100 Passengers Injured In Train Derailment In Hua Hin

[george]

PM visits wounded passengers of ill-fated train in Hua Hin

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva rushed to Prachaub Khiri Khan province to visit passengers who were injured when a train derailed early Monday.

The train heading Bangkok from southern province of Trang derailed near Khao Tao train station in the province's Hua Hin district at about 4.45am, killing at least seven passengers and injuring many others.

Abhisit reportedly left Bangkok at 2.30pm for Hua Hin to visit the injured passengers after presiding over an opening ceremony of a Thai cultural exhibition at Government House.

-- The Nation 2009-10-05

[cinbkk]

Seems to me there have been quite a few derailments recently. Only yesterday near Bang Pa-In, and just a few days ago (in the South?). Rotten sleepers were too blame there I think.

I fear we're going to see this happen again and again as the railways fall further into disrepair.

Having said that, compared to some of the horrific bus crashes we've seen in recent years, i think the train is still fairly safe (probably because it's so slow).

[mitrapaap]

Like so many others may I offer my sincerest condolences to the relatives of the injured and deceased here. I would like to add that too many people jump up and down proclaiming that "the railways are dangerous", "the buses are dangerous", "motorbikes are dangerous", "planes are dangerous". Please examine the demographics first. For example, when faced with the attractive statistic that women are safer drivers because they make less insurance claims please remember the simple fact that if there is a couple in a car that 90% of the time the man will do the driving. That is just the way it is, this means that more accidents involve men. Similar here. How many 100s of 1,000s travel by train in Thailand each year without suffering any injuries? 1 unfortunate accident and we are all waiting to blame the rails for the world's ills.

Train & planes are super safe transport. Followed by buses, then self-drive cars. It is worth noting, however, as more kms are done per person in self-drive cars than any other form of transport, there WILL be more accidents. It is just when a plane falls out of the sky or a train derails that more people are affected and these incidences are more newsworthy.

Sad though it is for the people involved it would not deter me one bit from travelling by train, plane or bus. Nor, if you weigh it all up, should it deter you.

Intelligent comments are hard to be found on this forum. Thank you for yours.

[notime]

"This is the first time that such fatal accident happened in the province."

So what? Does it mean it's okie than? Or maybe it's not so bad because it's "first time"? Perhaps they fix the tracks in provinces that derailments already happend in first instance? So like, every province will not have more than one accident .. hmm.

[seymourvt]

Seems to me there have been quite a few derailments recently. Only yesterday near Bang Pa-In, and just a few days ago (in the South?). Rotten sleepers were too blame there I think.

I fear we're going to see this happen again and again as the railways fall further into disrepair.

Having said that, compared to some of the horrific bus crashes we've seen in recent years, i think the train is still fairly safe (probably because it's so slow).

How very sad, for the loss of these people, the injured, and also if this was in any way preventable, that makes it so much sadder and futile. However this is Thailand, isn't it!

I ahve taken the train numerous times to Hua Hin, and have always loved the experience - compared to the insane driving on the roads, which I hate taking if have any chance at all - I have always felt Very safe and relaxed on these lovely old trains - just never knew they were not 100% safe... Of note, the scenery, the cheap cheap fare (free sometimes for my Thai girlfriend) the constant selection of food (and Beer!) being brought trhough the carriage to chose from....

I will in the future, I will probably still chose train over road wherever possible.

Thai Government (if you can call yourself that) Sort it out, your people are dying unnessarily.

[mitrapaap]

Horrible accident. Have yet to travel by train here, but as stated in comparison to the roads it should be safer to the buses...doesn't say much however.

Not true.

It is, also in Thailand, safer to be a train passenger.

Railway carriages are immensely strong compared to a bus frame.

Just have a look at the pictures of the accident, carriages all over the place, mostly structurally sound

And compare those to pictures from bus accidents.

Also, how many passengers were in the train, 1000 ,1500?

