Public Bus Accidents Caused By Careless Drivers On The Rise In Thailand

[Businessman]

I have as much respect for bus drivers here as I do for taxi drivers. Same criminal neglect, larger weapon. But just a sec... who's making the money here? Bus drivers? Nope, they are paid like crap. So you need only look a little futher to know the root of the evil. The bus operators, making good living on the carnage of thier fellow countrymen. They are the ones not wanting to pay for better drivers. They are the ones not offering training. They are the ones that turn a blind eye to the the fact that the drivers are overworked, drugged, or drunk. Are you telling my that rich Som Chai, doesn't know another of his busses just went down a ravine along with 20 lives? But only poor people take busses, let the poor suffer for the greed of the wealthy... it is the way of this esteemed coutry.

[moskito]

And I was a little bit surprised yesterday when 13 ppl died in a Bus accident in Germany. It made HEADLINES there......guess I am living here for too long

[moskito]

If you really want to have professional bus drivers, SEND THEM TO LEARN HOW TO DRIVE AND HOW TO BEHAVE AND RESPECT OTHERS..

......and I still dont know why the government is doing nothing specially after those accidents reports.

is that a joke? which government are u talking about? They are busy with more important things as to take care for the poor ppl which are mostly using the busses.....If they can not afford to buy a Fortuner or a Mercedes, or using a plane, they cant be important.

[richard_smith237]

Interesting.

2 and a half years ago, my company aquired a Thai transport company, who conduct nationwide deliveries.

At that time they were having about 300 "accidents" a month. (this is including freight loading damage, which was the majority).

There was a pending action against a driver who had been involved in a fatality with a motorcyclist.

When I asked for the internal report, it read " Truck hit to motorcycle, motorcycle died". that was it. This Showed me the OH&S attitude of the old management.

We implimented the following :-

Driver pre-employment testing (60% of applicants can not reverse a truck into a parking bay) These guys all come with licences.

Driver fatigue management system

Random drug and alcohol testing (a few quickly fell by the wayside).

Safe driving courses, especially prior to the rainy season.

Introduction of a proper driver HR record system

Disciplining of errant drivers

Deduction from annual bonus for damage costs.

Introduction of GPS, which can produce a driver profile of safe driving, based on over revving, harsh braking & acceleration etc.

The bad ones soon left.

We also introduced proper maintainance procedures.

Anyway, last month, we had 9 accidents, all very minor. (hope I havnt jinxed ourselves there).

But I have to say it was hard to introduce a lot of the above, after 20 plus years of apathy.

And a bit confrontational as well.

But by and large the remaining drivers have adapted well & they now appreciate its for their safety as well.

I guess it all depends on the management.

Excellent, this is the way it should be. Unfortunately I guess this all costs a little extra too (or perhaps not with loss of freight due to accident damage being reduced ?). If all companies were forced to follow suit it would make the roads significantly safer.

But, it doesn't stop there. IMO poor driving creates poor driving and in order to get anywhere in Bangkok I have to become what I consider a poor driver.

> Break for a changing light? Careful someone behind is so close to your tail egging you on.

> Break for a pedestrian crossing? Careful, some in the next lane will just shoot through and perhaps hit them.

> Give way for a yellow box junction? Careful, someone will just jump in front of you.

> Let a car change lanes in front of you? You've just totally confused someone and it takes them and age before they recognise you've given way.

I don't want to let a bus pull out in front of me because I know there is every chance of him blocking up the second lane at any time.

I'd hate to be a bus driver, everyone cuts them up and blocks them off. I'm sure this is a case of everyone getting in a car and simply forgetting their humanity. I have a word for it... its called the 'F%@£ You switch', people get in a car here and this <deleted> switch in their brain gets turned on.

As markt7081 has mentioned: Control of businesses is definitely one way to deal with these issues.

Brief 'public announcements' on safe and courteous driving 'may' also work wonders.

Policing the roads would also work. Not the lazy road blocks, but actually flagging down and charging those driving recklessly (Police must see 100's of cars each day jumping lights etc).

