17 Dead in Bus Crash on Hillside Road in Prachinburi

[lordgrinz]

20 minutes ago, KhunLA said:

In my world, 'most', means more than half, and I'm pretty sure, not ever close to half the bus drivers are crashing.   

 

And I'm the delusional one 

 

The hate of TH & Thais is so blinding ... 😎

 

I'm talking about this following part, which is completely delusional unless you lived in some pretty bad area in the US.

 

"Not much difference from the USA, and actually I feel safer when on my scooter in TH, than I did in the USA."

[jvs]

18 minutes ago, hotsun said:

Not many posting on this. I suppose 17 dead on the road is just normal here

Not normal but unfortunately it does happen too often!

Sad but true and not likely to change until people demand it to change.

 

 

[hotsun]

5 minutes ago, lordgrinz said:

 

I'm talking about this following part, which is completely delusional unless you lived in some pretty bad area in the US.

 

"Not much difference from the USA, and actually I feel safer when on my scooter in TH, than I did in the USA."

If i lived in Thailand for a while without any problems then i could understand but i switch back and forth and, the average skill level of the two countries isnt comparable

[Ralf001]

42 minutes ago, hotsun said:

Not many posting on this. I suppose 17 dead on the road is just normal here

 

Yeah.... about average.

[KhunLA]

44 minutes ago, lordgrinz said:

 

I'm talking about this following part, which is completely delusional unless you lived in some pretty bad area in the US.

 

"Not much difference from the USA, and actually I feel safer when on my scooter in TH, than I did in the USA."

I do believe I read somewhere, if you take the scooter deaths off the death count here / TH, then the deaths per 100k is about the same as the USA.

 

Riding a MC in USA, for 20 years, and even more years in TH, I definitely feel safer here / TH, as everyone knows about, and many give way to MC.   Unlike the USA, where nobody seems to give way, look for or respect MC.

 

I've been cut off way more times in the USA than TH.

[ronster]

Yet again the carnage continues !

This is the reason I never let anyone in my family travel on a bus anywhere in this country.

[newbee2022]

4 hours ago, Georgealbert said:

 

Pictures from responders.

 

A devastating crash in Prachinburi province has claimed the lives of at least 17 people after a bus overturned in the early hours of the morning of 26 February. The crash occurred at kilometre marker 210+500 on Highway 304, near the descent of Khao San Pu Thon in Bu Phram subdistrict, Nadi district.

 

The bus was carrying a group from Bueng Kan province on an educational study tour when the driver lost control and overturned at approximately 03:20. Emergency response teams from Nadi district, including officers from the Kabin Buri Highway Department, Nadi Highway Police, Wang Khon Daeng Police Station, and rescue teams from the Sajja Phutthatham Foundation, were quickly dispatched to the scene.

 

 

Authorities confirmed that 17 people died at the scene and at least another 35 injured. Rescue teams provided first aid to the injured before transporting them to Nadi Hospital and Kabin Buri Hospital for further treatment.

The cause of the crash is still under investigation. Authorities are examining potential factors such as driver fatigue, vehicle condition, and road conditions. The Nadi District Office, in coordination with relevant agencies, has been instructed to conduct a thorough investigation to determine the precise cause and implement preventive measures.

 

This tragic accident highlights ongoing concerns about road safety in Thailand, particularly on steep highways. Highway 304, a crucial route connecting eastern and northeastern provinces, has long been notorious for its challenging terrain and frequent accidents.

 

 

-- 2025-02-26

 

 

 

Drugged?

Sleeping?

On the phone?

Bake failure (unlikely)

[Ricky Koh Samui]

Terrible tragedy = However some in the land of smiles will never change their dangerous driving habits and lack of law enforcement

[Georgealbert]

UPDATE
Bus Crash 18 Confirmed Dead, One Passenger Still Missing

 

Picture from responders

 

Authorities have now named the victims of bus crash in Prachinburi province that has claimed the lives of 16 woman and 2 men. The emergency command centre have also updated that with one female still unaccounted for and maybe under the wreckage, with responders waiting for a crane to finish removing the bus.

