100 Passengers Injured In Train Derailment In Hua Hin

[Credo]

Very sad. I hope for a speedy recovery for the injured.

[eggomaniac]

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 !

Here's why I will still take the train. Googled it

Buses are less safe than motorcycles but more safe than trains and I CAN"T get a good sleep in those coaches. [6 foot - 200 pounds]

>>>45% of deaths in 2004 occurred on the national highways, half of them involving motorcycles

..

More than 500 people were killed and 45000 others injured in accidents during the six-day-long holiday period.

..The Facts. For the past 5 years, 2002-2006, some 66300 people died in road traffic accidents in Thailand or an average of 13260 deaths per annum

.. In the holiday period 28-31 December 262 people were killed on the roads of ...

..Thailand's New Year road death toll reaches 278. 03.01.2009 13:04. Road accidents claimed 278 lives and injured 2996 people during the first four of the ...

[pschef]

Sorry for the families, my wife and son recently traveled fro CMX to BKK stop off in tapanhin. the train just stopped on the mountain between CMX and lampang ( engine trouble} she was 4 hours delayed. Yesterday our relatives travel on the same route but to CMX 2 hours for the train to get engine problem. I would not get on any train now in Thailand. They have no maintenance or safety procedures. Don’t go on the train

[elektrified]

My sincere condolences to the families of all affected by this tragic incident.

It's amazing how many posters who admittedly are from the U.K. can not spell in English or use proper grammar! Not to mention TV even has a spell checker!

[DickFarang]

My sincere condolences to the families of all affected by this tragic incident.

It's amazing how many posters who admittedly are from the U.K. can not spell in English or use proper grammar! Not to mention TV even has a spell checker!

When one writes for instance “buy” instead of “by”, I fear a spelling checker cannot help.

[cushendall]

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!

Been coming to thailand for many years, i can say,without fear of contradiction there are two words

that the thais have no concept of, these words are, shame and maintenance.

[ScubaBuddha]

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 !

Here's why I will still take the train. Googled it

Buses are less safe than motorcycles but more safe than trains and I CAN"T get a good sleep in those coaches. [6 foot - 200 pounds]

>>>45% of deaths in 2004 occurred on the national highways, half of them involving motorcycles

..

More than 500 people were killed and 45000 others injured in accidents during the six-day-long holiday period.

..The Facts. For the past 5 years, 2002-2006, some 66300 people died in road traffic accidents in Thailand or an average of 13260 deaths per annum

.. In the holiday period 28-31 December 262 people were killed on the roads of ...

..Thailand's New Year road death toll reaches 278. 03.01.2009 13:04. Road accidents claimed 278 lives and injured 2996 people during the first four of the ...

The numbers are appalling. Back home I didn't know anyone who had lost a loved one to traffic accidents. I must know 4 or 5 now in Thailand.

[highlander76]

This will not put me of traveling by train in Thailand the odds of being in a bus crash are much higher . My sincere condolences to the families of all affected by this incident

[webfact]

UPDATE

HUA HIN TRAIN ACCIDENT

Track switch error blamed

By The Nation

Published on October 6, 2009

Seven killed, 88 injured after 2nd train went by

Prachuap Khiri Khan - A preliminary investigation has found a switching error was to blame for the derailment of a crowded passenger train in Hua Hin early yesterday morning.

Seven passengers were killed in the derailment and scores of others injured. All trains from the South to Bangkok had to be suspended. Total damage has been estimated at about Bt100 million.

Eight of the Bangkok-Trang train's 16 carriages left the tracks about 100 metres from Khao Tao station in heavy rain at about 4.45am.

Local officials and rescue workers removed the injured from the wrecked carriages and sent them to hospital.

All seven fatalities were female, including a two-year-old girl. Some 88 passengers, six of them foreigners, were injured. Of these, 22 were taken to Pran Buri, San Paolo, Thanarat Army Camp and Hua Hin hospitals.

Names of passengers on the train are available at www.huahinhospital.go.th; or people can call 0 3252 3000 ext 8131, or 08 7110 1335.