[jori]

Coming up from the south a couple of days ago tour bus totally trashed ,driver asleep,could not help but think of those poor passengers

[neverdie]

Is it any wonder that some of the bus drivers are a bit erratic, lets face it, some of them are being shot by their customers if they miss a stop. Some things are very intense here in LOS.

[tomyummer]

Interesting.

2 and a half years ago, my company aquired a Thai transport company, who conduct nationwide deliveries.

At that time they were having about 300 "accidents" a month. (this is including freight loading damage, which was the majority).

There was a pending action against a driver who had been involved in a fatality with a motorcyclist.

When I asked for the internal report, it read " Truck hit to motorcycle, motorcycle died". that was it. This Showed me the OH&S attitude of the old management.

We implimented the following :-

Driver pre-employment testing (60% of applicants can not reverse a truck into a parking bay) These guys all come with licences.

Driver fatigue management system

Random drug and alcohol testing (a few quickly fell by the wayside).

Safe driving courses, especially prior to the rainy season.

Introduction of a proper driver HR record system

Disciplining of errant drivers

Deduction from annual bonus for damage costs.

Introduction of GPS, which can produce a driver profile of safe driving, based on over revving, harsh braking & acceleration etc.

The bad ones soon left.

We also introduced proper maintainance procedures.

Anyway, last month, we had 9 accidents, all very minor. (hope I havnt jinxed ourselves there).

But I have to say it was hard to introduce a lot of the above, after 20 plus years of apathy.

And a bit confrontational as well.

But by and large the remaining drivers have adapted well & they now appreciate its for their safety as well.

I guess it all depends on the management.

I was waiting in anticipation for you to say "...and after the implementation of these requirements, we had 1 driver left."

Good for you though for setting these standards.

[onnut]

Funnily enough I had cause to complain to the people who run the Airport-Pattaya bus service only yesterday. I found an email contact form on their website. This is what I wrote:-

I have travelled on your excellent service many times and have usually been pleased. However, yesterday, Saturday 25th. September, I caught the 11:00 bus from Suvarnabhumi. We were 10 minutes late leaving the airport as the driver picked somebody up from outside the transportation centre. On the way back to Pattaya we were subjected to a high speed white knuckle ride presumably because the driver had to make up time. I felt really uncomfortable and at times scared as the driver gunned the bus down the highway. It became apparent later as to why we were going so fast....we did a detour to Laem Chabang where the bus stopped to let off a passenger. Presumably this was the same passenger who had got on at the transportation centre. (An employee of yours?). Although we arrived safely at Jomtien this excessive speed is downright dangerous. If the roads had been wet I would have been terrified. > This is unacceptable. You have a duty to transport passengers safely. The speed was not safe. Will you please assure me that this will not happen in future. > I am a board member of several Pattaya forums and my first thoughts were to post a report of this irresponsible behaviour thus warning other passengers, but I saw that your website provided this contact page(excellent)so I will give you a chance to have a word with the drivers/managers to desist from such dangerous practices. Regards.

And, amazingly, I got this reply within three hours, and on a Sunday!

Re: Contact Form.

From: <snip> [Add]To:> [Add]Date:Sun, 26 Sep 2010 12:44 PM (1 day 3 hours ago)Show originalShow full header I'm really sorry about thing that happened to you. I will investigate about this situation. I really apologize for that. It will not happen again. Regards, Pratchayarn Sent from my iPhone

I don't expect much, but at least someone was listening to me. One can only hope.

Sent from my iPhone! while driving down the highway nodoubt!

[tomyummer]

Funnily enough I had cause to complain to the people who run the Airport-Pattaya bus service only yesterday. I found an email contact form on their website. This is what I wrote:-

I have travelled on your excellent service many times.......but I saw that your website provided this contact page(excellent)so I will give you a chance to have a word with the drivers/managers to desist from such dangerous practices. Regards.

And, amazingly, I got this reply within three hours, and on a Sunday!

Re: Contact Form.