 

The incident involved a group travelling under the “Village Waste Bank Committee Development and Study Tour Programme,” organised by the Public Health and Environment Division of Phon Charoen Subdistrict Municipality, Bueng Kan. The group had set out on a five-day trip from 24 to 28 February, with three buses carrying over 200 participants.

 

The third bus lost control while descending Khao San Pu Ton, near Bu Phram subdistrict, and overturned. Sixteen passengers were killed at the scene, one died at Na Di Hospital, and another later succumbed to injuries at Kabin Buri Hospital, bringing the total number of fatalities to 18.

 

 

-- 2025-02-26

 

[worrab]

4 hours ago, worgeordie said:

Most drivers don't know how to descend a steep hill safely , you can see

them in front of you, brake lights on all the time , instead of using a low

gear and letting the engine do the braking , they either freewheel down

to save fuel , or have it in high gear with foot on the pedal ,so when they

need to brake , they have brake fade and cannot stop..... 

 

regards worgeordie

And it would be even better if they were fitted with either an exhaust brake or a retarder and trained in their use!!

[Sydebolle]

17/18 dead, 35 injured - how many people were on this bus? 

[Classic Ray]

I think most of it is down to the lack of a safety culture in Thailand. May be connected with Buddhist resignation to fate, if something bad happens it was meant to be.

There are no sanctions for bad road behaviour like in Western countries where killing someone in a collision leads to years in prison and massive insurance payouts. Police do little enforcement except tea money speed traps and crash helmet fines.

 

No driver education, only minority have licences, bad signalling, follow too close, no giving way etc etc.

 

Until the Government makes road safety a priority, nothing will change. At the moment it’s just lip service with static checkpoints during dangerous holiday periods. 
 

Get the police on mobile patrol, fix the broken speed and stoplight cameras, and teach the kids road safety instead of endless Thai history lessons. Make a difference and save some lives.

 

[Jonathan Swift]

3 hours ago, Aussie999 said:

I don't know all countries, but in Australia they often have 2 drivers, one driving, the other resting, they are also, by law, limited to distance and time they can travel, without a mandatory break.

The larger long trip buses in Thailand have the 2 drivers in my experience

[simosiam72]

3 hours ago, Aussie999 said:

I agree, but will add, we  know these buses are not well maintained, we know they are often built on old, very old, chassis, with old engines, I think even in low gear there may not be enough compression, to slow the vehicle.

Or maybe they care just about save fuel and don't want to use low gear 

[khunjeff]

3 hours ago, Georgealbert said:

Authorities suspect that the driver may have skipped a mandatory stop at a designated checkpoint, which could have contributed to the brakes overheating.

 

Can anyone help me understand what this means? How would stopping at a checkpoint prevent overheated brakes? 🤔 

[Jonathan Swift]

1 minute ago, Classic Ray said:

I think most of it is down to the lack of a safety culture in Thailand. May be connected with Buddhist resignation to fate, if something bad happens it was meant to be.

There are no sanctions for bad road behaviour like in Western countries where killing someone in a collision leads to years in prison and massive insurance payouts. Police do little enforcement except tea money speed traps and crash helmet fines.

 

No driver education, only minority have licences, bad signalling, follow too close, no giving way etc etc.

 

Until the Government makes road safety a priority, nothing will change. At the moment it’s just lip service with static checkpoints during dangerous holiday periods. 
 

Get the police on mobile patrol, fix the broken speed and stoplight cameras, and teach the kids road safety instead of endless Thai history lessons. Make a difference and save some lives.

 

Good comprehensive and detailed analysis and summary of the issues, and exactly right. Well done. 

[1happykamper]

About 5 years ago these double decker bused were banned. Yes? 

 

Very sad that so many died, due to what was very preventable... Better driver skills or a driver that was awake or a bus that wasn't overloaded....52 people seems like too many 😥😥😥

[Tarteso]

RIP

 

 Driver fatigue?… Strange many Thai drivers  usually take Yaba to resist so many kms.

