Thai Bus Carrying Teachers, Students Overturns, 50 Injured, 5 Seriously, After Driver Dozes Off

[Richb2004v2]

Is it really worth bothering about? The people involved, including the injured, will all jump in the next available vehicle which will drive them away in a dangerous and irresponsible fashion, and not one of them will have learnt anything from the incident. Some of them will probably go on to be involved in other needless accidents in the near future. Even the teachers probably won't learn anything from it, and their pupils will continue to whizz out of the school gates four to a scooter and the school bus driver will still drive like a maniac. It's all good, and adds to the rich tapestry that it Thailand.

[Mxcross]

Complete waste of time even reporting it really as there'll be another in a few days and still no one cares.

Just don't use the things, unless you want to be just another statistic that we don't care about!

You can't change thier way of thinking, driving or caring so why should we?

Before you jump on this just think about how much your whinging and whining has changed anything?

Been living here 10 years and working this part of the world for 20+ and it has been and will be the same for the rest of my life time.

[AleG]

Pics in Thairath.

http://www.thairath.co.th/content/region/154026

I'm amazed that, not just nobody died, but that half or more of the passengers didn't.

[punkonater]

It's really quite simple. These bus drivers are paid almost nothing, and the companies that hire them don't care if they get sleep. So naturally, they drink tons of these strong energy drinks (and probably some stronger illegal drugs), and think they can stay up. After driving buses back and forth for a few days their bodies crash, and they can't do anything else but fall asleep.

start paying bus drivers more, make them sleep, and there will be less crashes like this one.

[brahmburgers]

Meanwhile hemp is illegal in Thailand (though it can't get you the least bit stoned or high) and 80 proof moonshine is legal and sold everywhere in Thailand.

Am not saying the driver was drunk, though he was likely drinking the night before as many Thais do - particularly working guys like him.

[ginjag]

It's really quite simple. These bus drivers are paid almost nothing, and the companies that hire them don't care if they get sleep. So naturally, they drink tons of these strong energy drinks (and probably some stronger illegal drugs), and think they can stay up. After driving buses back and forth for a few days their bodies crash, and they can't do anything else but fall asleep.

start paying bus drivers more, make them sleep, and there will be less crashes like this one.

Pay them more How much ???? to make them a safe driver. .....The companies to make them sleep, so they go to their homes and give them morphine at bed time. ....The driver has to be a responsible person, and qualified properly to do his job. You employ the wrong person you get these crashes. Like most work in Thailand I wonder if they insist on a UNI/diploma. ....This is a on going road problem, with only stupid transport ministry splashes of Ideas-instead of tackling the problem properly. Vetting drivers, their previous record, age. medical problems. A host of things to correct, AFTER that then give them a drivers min/wage, experience taken into consideration.

[punkonater]

maybe something like this would help:

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/02/10/2815920.htm

[hkt83100]

And the story goes on:

http://www.phuketgazette.net/archives/articles/2011/article10028.html

[sunnyrolfe]

Guess no Hi-So's, politicians or even any royal blooded ever take such buses, so there is no lobby / power to change and improve anything...

Sad but true, sometimes I feel like I am in Ghana here.

You are spot on, I was in Ghana some years ago too and Gerry Rawlings has that bag all tied up doesn't he. I remember I wouldn't see a daily paper without his ugly mug shot all over it.

[sunnyrolfe]

It's really quite simple. These bus drivers are paid almost nothing, and the companies that hire them don't care if they get sleep. So naturally, they drink tons of these strong energy drinks (and probably some stronger illegal drugs), and think they can stay up. After driving buses back and forth for a few days their bodies crash, and they can't do anything else but fall asleep.

start paying bus drivers more, make them sleep, and there will be less crashes like this one.

