Phuket–Betong Bus Overturns, 30 Injured

Pictures courtesy of Daily News

A scheduled air-conditioned bus travelling on the Phuket–Betong route overturned on Phetkasem Road in Huai Yot district, Trang province, in the early hours of 15 February, leaving 30 people injured. The driver suffered a severe injury resulting in the loss of his left leg, while passengers escaped with various injuries after the driver lost control and tipped the vehicle onto its right side.

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Police Lieutenant Colonel Atiwan Suksung, an investigator at Huai Yot Police Station, said officers were alerted to the crash near a warehouse before Samakkhi Sueksa School in Moo 4, Na Wong subdistrict. Emergency responders from Huai Yot Hospital, Wang Wiset Hospital, the Sawang Phakdi Trang Foundation (Huai Yot unit) and the Siam Ruam Jai Pu-In Trang Foundation attended the scene.

The bus, a first-class air-conditioned vehicle registered in Yala with licence plate 10-1147 and fleet number 775-6, was found lying on its right side with visible damage across the body. The driver, aged about 50, was discovered conscious behind the wheel despite his severe leg injury. Rescuers forced open the doors and smashed the rear window to evacuate passengers trapped inside.

Most passengers sustained minor injuries including abrasions and cuts from broken glass, while some suffered fractured legs and arms. The injured, including the driver, were transported to Huai Yot Hospital and Wang Wiset Hospital for treatment.

Passenger Natchamee Songchanthuek said she had been travelling back home after visiting her mother in Phuket, departing at 10pm. She stated that the driver had not been speeding and described how the bus appeared to hit a pothole before swaying, after which she blacked out and regained awareness only when the vehicle had already overturned. “The first thing I saw was passengers piled on top of each other, with some seats fallen over,” she said.

Kwanpracha Ngaokaew, a rescue volunteer from the Sawang Phakdi Trang Foundation, said the driver remained conscious during transport to hospital. He told rescuers that a motorcycle had cut in front of the bus, causing him to lose control.

A bus attendant who sustained cuts to his hand from shattered glass, gave a similar account, stating that a motorcycle had cut across the vehicle’s path. Following the incident, the bus operator arranged a replacement vehicle to take the remaining uninjured passengers onwards to Yala.

Daily News reported that police said they would wait until the driver’s condition improves before conducting further questioning to establish the exact cause of the crash.

Key Takeaways

• A Phuket–Betong bus overturned in Trang on 15 February, injuring 30 people including the driver.

• The driver suffered the loss of his left leg and told rescuers a motorcycle had cut in front of the bus.

• All 50 passengers survived and a replacement bus was arranged to continue the journey to Yala for the uninjured.

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  Adapted by ASEAN Now Dailynews 15 Feb 2026