Tourist Bus Overturns in Phuket: 20 Injured

[DUNROAMIN]

On 3/23/2025 at 3:34 AM, richard_smith237 said:

Not much to say really… 

 

I’m not sure if this is a copy & paste report from last weeks accident. & the week before that… & every week for the past 20 odd years…

 

The frequency of these bus accidents is astonishing!!!

 

Kwildo will tell me I’m racist for making that comment… 😴

Nothing changes here, crappy buses, poorly  trained drivers, lack of government checks, and the No 1 of all, too many brown envelopes.

[Captain Flack]

A lengthy off topic post, about racism has been removed. This topic is “Tourist Bus Overturns in Phuket: 20 Injured”

[Aussie999]

Ah... The good old brake "failure" excuse.

[PomPolo]

2 hours ago, newbee2022 said:

Let me guess:

Slippery road 

Brake failure 

Mobile Phone

or simply stupidity?

The latter I think looking at the footage seems to have problems driving around corners, lucky the two guys on the scooter weren't killed.

[jesimps]

On 3/23/2025 at 3:34 AM, richard_smith237 said:

Not much to say really… 

 

I’m not sure if this is a copy & paste report from last weeks accident. & the week before that… & every week for the past 20 odd years…

 

The frequency of these bus accidents is astonishing!!!

 

Kwildo will tell me I’m racist for making that comment… 😴

There are some on here who will say that a bus full of people, overturning because of brake failure, happens every week in the west. By the way, it was probably brake failure because the driver wasn't using the back compression of driving in a lower gear to help with slowing down. The things overheated.

[smew]

putin sheep experienced a ride of a life time. 

Caused by brake failure as the vehicle descended a steep curve;; you know,  Thai breaks do not work on steep hills 

[scude102]

Le 23/03/2025 à 03:11, Georgealbert a dit :

 

Photo des intervenants.

 

Un bus touristique transportant environ 38 passagers russes a perdu le contrôle et s'est renversé sur la route sinueuse entre Kamala et Kuan Yak Junction, dans le district de Kathu, à Phuket. L'accident, survenu dans l'après-midi du 22 mars, aurait été causé par une défaillance des freins alors que le véhicule descendait un virage serré, faisant de nombreux blessés. Des passants ont été vus en train de briser des vitres pour porter secours aux passagers.

 

Les équipes d'intervention d'urgence arrivent rapidement sur les lieux et ont œuvré pour extraire les passagers blessés de l'épave. Les premiers bilans font état d'une vingtaine de blessés, mais aucun ne semble mettre sa vie en danger. Les blessés ont été transportés à l'hôpital de Patong par les équipes de secours de la Fondation Kusoldharm.

 

 

Les autorités ont déployé une grue pour retirer le bus renversé, et l'organisation administrative du sous-district de Kamala (SAO) a pris des mesures pour atténuer les risques supplémentaires en propageant du sable sur les déversements de pétrole sur la surface de la route.

 

Le député local, Chalermpong Saengdee, qui représente la 2e circonscription de Phuket, s'est rendu sur les lieux avec son équipe pour coordonner les efforts d'assistance.

 

L'équipe médicale d'urgence de Kamala a été parmi les premiers intervenants, transportant initialement cinq passagers blessés à l'hôpital. Des ambulances supplémentaires du centre médical d'urgence de Narenthorn et des établissements voisins ont été mobilisées pour soutenir l'opération, car un nombre important de touristes souffraient de blessures légères.

 

Les autorités enquêtent actuellement sur la cause exacte de l'accident, en se concentrant particulièrement sur le système de freinage du bus et sur l'entretien général du véhicule. Les voyagistes et les services de transport ont été invités à effectuer des contrôles de sécurité approfondis afin d'éviter des incidents similaires sur les routes de montagne difficiles de Phuket.

 

Cet incident rappelle brutalement les dangers que représentent les routes escarpées et sinueuses fréquemment empruntées par les transports touristiques à Phuket. Les autorités continuent de surveiller la situation et d'apporter l'aide nécessaire aux personnes concernées.

 

-- 2025-03-22

 

 

Vidéo avec l'aimable autorisation de Phuketinsta.

 

 

WE DO WITH LOVE ???  With love is taking great care of your customers, protecting their lives, right?

[simon43]

Drivers and their companies might start to take better care if the20 injured tourists all registered legal claims for damages against the driver and bus company.

[Captor]

On 3/23/2025 at 5:29 AM, Georgealbert said:

These are dash-cam footage of the crash.

 

 

Authorities have confirmed that there were no serious injuries and all casualties were discharged after treatment.

 

Another dash-cash courtesy of Phuketinsta

 

To high speed. 