Pay them more How much ???? to make them a safe driver. .....The companies to make them sleep, so they go to their homes and give them morphine at bed time. ....The driver has to be a responsible person, and qualified properly to do his job. You employ the wrong person you get these crashes. Like most work in Thailand I wonder if they insist on a UNI/diploma. ....This is a on going road problem, with only stupid transport ministry splashes of Ideas-instead of tackling the problem properly. Vetting drivers, their previous record, age. medical problems. A host of things to correct, AFTER that then give them a drivers min/wage, experience taken into consideration.

Would make no difference how much they're paid. I employed Thais, Paid them twice as much as Thais did on average, Supplied all food and soft drinks all day and to top it all off a paid day off each week. I found that far from gratitude in fact it was a case of give an inch take a yard. More so when working for Farangs . If I wasn't there nothing much would get done and most of the food and drinks from the fridge would be pilfered to take home. Take all you can get now and stuff tomorrow sadly is the Thai attitude.

[Hermann]

..and another Bus crashed this morning in Patong with app. 20 dead!!!!!!

The reason: The driver fell a sleep!!!!!!!!!

Take a look in the Phuket Gazette!

So sad!

[ginjag]

It's really quite simple. These bus drivers are paid almost nothing, and the companies that hire them don't care if they get sleep. So naturally, they drink tons of these strong energy drinks (and probably some stronger illegal drugs), and think they can stay up. After driving buses back and forth for a few days their bodies crash, and they can't do anything else but fall asleep.

start paying bus drivers more, make them sleep, and there will be less crashes like this one.

Pay them more How much ???? to make them a safe driver. .....The companies to make them sleep, so they go to their homes and give them morphine at bed time. ....The driver has to be a responsible person, and qualified properly to do his job. You employ the wrong person you get these crashes. Like most work in Thailand I wonder if they insist on a UNI/diploma. ....This is a on going road problem, with only stupid transport ministry splashes of Ideas-instead of tackling the problem properly. Vetting drivers, their previous record, age. medical problems. A host of things to correct, AFTER that then give them a drivers min/wage, experience taken into consideration.

Would make no difference how much they're paid. I employed Thais, Paid them twice as much as Thais did on average, Supplied all food and soft drinks all day and to top it all off a paid day off each week. I found that far from gratitude in fact it was a case of give an inch take a yard. More so when working for Farangs . If I wasn't there nothing much would get done and most of the food and drinks from the fridge would be pilfered to take home. Take all you can get now and stuff tomorrow is the Thai attitude sadly.

Couldn't agree more, my reply was to punkonater......he said give em a pay rise... what a joke.......most local people don't give a shizen. They, drink-smoke gamble-their kids take it in as normal, leave anything around and a good chance it will be gone. BUT this does not mean ALL. and yes it can happen in other countries,

Edited March 8, 2011 by ginjag

[oldsailor35]

School Bus Crash Injures 50

Early this morning, a school bus overturned in Nakhon Ratchasima due to the driver falling asleep behind the wheel.

The accident happened between kilometers 15 and 16 on the Seekiew-Chokchai bypass road in Nakhon Ratchasima's Sungnern district.

There were more than 50 students and teachers injured, five of whom in serious condition.

Eleven have been transported to Seekiew Hospital, 42 to Sungnern Hospital and two to Maharaj Nakhon Ratchasima Hospital.

The school bus was bringing ninth to twelfth graders from Suwanvichit Wittaya School in Surin province back from a field trip in Prachuap Khiri Khan province.

Upon approaching the accident scene, driver 41 year old Thanadej Akarawongwatana fell asleep behind the wheel and lost control of the bus, causing it to swerve before hitting a bridge's guard rail and falling into a dry canal.

The driver sustained minor injuries and has been taken into police custody.

-- Tan Network 2011-03-07

seeing as how he did not "run away" i suppose he will be back at work next week .

[oldsailor35]

maybe something like this would help:

http://www.abc.net.a.../10/2815920.htm

This is a "must" technology for the safety of all road users. I think LINFOX who are now operating in Thailand, should put it in all its Thai trucks.