Vehicle Inspector Removed Amid Deadly School Bus Fire Probe

[webfact]

 

 

On October 2, 2024, Jirut Wisaljitr, Director-General of the Department of Land Transport, announced an investigation following a tragic school bus fire.

 

The bus, carrying students from Wat Khao Phrayasangkaram School in Uthai Thani for a field trip, caught fire near the Anusorn Monument interchange in Pathum Thani, resulting in multiple injuries and fatalities.

Suriya Juangroongruangkit, Minister of Transport, and Surapong Piyachote, Deputy Minister of Transport, ordered an immediate investigation to ensure stricter safety measures and prevent similar incidents.

 

In response, the Department of Land Transport has established a fact-finding committee. Two senior officials from the Sing Buri Provincial Transport Office, including the head of vehicle inspection, were reassigned to assist in the investigation. If any wrongdoing is discovered, the Department has pledged to enforce the highest level of disciplinary action.

 

This swift response aims to uphold safety standards and prevent future accidents.

 

Picture courtesy: Siam Rath

 

-- 2024-10-03

 

[Artisi]

Closing door, bolting horse comes to mind. 

[MikeandDow]

Would like to know to what standards these inspectors are working to what are there qualifications or is it who pays the best bribe, Normally all this would come out in a Public inquiry but not here its left to the police or a committee and as soon as its out of the public eye its forgotten or it takes 20 yrs and a slap on the wrist  the apathy in this county has to change if Thailand is to move forward.

[thesetat2013]

34 minutes ago, webfact said:

This swift response aims to uphold safety standards and prevent future accidents.

As much as I would like to believe this to be true. This is Thailand and they NEVER follow through with these types of comments. Blowing hot air to ensure a sense of trust that you can put your kid on a school bus and feel safe that is has been inspected and operates properly and that the driver has been checked and is licensed and safe. 

I think every foreigner knows this if they have lived in Thailand long enough. 

[NE1]

37 minutes ago, Artisi said:

Closing door, bolting horse comes to mind. 

Nothing ever happens here until somebody is dead .

There is no preventative maintenance , just knee jerk reactions after the event.

 

 

[motdaeng]

6 minutes ago, NE1 said:

Nothing ever happens here until somebody is dead .

There is no preventative maintenance , just knee jerk reactions after the event.

 

unfortunately, you're wrong! even if there are fatalities, safety measures will not be improved in the long term ... never will happen in thailand!

lives don't matter ... never have and never will!

Edited 2 hours ago by motdaeng

[Kerryd]

Nothing in the OP or the original article says anyone was actually removed.

In the SiamRath article this story was translated from, the headline is:"ด่วน! สั่งเด้ง “หัวหน้านายช่างตรวจสภาพรถ” ขนส่งสิงห์บุรี เซ่นบัสนักเรียนไฟไหม้ พร้อมตั้งคณะกรรมการสอบข้อเท็จจริง".

Google translate isn't the greatest when it comes to translating Thai to English (or the other way around), but it translates that headline into:
"Urgent! Order to dismiss "Chief Vehicle Inspector" of Singburi Transport as a sacrifice for the school bus fire, along with setting up a fact-finding committee".

Meanwhile, nothing in the article says anyone was dismissed. Just that 2 senior officials were assigned to investigate.
"assigning two civil servants, one in the position of head of the department (an experienced vehicle inspection technician) and one in the vehicle inspection division of the Singburi Provincial Transport Office, to assist in official duties at the Department of Land Transport to ensure that the fact-finding investigation proceeds smoothly."

And as I mentioned on the Facecrook post, a lot of people will jump and shout in front of the cameras for the next week promising changes and enforcement and standards (yadda yadda) and then a week later it will be back to "business as per normal".

Just like happens after every nightclub/hotel/shopping mall fire where dozens are killed.

 

[smedly]

vehicle inspector ?

 

omg

 

23 kids dead 

 

i will bite my tongue grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

 

this is the ### ultimately responsible, like all the rest - unfit for purpose

 

Jirut Wisaljitr, Director-General of the Department of Land Transport

Edited 1 hour ago by smedly

[scorecard]

1 hour ago, MikeandDow said:

Would like to know to what standards these inspectors are working to what are there qualifications or is it who pays the best bribe, Normally all this would come out in a Public inquiry but not here its left to the police or a committee and as soon as its out of the public eye its forgotten or it takes 20 yrs and a slap on the wrist  the apathy in this county has to change if Thailand is to move forward.

 You forget... when the brown envelope has been delivered and distributed, bus OK, keep driving... 

Edited 1 hour ago by scorecard

[ikke1959]

For the tax paying you need your car being inspected at a station.. Last year there was an old car with a lot of blacksmoke, a broken brakelight at the back but there was no problem, he got his paper and could go to pay the tax.. That is what only counts in Thailand... pay the tax, but don't check vehicles decently... and that is only 1 I was witnessing how many other with more problems are being approved?? Besides that let your car check at your dealer and they only renew/replace some parts, but never check the profiles on the tires, the brakes, the pressure of the tires and several more unless you ask for it and than they still don't do it... No wonder so many dangerous vehicles are on the roads

[NE1]

59 minutes ago, ikke1959 said:

Last year there was an old car with a lot of blacksmoke, a broken brakelight at the back but there was no problem, he got his paper and could go to pay the tax..

I also see this when I go get mine " tested " before I get " approved " so I can get taxed.