Compare this with bus accidents.

If this would have been a bus accident, with the same amount of passengers, there would be a much bigger number of victims.

Although, as an ex railwayman I am sometimes slightly disturbed by the condition of the railways over here, I will choose the train any time.

That said, some parts of the lines are good to very good (even double aligned) and sometimes parts are hopeless.

With some extra investment in track renewing and maintenance the railways could become a major transporter of passengers and freight.

Learn to read.

Twister, you have to learn to write before people can learn to read. You're the only illiterate one on this site.

Maybe it is not a matter of learning how to read or how to write. Maybe it is just a question on how one INTERPRETES a written statement. Read it again and give yourself a chance to understand it in both ways. It works, I promise, but only if you are a bit open minded - and that seems not to be very dominant in this forum.

[superdome]

Have to feel sorry for the families of the dead...was it the front end..? [1st class]..or the rear end that came of the tracks...have travelled many times from Surat to bkk...have always been on train 86...can be a hairy ride but have always felt safe even though the train does get up a fair bit of speed...again my thoughts with the families

[katana]

Yesterday evening (4th October), there was also a report of a cement train that derailed in Auyuthaya, closing down the Northern-Isaan lines. Apparently 6 carriages came off the tracks and the locomotive pulled them for a further 2 KM before coming to a stop, damaging a lot of the tracks.

http://www.thairath.co.th/content/region/37350

Edited October 5, 2009 by katana

[Busy]

100 passengers injured in train derailment in Hua Hin

Hua Hin, Prachuap Khirikhan - The Trang-Bangkok train derailed in this seaside town early Monday, injuring some 100 passengers, police said.

The accident happened at about 4:45 am at the Khao Tao station.

Six of 16 cars derails, police said.

The area was hit by heavy rains at the time of the accident.

Rescuers rushed the injured hospitals to nearby hospitals.

Reports by Thai Rath and Matichon that many passengers were killed were being verified.

-- The Nation 2009/10/05

Isn't that the second time it's happened now?

[joker]

Caused entirely by lack of proper maintenance of track and sleepers, as we all know. State railways of Thailand are bankrupt and lose the counrty millions of baht every year. The only answer, of course, is massive investment but if they don't, rail travel in Thailand will be become more and more hazardous. It's such a shame because the railways in Thailand are such an under-used resource. Take Bangkok-Pattaya for example. Despite an 8 lane motorway and buses trauling up and down every 30 mins or less, we still have one train a day (!) in each direction and the departure from Bangkok leaves so early that it misses the arrival times of the long distance overnight trains from north and south. So it's impossible to travel from. say, Chiangmai to Bangkok overnight and then on to Pattaya in the morning. Wonder which brain box thought that one out!

Your right, it's something I never quite figured out why Pattaya was so badly served by trains.

I live right opposite Pattaya south station and if I want to go to Bangkok, I have to wait until

14.15 pm before I can. Yes it does take longer than the bus BUT actually the ride is quite pleasant

and at only BT. 31 the cheapest way of getting there.

Now I have to go from South Pattaya to North Pattaya Bus St. take a bus to Ekkamai and then

either with a skytrain or taxi to the Prathunam area(as an example). Add all that time up and

in fact the difference isn't all that.

From Bangkok there should be at least 2 - 3 trains a day in both directions.

I agree about the Chiang Mai - Pattaya bit too. I guess it's politics again.

Right next to the line they've added a double road 'bypass' recently - shows what is important!

[YouYouYou]

What a shame for the victims and their families. I'll still use the trains thou ..safer than the buses for sure.

A lot of banter so far on this thread on how dangerous travel is in Thailand. Yes, statistics will tell you a lot about accident rates etc., but when a train derails anywhere in the world, it generally makes the news ....the UK for one country has had several nasty ones; the arguments of developed/developing countries seems to be a weak one IMHO.

