Passengers Escape Fiery Inferno as Bangkok-Chiang Mai Bus Bursts Into Flames

[Georgealbert]

 

Pictures from responders.

 

Passengers on a Bangkok-Chiang Mai bus narrowly escaped tragedy when their vehicle was engulfed in flames on the Phahonyothin Road in Lampang Province. The incident, which occurred at around 21:00  on December 29, resulted in no injuries or fatalities, though several passengers were traumatised by shock.

 

Emergency services were alerted to the fire at Kilometre Markers 671-672, in the Sob Prap district of Lampang. Local police from Ko Kha Police Station, firefighters, and rescue teams quickly responded to the scene.

 

The blue-and-white bus, operated by Viriyah Tour, was parked along the roadside when flames consumed the vehicle. Firefighters used multiple fire trucks and hose-line to extinguish the blaze.

 

All 40 passengers, along with the driver and crew, managed to evacuate the bus safely before the fire intensified. Some passengers, overwhelmed by the incident, fainted and were provided with first aid by rescue workers. 

 

Authorities from Lampang’s Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Office arranged alternative transport to ensure the stranded passengers could continue their journey.

 

 

The fire caused a traffic jam of over one kilometre, with authorities temporarily closing the road to secure the area. It took approximately an hour to clear the scene and restore normal traffic flow.

 

Investigators from Ko Kha Police Station are currently examining the cause of the fire and will proceed with legal action as necessary. Initial investigation points to the fire starting in the rear engine compartment of the bus, but not further details were disclosed.

 

-- 2024-12-30

 

 

[Baba Naba]

Flights to Bangkok are CHEAP! You can get flights for the same price as a bus ticket on Kayak!

[Dave0206]

I'm not sure if it's lpg but if so when are they going to ban the use on buses ? Going by the decrease in use price difference must be minimal now

[CM Dad]

I will never travel by bus in Thailand, nor will I allow any of my family members to do so.  

[durian explorer]

There are times of year when an air ticket (including baggage) can be over 4000B. The bus prices of about 1000B are tempting at those times, and I have taken those buses, before the recent Bangkok / Chiang Mai accidents / bus fires (I think there were two big ones before this one.) These days I am willing to spend the extra money for the plane.

 

That said, are these buses the public ones that are available (for example) on 12go.com? Would it be reasonable to believe that the VIP buses would be well maintained? Even then, there would still be the issues external to the bus and its driver that could be dangerous (such as other drivers on the road), but that would at least reduce the risk.

 

[nickmondo]

this country is really going downhill.

have they learned nothing????????

no.......of course not.......not capable of that.

personally, i will be taking regular breaks from LOS every year now, that way, I might fall back in love with the place.

the 60 day visa with 30 day extension is a game changer as far as i am concerned.

can lose my O visa, and utilise my 800k for some decent travel.

Exchange rate is pants now also.........

[newbee2022]

7 hours ago, Georgealbert said:

 

Pictures from responders.

 

Passengers on a Bangkok-Chiang Mai bus narrowly escaped tragedy when their vehicle was engulfed in flames on the Phahonyothin Road in Lampang Province. The incident, which occurred at around 21:00  on December 29, resulted in no injuries or fatalities, though several passengers were traumatised by shock.

 

Emergency services were alerted to the fire at Kilometre Markers 671-672, in the Sob Prap district of Lampang. Local police from Ko Kha Police Station, firefighters, and rescue teams quickly responded to the scene.

 

The blue-and-white bus, operated by Viriyah Tour, was parked along the roadside when flames consumed the vehicle. Firefighters used multiple fire trucks and hose-line to extinguish the blaze.

 

All 40 passengers, along with the driver and crew, managed to evacuate the bus safely before the fire intensified. Some passengers, overwhelmed by the incident, fainted and were provided with first aid by rescue workers. 

 

Authorities from Lampang’s Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Office arranged alternative transport to ensure the stranded passengers could continue their journey.

 

 

The fire caused a traffic jam of over one kilometre, with authorities temporarily closing the road to secure the area. It took approximately an hour to clear the scene and restore normal traffic flow.

 

Investigators from Ko Kha Police Station are currently examining the cause of the fire and will proceed with legal action as necessary. Initial investigation points to the fire starting in the rear engine compartment of the bus, but not further details were disclosed.

 

-- 2024-12-30

 

 

 Speeding, then hot brakes??