From: <snip> [Add]To:> [Add]Date:Sun, 26 Sep 2010 12:44 PM (1 day 3 hours ago)Show originalShow full header I'm really sorry about thing that happened to you. I will investigate about this situation. I really apologize for that. It will not happen again. Regards, Pratchayarn Sent from my iPhone

I don't expect much, but at least someone was listening to me. One can only hope.

Actually, the amazing thing about your anecdote is.......that Khun Pratchayarn has an iPhone! Let's hear it for advanced technology! And most likely without the 3G.

Wouldn't it be ironic if Khun Pratchayarn was actually your bus driver?

[onnut]

I did a Dumb thing once, and that was to take a bus ride from Bangkok to Phuket. I was new in Thailand and didnt know any better.

anyway, it scared the crap out of me and I would never do it again. actually this is the reason I forked out for a car in the first place.

I am not joking, the driver of the bus was driving like a Banshee screams! I ended up in my seat rocking backwards and forwards patting myself on the head and murmering to myself!

what was more fuc_ked up, the guy asleep in the next seat across was being thrown about and his leg fell off. no kidding. I was relived when I realised it was a wooden one and saw him putting it back on again.

I will never get on another bus in this country.

Edited September 27, 2010 by onnut

[olivier2553]

For knowing a bus driver, and discussing with him, the fault is not on the driver, but on the conditions imposed to him by the company.

During public holidays, he has to make so many round trips that he has no time to sleep.

So what could he do? Refuse to work and loose his job?

The faulty one are the company who impose impossible load to their staff.

It's all and only a management problem.

[markt7081]

Funnily enough I had cause to complain to the people who run the Airport-Pattaya bus service only yesterday. I found an email contact form on their website. This is what I wrote:-

I have travelled on your excellent service many times and have usually been pleased. However, yesterday, Saturday 25th. September, I caught the 11:00 bus from Suvarnabhumi. We were 10 minutes late leaving the airport as the driver picked somebody up from outside the transportation centre. On the way back to Pattaya we were subjected to a high speed white knuckle ride presumably because the driver had to make up time. I felt really uncomfortable and at times scared as the driver gunned the bus down the highway. It became apparent later as to why we were going so fast....we did a detour to Laem Chabang where the bus stopped to let off a passenger. Presumably this was the same passenger who had got on at the transportation centre. (An employee of yours?). Although we arrived safely at Jomtien this excessive speed is downright dangerous. If the roads had been wet I would have been terrified. > This is unacceptable. You have a duty to transport passengers safely. The speed was not safe. Will you please assure me that this will not happen in future. > I am a board member of several Pattaya forums and my first thoughts were to post a report of this irresponsible behaviour thus warning other passengers, but I saw that your website provided this contact page(excellent)so I will give you a chance to have a word with the drivers/managers to desist from such dangerous practices. Regards.

And, amazingly, I got this reply within three hours, and on a Sunday!

Re: Contact Form.

From: <snip> [Add]To:> [Add]Date:Sun, 26 Sep 2010 12:44 PM (1 day 3 hours ago)Show originalShow full header I'm really sorry about thing that happened to you. I will investigate about this situation. I really apologize for that. It will not happen again. Regards, Pratchayarn Sent from my iPhone

I don't expect much, but at least someone was listening to me. One can only hope.

GPS fixes this as well, you set the correct route in the system & a warning is sent to the control office if there is a deviation.

The Government should mandate it for all heavy transport operators, then there would be no financial disadvantage to each operator (sure the punters may have to pay a micro baht more).

Edited September 27, 2010 by markt7081

[arthurwait]

Only one person on this thread seems to know what the real reason is.

THEY'RE PISSED OUT THEIR SKULLS ALL DAY LONG!

They park here all day, guess how they pass their time between rounds. That's right they drink beer every second they are awake.What do they drink when they are driving well that varies between beer and whiskey in the bucket.