Nice to see the PM is going there (as we speak) to console the families etc. Good for Abhisit in doing this.

[EffectiveAnger]

First off, I'm deeply saddened and disturbed by this tragic 'accident.' Let's hope it was an accident anyway. If not, this wouldn't be the first time a train wreck here was intentional. That doesn't mean I believe there are no maintenance issues to be resolved either. I've been on a number train rides here and can't believe the conditions of the tracks. There could be a few possiblities for the cause of this train being derailed and we cannot rule out anything at this point.

Are these trains insured? If so, how does the insurance company compensate victims of such an event? Will their hospital bills be covered? How about something for their pain and suffering? What about their time off work, especially for those undergoing a long recovery? And for those who perished, what about the cost of their funerals? Will their families be burdened down with those costs? All I know is that the train company is only handing out refunds, but doesn't go anywhere near far enough... not even close!

PM visits wounded passengers of ill-fated train in Hua Hin

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva rushed to Prachaub Khiri Khan province to visit passengers who were injured when a train derailed early Monday.

The train heading Bangkok from southern province of Trang derailed near Khao Tao train station in the province's Hua Hin district at about 4.45am, killing at least seven passengers and injuring many others.

Abhisit reportedly left Bangkok at 2.30pm for Hua Hin to visit the injured passengers after presiding over an opening ceremony of a Thai cultural exhibition at Government House.

-- The Nation 2009-10-05

This is PM Abhisit Vejjajiva's time to show real leadership! He should make certain that the victims are well cared for and are not unfairly burdened down with a stack of medical bills for something that is not their fault! And he needs to show a commitment to doing something pro-active with regards to repairing and maintaining the railway system in this country. If he can do those things, he stands a real chance of gaining more support from the mainstream society. But if he uses this chance for a media plug, he will lose the support he has worked so hard to gain up to this point.

Edited October 5, 2009 by EffectiveAnger

[Nignoy]

well just arrived back from the crash site 1700hrs all injured and bodies removed,clearing up going well, of course everyones feelings go out to the familes, I find that travelling here in Los is no different to anywhere else in the world , trains here just as reliable as anywhere else, air travel you get what you pay for!and as far as driving is concerned definitely no different to any where else, same amount of braindead here as anywhere else, we are 4 weeks into our last big road trip around thailand, this time by car and not by motorbike,at 66 getting past long bike trips , got a nice little jaunt tomorrow hh to phuket , and mrs nignoy is driving too, may todays victims find peace and their families comfort our thoughts are with them

[richard10365]

I'm always amazed how people love to talk bad about the Thai rail system as if their own countries have flawless records. A simple Google search will show that Thailand is not alone in it's misfortunes involving rail transportation. I have provided some assistance to those with search engine handicaps. Feel free to browse outside of Thailand. i googled it for you.

http://www.google.com/search?q=rail+crash+...;rlz=1I7GZEF_en

[mrdome]

This could have happened anywhere, let's face it.

[NamSod]

I would not be surprised if part of the track did not get washed out by the rain...a big piece of road fell into a canal just down the road from me...and the railway runs very close to it.. nobody repairs or maintains anything it seems.....even in a "high end" tourist resort.....

I wonder if this will change anything.....wishful thinking ???

Until 'mai pen rai' is replaced with 'I care about others' then the culture will continue to allow their country to fail apart.

[Padrino]

Horrible accident ive travelled a few times buy train in thailand always been fine i hope the authoritys learn from this train driving is my job in the uk

cheers

Are you on strike by any chance?

[geriatrickid]

It is rather unfair to immediately claim the derailment is due to the "Thai approach", whether it be maintenance, management or otherwise. Derailments occur on a weekly basis throughout the EU and North American systems. Looking at the past few months of carnage throughout the world, sometimes the incidents are believed due to switching malfunctions (e.g. the recent Washington DC crash - 9 dead) or due to human error (e.g. LAX derailment)- texting operator- 18 dead) or oversight (e.g. Viareggio, Spain - 22 dead), or otherwise (e.g. Cahors, France 13 seriously injured as train hits hay cart stuck on rails).