The Hua Hin hospital identified five of the dead as: Orapin Jaijit, 42; Kanokluck Thabunrueng, 2; Naruemarn Nayasunthornkul, 50; Wimon Somjing, 43; and Kalayakorn Somjing, 41. Two other women who died were in their 30s and mid-40s.

Darawan Butrying, a passenger who got 12 stitches for a head wound, said she was half asleep in the third carriage when she heard a series of banging noises and screams before she was thrown out of her seat. She and fellow passengers tried to find their way out. Many had to smash windows to reach rescue workers.

The State Railways of Thailand (SRT) president Yuthana Thap-charoen, who inspected the scene, said a special committee had been set up to probe the cause of the derailment and the result was expected within five days.

He said trains were frequently checked and maintained, but they would investigate if the crash was caused by human or mechanical error.

An informed source said while the ill-fated train approached the station, another train transporting goods from Hua Hin passed through. It was suspected the Bangkok-bound train went through a rail-switching signal that lead to the derailment.

As rescue trains from Bangkok and Nakhon Si Thammarat helped lift the damaged carriages, Yuthana said it would take at least a day to clear the scene to allow services to resume. Travellers with reserved train tickets could ask for refunds at the stations where they bought the tickets, and get other information on the 1690 hotline.

Deputy Public Health Minister Manit Nopamornbodhi, who visited the injured at Hua Hin hospital, said he had ordered doctors and blood supplies from Phetchaburi and Ratchaburi to be sent to the hospital. He said the ministry would take care of medical expenses for the injured.

PM Abhisit Vejjajiva also went to Hua Hin to visit injured passengers.

Wirun Sakaekhum, president of the SRT Labour Union's Hat Yai branch, said he had issued a statement jointly with the SRT Labour Union to offer condolences to victims.

The statement suggested a related factor was that train officials had been overworked, following a Cabinet resolution in July 1998 that cut nearly 100 SRT officials. It also referred to a lack of funding for train tool maintenance and called for the government and SRT executives, especially the SRT governor, to take responsibility.

Wirun said the accident reflected policy-level problems in SRT administration that needed to be fixed. He said the union wanted the government to solve these problems, especially the staff shortage and rail tools issue.

He said locomotives and carriages used on the southern route often needed attention up to three times a day, meaning officials had to remove and switch parts to keep services running.

The line between Thung Song and Hat Yai was also old and damaged, and train drivers had to slow down when passing through this section, especially during rain, he said.

-- The Nation 2009/10/06

[Paddleshifter]

<deleted>...! Take a look at the window that is crushed. Its not tempered or laminated auto glass. Just standard clear glass that will break into sharp jagged pieces of shrapnel-like glass. dam_n, this is Thailand at its best.

[sangfroid]

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!

Thousands of people travel from Bangkok to Pattaya (and vice versa) on buses every day. If a train service was properly funded and established it would quite possibly be one of the best patronised in Thailand, however see post #36

[webfact]

Nineteen injured in train derailment remain hospitalised

BANGKOK, Sept 6 (TNA) – Nineteen passengers injured in the train derailment on Monday remain in three hospitals in the southern province of Prachuap Khiri Khan, according to Dr Chatree Charoencheewakul, secretary general of the Emergency Medical Institute of Thailand.

Among 19 patients, one injured passenger, Kamdee Thongpradab, is in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at Hua Hin Hospital with internal bleeding in his stomach.

Doctors will move him out of the ICU Tuesday afternoon if his condition is stable.

The sole foreign passenger injured in the accident, British national Richard Sprouder suffered broken ribs and is recovering well.

More patients are expected to be released from hospital Tuesday afternoon.

Three injured passengers were transferred to hospitals in Bangkok and Surat Thani on Monday.

The death toll in the incident stands at seven.

