Woman Injured After Falling Onto Bangkok Skytrain Tracks

[george]

Woman injured after falling onto skytrain tracks

BANGKOK: -- A woman suffered head injuries after she was hit by other skytrain passenger and fell onto the tracks at the Morchit station during the rush hours Wednesday morning, police said.

Jiraporn Kiartchumasak was ushed to the Rajvithi Hospital and was in stable and safe condition.

The BTS skytain system was halted for 30 minutes following the accident at 7 am.

Police said the woman was waiting for riding the train but when a train was approaching the station, other passenger scrambled for accessing the train, hitting her and causing her to fall onto the tracks.

-- The Nation 2010-01-20

[newsfooter][/newsfooter]

[Wolfie]

I wondered why the trains were all messed up this morning...

... i hope she recovers quickly, that must have been a frightening experience

[theoldgit]

The BTS system is, in my opinion, brilliant, but as the system expands without any visible increase in capacity accidents like this will happen.

Hopefully this lady will make a full and speedy recovery.

[geriatrickid]

And the person responsible for this? Vaporized?

[craig123]

I use the train everyday, and the way Thai's just push pass you to make sure they get on before you, this kind of thing was always going to happen at some point!

Thai's are just soo ignorant at times! No manners, whatsoever!

Hope she recovers soon!!

[sawadeeken]

Sorry to hear of this, but a good lesson to others -- Don't let youself get too close to the edge because many of the others are totally thoughtless about anyone else.................

[Reasonableman]

Being Thai, it seems odd she was not aware of the dangers of the "chan korn" principle...aka survival of the fittest [or most aggressive]

And the person responsible for this? Vaporized?

[Reasonableman]

Hmmm, whichever way you interpret it, it is almost correct...she was ushed...could be rushed, hushed, ushered...anyway, whatever, she made it to hospital despite the fractured English

hit by other skytrain passenger

during the rush hours

was ushed

was waiting for riding the train

other passenger scrambled for accessing the train

The economy must be pretty bad if newspapers have fired all their editors.

[Sir Greg]

I don't blame the Thai habit of barging into a train/elevator for this (after all, if the train was already there, she wouldn't have fallen onto the tracks). This should serve as a huge wakeup call for the BTS brass that they need to add a new cars to spread out the crowds. Platforms like Sala Daeng, Victory Monument and, apparently, Mor Chit, are WAY too narrow to accommodate rush hour crowds. Eventually someone will fall just as the train is pulling in and be run over and killed. Will that be enough to get some new carriages?

[fishhooks]

Singapore train users are much more rude and aggresive than here, particularly in regard to blocking the centre section of the platform opposite the doors supposedly for departing passengers to use.

I noticed a few weeks back, there are now huge posters on some of the stations, requesting boarding passengers to adhere to this what should be common sense rule.

[selftaopath]

I use the train everyday, and the way Thai's just push pass you to make sure they get on before you, this kind of thing was always going to happen at some point!

Thai's are just soo ignorant at times! No manners, whatsoever!

Hope she recovers soon!!

I agree. My experience has been this also. Pushing/shoving/inconsideration for other i.e. like a herd of buffalo. At times it's a challenge exiting the train, bus,elevator etc. b/c the ???? herd does not realize or care that other individuals are wanting to exit. Is this poor upbringing? Or just a general lack of concern for other - oh with the exception of their family/boss. And people constantly bump into others who might want to "share" the same sidewalk etc. GEEZE.

Keoki

[kenallday]

And the person responsible for this? Vaporized?

In typical Thai tradition they would have run away

[Xonax]

I use the train everyday, and the way Thai's just push pass you to make sure they get on before you, this kind of thing was always going to happen at some point!

Thai's are just soo ignorant at times! No manners, whatsoever!

Hope she recovers soon!!

I also ride the BTS every day, and can recognize the above situation. If anyone tries to push their way in front of others, they should expect that a stronger person might push back. I learned the hard way in China, that particularily in China, it is necessary to use your elbows to protect your number in the row. Otherwise you will never get on the bus.

Anyway the yellow line is very close to the tracks and if someone should feel dizzy or pass out, they could easily fall to the tracks.

It will probably be impossible for an old buffalo to learn new manners, so I think that the only solution to this problem would be, if they could make a safety system similar to the MRT (subway), where doors protect you from falling to the tracks.

I have no usable solution to the rude thais (mostly younger women), who are always trying to board the vehicle, before the exitting passengers have actually finished exitting. I very often have to tackle me way out of the BTS, MRT or an elevator. Just a few days ago a young thai teenager learned, that a big farang is not easily pushed away.

Edited January 20, 2010 by Xonax

[Reasonableman]

You may well be right. We do not possess all the facts of how it happened. Nevertheless, the habit of elbowing past others in the queue seems to be very common here these daze/. I can even recall someone barging ahead of me to get onto an EMPTY bus!

I don't blame the Thai habit of barging into a train/elevator for this (after all, if the train was already there, she wouldn't have fallen onto the tracks). This should serve as a huge wakeup call for the BTS brass that they need to add a new cars to spread out the crowds. Platforms like Sala Daeng, Victory Monument and, apparently, Mor Chit, are WAY too narrow to accommodate rush hour crowds. Eventually someone will fall just as the train is pulling in and be run over and killed. Will that be enough to get some new carriages?

[Scott]

I hope she makes a speedy and complete recovery.

[Superskunk]

Thats why I like the MRT System. Not possible to fall down on the tracks.

