Three British teenagers killed in Thai bus crash

[Tywais]

London gap year students killed in Thailand coach crash

Three gap year students from London have been killed in a coach crash in Thailand.

Conrad Hugo Quashie, Bruno Albert Melling-Firth and Maximilian Hugo Ulrich Boomgaarden-Cook were travelling from the capital city Bangkok to the northern town of Chiang Mai.

Their coach was in a head-on crash with another bus in Khlong Khlung, in the Kamphaeng Phet Province, on Tuesday.

All three were students at Charter School in Dulwich, south London.

The Foreign Office (FCO) has confirmed the incident and said two other Britons were also on board the coach, one of them required hospital treatment.

-- BBC 30 June 2011

More details here

[webfact]

Three British teenagers killed in Thai bus crash: officials

LONDON (AFP) - Three British teenagers died in a bus crash while travelling through northern Thailand, officials in London said on Thursday.

The three young men, all 19 and from London, were killed when the coach they were travelling in collided with another bus early Tuesday as they headed for the northern city of Chiang Mai.

Bruno Melling-Firth, Conrad Quashie and Max Boomgaarden-Cook were taking time off to travel before going to university when they died in Khlong Khlung, Kamphaeng Phet province, a government source said.

A third Briton was injured in the crash and taken to hospital in Bangkok. British media reported that about 40 other passengers were hurt.

"We can confirm the death of three British nationals," said a Foreign Office statement.

"A further two British nationals were on board the bus. We are in contact with both -- one has some injuries and we have visited him in hospital in Bangkok and are providing assistance."

The teenagers were school friends and been saving for months for the trip, London's Evening Standard newspaper reported. They flew out to Thailand from London Heathrow airport on Thursday last week, it added.

-- (c) Copyright AFP 2011-07-01

[KKvampire]

once again to any tourists coming to Thailand and doing alot of travelling , just remember travelling on the roads in Thailand is amongst the most dangerous in the world, Go somewhere else if you can

[laurentbkk]

RIP to those poor guys who asked nothing but to spend good time vacation and end up because of probably stupid driving behavior,over speed most probably and a total lack of driving knowledge by the drivers ...it happen all the time and will never end ,until the government act quickly. Drivers should get proper instruction ,its crazy in some countries you have to spend fortune in driving schools and here you just buy your license without knowing that a van , a car or a bus are weapons for those who dont know how to use them properly. nothing will ever change here and poor people will continue to die because of such incompetence.

[anon467367354]

RIP, this is horrible! another case of no standards, just looking like their are. My condolences to the families. :jap:

[Wanderlust]

[i think some people are jumping the gun on this one a bit; of course condolences to those directly affected, but to immediately assume the accident is a result of poor driving standards is unfair - for all we know it could have been caused by some other reason like brake failure or swerving to avoid a dog. The driving standards are not good in Thailand, but that doesn't mean that every accident is down to them. Accidents happen unfortunately, and they happen everywhere.

[kuffki]

RIP boys and deepest condolences to the family.

No need to discuss thai roads, traffic or any other rules. People die daily and nothing is done and i doubt anything will.

[Matthew2027]

once again to any tourists coming to Thailand and doing alot of travelling , just remember travelling on the roads in Thailand is amongst the most dangerous in the world, Go somewhere else if you can

What are you talikg about??

'Go somewhere else if you can"

[jonnog]

Such a sad story. Young guys with their whole lives ahead of them. RIP.

But.

Once again the sorry sorry state of driving in this country raises its ugly head. I stopped driving to my wife's home at New Year and Songkran many years ago due to the horrendous standards of driving. Most of the drivers (particularly in vans, buses, taxis) have no knowledge of driving yet sincerely believe that they are highly skilled by driving carelessly at high speeds. What arrogant ba****ds.

[FarangGirlinKorat]

[i think some people are jumping the gun on this one a bit; of course condolences to those directly affected, but to immediately assume the accident is a result of poor driving standards is unfair - for all we know it could have been caused by some other reason like brake failure or swerving to avoid a dog. The driving standards are not good in Thailand, but that doesn't mean that every accident is down to them. Accidents happen unfortunately, and they happen everywhere.

THAI drivers AVOIDING hitting a dog?

that's hilarious.

[happyjune]

making the roads safer = responsibly = Amazing Thailand

Will never happen.

[seriouseats]

I still don't get why there is no belts on buses.. anywhere in the world?

[sydneyjed]

My hearts go out to all their family and friends...this is just devastating news on the back of the crash that claimed 8 lives last weekend in Chiang Mai...So young and everything to live for!I have offically given the minibus mode of transport the big wide berth and only catch the train down to Hua Hin...just too many crashes now,what with the one just out of Pattaya recently!

[Suradit]

once again to any tourists coming to Thailand and doing alot of travelling , just remember travelling on the roads in Thailand is amongst the most dangerous in the world, Go somewhere else if you can

What are you talikg about??

'Go somewhere else if you can"

No matter how sad the situation, for some people, before all else, it's just another opportunity to bash Thailand. Accidents happen everywhere in the world.