A crowded passenger train, route number 84 Trang-Bangkok en route from the southern province of Trang to the capital derailed at Khao Tao Station in the resort town of Hua Hin in Prachuab Khiri Khan Monday morning, killing at least seven passengers, while nearly 90 others were injured. The cause of the accident is under investigation. (TNA)

-- TNA 2009/10/06

[EffectiveAnger]

The Bangkok Post is now reporting that the driver of the train may have dozed off as he "ignored an alert from Khao Tao station staff about the parked freight train."

"The train was driven by Roengsak Panthep with Uthai Raksakhet the engineer. Mr Roengsak fled the scene."

Where is Mr. Roengsak!!!??? He's got a whole lot of questions to answer! This makes me sick!

Death count: 8, Injured: 88

[Pawpcorn]

The Bangkok Post ALSO stated that the train was travelling at 105 km as it approached the station, having ignored a signal to stop and ignored a radio phone call alert; obviously the driver, Roengsak Panthep with Uthai Raksakhet the engineer, had both fallen asleep.

The mental picture formed from the fact that the driver Roengsak Panthep actually FLED THE SCENE, after the accident, is surrealistic at best, 3 Stooges at worst.

Perhaps the decision to only rehire 5% of the railway workers that quit (also reported in the Bangkok Post) is, just maybe, a very poor decision, considering this leaves many train drivers (Roengsak Panthep???) working double shifts. NOT a good idea.

I rather miss the detailed news that used to be able to be supplied by the Bangkok-based Bangkok Post. I was able to read this front-page story today, in that paper today at work, and there was a tremendous amount of information included that seems to be be missing from the Chaeng Mai-based The Nation, (and thus, Thai Visa.) Perhaps being based in Bangkok is a good thing for having sufficient new sources for newspaper stories about events in and around Bangkok...

[EffectiveAnger]

The Bangkok Post ALSO stated that the train was travelling at 105 km as it approached the station, having ignored a signal to stop and ignored a radio phone call alert; obviously the driver, Roengsak Panthep with Uthai Raksakhet the engineer, had both fallen asleep.

How does a person manage to sleep through all of that!? I mean the last time I checked, train signals were really and I mean REALLY loud! Could they have been on drugs? And where on earth is engineer Uthai Raksakhet?

Transport Minister Sohpon Zarum said, "It is also necessary to have quality checks on the trains' engines to make sure that they function well, he added."

Duh, ya think? You mean to tell me that the trains' engines have not been getting routine quality checks, sir?

[ovenman]

How does a person manage to sleep through all of that!? I mean the last time I checked, train signals were really and I mean REALLY loud!

Block signal, as in the traffic light-like devices you see alongside the tracks, not a horn.

[EffectiveAnger]

How does a person manage to sleep through all of that!? I mean the last time I checked, train signals were really and I mean REALLY loud!

Block signal, as in the traffic light-like devices you see alongside the tracks, not a horn.

Okay, but what about the radio phone call? Shouldn't that be loud enough to wake the dead?

[ovenman]

Okay, but what about the radio phone call? Shouldn't that be loud enough to wake the dead?

Apparently not.

[asiancup2007]

our caretaker,woke us with the news about the crash, really tragic, we use thai rail quite often , and it is about on a par with queensland country rail as far as maintenance and accidnts are concerned,not even worth mentioning UK rail, hope the crash site gets cleared up quick, 1st Infantry Regiment are there in force helping, so all should becleared soon

By what measure have you reached this conclusion???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

[DickFarang]

According to the Bangkok Post the cost of the damages is estimated at 129 million baht.

The casualties seem to be forgotten already.

[webfact]

HUA HIN TRAIN ACCIDENT

Train services back on track after derailment

By The Nation

Published on October 7, 2009

The Southern train services were resumed yesterday at 6am after officials had pulled out the wreckage of the derailed train and repaired the tracks in Prachuap Khiri Khan's Hua Hin district.

Damage from the accident was estimated at Bt129 million.

Throughout Monday night, officials and heavy machinery cleared the 11 derailed bogies off the track and fixed a 200-metre stretch of the primary track to enable resumption of the train services.

Trains passing through Khao Tao station, however, have been told to use their lowest speed when approaching the station. The repair of the secondary track, whose 180-metre stretch was damaged, would need more time.

