Public Transport Van Plunges Into Ditch Killing Four, Injuring 16: Suphan Buri

[webfact]

Van plunges into 5-metre-deep ditch

The Nation

SUPHAN BURI: -- A PUBLIC-TRANSPORT van plunged into a roadside ditch in Suphan Buri yesterday, killing four and injuring 16 other passengers.

The casualties included a nine-month-old baby girl and a 10-year-old boy.

The van, which services passengers between Bangkok and Suphan Buri, crashed into the ditch on the Uthong-Dan Chang Road.

Driver Methee Wongthai, 39, said he was about to change lanes when a pickup suddenly sped up and slammed into his vehicle.

"Then the van fell into a 5-metre-deep ditch," he said.

Police said they would gather evidence and speak to more witnesses before wrapping up the case.

-- The Nation 2012-01-28

[TheWalkingMan]

20 people fit inside this van?

RIP

[petedk]

20 people fit inside this van?

RIP

Yes if they sit on each other's laps. I've seen it before.

[swifty5x5]

It looks like in the picture that the van driver was about to overtake on a bridge. A bad habit if not illegal.

[x5david]

Or he was pulling over to pick up even more passengers and the truck didnt want to get stuck behind him....

[LuckyLew]

It is amazing how many times we have to read about these

types of accidents. When will someone in a position of power

do something to bring down the accidents and deaths in

these rolling death traps?

[OzMick]

It is amazing how many times we have to read about these

types of accidents. When will someone in a position of power

do something to bring down the accidents and deaths in

these rolling death traps?

No. It comes down to personal responsibility, and I flat out refuse to enter one. There is always an alternative and often cheaper, which means that touts and ticket sellers will lie to refute possible alternatives.

[steve187]

R.I.P.

Another 'really good' driver hit by another vehicle, who happened to speed up at that point, as an ex public transport driver, and a police advanced trained motorway patrol driver, I find the standard of public transport drivers here appalling, and to compound the risk by seriously overloading the vehicle , I can think of only one course of action to take against the driver, but I am too polite to mention it on here.

When I did my advanced police training in Essex, I was told by the instructor, “to look at every other vehicle on the road, as if they are going to do their best, to kill you’’ something I still to this day remember when I drive.

[harrry]

When will drivers learn that it is not the vehicle which is pulling out to overtake which has right of way. (This also applies to Fortuna drivers.)

[zakk9]

When will drivers learn that it is not the vehicle which is pulling out to overtake which has right of way. (This also applies to Fortuna drivers.)

They will never learn, there's no reason to. Money is flowing into the system regardless of fatalities and crushed metal. The vans are rolling death traps and the moment you enter one your life expectancy declines manyfold.

Somewhere between 40 and 80 people die in traffic accidents in Thailand every day (40 according to official statistics, close to 80 according to independent research), and very few care, even though a majority of those fatalities could easily have been prevented by using the simplest forms of safety gear, like helmets and safety belts, not to speak about proper training of drivers and others risking their lives on Thai roads. But this is Thailand, and priorities seem to be elsewhere, unfortunately for those who lose friends, family members and livelihood due to this mess.

[Bagwan]

R.I.P.

Another 'really good' driver hit by another vehicle, who happened to speed up at that point, as an ex public transport driver, and a police advanced trained motorway patrol driver, I find the standard of public transport drivers here appalling, and to compound the risk by seriously overloading the vehicle , I can think of only one course of action to take against the driver, but I am too polite to mention it on here.

When I did my advanced police training in Essex, I was told by the instructor, “to look at every other vehicle on the road, as if they are going to do their best, to kill you’’ something I still to this day remember when I drive.

My first father in law who was a lorry driver all his life (back to the days of solid tyres he told me), told me to regard every driver on the road as a total maniac. In Thailand I don't have to drive more than 100 yards for this sentiment to be self evident.

[Gone]

Very very sad indeed. RIP to all these people. It is so strange how the drivers never die in these daily accidents. Not that I wish that upon anyone but just strange.

I personally don't use these vans for this exact reason.

[stickyrice2000]

Thailand, Vietnam and Laos are all alike. They do not follow the traffic regulation. The drivers are impatience. They do not care about the safety of other people. I feel scare just being in the transportation.

[pointoffew]

I find Laotian drivers much more disciplined than Thai drivers. Having said that, IMO Thai women on average drive ten times better than Thai men.

