Accident Toll of Khao San Pu Thon: 11 Years of Deadly Crashes on Route 304

[Georgealbert]

 

Picture from responders.

 

A fatal crash involving a passenger coach on Thailand’s Route 304 has once again drawn national attention to the notorious stretch of road near the Khao San Pu Thon shrine in Prachinburi province. The latest incident, which took place at kilometre marker 208+600 in Na Di district, saw a bus on the Nong Khai-Rayong route slam into the rear of an 18-wheeler. Seven people, including the driver, were killed, and 39 others were injured.

 

This is not an isolated case. According to records compiled by JS100 Radio, the Khao San Pu Thon section of Route 304 has been the site of repeated and often deadly crashes for over a decade. The statistics from 2014 to 2025 paint a grim picture: at least 85 people have lost their lives, and 209 others have sustained injuries in 18 major incidents.

 

Timeline of Tragedy (2014–2025):

 

• 28 February 2014: A double-decker tour bus carrying students and teachers from Nakhon Ratchasima to Jomtien Beach crashed into an 18-wheel lorry after its brakes failed. 14 dead, 37 injured.

 

• 2 August 2014: An 8-wheel truck with faulty brakes collided with five vehicles. 4 dead, 15 injured.

 

• 28 March 2016: An 18-wheel sugar truck lost control and hit multiple vehicles, including a police car. 9 injured.

 

• 8 January 2017: A pickup truck veered off-road, triggering a chain reaction. 1 injured. A second vehicle crashed at the same location shortly after. No injuries.

 

• 3 February 2017: A 22-wheel truck carrying cassava flour lost its brakes and caused a 10-vehicle pile-up, setting several vehicles ablaze. Multiple casualties reported.

 

• 9 March 2017: A student tour bus from Khon Kaen plunged off the road into a ravine. 6 dead, 44 injured.

 

• 20 May 2017: A Honda Jazz hit a tree and caught fire. 5 dead.

 

• 2 October 2017: An Isuzu pickup hit a tree. 3 dead.

 

• 6 April 2020: A 22-wheel truck hit a pickup and overturned. Several dead and injured.

 

• 22 September 2020: A community health workers’ tour bus crashed into a truck carrying steel. 15 injured.

 

• 21 October 2020: A 22-wheel lorry hit a concrete barrier. 1 dead, 1 injured.

 

• 15 May 2021: A sugar truck overturned. 1 dead, 1 injured.

 

• 5 January 2023: Two trucks collided opposite the shrine, catching fire. 1 seriously injured.

 

• 25 February 2023: A 22-wheel truck rammed a pickup, sparking a fire. 1 dead, 3 seriously injured.

 

• 7 February 2024: A rubber truck crossed the median and hit an oncoming vehicle. 1 dead, 2 injured.

 

• 29 March 2024: A teacher transport bus collided with a lorry near the shrine. 13 injured.

 

• 26 February 2025: A municipal study tour bus from Bueng Kan province overturned. 18 dead, 31 injured.

 

This 11-year span highlights a distressing pattern: many of the crashes involved brake failure, loss of control on steep descents, or heavy rain, with numerous incidents occurring within a few kilometres of the same shrine. Most of the vehicles involved were large trucks or passenger coaches, many transporting students or municipal employees on official trips.

 

Local residents and safety campaigners have repeatedly called for improved road signage, speed monitoring, and stricter checks on heavy vehicle maintenance, particularly for those descending steep inclines near Khao San Pu Thon.

 

With the death toll rising, calls are intensifying for the Ministry of Transport to implement long-overdue safety measures to prevent this stretch of road from claiming more lives.

 

Related article:

 

https://aseannow.com/topic/1358317-seven-dead-as-runaway-bus-slams-into-trucks-and-bursts-into-flames/

 

 

Adapted by ASEAN Now from Khomchadluek.

 

-- 2025-04-22

 

 

 

[dddave]

The buses are one thing but the most critical issue is drivers driving extended hours and either falling asleep at the wheel or making poor decisions.

Many countries have driver apps that keep track of their driving hours.  The buses are equipped with code readers and must be signed into before they will operate.  Thailand needs such a system for buses and trucks as well.

[sammieuk1]

Can't remember where here, but there is a road called thousand corpses is this another one 🤔