Please, someone, tell me why this tragedy is specific to Thailand? Yes, there may very well have be an error with the switches, but that doesn't make it unique to Thailand. Yes, maintenance may have been deferred, but that's the sad situation in England, Canada and everywhere else. So why even raise the issue of a horrible event being symbolic of Thailand? If the Thai railways were as bad as claimed in this thread, we'd be reading about crashes every week, but we aren't are we? The Thai railway system is still much safer than the roadway system, and still as safer per passenger km as the Thair air transport system.

I'm going to gladly get on my train next month from Hat Yai to Bangkok and sleep peacefully.

Please don't use this tragedy to justify concerns (which may be otherwise legit). It's inappropriate.

Edited October 5, 2009 by geriatrickid

[ratcatcher]

What a shame for the victims and their families. I'll still use the trains thou ..safer than the buses for sure.

A lot of banter so far on this thread on how dangerous travel is in Thailand. Yes, statistics will tell you a lot about accident rates etc., but when a train derails anywhere in the world, it generally makes the news ....the UK for one country has had several nasty ones; the arguments of developed/developing countries seems to be a weak one IMHO.

Nice to see the PM is going there (as we speak) to console the families etc. Good for Abhisit in doing this.

The above is quite true.

Many are quick to blame the State Railway of Thailand for this accident, speculating on track maintenance etc.

There is a possibility it was human error ("switching error") or even weather related, with all the rain we've had recently.

As an ex-railroader from Canada, I know that accidents can and do occur even on well maintained tracks.

Given the hundreds of thousands of kilometers traveled every day by Thai trains and the tens of thousands of passengers safely delivered to their destination at very little cost, it is not surprising that occasionally there is an accident involving loss of life.

Trains in North America often run over 150 cars, sometimes two miles long on well maintained tracks. This is supposedly to save money.

Everything comes down to costs.

The S.R.T. is rich in real estate. Central Lad Phrao-Sofitel center is S.R.T. land worth billions of baht. S.R.T. is an inefficient organization run with a 19th century mentality. They do however manage to kick dozens of trains out of Bangkok every day with few problems. Trains are far safer than buses or cars on the road.

Of course my condolences to the poor victim's families and their sad loss.

[moskito]

I live right next to the track here seems like a yearly occurence remember the same thing happening last year! I wonder if they'll replace the track with new? and maybe a new train? asking too much i think!!!

LOL, for SURE not in OUR lifetime....they risk that too many travellers changing from the murder buses to train.

I travelled many times by train in Thailand because its like centuries ago. Never in time these old things.

Wonder since years why there is no railway to Phuket too. Here one can see Thailand is third world.

bad luck for the victims, may they rest in peace.

[Lancashirelad]

One thing, in regards to the comments after the two recent airline crashes and statements that overall airplanes are now (as oppose to the old days) equally safe throughout the airplane no-matter where one is seated; it is hard to judge from the photographs so it have to be a more general question: is being seated in the back of the train still a preferred practice in case of accidents?

Except when there's a signaling failure or driver ignores a signal/is asleep and rams you from behind.

[STEELINOX]

Every time I ride that rickety old 84 on those horrible tracks I feel like the thing is ready to derail. Tracks are so bad in many places the train often has to travel slowly. Hmm...and it's supposed to be the safest way to travel.

"safest" in every place except Siam !

[a99az]

This is now on the Spanish news.

[Lancashirelad]

Suprised nobody else has mentioned it.................. what would make it worse for the passengers is that at that time of the day most would be asleep in their bunks.