[grantbkk]

The SkyTrain operation has been a joke since last year when they opened the two stations beyond Saphan Taksin. Overcrowded trains and station platforms are now commonplace. When they switch to Thai driver manual mode from computer assisted mode just after Chong Nonsi it makes the ride feel like your at Disneyland. People falling into each other as the car slows and speeds up under the expert control of some Thai student worker. The system lacks safety equipment to allow the computer to drive at this point and we are at the mercy of whoever they let drive. Then the kicker! One train track in and out of Saphan Taksin. Pure genius! Less trains mean more people during peak hours on the platforms. No one cares and like most other Thai operations they'll take the hit for medical and burial fees rather than pay to operate the system safely. We are one our own here.

Be careful out there.

[Wolfie]

I often just spread my arms a bit (elbows out) when people start pushing me or trying to push past me... on the same lines i will simply barge into people who are preventing me from getting off the train (i.e. standing in the middle of the doorway trying to get on the train without letting others off first) - whilst this is not the most polite approach, it certainly doesn't put anyone in danger of harm... altho i do get some dirty looks as my 100kgs blocks some little 50kg thai from rushing onto the train first

I'm trying to picture what happened this morning, its kind of difficult to imagine someone pushing others before the train has even arrived at the platform...

[bkkjames]

Thats why I like the MRT System. Not possible to fall down on the tracks.

I would take it as well, if it went where I needed to go.

[Reasonableman]

I am sure you speak for all of us and wish her well. If such an incident can be prevented in future, it would be great, too.

I hope she makes a speedy and complete recovery.

[Griffin09]

Does this mean that many of the passengers tend to ignore the Platform Gestapo's whistle?

Thank goodness this woman was not electrocuted!

[jocrenalix]

Thai's are just soo ignorant at times! No manners, whatsoever!

Excuse me? Did you say Thais are so ignorant and no manners? I'm not Thai but I call your comment foul, uncalled-for. For all I know Thais relatively polite people, wherever you go, inside the train, in the bus, everywhere, with few exceptions like this train incident where you based your inappropriate comment.

[Netfan]

You guys who think its a Thai thing to push onto a train ought to try NYC subways- the BTS is orderly and polite in comparison. As a couple of people mentioned the answer is management adding cars to the trains during rush hour. Before there is a fatality. Surprised they haven't blamed it on the security guard.

[bkkdawg]

Thai's are just soo ignorant at times! No manners, whatsoever!

Excuse me? Did you say Thais are so ignorant and no manners? I'm not Thai but I call your comment foul, uncalled-for. For all I know Thais relatively polite people, wherever you go, inside the train, in the bus, everywhere, with few exceptions like this train incident where you based your inappropriate comment.

How long have you been here mate? 2 weeks?? Time will see you change your opinion on that especially in bkk.

[anais]

You guys who think its a Thai thing to push onto a train ought to try NYC subways- the BTS is orderly and polite in comparison. As a couple of people mentioned the answer is management adding cars to the trains during rush hour. Before there is a fatality. Surprised they haven't blamed it on the security guard.

I moved from Manhattan to Bangkok and I call bullshit. Most Thais appear to have no idea of how to enter a train, and I often just walked tits-first into the ignorant bints who wouldn't let people OFF the train before they tried to get ON. And don't get me started about stopping for a nasal exploration at the top or bottom of an escalator.... I hope the lady recovers fully and quickly.

[mitrapaap]

I use the train everyday, and the way Thai's just push pass you to make sure they get on before you, this kind of thing was always going to happen at some point!

Thai's are just soo ignorant at times! No manners, whatsoever!

Hope she recovers soon!!

And maybe the person who "pusshed" her was not a Thai. And maybe the person who "pushed" her was Thai but got "pushed" by somebody else first and maybe that somebody else was not a Thai but a farang or a Indian or an African or whatever.

Get the data if you can, before blaming Thais for being this and being that.

[webfact]

Dont mix the Skytrain with subways. Most of the subways have security doors these days. Cant remember if the Vancouver (CAN) Skytrain has security doors or not.

Bangkok Skytrain hasn't. Thats the danger. Some cars should be added to cope with the increasing passengers.

These trains are running since 10years and it became a mess and very inconvenient to ride. Try out Siam at 5pm....

[granuaile]

Thai's are just soo ignorant at times! No manners, whatsoever!

Excuse me? Did you say Thais are so ignorant and no manners? I'm not Thai but I call your comment foul, uncalled-for. For all I know Thais relatively polite people, wherever you go, inside the train, in the bus, everywhere, with few exceptions like this train incident where you based your inappropriate comment.

That has been my experience as well. It gets a bit hectic at times on the BTS and people certainly seem to pick up a momentum getting on and squeezing in, but I never experienced anything remotely aggressive, and in fact have had people offer me their seats on occasion. I use the MRT more now (since I live close to a station now), and find it much the same there.

[steveyinasia]

One thing you forgot to consider when talking about Singaporean train users, they have no common sense so very hard to use any. I have lived here for 9 years and find them generally rude and inconsiderate.

Hope the lady recovers quickly and hopefully next she she is waiting on a train she has a baseball bat handy to club those inconsiderate to others.

Singapore train users are much more rude and aggresive than here, particularly in regard to blocking the centre section of the platform opposite the doors supposedly for departing passengers to use.

I noticed a few weeks back, there are now huge posters on some of the stations, requesting boarding passengers to adhere to this what should be common sense rule.

[Jonathanpattaya]

A scary accident.

It could happen to anyone.