[billd766]

29 minutes ago, Baba Naba said:

Flights to Bangkok are CHEAP! You can get flights for the same price as a bus ticket on Kayak!

Flights may be cheap, until you add getting to and from the airport at each end.

 

Also the flights are direct which is of little use  if you want to stop off part way along the route where there is no airport.

 

In addition, how many flights are there per day and at what times compared with the number of daily buses?

[kwilco]

45 minutes ago, Baba Naba said:

Flights to Bangkok are CHEAP! You can get flights for the same price as a bus ticket on Kayak!

completely facile comment.

THese buses are normally chartered as group tours - like a charabanc - by a company ior institution - they are part of Thai culture but unfortunately not built to international standards.

[nglodnig]

55 minutes ago, Baba Naba said:

Flights to Bangkok are CHEAP

Not if you've got 100 kilos of luggage

[impulse]

2 minutes ago, kwilco said:

completely facile comment.

THese buses are normally chartered as group tours - like a charabanc - by a company ior institution - they are part of Thai culture but unfortunately not built to international standards.

 

I gave up on the idea of ever taking a double decker on a Thai road trip after seeing a factory where they take old frames, strip them down and rebuild them to look like new.  The old frames, I can live with.  It's the heavy use of plywood and lumber instead of metal structural components.  In addition to the lack of strength, they're tinder in case of a fire.

 

I'll gladly take a Thai bus of a normal configuration from a Toyota Coaster size to Greyhound bus size.    But no kamikaze vans and no double deckers for this boy.

 

Except on excursions around the city where the speed never gets deadly...  For that, double deckers look fun.

[hotchilli]

8 hours ago, Georgealbert said:

The fire caused a traffic jam of over one kilometre, with authorities temporarily closing the road to secure the area. It took approximately an hour to clear the scene and restore normal traffic flow.

One hour and nothing to see here... 

[Anant72]

1 hour ago, CM Dad said:

I will never travel by bus in Thailand, nor will I allow any of my family members to do so.  

Same here. I did once many years ago and never repeated the (scary) experience.

[happydreamer]

1 hour ago, durian explorer said:

There are times of year when an air ticket (including baggage) can be over 4000B. The bus prices of about 1000B are tempting at those times, and I have taken those buses, before the recent Bangkok / Chiang Mai accidents / bus fires (I think there were two big ones before this one.) These days I am willing to spend the extra money for the plane.

 

That said, are these buses the public ones that are available (for example) on 12go.com? Would it be reasonable to believe that the VIP buses would be well maintained? Even then, there would still be the issues external to the bus and its driver that could be dangerous (such as other drivers on the road), but that would at least reduce the risk.

 

 It would not be reasonable to assume any level of safety and /or pride taken in ones job here to ensure any level beyond the ol "at-a-glance" pass.  No one in charge gives a sh!t here and therefore the people who work for those who don't give a sh!t care even less.

[cardinalblue]

1 hour ago, nglodnig said:

Not if you've got 100 kilos of luggage

What about my surfboard and kayak?

[richard_smith237]

2 hours ago, Dave0206 said:

I'm not sure if it's lpg but if so when are they going to ban the use on buses ? Going by the decrease in use price difference must be minimal now

 

That was the first thought that sprung to my mind - was this LPG tanks ???

 

 

[kwilco]

1 hour ago, impulse said:

 

I gave up on the idea of ever taking a double decker on a Thai road trip after seeing a factory where they take old frames, strip them down and rebuild them to look like new.  The old frames, I can live with.  It's the heavy use of plywood and lumber instead of metal structural components.  In addition to the lack of strength, they're tinder in case of a fire.

 

I'll gladly take a Thai bus of a normal configuration from a Toyota Coaster size to Greyhound bus size.    But no kamikaze vans and no double deckers for this boy.

 

Except on excursions around the city where the speed never gets deadly...  For that, double deckers look fun.

Yes I've been to one of these "workshops" too.

however statistically buses are still one of the afest form of road transport in Thailand - of course when they go wrong it tends to be more spectacular and "good news"

[sambum]

2 hours ago, durian explorer said:

There are times of year when an air ticket (including baggage) can be over 4000B. The bus prices of about 1000B are tempting at those times, and I have taken those buses, before the recent Bangkok / Chiang Mai accidents / bus fires (I think there were two big ones before this one.) These days I am willing to spend the extra money for the plane.

