Seven Chiang Rai Football Fans Killed As Bus Overturns

[Lite Beer]

Seven Chiang Rai football fans killed

By The Nation on Sunday

46 hurt after bus overturns in Lop Buri

Seven people were killed and 46 others injured when the double-decker bus they were travelling in, transporting Chiang Rai FC fans to Buri Ram, overturned yesterday in Lop Buri's Lam Sonthi district.

After the accident was reported at 8am yesterday, police and rescue workers rushed to the 33-34km marker on Tha Luang-Dan Khunthod Road to find the wrecked bus lying in a roadside ditch.

Injured passengers were extricated from the wrecked bus and sent to nearby hospitals. At press time, 14 critically injured people remained hospitalised while the others who were only slightly injured were allowed to go home. Only two fans were spared any injury from the accident.

The seven people who were killed were: Chiang Rai's Mae Fa Luang assistant district officer Supoj Pakdisan, 44; Chiang Rai United Football Club webmaster Abhisit Jaikla, 27; Chiang Rai FC fan club president Chinnakorn Sriyap; Jamras Khlathai, 43; Athipong Hanwanich, 27; Sukanya Fujai, 32; and Ekthawat.

The bus was transporting 55 football fans for the match between Chiang Rai FC and Buriram PEA slated for yesterday evening at the I-mobile Stadium in Buri Ram's Muang district.

Initial police investigation found that the bus was travelling fast when the driver veered the vehicle to the side to avoid colliding with an oncoming six-wheel truck. In the process, the bus plunged into the ditch, causing deaths and injuries.

Atthapol Buspakom, head coach of Buriram PEA, yesterday offered his condolences over the deaths and injuries suffered by Chiang Rai FC fans. He said yesterday evening's match would begin with a silent prayer for the deceased Chiang Rai FC fans.

Veteran politician Yongyuth Tiyapairat, father of the Chiang Rai FC president, yesterday visited critically injured fans at Chaibadan Hospital and Phra Narai Maharat Hospital. He also visited fans who were slightly injured at their hotel rooms in Chaibadan district, to give them morale support and agreed to take care of their accommodation expenses

-- The Nation 2011-06-12

[sjjmmi]

So sad, but TIT and the truck driver ran away

Edited June 12, 2011 by sjjmmi

[sirchai]

RIP and a speedy recovery for the injured ones..........:jap:

[South]

Sad day. But .... Chiang Rai to Buri Ram via Lop Buri?? Am I missing something here?

[kevbap]

Sad day for Thai football fans, RIP. Hope the injured get well soon & i also hope Chiang Mai's match today starts with a minutes silence in support of there local rivals.

[moe666]

Sad ending to what was ment to be a good day out. Good luck to all of the injured, and best wishes to the families of the deceased

[Digitalbanana]

>the bus was travelling fast when the driver veered the vehicle to the side to avoid colliding with an oncoming six-wheel truck

Another needless waste of life. Unless more enforced legislation is in place to control the risks inherent in Thai driving, these stories will repeat ad infinitum.

[binnsy]

Sad day for Thai football fans, RIP. Hope the injured get well soon & i also hope Chiang Mai's match today starts with a minutes silence in support of there local rivals.

Yes a sad day and there was a minutes silence which you could have heard a pin drop.

[PhayaoPete]

This is sad indeed and also my biggest bitch....the nonsensical driving these idiot bus drivers do. Let's see....how many CR teachers were killed by one up on a mountainous road not too long ago? I guess all we can hope for is that the drivers are included in the fatalities so they can't kill anymore innocent passengers. It is unbelievable....no sense what so ever. From what I have encountered here, the one thing they do to the best of their ability is to drive way too fast and that is with others as well, especially the yuppie Thais in their SUVs. Do they think because the vehicle they are driving is big enough so that everyone else will just get out of the way or what? Don't they teach these ya-ba monkey bus drivers how to safely drive and that those big tour buses are very top heavy? I wonder which one was in the middle of the road on the blind curve, eh? This seems to be everyones favorite, idiotic driving stunt. Give me a break! RIP you unfortunate souls that drew this drivers shift. Hurry up with that train. PP

[Canexpat]

My sincere condolences to the families of the deceased. During my entire time, and my extensive travels throughout Thailand, I have never been in a bus or taxi-van that drove his vehicle with the professional conviction that his passengers well being was his responsibility. I have never seen or heard of a bus or taxi-van driver being pulled over by the police for unsafe driving. Over the course of 2 years I travelled on average from Hua Hin to Bangkok once every 2 weeks using busses and taxi-vans, during the past 3 months I gave up using these forms of transportation and hired a personal driver to take me from Hua Hin to Bangkok. The cheap prices were just not worth putting myself at risk. I do not exaggerate at all when I say, I did not witness a single bus or taxi-van driver operate his vehicle in a safe and responsible manner.