[purushanti]

It is suggested that we are all in this together, all of us on this planet, so let's spare Thailand our criticism, and move from the microcosm to the macrocosm. And consider the earth's wobble. Could not its irregularity, accelerated by certain happenings in the solar system, be responsible for such railroad happenings in the USA, and presumably other countries, in addition to Thailand? This kind of thinking is part of that which will not be published by governments, for the resulting fear in the people would cause many socioeconomic problems of a disorderly nature. Around the world the bridges that are collapsing, and the buildings that are falling down, can be seen as having the same ultimate cause as the moving of the tracks. And even the traditional media are

reporting that an earthquake in one location is connected to other fault lines around the world. Volcanoes are intimately connected to one another, too.

Hold onto your hats! We are on a roller coaster, this spaceship called Planet Earth, and there is more to come, and not just a second disaster for Phuket. A wonderful time to be alive, to experience all this. Much good will come eventually, but when is the question.

A good time to consider committing to sevice to others, rather than switching back and forth between that and service to self. Just being here in Thailand is a sign that

you are probably an individuated person, who thinks for himself

---and individuation is an important sign of evolution and of a successful life....... No ad hominem attacks accepted please, but if so, please know that you still have my respect, not only for the conviction that goes with your opinion, but for you yourself. Like the mail, something not accepted is returned to sender by the natural process of karma.

If you should like to look into this further, there is a site, to which you can subscribe, something like www.zetatalk.com. Even fools can speak truth, so if is too much for some to respect these people, then we do not have to throw the baby out with the bathwater---we can objectively examine each staement offered us. For myself, considration of some of this can be scary, but then I remember I have had NDEs (near-death experiences), and look forward, at the appropriate time, to dropping this body, just as I drop my clothes on the floor when I take a shower. That which you are is eternal, and this is said not from believing in religion, but from experiencing in meditation. We shall all go Home eventually. See you there!

[toptuan]

A Dutch guy I met a few years ago, working on an NGO infrastructure project in Laos, told me maintenance is not part of the equation in countries like Thailand, Loas and Cambodia (his personal experience). To Asian people, infrastructural projects, according to him, have this air of permanency or imperishability, and, hence, yearly maintenance just doesn't fit in.

It's not just railroads. Roads get repaired, not maintained. Buildings get repaired, not maintained. Cars get repaired, not maintained. I guess we'll just continue seizing our days... ;-)

So true. Just stayed in a (supposedly) 5 star hotel in Nakhorn Phanom which was newly built in 2000. The place hasn't seen a lick of building maintenance during that time: wallpaper peeling off the walls, covers over pool equipment rusting through, cracking walls, plumbing and air conditioning problems, etc. The place looks and acts 50 years old already. It impacts the public so much more when this attitude extends to the infrastructure. TIT

[katana]

There's a bit about the possible causes of the accident. Apparently the train passed through a stop signal about 9 km from the station of Khao Tao. There are two tracks at this station, on one of which was a goods train travelling from BKK to the south, which was being shunted onto another track when the other train came in. The oncoming train braked hard twice which caused it to derail.

http://www.thairath.co.th/content/region/37506

[damian5000]

It is suggested that we are all in this together, all of us on this planet, so let's spare Thailand our criticism, and move from the microcosm to the macrocosm. And consider the earth's wobble. Could not its irregularity, accelerated by certain happenings in the solar system, be responsible for such railroad happenings in the USA, and presumably other countries, in addition to Thailand? This kind of thinking is part of that which will not be published by governments, for the resulting fear in the people would cause many socioeconomic problems of a disorderly nature. Around the world the bridges that are collapsing, and the buildings that are falling down, can be seen as having the same ultimate cause as the moving of the tracks. And even the traditional media are

reporting that an earthquake in one location is connected to other fault lines around the world. Volcanoes are intimately connected to one another, too.

Hold onto your hats! We are on a roller coaster, this spaceship called Planet Earth, and there is more to come, and not just a second disaster for Phuket. A wonderful time to be alive, to experience all this. Much good will come eventually, but when is the question.