The derailment on Monday near Khao Tao train station, which killed seven passengers, injured 88 others and caused suspension of southern train services for 30 hours, was initially found to stem from the ill-fated train not responding to Wang Pong station's signalling.

Initial investigation found that Wang Pong station had alerted Khao Tao station that the Bangkok-Trang train, running at 105 kilometres per hour, had ignored their signalling. Unable to reach the train's officials, Khao Tao officials advised another goods train that was coming to the station to park two kilometres away from the station, when the ill-fated train proceeded on and then derailed.

State Railway of Thailand (SRT) Governor Yuthana Thapcharoen yesterday said that damage from the derailment was estimated at Bt129 million and that the accident happened because the train driver reportedly dozed off. He said the train was supposed to stop at Wang Pong station to collect a document for track-changing but it did not do so. Instead the train ran the stop signal at Wang Pong station and headed towards Khao Tao station at high speed, he said.

Meanwhile, 17 injured passengers remained in hospitals yesterday.

Expecting to complete the investigation this week, Hua Hin police investigators interviewed some injured passengers. They would soon summon the Khao Tao and Wang Pong station chiefs, said Hua Hin Superintendent Colonel Krisana Jaemsawang. They have also summoned SRT engineers to give information tomorrow. No charge was filed against anyone yet and police were still looking for the train driver and his substitute driver, he added.

Meanwhile, the Cabinet meeting yesterday discussed the Hua Hin derailment and called for punishment of the train drivers.

Transport Minister Sophon Saram told the meeting that the train, railway and signalling system were in good condition, thus leaving human error as the likely cause of accident. He said they would have to wait for the investigation, which should be concluded in five days. He also pointed out that the derailment occurred on the secondary track, which supported a train running at up to 40 kilometres per hour, whereas this train was speeding at more than 100 kilometres per hour.

Public Health Minister Witthaya Kaewparadai said that after the accident the two train drivers had gone missing. The train technician told the authority that the two drivers were "in a condition causing them to be unable to perform their duties".

PM Abhisit Vejjajiva urged the Transport Ministry to determine how to make train officials more responsible in their duties and to determine how to give more compensation to the victims, from the current rate of Bt80,000 per victim.

In response, the Interior Ministry announced that it was adding Bt10,000 in compensation for each victim.

Some ministers also discussed that in other countries, there would be two train drivers taking turns. While one was working, the other would rest at home and be ready to take his turn at the designated stop. However, the Thai practice usually had two drivers travelling on the train together. They often ended up chatting and thus lacking in adequate rest. They said this was the time to reform train service practices and related issues. There was no discussion on dismissing the SRT governor.

Meanwhile, SRT Labour Union president Sawit Kaewwan called for the SRT governor, as the organisation's top executive, to take responsibility for the derailment. He also urged a review of the 1998 lay-off plan because such cost-cutting schemes had led to existing officials being overworked. He also urged more funding for better maintenance of the trains.

-- The Nation 2009/10/07

[caf]

how expensive would a dead man's handle be. averaged over say 5 years use and every passeger carried - i would guess just a few baht if that.

and if the drivers ran off how can they say they dozed off. who saw them dozing. no one really knows do they but sleeping may be the most likely cause - but BOTH drivers sleeping through all the alarms sounding.

[animatic]

The Bangkok Post is now reporting that the driver of the train may have dozed off as he "ignored an alert from Khao Tao station staff about the parked freight train."

"The train was driven by Roengsak Panthep with Uthai Raksakhet the engineer. Mr Roengsak fled the scene."

Where is Mr. Roengsak!!!??? He's got a whole lot of questions to answer! This makes me sick!

Death count: 8, Injured: 88

It is normal for drivers in bad accidents to take off and turn themselves in to police later.

Main reason is they know MANY vehicle drivers who hang around, shortly get beaten to death,

by enraged survivors or their families. So in that sense it does make sense.