It's especially sad when it's young people on what was probably an exciting adventure for them, but things like this could just as easily have happened if they remained in UK.

[laurentbkk]

[i think some people are jumping the gun on this one a bit; of course condolences to those directly affected, but to immediately assume the accident is a result of poor driving standards is unfair - for all we know it could have been caused by some other reason like brake failure or swerving to avoid a dog. The driving standards are not good in Thailand, but that doesn't mean that every accident is down to them. Accidents happen unfortunately, and they happen everywhere.

Yes you are right , those stories usually end up by investigation " brake failure" ... I agree no need to jump in conclusion but we all know ,specially those living here ,that mini vans drivers , bus drivers ,pick up drivers rarely care about their passengers ,how many accidents everyday because of excessive speed and inadequate driving behavior ???????

[dickyknee]

[i think some people are jumping the gun on this one a bit; of course condolences to those directly affected, but to immediately assume the accident is a result of poor driving standards is unfair - for all we know it could have been caused by some other reason like brake failure or swerving to avoid a dog. The driving standards are not good in Thailand, but that doesn't mean that every accident is down to them. Accidents happen unfortunately, and they happen everywhere.

good to hear the dog is ok.

[Anyse]

I have been reading here a lot and, unfortunately, all too often, the worst is assumed by most people. It is worse than back-seat driving or divan refereeing during a game. First, the only things known are what the reporters report. Then, these reportes are described here as less than "informative" and so on. Then, criticism about whatever can be conjured up about Thailand, drivers, laws, social norms and so on. It seems that, here, people writing really do not like Thailand. There seems to be blinders on such that, if it is not like back home (which it really is, if thought about icarefully, as people from all over the world die in accidents in England, Austrailia and the US as well as other nations in the entire world, which are not mentioned here at all). Unfortunately, the bias is all to clear and comments such as "go anywhere else you can [but not to Thailand]" are more demeaning to Thailand that I am grieviously disturbed. I would like to read more thoughtful comments rather than visceral reactions. There is too little analysis. I am going to do a little research on a few things, if I can, and put this in real perspective for people here so that they will be able to "get a grip" on reality about home as well as about Thailand.

[SantiSuk]

I still don't get why there is no belts on buses.. anywhere in the world?

New passenger coaches in the UK have them. Probably required by law now. Not to say that all passengers wear them though.

[kudroz]

I often drive from Chiang Mai to Bangkok and I am not "surprised" by this news. The bus drivers are careless and impatient on the road. They will overpass anytime it pleases them not caring for opposing traffic. They drive way too fast going down hill when there is a curve waiting for them at the end; it often results in the bus having half their wheels in the opposing lane.

I love driving and I drove all over Thailand. I've done long trips e.g. from Chiang Mai to Phuket or Chiang Mai to Vientiane, etc. The behavior of bus drivers I depict is the same all over Thailand. I would not recommend using them for travel.

[bitterbatter]

I would like to know if they were on a double decker riding on top or below. I had always considered riding lower deck to be safer on windy roads, but in this case it may have not been.

Idea:

Seatbelts available on bus seats

[terryp]

Breaking News? Yes 3 days ago

Anyone thinking of coming to thailand be very aware this is not a safety con-shush Country and YOUR life is basically worthless

RIP

[Just1Voice]

I agree that accidents can, and do, happen anywhere and everywhere in the world. They just seem to happen more frequently, and with greater mortality rates, here in Thailand than other countries. Read somewhere that there were 40,000 driving related deaths in the U.S. last year. Check the stats and you'll find Thailand has about the same. But when you factor in populations of the two countries, it's not hard to see which one has the higher per capita.

The bottom line is that until the father, mother, son, daughter, brother, sister of some General, or politician, or BKK Elite is killed in a horrible crash, nothing's going to change here. TiT and that's the way it is.

[rungnapachan]

once again to any tourists coming to Thailand and doing alot of travelling , just remember travelling on the roads in Thailand is amongst the most dangerous in the world, Go somewhere else if you can

me rarely take Coach if i have to take road trip...prefer train yap! it take longer time but much safer

[somtampet]

[i think some people are jumping the gun on this one a bit; of course condolences to those directly affected, but to immediately assume the accident is a result of poor driving standards is unfair - for all we know it could have been caused by some other reason like brake failure or swerving to avoid a dog. The driving standards are not good in Thailand, but that doesn't mean that every accident is down to them. Accidents happen unfortunately, and they happen everywhere.

Yes you are right , those stories usually end up by investigation " brake failure" ... I agree no need to jump in conclusion but we all know ,specially those living here ,that mini vans drivers , bus drivers ,pick up drivers rarely care about their passengers ,how many accidents everyday because of excessive speed and inadequate driving behavior ???????

I have been doing 90 visa run for 7 years with no probs,great drivers too.Been travelijng all over Thailand with,u guessed it,no probs.Deaths can happen all over the world,and would be interesting to see the death rate for Thailand and uk,i canty be arsed to look but somebody will.