Between every round they go into the shop and buy beer and drive off with a can of chang with a straw in one hand and the wheel of the bus in the other. Hey ho at least there is safety belts on the bus for when the crash happens. Ahh perhaps not.

What do they as soon as they finish work until they pass out, sorry I mean go to sleep, yep that's right - drink.

If you want to reduce accidents stop them drinking and driving, actually have a driving test instead of just driving around in a circle, check people have licences and take them away if they are caught drunk.

Oh and another thing have a road worthiness test that extends past checking the numbers match. Maybe then coach subframes that are replced with two bits of beam welded together wouldn't be allowed on coaches that snap in two when they go over a bump on the motorway like it did on the coach I was on. When I say welded I actually mean some clown who hasn't a clue how to weld has just melted the filler rod on the beams and calls it welding.

It's not just the coach and bus drivers , look under the motorbike taxi stations for the piles of booze cans and bottles. No wonder I saw 4 of them lying in the road within the space of a week.

[arthurwait]

For knowing a bus driver, and discussing with him, the fault is not on the driver, but on the conditions imposed to him by the company.

During public holidays, he has to make so many round trips that he has no time to sleep.

So what could he do? Refuse to work and loose his job?

The faulty one are the company who impose impossible load to their staff.

It's all and only a management problem.

I know loads of bus drivers. Loads. They only do 2 things drink and sleep.

The buses finish here by around 7 or 8 so they have plenty of time to sleep.

I can only think of one coach here that isn't in by 9.00pm the rest earlier than that. That is the only one I can think of that can claim that.

Most are in by 4pm and do nothing but drink until they sleep at various times between 9pm and when the beer runs out at upto 2 am. 7/11 is a god send.

Of course different companies have different times etc.

[xen]

Some of the mini bus drivers are even crazier - coming back from Kabin Buri last May we reached Bangkok faster than i ever thought possible - had to make up lost time waiting for passengers to fill the minibus of course !!!.

But the craziest bus trip was quite a few years ago coming back from Klaeng to Nong Suea Chang . It was the last bus for the night so we bought our tickets and hoped on . There were about four other passengers but then our driver hoped on , dread-locked and in red, green and black Rasta outfit , along with his offsider dressed in the same colours . The other four passengers hoped out. The whole backseat, instead of being reserved for monks was taken up by woofers and horns. Thought to my self - well mate , this will sure be interesting. There is no backing down , we had to get home.

Took off up Highway 344 along with the spirit of Bob Marley risen again at about 120 decibels . They picked up a few stray passengers but the strange thing was they all only wanted to go to the next stop. Then we were all flying along the highway and the driver's offsider spied two young sexy and potential passengers and he went crazy howling to get the driver to stop. The bus hit the loose gravel at about 100 kph and started tailgating . Then it gripped the bitumen again and i thought that at least my wife and i will reach Paradise at about the same time. And it could be no better than to reach the gates with Bob Marley as the soundtrack . I mean how could you ever snuff it with Billy Joel warbling in the background . I would never be able to look at anybody in the face again if that were to occur.

Anyway, either my, or the drivers guardian angel smiled upon us all and grabbed that steering wheel and straightened the bus up again. Somehow those two sexy little girls shook their heads when the bus came to a stop . They turned us all down .

What a shame .

We were all still shaking from both fear and adrenalin when we slid out of the bus at Nong Suea Chang . Must have been a full moon .

[shiatsuman]

I drive regularly between Bangkok and Isan, and I see that the interprovincial bus drivers stick very closely to the maximum 100km speed limit I assume is allowed them, even demanded of them by their bosses. But they are uncompromising in their demands for right of way. Most are good drivers, but the way those top heavy buses sway and sway, it must difficult to keep control sometimes and can be quite scary if you are following them. No wonder they get tired. There should definitely be two drivers, not one.:jap:

Lets hear it for the maligned Thai bus drivers. Excellent drivers working long hours on intercity and mountain routes, nursing often overloaded or clapped out machines on poor roads. They have have a public service job to do, so private transport needs to give way, or are the TV posters just jealous that they can't intimidate a bus in their SUVs?