Yes Deadmans Handles should have been installed ages ago without question,

but TIT some bureaucratic, nationalist, twit thought 'Thai's don't fall asleep on the job,

that's what farangs do', lets save the money, and give it to our mia noi's.

And automatic braking systems if a stop light is run through.

When the light is red it also raises a bar that hits a braking mechanism if the train runs the light.

None of this is rocket science.

Edited October 7, 2009 by animatic

[EffectiveAnger]

It is normal for drivers in bad accidents to take off and turn themselves in to police later.

Main reason is they know MANY vehicle drivers who hang around, shortly get beaten to death,

by enraged survivors or their families. So in that sense it does make sense.

While this may be true in the United States, how common is this behaviour in Thailand?

And this was a train wreck, where most of the people would have been in such a state of shock, they might not even know where to look for the driver. Even if they did manage to find him, they might not immediately assume it was his fault. I would think most people would assume it was the fault of the tracks. The last thing I would believe is that the driver was at fault.

The closest thing there is to compare, is that of an airplane crash and I've never heard of the pilot running away or passengers beating him, even if he is at fault. Eating one, but that's a different story...

[DickFarang]

Was that train not equipped with a “dead man's switch” to stop it automatically when something happened to the driver(s) ?

[animatic]

It is normal for drivers in bad accidents to take off and turn themselves in to police later.

Main reason is they know MANY vehicle drivers who hang around, shortly get beaten to death,

by enraged survivors or their families. So in that sense it does make sense.

While this may be true in the United States, how common is this behaviour in Thailand?

And this was a train wreck, where most of the people would have been in such a state of shock, they might not even know where to look for the driver. Even if they did manage to find him, they might not immediately assume it was his fault. I would think most people would assume it was the fault of the tracks. The last thing I would believe is that the driver was at fault.

The closest thing there is to compare, is that of an airplane crash and I've never heard of the pilot running away or passengers beating him, even if he is at fault. Eating one, but that's a different story...

EA

it is common here and not common in USA... least not when I was last there.

Nor in the european places I have stayed.

And there are pretty severe laws to prevent leaving the scene in USA, in most all states.

It is sadly common here; mini-vans, trucks, buses, anytime there is a vehicle accident

with severe injuries and or deaths the driver takes off, and shows up later.

Just do a search here, you'll find dozens of posts saying this. It's S.O.P. behavior.

For the reason stated, train wrecks fit this pattern well there are survivors and

soon after the shock wears off the anger kicks in.

I'd look at the front of the train myself.

Driver error or fatigue is not uncommon in many train accidents in many countries.

Just most places usually have working devices to counter this... seems not here.

Hey, I didn't make this logic so.

[Pawpcorn]

Well, now, today's Bangkok Post reports in the ongoing story about this disaster that the driver suffers from some sort of disease that makes it difficult to stay awake... and that he DIDN'T run away after the accident.

Of course just exactly WHERE he was, following his accident, goes unexplained, as does HOW the f someone with a disease that makes it difficult to stay awake is employed with the job of driving a passenger train that is minus a dead-man switch.

Oh, and the second "engineer" was in the second coach, doing WHAT, one can only guess.

And NO, I'm not making this up.

Keystone Cops / Bizzarro Land / The Three Stooges; all rolled into one--->>> TIT

[animatic]

Same same.

If he took off his train man's coat and just sat around,

no one would know he was the driver or not. Safer than admitting it.

Narcoleptic train driver and no deadman switch... the mind boggles.

But yet isn't too surprised after years here...

[EffectiveAnger]

Narcoleptic train driver and no deadman switch... the mind boggles.

Yeah, and didn't I read (a few pages back) that they were forced to work double shifts?

Amazing Thailand!

I'm waiting for the good jokes to start now.

_______________________________

What do you get when you cross narcolepsy with a train?

Answer: A train driver… who works double shifts… in Thailand… on a train with no deadman’s switch.

Edited October 8, 2009 by EffectiveAnger

[mahtin]

The train driver was just on TV news.

My wife translates: he says he took medicine because his body sick and he sleep.