RIP LADS

[MaxYakov]

[i think some people are jumping the gun on this one a bit; of course condolences to those directly affected, but to immediately assume the accident is a result of poor driving standards is unfair - for all we know it could have been caused by some other reason like brake failure or swerving to avoid a dog. The driving standards are not good in Thailand, but that doesn't mean that every accident is down to them. Accidents happen unfortunately, and they happen everywhere.

The article stated that it was a 'head-on' collision. Due to brake failure? Avoiding an animal (even a water buffalo?)? I'd say either poor judgment in passing, driving too fast for conditions, a blowout, driver inattentive or asleep. Someone or something screwed-up - more likely someone.

[Zammo]

What sad news and what a waste. RIP boys.

[yugobrian]

[i think some people are jumping the gun on this one a bit; of course condolences to those directly affected, but to immediately assume the accident is a result of poor driving standards is unfair - for all we know it could have been caused by some other reason like brake failure or swerving to avoid a dog. The driving standards are not good in Thailand, but that doesn't mean that every accident is down to them. Accidents happen unfortunately, and they happen everywhere.

THAI drivers AVOIDING hitting a dog?

that's hilarious.

Yes, accidents happen everywhere, but here they just happen more often and with more serious consequences. If you have ever been on a bus, you are immediately aware of how dangerous it is - and I am talking about every bus I've ever been on. No bus should be going 120 km/hour. Brake failure - according to the news reports - happens all the time. That is ridiculous. And if its brake failure, then the issue is not maintaining the buses. I agree that not every accident is a result of bad driving, only 99 percent of them are.

[wackysleet]

once again to any tourists coming to Thailand and doing alot of travelling , just remember travelling on the roads in Thailand is amongst the most dangerous in the world, Go somewhere else if you can

What are you talikg about??

'Go somewhere else if you can"

No matter how sad the situation, for some people, before all else, it's just another opportunity to bash Thailand. Accidents happen everywhere in the world.

It's especially sad when it's young people on what was probably an exciting adventure for them, but things like this could just as easily have happened if they remained in UK.

Really, what are the figures for accidents by buses in this country per mile as opposed to accidents in England?, you don't know so do not make statements like that.

In England bus/coach drivers are at least trained to a standard unlike here, no controls over driving standards at all, excessive hours, too tight schedules, over tired drivers and in this case one bus was on the wrong side of the road.

[jaapfries]

[i think some people are jumping the gun on this one a bit; of course condolences to those directly affected, but to immediately assume the accident is a result of poor driving standards is unfair - for all we know it could have been caused by some other reason like brake failure or swerving to avoid a dog. The driving standards are not good in Thailand, but that doesn't mean that every accident is down to them. Accidents happen unfortunately, and they happen everywhere.

The only part I agree with would be the statement that "Accidents Will Happen"; however "faulty Brakes" and "Swerving to avoid a Dog" are totally unnecessary, because The brakes should be inspected regularly; so that one's off the table and "swerving to avoid a dog" is a No-No and part of the 1:1 of "Safe Driving" ! ! !

A previous poster hit the nail on the head: the Government MUST start to enforce the rather brilliant laws we already have; but it's the 'Corruption Factor' which allows people to circumvent the system, yet again.

I've said it many times before: they should start with the Mufty-Cop-Patrols and patrolthe Highway & By-Ways of the Kingom: they WILL see what you and I see every minute of the day or night:

1.Drivers sticking to the fast lane at low speeds

2.When changing lanes, or turning-off; nobody uses their signal lights

3.Dangerous Drivers are (literary) getting away with murder here; but should be pulled off the road and prosecuted according to the law

4.Headlight-Beam Control Stations (so easy to set-up in an ad-hoc fashion)

5.Car Dealers should be forced to check any vehicle that comes in their shop for 1) Brakes & 2) Headlight Beam height at severe penalties for failure of doing so.

6.Mobile Alcohol & Drug-Testing should be wide-spread (again; so easy to set-up in an ad-hoc fashion)

and probably a few more likewise sensible and highly desirable measures.

The funny thing about these measures would be that the cops would not have to extort money from road-users anymore, because the income from fines would be an gigantic pile of money ! ! ! ! and Legally obtained at that ! ! ! ! !

What the Problem Is ? ?

Time for the Politicians to GROW-UP and do the right thing, before too many more lives are lost: isn't that their job and duty ?!?!?!?

[bobmac10]

I think we have to admit that driving standards here are pretty bad, especially on the country roads.<br>I see the most dangerous manouvers on a daily basis, the classics are overtaking in unsafe conditions e.g. on a blind hill or a blind bend, drunk driving, racing pickups fully loaded up with goods, speeding through small villages driving long hours on some kind of wake up drug.<br>There is a general lack of care and "fingers crossed" in tight situations where normally one would proceed with caution.<br>The cheaper buses are usually some of the worst offenders, speeding and dangerous overtaking are the norm.<br>The government needs to bring in a licensing system for bus drivers where they are licensed and regularly checked as in the western countries.<br>