Phuket’s ‘Buffalo Alley’: car overturns, bus damaged in vehicular bovicide

The driver of the car slammed his brakes as he hit the buffalo, causing his car to overturn. Photo: Wichai Witthawat

The hotel employee bus simultaneously hit the other buffalo. Photo: Wichai Witthawat

PHUKET: One car overturned, a bus was damaged and two buffaloes were killed after a motorbike driver clipped one of the beasts as he drove past, spooking both animals and causing them to run into oncoming traffic.

Kusoldharm Rescue Foudation workers received a report at about 12:30am that an accident involving three vehicles and two buffaloes had occurred on Thepkrasattri Road about one kilometer north of Thalang intersection.

At the scene, rescue workers found two dead buffaloes in the road, a parked motorcycle, a bus with a crushed front end and an upside down Honda sedan.

The motorbike driver told Kusoldharm workers that he was traveling southbound on Thepkrasattri road when the two buffaloes walked out into the road. He said he hit one of the animals, scaring both of them, so they ran to the northbound lanes.

The pair dashed in front of the hotel employee transport bus and the Honda sedan, both of which were traveling northbound at a high speed, the motorbike driver said.

The bus hit one buffalo, while the car hit the other. The driver of the car quickly applied the brakes, causing it to overturn, a rescue worker said.

No humans were injured in the accident, and no one came forward to claim the buffalo, he added.

This is the third such incident in four months. In late July, a passenger van hit and killed two buffalo while in August, an Airport limo hit and killed one buffalo. Both incidents occurred at about 1:30am on Thepkrasattri Road in Thalang. No humans were injured in either incident.

Source: http://www.phuketgazette.net/archives/articles/2011/article11426.html

-- Phuket Gazette 2011-11-12

poor buffalo -- can they not be fitted with flashing lights? Everything else in thailand is

Are these wild animals? If not, why has no owner come forward?

Isn't it time to fence in these animals away from roads?

Are these wild animals? If not, why has no owner come forward?

Wild buffalo in Phuket? I don't think so. Do you think he would come forward to get an insurance claim for the vehicles killing his buffalo? Or would he possibly be liable for allowing his animals to wander into the road? I don't know what the law here is on this one...

honda sedan with a mercedes sign..

Isn't it time to fence in these animals away from roads?

They're a tourist attraction near tesco.. there's a couple of them sitting in the middle of the intersection every month

And the buffaloes are know to be lightning fast moving animals. Pretty difficult to see when driving acceptable speeds.

Or are we talking about red buffaloes, which tend to go in big groups harassing people and take law to their own hands?

honda sedan with a mercedes sign..

Was that not the bus?

couldnt see right, phuket gazette's photographers are too amazing.

Are these wild animals? If not, why has no owner come forward?

Wild buffalo in Phuket? I don't think so. Do you think he would come forward to get an insurance claim for the vehicles killing his buffalo? Or would he possibly be liable for allowing his animals to wander into the road? I don't know what the law here is on this one...

I think the law states buffaloes are not allowed on the roads after sunset which was a question the first time I sat for my drivers licence here.

Are these wild animals? If not, why has no owner come forward?

Wild buffalo in Phuket? I don't think so. Do you think he would come forward to get an insurance claim for the vehicles killing his buffalo? Or would he possibly be liable for allowing his animals to wander into the road? I don't know what the law here is on this one...

Yes, the owner would be liable. So he will not come forward.

Wild buffalo in Phuket? I don't think so. Do you think he would come forward to get an insurance claim for the vehicles killing his buffalo? Or would he possibly be liable for allowing his animals to wander into the road? I don't know what the law here is on this one...

Yes, the owner would be liable. So he will not come forward.

Have a read of the last time this happened about 3 months ago ...

"while the owner of the two buffalo may also be charged – if he can be found."