[Jonathan Swift]

1 minute ago, khunjeff said:

 

Can anyone help me understand what this means? How would stopping at a checkpoint prevent overheated brakes? 🤔 

He might possibly mean that blasting through the checkpoint contributed to the speed, probably never having seen a checkpoint or understanding what they do. . 

[khunjeff]

14 minutes ago, Georgealbert said:

The incident involved a group travelling under the “Village Waste Bank Committee Development and Study Tour Programme,” organised by the Public Health and Environment Division of Phon Charoen Subdistrict Municipality, Bueng Kan...with three buses carrying over 200 participants.

 

This seems like a fairly arcane topic, and yet 200 people were "studying" it from just one subdistrict? 

[Classic Ray]

3 minutes ago, khunjeff said:

 

Can anyone help me understand what this means? How would stopping at a checkpoint prevent overheated brakes? 🤔 

Stopping midway in a descent for a couple of minutes allows the brakes to cool and reduce fading. It also slows the descent to avoid loss of control on curves.

[NorthernRyland]

3 hours ago, Georgealbert said:

Initial reports suggest that the driver lost control of the vehicle due to brake failure.

Thai people don't seem to understand how they drive is dangerous. He could have been racing to pass between vehicles going around a bend and lost control that way. You see this behavior all the time. The first assumption here should always be reckless driving.

[NorthernRyland]

52 minutes ago, KhunLA said:

Riding a MC in USA, for 20 years, and even more years in TH, I definitely feel safer here / TH, as everyone knows about, and many give way to MC.   Unlike the USA, where nobody seems to give way, look for or respect MC.

 

It's so hard to compare because the drivers in the US aren't used to two wheeled vehicles and expect them to follow the exact same rules as everyone else, which doesn't always happen and thus accidents.  In Thailand everyone is driving hyper defensive because they know so many motorbikes are doing stupid things constantly. If Thailand is safer here it's because the other drivers are picking up the slack and having worse time themselves then they would driving in the US.

[NorthernRyland]

21 minutes ago, simosiam72 said:

Or maybe they care just about save fuel and don't want to use low gear 

imagine using this excuse in court. "Sure I burned up the brakes and 18 people died but do you know much diesel is these judge!!"

[PomPolo]

RIP so sad beyond belief, a tragic loss of life so many people.  Not even sure maintenance or driver fatigue should be discussed here it is tragic.

[Blueman1]

4 hours ago, Aussie999 said:

I don't know all countries, but in Australia they often have 2 drivers, one driving, the other resting, they are also, by law, limited to distance and time they can travel, without a mandatory break.

Same in the U.K.Long Distance Bus Drivers Need a Break Every 4 Hours At Least.....

[Mason45]

After 3 near misses  going up country on the all night buses I went out and bought a car. Even now if I take my wife to visit her family I leave home at day break. I refuse to drive long distance at night.

[PETERTHEEATER]

29 minutes ago, khunjeff said:

 

Can anyone help me understand what this means? How would stopping at a checkpoint prevent overheated brakes? 🤔 

Stopping for 30 minutes would allow the brakes to cool before continuing the descent. The report states 'mandatory' which I suggest is the bus company acknowledging brake fade as being a problem that they are the mandators.

[Georgealbert]

Thai Media Coverage from the Crash Site. 

 

Warning - Images of the dead are blurred in the video.

 

 

[KhunLA]

15 minutes ago, NorthernRyland said:

It's so hard to compare because the drivers in the US aren't used to two wheeled vehicles and expect them to follow the exact same rules as everyone else, which doesn't always happen and thus accidents.  In Thailand everyone is driving hyper defensive because they know so many motorbikes are doing stupid things constantly. If Thailand is safer here it's because the other drivers are picking up the slack and having worse time themselves then they would driving in the US.

I think it simply comes down to respect.  As they all know someone, kids, wife, parents, that deserve respect while they also are out on their scooters.  Besides simple awareness, due to so many on the road.

 

Really hard not to pay attention, notice and give them some space, especially since many, don't even drive in the slow lane, and leave it open for cars and larger vehicles.