A good time to consider committing to sevice to others, rather than switching back and forth between that and service to self. Just being here in Thailand is a sign that

you are probably an individuated person, who thinks for himself

---and individuation is an important sign of evolution and of a successful life....... No ad hominem attacks accepted please, but if so, please know that you still have my respect, not only for the conviction that goes with your opinion, but for you yourself. Like the mail, something not accepted is returned to sender by the natural process of karma.

If you should like to look into this further, there is a site, to which you can subscribe, something like www.zetatalk.com. Even fools can speak truth, so if is too much for some to respect these people, then we do not have to throw the baby out with the bathwater---we can objectively examine each staement offered us. For myself, considration of some of this can be scary, but then I remember I have had NDEs (near-death experiences), and look forward, at the appropriate time, to dropping this body, just as I drop my clothes on the floor when I take a shower. That which you are is eternal, and this is said not from believing in religion, but from experiencing in meditation. We shall all go Home eventually. See you there!

[eggomaniac]

Update:

HUA HIN TRAIN ACCIDENT

Switching error may cause derailment : police

BANGKOK: -- Initial police investigation into the ill-fated train suggested that switching error may have caused the train to derail, Thai News Agency reported Monday.

Initial police investigation into the ill-fated train suggested that switching error may have caused the train to derail.

"But I believe that it would take more than one day," he said.

I'm wondering if the switch was under water and short circuited?

The Posts that talk about 'wooden sleepers'. We slept o/n from ST to BKK and it seemed it was all metal train??? The train to Knchbri was wooden.

Did this ill fated train have wooden sleepers?

----------------

It's terrible about the 10 dead, however does anybody know how many died in road accidents the past few days. One internet site said 3 die every hour on Thai roads!

10 dead by train this year, a few thousands??? by road accidents???

I WILL travel by train to the South in December, but you WONT see me a crowded night club on NYE!

Edited October 5, 2009 by eggomaniac

[trainman34014]

It is suggested that we are all in this together, all of us on this planet, so let's spare Thailand our criticism, and move from the microcosm to the macrocosm. And consider the earth's wobble. Could not its irregularity, accelerated by certain happenings in the solar system, be responsible for such railroad happenings in the USA, and presumably other countries, in addition to Thailand? This kind of thinking is part of that which will not be published by governments, for the resulting fear in the people would cause many socioeconomic problems of a disorderly nature. Around the world the bridges that are collapsing, and the buildings that are falling down, can be seen as having the same ultimate cause as the moving of the tracks. And even the traditional media are

reporting that an earthquake in one location is connected to other fault lines around the world. Volcanoes are intimately connected to one another, too.

Hold onto your hats! We are on a roller coaster, this spaceship called Planet Earth, and there is more to come, and not just a second disaster for Phuket. A wonderful time to be alive, to experience all this. Much good will come eventually, but when is the question.

A good time to consider committing to sevice to others, rather than switching back and forth between that and service to self. Just being here in Thailand is a sign that

you are probably an individuated person, who thinks for himself

---and individuation is an important sign of evolution and of a successful life....... No ad hominem attacks accepted please, but if so, please know that you still have my respect, not only for the conviction that goes with your opinion, but for you yourself. Like the mail, something not accepted is returned to sender by the natural process of karma.

If you should like to look into this further, there is a site, to which you can subscribe, something like www.zetatalk.com. Even fools can speak truth, so if is too much for some to respect these people, then we do not have to throw the baby out with the bathwater---we can objectively examine each staement offered us. For myself, considration of some of this can be scary, but then I remember I have had NDEs (near-death experiences), and look forward, at the appropriate time, to dropping this body, just as I drop my clothes on the floor when I take a shower. That which you are is eternal, and this is said not from believing in religion, but from experiencing in meditation. We shall all go Home eventually. See you there!

Wow! All those positive vibes man. Where is 'home'? Can't wait to get there!!