[diehard60]

Is that a joke ??????????????? Bus drivers are totally nuts ,they often race with other buses ,they dont give a dam_n about public safety or car drivers. They very often let the people go down or up in the middle of the road.

If you really want to have professional bus drivers, SEND THEM TO LEARN HOW TO DRIVE AND HOW TO BEHAVE AND RESPECT OTHERS..

Everyday on my way to the office I can see those crazy bus drivers behaved like maniacs. Very often I had to put my car on the side to avoid collision with buses. Those guys are DAGNEROUS and I still dont know why the government is doing nothing specially after those accidents reports.

Wait a minute! You are asking to much. Send them to school? Oh My God! They are professional drivers, don't believe me, just ask them. Anyway I always thought the Men In Brown were supose to be working on traffic violators. OOPS To much again. Police work?

[diehard60]

Is the public transportaion department doing anything to fix the problems?

I don't think so

Ya know? Thai people are the most polite people in the world, face to face. But when they get behind the wheel watch out your life is indanger. And ya know the cops don't do anything to prevent accidents.

[asiawatcher]

The road transport system in Thailand is woeful at best. The drivers are uneducated in transport operations, have absolutely no care or knowledge of road rules and usually run from accidents never to be seen again due to no licenses.

What is so difficult for BMTA to actually implement

* driver training - including road safety, driving to regulation, adhering to road rules, courtesy to other road users

* license checks

* medical checks/psychological profiling

* a seat a driver can sit in for 12 hours a day

* road safety checks on these old screamers

* regular maintenance such as cleaning injectors - a major cause of Bangkok's pollution, also regular checking of head and clearance lights

* governors to stop motors being revved to red line

General client/customer manners would also be a start. In any civilised country buses remain in the left lane. They do not go out to median strip lanes and then pull in forcing traffic congestion, driver frustration and cause accidents. The number of times I have seen buses pull up centre lane and allow passengers to alight whilst kerb traffic is still moving or idiots on motor cycles attempting to squeeze between what little space remains, is simply countless. In the same situation the drivers in the outter lanes cross three by forcing their way, thinking by indicating a lane change they have right of way. They should NEVER be out there in the first place.

But in reality as the Police will not enforce road rules in Thailand unless they can possibly scam a payoff this would just be another case of wishful thinking on my part. I drove coaches in Europe, across US and heavy vehicles and road trains around Australia and can assure you there is not a single Thai driver I have seen in a heavy vehicle who would qualify for a PSV in the UK or Class 4/5 in Australia. Not one.

And the statistics are staggering with more road carnage and injury attributable to this one side of Thailand he BMTA and in any country would probably earn a Royal Commission but here????

Maybe we should all support the red shirts and give them more molotov cocktails to help them burn the buses. !!

[truethailand]

Interesting.

2 and a half years ago, my company aquired a Thai transport company, who conduct nationwide deliveries.

At that time they were having about 300 "accidents" a month. (this is including freight loading damage, which was the majority).

There was a pending action against a driver who had been involved in a fatality with a motorcyclist.

When I asked for the internal report, it read " Truck hit to motorcycle, motorcycle died". that was it. This Showed me the OH&S attitude of the old management.

We implimented the following :-

Driver pre-employment testing (60% of applicants can not reverse a truck into a parking bay) These guys all come with licences.

Driver fatigue management system

Random drug and alcohol testing (a few quickly fell by the wayside).

Safe driving courses, especially prior to the rainy season.

Introduction of a proper driver HR record system

Disciplining of errant drivers

Deduction from annual bonus for damage costs.

Introduction of GPS, which can produce a driver profile of safe driving, based on over revving, harsh braking & acceleration etc.

The bad ones soon left.

We also introduced proper maintainance procedures.

Anyway, last month, we had 9 accidents, all very minor. (hope I havnt jinxed ourselves there).

But I have to say it was hard to introduce a lot of the above, after 20 plus years of apathy.

And a bit confrontational as well.