 

That said, are these buses the public ones that are available (for example) on 12go.com? Would it be reasonable to believe that the VIP buses would be well maintained? Even then, there would still be the issues external to the bus and its driver that could be dangerous (such as other drivers on the road), but that would at least reduce the risk.

 

 "............(such as other drivers on the road)"

 

That goes without saying!

[kwilco]

Most of these buses and many large commercial vehicles run on CNG, not LPG as the former is promoted by the government as they have virtually no oil of their own.. . Just take a trip down to Rayong to see where it all comes form.

 

Diesel engines need a special conversion to run on gas as it needs a spark to ignite the gas whereas diesel doesn't.

[chickenslegs]

2 hours ago, Dave0206 said:

I'm not sure if it's lpg but if so when are they going to ban the use on buses ? Going by the decrease in use price difference must be minimal now

And, if it was lpg/cng, did it pass the safety check that they were all supposed to have before 30 November?

[Liverpool Lou]

2 hours ago, Dave0206 said:

I'm not sure if it's lpg but if so when are they going to ban the use on buses ? Going by the decrease in use price difference must be minimal now

Why should they ban its use on buses?

[Liverpool Lou]

2 hours ago, CM Dad said:

I will never travel by bus in Thailand, nor will I allow any of my family members to do so.  

Why?

[Liverpool Lou]

2 hours ago, kwilco said:

they are part of Thai culture but unfortunately not built to international standards.

Which specific standards do their construction not comply with?

[twizzian]

Gas conversion?

[geisha]

36 minutes ago, Liverpool Lou said:

Which specific standards do their construction not comply with?

There are too many accidents to ignore the subject. Statistics prove that the transport and accident numbers are terrible.

[jmw]

I don't think Kayak is an airline, but it may be a boat!

[MikeandDow]

1 hour ago, Liverpool Lou said:

Which specific standards do their construction not comply with?

UNECE regulation UN R118, which requires bus interiors to be made with non-flammable materials, was officially introduced in Thailand in 2022, but does not apply to buses made before then, or buses adapted using older chassis.

Thailand's gradual introduction over the past 15 years of regulations for bus safety laid out by the UNECE, the UN Economic Commission for Europe, a body responsible for establishing international standards in many areas. But application of these rules have been slow and piecemeal.

“The problem is most of the manufacturers in Thailand cannot reach that standard,”

“Also, the regulations only apply to new buses. But most of the buses operating in Thailand are old."

Modifying old bus chassis with new bodywork is a local industry, where safety standards are for the most part far behind those in many other countries.

The inspection of the gas system. Which is a visual inspection only applys world wide.

The installation of the gas system has to have a qualified installer ( not a backyard mechanice )                           CNG/LPG  are safe used World wide,  Major problem in Thailand is the greed and corruption.                                                                                                                                        

[kwilco]

1 hour ago, Liverpool Lou said:

Which specific standards do their construction not comply with?

Seriously? What sort of sealioning is that? - Why don't you just ask a direct question?

If yu really want to know, look it up!

[kwilco]

1 minute ago, MikeandDow said:

UNECE regulation UN R118, which requires bus interiors to be made with non-flammable materials, was officially introduced in Thailand in 2022, but does not apply to buses made before then, or buses adapted using older chassis.

Thailand's gradual introduction over the past 15 years of regulations for bus safety laid out by the UNECE, the UN Economic Commission for Europe, a body responsible for establishing international standards in many areas. But application of these rules have been slow and piecemeal.

“The problem is most of the manufacturers in Thailand cannot reach that standard,”

“Also, the regulations only apply to new buses. But most of the buses operating in Thailand are old."

Modifying old bus chassis with new bodywork is a local industry, where safety standards are for the most part far behind those in many other countries.

The inspection of the gas system. Which is a visual inspection only applys world wide.

The installation of the gas system has to have a qualified installer ( not a backyard mechanice )                           CNG/LPG  are safe used World wide,  Major problem in Thailanf is the greed and corucpution.                                                                                                                                        

Don't tell him,! he's just being a sealion!

He's asked these sort of questions on previous threads.

[fredwiggy]

3 minutes ago, kwilco said:

Don't tell him,! he's just being a sealion!

He's asked these sort of questions on previous threads.

A few are hardcore brown nosers who stick up for locals and try to downgrade bad behavior, thinking it might get them to look good in their eyes.