes on. That's how this kind of stuff works in Thailand, like it or not. 

Not about to disagree with you.  But I live in hope.  “It's not the despair. I can take the despair. It's the hope I can't stand”.  Apparently a quote by Peter Ustinov, or might have been Ted Lasso.

[lordgrinz]

Just now, Watawattana said:

I live in hope. 

 

I lost that long ago, I no longer believe in fantasies.

[crazykopite]

Government should be ensuring public transport is in a roadworthy condition how may persons was this vehicle licensed to carry and as yet the only explanation of the fire was an exploding tire which seems rather odd  RIP to all those who perished I sincerely hope the those who lost loved ones will be helped financially to cover costs of funerals and other expenses 

[Hanuman2547]

13 hours ago, gk10012001 said:

I am pretty sure there was no roof egress hatch either.  Not that any of us could have reached that roof hatch anyway just like the children on that Thailand bus probably were too young and short to reach either.

They can reach the roof hatch when the bus is lying on its side after a crash or after the bus came to a stop after rolling down an embankment.  

Many school buses have emergency windows on both sides of the bus that you just push out.  

They really need to equip school buses with seat belts.  They tend to not have them to keep costs down.....and that's in the USA!  

Most of all, the buses need to be serviced regularly to ensure that they are in safe operating condition.  I won't hold my breath on that one happening in Thailand.

[Hardcastle P]

Well he has hit the proverbial nail on the head but what's is he going to do about it as any changes require enforcing when you can't even get your RTP to enforce waring of crash helmets. Back to the drawing board chaps.

[Will B Good]

18 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra has expressed disagreement with suspending educational field trips for students, saying that the measure does not solve the basic problem.

 

 

Wrong!

 

It does solve the problem if they continue to transport kids in this manner.

 

 

[Will B Good]

18 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra has expressed disagreement with suspending educational field trips for students, saying that the measure does not solve the basic problem.

 

 

What if there is a similar incident in the next few weeks?.....how will she defend her remarks when there are another 20 plus grieving parents?

 

I have refused to give Thai relatives a lift unless they wear safety belts or if they allow kids in the front......that solves the problem.

 

 

[dinsdale]

54 minutes ago, lordgrinz said:

 

I'm sure that will make the families of the dead feel much better.

No it won't. It won't make the families whose children die on the roads everyday feel much better either. What's the solution? Do you have one? Everyday I see clapped out old buses transporting kids on school excursions. The fact is that so much of the bus rolling stock here is old and poorly maintained. These buses are cheaper to hire and directors of schools will more than likely go for the cheapest option.