But by and large the remaining drivers have adapted well & they now appreciate its for their safety as well.

I guess it all depends on the management.

Excellent, this is the way it should be. Unfortunately I guess this all costs a little extra too (or perhaps not with loss of freight due to accident damage being reduced ?). If all companies were forced to follow suit it would make the roads significantly safer.

But, it doesn't stop there. IMO poor driving creates poor driving and in order to get anywhere in Bangkok I have to become what I consider a poor driver.

> Break for a changing light? Careful someone behind is so close to your tail egging you on.

> Break for a pedestrian crossing? Careful, some in the next lane will just shoot through and perhaps hit them.

> Give way for a yellow box junction? Careful, someone will just jump in front of you.

> Let a car change lanes in front of you? You've just totally confused someone and it takes them and age before they recognise you've given way.

I don't want to let a bus pull out in front of me because I know there is every chance of him blocking up the second lane at any time.

I'd hate to be a bus driver, everyone cuts them up and blocks them off. I'm sure this is a case of everyone getting in a car and simply forgetting their humanity. I have a word for it... its called the 'F%@£ You switch', people get in a car here and this &lt;deleted&gt; switch in their brain gets turned on.

As markt7081 has mentioned: Control of businesses is definitely one way to deal with these issues.

Brief 'public announcements' on safe and courteous driving 'may' also work wonders.

Policing the roads would also work. Not the lazy road blocks, but actually flagging down and charging those driving recklessly (Police must see 100's of cars each day jumping lights etc).

A wiser man than me once said " The way people drive their vehicles reflects the society they live in' and I would say ' There are two styles of driving 'after you' and 'f..k you' I think they both mean the same.

Seriously without being racist or negative have you ever considered how many different actions we make whilst driving. Westerners in the main can multi task when required the same cannot be said of people who have to use a calculator to work out the change from a 100 baht note when the billis 80 baht.

It all boils down to the ability to think ahead of the consequences of any action you make and unfortunately families and schools dont instill this in their children at an early age bcos nobody instilled it in them. Mix that with a society that do not accept responsibility for their actions. Really its not 'f..k you' bcos in the event of accidents and fatalities they do care.

If young people could be prepared to accept responsibilty and realise there are consequences for every action they take and to consider the outcome of their action before taking that action death rate would decrease enormously.

I think I have been here too long........

[Deeral]

"caused by public buses" what kind of statement is that?

Don't they mean "involving"????

[truethailand]

I did a Dumb thing once, and that was to take a bus ride from Bangkok to Phuket. I was new in Thailand and didnt know any better.

anyway, it scared the crap out of me and I would never do it again. actually this is the reason I forked out for a car in the first place.

I am not joking, the driver of the bus was driving like a Banshee screams! I ended up in my seat rocking backwards and forwards patting myself on the head and murmering to myself!

what was more fuc_ked up, the guy asleep in the next seat across was being thrown about and his leg fell off. no kidding. I was relived when I realised it was a wooden one and saw him putting it back on again.

I will never get on another bus in this country.

That made me laugh. Thanks for making my day

[Alboy666]

All the bus drivers race each other to get to the stops first to get the fares.

The solution to this is to sort out public transport employee wages and stop them competing, not asking the drivers to slow down...

That is complete nonsense you have written. I used to have to catch a bus from Phrom Phong to Bang Na intersection to get a minivan to work. The problem is getting a bus to stop as they can't be bothered pulling into the inside lanes. If they were so concerned about fares they would be cutting up traffic to pick you up.

Try to make statements based on some semblance of fact please.

[Deeral]

(seat belts don't help a lot on these buses due to the nature of construction.)

Don't bother singling out buses the whole system is wrong.

Phrases like "consideration for others" are just used by people who can't drive themselves and fail to grasp how to drive in ALL circumstances, rather than just how they "think it should be done" (i.e. - in their home country)

People in Thailand are just as capable of driving as anywhere else in the world. In fact gien the road conditions here, they have developed some unique driving skills that elderly expats could learn a lot from.