[zaZa9]

On 3/23/2025 at 1:06 PM, LivinginKata said:

Nothing to do with brakes. He was gunning it to get up the hill but too fast and lost control and bus  tilted over. Bus driver no idea to change down to help brake and have power to get up hill.

 

Totally wrong. The bus was going downhill   too fast  and despite the sugary report   this piece of road isnt particularly bendy if driven at the speed limit. My buddy was behind this bus earlier at Bang Tao and said it was  being handled badly and the driving was aggressive. In the video above  shot following the bus , I cant see if its brake lights even light up...

[richard_smith237]

4 hours ago, jesimps said:

There are some on here who will say that a bus full of people, overturning because of brake failure, happens every week in the west. By the way, it was probably brake failure because the driver wasn't using the back compression of driving in a lower gear to help with slowing down. The things overheated.

 

Yep... I think thats a common response... "it happens elsewhere"...  and its true, it does happen elsewhere....   but perhaps not to the same extent given Thailand's population, especially when compared to countries with stronger safety regulations and higher levels of accountability. 

 

We just had our major national Airport shut down in the UK and a lack of redundancy, so issues do happen else where... But, its the reptation of incidents that keep reoccurring here thats shocking... 

 

... when something serious happens, there is no real investigation...   if its serious enough or hits enough social media we just see a 'crack-down'...  and then back to normal after a few weeks.

 

I've always advised everyone who visits - never take the bus...  A friend just did visit... 

took 10 hours or so from Chiang Mai to Bang Sue - but still had to pay for a taxi so didin't really save much on a one way flights - its just not worth it at all.

 

[Sandy Bottom]

It appears that the brake lights were never activated. (no lights) so... brake light failure! 

[Luuk Chaai]

On 3/23/2025 at 11:29 AM, Georgealbert said:

These are dash-cam footage of the crash.

 

 

Authorities have confirmed that there were no serious injuries and all casualties were discharged after treatment.

 

Another dash-cash courtesy of Phuketinsta

 

Sing it !   He was commin' round the mountain doin 90

 

[Luuk Chaai]

14 hours ago, smew said:

putin sheep experienced a ride of a life time. 

Caused by brake failure as the vehicle descended a steep curve;; you know,  Thai breaks do not work on steep hills 

Thai buses / trucks should be equipped with Black Boxes like planes

So it can be determined .. the actual speed of the vehicle and if  ..   the brakes mechanically failed.. or were actually applied

Mobil phones should be confiscated and checked to see if there was activity ( watching video ) at that time

and drivers should be drug tested

I know I know ..  another episode of Fantasy Island

[Bohemianfish]

Sad. Saw this happen up at Wat Phra That Doi Suthep in Chiang Mai. We heard it. It sounded like a bomb when it fell into a ditch and I took cover, military training reaction? Later heard someone died.

 

A truck full of military personal simply drove by it and didn't stop. Kept moving along.

 

https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/1400138/bus-plunges-off-road-by-wat-doi-suthep-in-chiang-mai-4-hurt

[steven100]

was there no ravines nearby 

[geisha]

On 3/23/2025 at 2:06 AM, Geoffggi said:

 

The old faithful !!!

Don’t worry, a day or two in the garage and the newly painted bus will be back on the road. 

[richard_smith237]

6 minutes ago, geisha said:

Don’t worry, a day or two in the garage and the newly painted bus will be back on the road. 

 

And in the meantime, another will have rolled down a ravine... 

 

Wild guess on the blame...   Brake failure !!!... 

 

[geisha]

On 3/23/2025 at 7:06 AM, LivinginKata said:

Nothing to do with brakes. He was gunning it to get up the hill but too fast and lost control and bus  tilted over. Bus driver no idea to change down to help brake and have power to get up hill.

 

I lived in kata and I can remember the recurring accidents due to reckless driving, seemed between Patong hill and kata hill it was once a week.  I once got out of a tuc tuc on Patong hill as the driver was drunk !  I auto stopped it into town. I’ll never forget the Kata taxi stand as it was then on the corner going to the beach.There was over a meter high pile of empty beer and Sangsom bottles. I lived opposite .

[Patong2021]

On 3/23/2025 at 8:02 AM, richard_smith237 said:

 

Before the turn through which the driver entered at speed and 'over steered and flipped the bus'....   There is a downhill stretch...  

 

 

The picture below is looking back up that hill, down which the bus sped (towards the camera position) before entering the corner.

 

 

 

 

Thanks for posting this. I am sitting here watching the  Asian Cup  Thailand v Sri Lanka with my friends and I played this. The Thai response: Always the same Pattaya-Phuket, Phuket -Pattaya, always a car crash, always a fight. What do the tourists see in those places?

 

I suppose we can expect the announcement of a "crackdown". That's the usual response for a week or so, then it is back to the same old.