[thaimiller]

RIP to those that didn't make it home. Get well very soon to those in Hospital

[mrclough]

R.I.P. To the poor 7 souls that lost their lives. Wishing a speedy recovery to all injured who survived the incident.

A very sad day for Thai football indeed.

I also hope that today's match here in Chiang mai opens with a minute silence out of respect.

My bitching about Thai driving can wait for another time i think.

[random]

My sincere condolences to the families of the deceased. During my entire time, and my extensive travels throughout Thailand, I have never been in a bus or taxi-van that drove his vehicle with the professional conviction that his passengers well being was his responsibility. I have never seen or heard of a bus or taxi-van driver being pulled over by the police for unsafe driving. Over the course of 2 years I travelled on average from Hua Hin to Bangkok once every 2 weeks using busses and taxi-vans, during the past 3 months I gave up using these forms of transportation and hired a personal driver to take me from Hua Hin to Bangkok. The cheap prices were just not worth putting myself at risk. I do not exaggerate at all when I say, I did not witness a single bus or taxi-van driver operate his vehicle in a safe and responsible manner.

sadly most Thais can not afford a Pro driver and have to run the gauntlet with this idiots, and the Thai culture is to not complain, and if they do i have heard of them being threatened or just left at the side of the road.

I am lucky, i own a car so i dont have to use public transport like this, I just have to endure my rear view mirror being filled with these morons

[Thighlander]

The safety is bad out there. My condolences to those, who didn't make it. RIP.

[sbk]

Off topic post removed. Lets have some respect for the families and friends of those who lost their lives in this accident.

[Rimmer]

Inappropriate post removed from view

[blazes]

I find it appalling that the game was allowed to go on in the event of these known deaths. A minutes' silence before the game is totally inappropriate.

Around the world, an event like this would almost certainly be followed by the postponement of the game. Shame on those who made the decision to go ahead. What a way of showing respect to the families of those who died.

[random]

I find it appalling that the game was allowed to go on in the event of these known deaths. A minutes' silence before the game is totally inappropriate.

Around the world, an event like this would almost certainly be followed by the postponement of the game. Shame on those who made the decision to go ahead. What a way of showing respect to the families of those who died.

Can you provide me with such an example of a game being postponed when a few fans have died in an accident prior to the game, I have followed football for all of my 44 years and traveled home and away and throughout europe, and I am yet to know of a game being postponed because a few fans died prior to the game in an accident.

You are the second person to trot this out in this thread and I am sorry but is a nonsense, it is very sad that fans died in an accident but why should the game be called off?

[blazes]

I find it appalling that the game was allowed to go on in the event of these known deaths. A minutes' silence before the game is totally inappropriate.

Around the world, an event like this would almost certainly be followed by the postponement of the game. Shame on those who made the decision to go ahead. What a way of showing respect to the families of those who died.

Can you provide me with such an example of a game being postponed when a few fans have died in an accident prior to the game, I have followed football for all of my 44 years and traveled home and away and throughout europe, and I am yet to know of a game being postponed because a few fans died prior to the game in an accident.

You are the second person to trot this out in this thread and I am sorry but is a nonsense, it is very sad that fans died in an accident but why should the game be called off?

What I find astounding here is the notion that if only "a few" die, it is ok....when do a "few" become "many"??? After 10 deaths, 20, 30???

Or since the journey from Chiang Rai to Buriram is over 1000 kms, maybe we should take into account revenue lost by those who paid for the long bus journey....

Jesus , man, shake your head....

[afarang]

Sad day. But .... Chiang Rai to Buri Ram via Lop Buri?? Am I missing something here?

No , it is about right. Go down to the Sarabuti by-pass , turn left to go to Korat , on to Buriram. Not a lot of good roads into Isarn from the North, sad to say. There is another road through Chaiaphum, but not so good, although Nakornchai air go that way ,with their Ubon- Chiang Mai service

[bitterbatter]

>the bus was travelling fast when the driver veered the vehicle to the side to avoid colliding with an oncoming six-wheel truck

Another needless waste of life. Unless more enforced legislation is in place to control the risks inherent in Thai driving, these stories will repeat ad infinitum.

I wonder which six of the road that six wheel truck was driving on. Was it passing on a solid yellow line?

[barrybankruad]

I find it appalling that the game was allowed to go on in the event of these known deaths. A minutes' silence before the game is totally inappropriate.

Around the world, an event like this would almost certainly be followed by the postponement of the game. Shame on those who made the decision to go ahead. What a way of showing respect to the families of those who died.

As I understand it, many friends of mine went to the game, it was the Chang Rai team's decision to proceed with the match. A postponement was offered but declined.