What is needed in Thailand is a "pincer" campaign.Number 1 is a progam of traffic engineering.and this should be accompanied bynumber 2 a road user education program.

One without the other would be completely pointless - a total waste of time.

[MRCOCONUT]

unbelievable

Not really.... They have no consideration for the lives of the people on the bus nor for the people driving on the road! i see at least one a week! some are worst than others!

I saw two driving to Bangkok from Khon Kaen last week!

Larry

[Seanextra]

This is my biggest fear in thailand, Im in the north east flatlands IZZANNN and here i fear the PINK BUS if i see one in a car or on my motorbike i start to feel great fear and head for the side of the road ive never seen one going under 100klm and will over take anywhere ! Ive been a proffesional driver in Australia for the last 20 years and have had endure some pretty hectic stints interstate driving and ive seen some scary things but these guys are a disgrace ! I enjoy the fact police dont have speed cameras fixed or hand held in thailand part the reason i enjoy being here is the relaxed road rules and conditions compared to Australia but these guys and a few car drivers are seriously death on wheels ! I wonder how many laps of the car park you must do for bus licence here, lucky the trucks are over loaded and under powered or they would be in the same boat too ! I often thought it would be nice to see some nice big trucks working here in thailand but i shudder to think how some of these brainless &lt;deleted&gt; would go having 600 HP Kenworth in their control !

FEAR THE PINK BUS !

[Deeral]

I would think it is unlikely that there has been a sizeable sea-change in the way buses are driven in Thaland over the last few months, so one would have to look elsewhere for the causes.

Increased bus traffic?....caused by what? Increased industrial activity requiring more migrant workers?ore holidays?Bus wars as drivers race to get fewer passengers?Changed licensing for operators?Changed roadworthy criteria?

your guess is as good as mine.....(actually it probably isn't.)

[Deeral]

In UK they have "white van man" - this is a testosterone-based occupation which involves a lot of machismo, but only the transportation of inanimate goods.

Bus drivers have that drummed out of them.

Unfortunately in Thailand white-van-man is still allowed to drive a "human cargo" - this would be part of any education program.

[Thai at Heart]

What about the police controlled convoys of buses that go way over the speed limit and sit in the outside lane at 10m distance from each other.

How these things avoid massive pile ups, I have yet to understand, but they scare the hel_l out of me.

[rich54321]

Is that a joke ??????????????? Bus drivers are totally nuts ,they often race with other buses ,they dont give a dam_n about public safety or car drivers. They very often let the people go down or up in the middle of the road.

If you really want to have professional bus drivers, SEND THEM TO LEARN HOW TO DRIVE AND HOW TO BEHAVE AND RESPECT OTHERS..

Everyday on my way to the office I can see those crazy bus drivers behaved like maniacs. Very often I had to put my car on the side to avoid collision with buses. Those guys are DAGNEROUS and I still dont know why the government is doing nothing specially after those accidents reports.

LOL first make sure they have a drivers license, then after weeding all the drivers out that do not, then put the ones who do have a license, and aren't drunk or doped up, through a training period to see if they can even remember what the road rules are.

I truly think this is a impossible task to take on, but maybe the Department of Motor Vehicles in Bangkok can achieve this major endeavorer. :jap:

Sorry my man - YOU ARE NUTS - i just sat in on some driving license tests at Chiangmai - WHAT ABSOLUTE NONESENSE!!!!! they sat in on a few questions then went out for a road test in the test centre yard - A hill start and drive round the road they have there - - ABSOLUTE RUBBISH all of less than 10 mins on the road test and a pass - thats why the roads are so dangerous and if anyone think otherwise GET A LIFE AND GO SEE FOR YOURSELVES and stop putting stupid coments on this thread - the driving test and exam is absolutely stupid - i agree the buses are dangerous thats because they have passed the same stupid test - also why does everyone waNT TO DRIVE IN THE RIGHT LANE - and as slow as possible - after all they have left there buffalo behine for motorised transport - HAVENT THEY?????