[louse1953]

It is amazing how many times we have to read about these

types of accidents. When will someone in a position of power

do something to bring down the accidents and deaths in

these rolling death traps?

No. It comes down to personal responsibility, and I flat out refuse to enter one. There is always an alternative and often cheaper, which means that touts and ticket sellers will lie to refute possible alternatives.

Ditto that.

[maapaa]

... My first father in law who was a lorry driver all his life (back to the days of solid tyres he told me), told me to regard every driver on the road as a total maniac. In Thailand I don't have to drive more than 100 yards for this sentiment to be self evident.

Can't agree, sorry. Driving in Thailand is verrrry dangerous, sure. But it's possible to do it even without getting injured or even killed. I am living and working in Samut Prakan since a couple of month now and from MON to FRI I use my small Yamaha Mio scooter to drive to work. Big roads - 2 to 3 lanes per direction, traffic jams, public transport songtaeows, taxis, not turning on direction indicator lights, breaking light bulbs without function, driving against the "normal" direction ... have seen everything here.

But if you don't speed up like some idiots, if you don't want to win any race, if you pay attention to all the other drivers - you can reduce the danger alot.

Edited January 28, 2012 by maapaa

[JurgenG]

This van drivers drive way too fast and too aggressively. Even if there is no room between the car in front of you and your car, they force their way and you have to jump on the brake to avoid them. It's a stupid game of chicken they play all the time. This time the van driver lost. I'm just surprised it doesn't happen more often.

[zakk9]

I'm just surprised it doesn't happen more often.

It probably happens much more often than we realise. Only a small fraction of traffic accidents in Thailand end up in the news.

[zakk9]

... My first father in law who was a lorry driver all his life (back to the days of solid tyres he told me), told me to regard every driver on the road as a total maniac. In Thailand I don't have to drive more than 100 yards for this sentiment to be self evident.

Can't agree, sorry. Driving in Thailand is verrrry dangerous, sure. But it's possible to do it even without getting injured or even killed. I am living and working in Samut Prakan since a couple of month now and from MON to FRI I use my small Yamaha Mio scooter to drive to work. Big roads - 2 to 3 lanes per direction, traffic jams, public transport songtaeows, taxis, not turning on direction indicator lights, breaking light bulbs without function, driving against the "normal" direction ... have seen everything here.

But if you don't speed up like some idiots, if you don't want to win any race, if you pay attention to all the other drivers - you can reduce the danger alot.

So let me tell you how I stopped driving a motorbike in Bangkok:

Sukhumvit road, somewhat east of On Nouch around midnight, two cars on the road, a taxi in the left lane, another car in the right. I placed myself on my little Honda in the middle lane to be safe and free of obstructions. Then, suddenly and without warning, the car to the right changes to the middle lane right in front of me. Still, I managed to change to the right one, avoiding a collision, or so I thought. What I hadn't seen because it had been hidden by the car, was that in the right lane, there was a big, orange plastic "blob" to make drivers make a wide u-turn. Before I had time to react, the driver had started her u-turn and I was flying.

The helmet saved me and I escaped with a broken collar bone. Would this have happened anywhere? Most of the time not. In most other countries, you are not allowed to make u-turns on multi-lane streets, in most other countries, the police don't place big, orange "blobs" in the middle of the road and in most other countries most people don't cross multiple lanes without using the indicator light. Here, all of these things happen routinely, every few hundred meters or so, day and night, and when new roads are built, the exact same routines are introduced. It's very difficult to understand sometimes.

[anterian]

My first year here I was getting out of a taxi on the passenger side, suddenly there was a crash and a motorbike piled into the open door. I was told it was my fault as I should have checked it was clear to open the door, apparently in Thailand it is legal to overtake on the inside. I vanished whilst they were examining the damage. I have since learnt that in any accident involving a farang the farang foots the bill.

[paulswebb]

Yes they are not content when every seat is filled, they use plastic stools in the isles, but then when ignorance is bliss it is foolish to be wise

[Basil B]

20 people in a 13 seater does not surprise me in a land where it is not unusual to see seven or more on a moped and where school busses are converted lorries with roof racks so the kids can ride on top.

[featography]

It looks like in the picture that the van driver was about to overtake on a bridge. A bad habit if not illegal.

No, it looks like in the picture that the van driver is in the ditch with the van.

[RickBradford]

Bad roads + bad vehicles + bad drivers + bad manners = many fatalities.

[tonypace02]

22 in the bus. 20 passengers a driver and a steward.

[TeddyFlyfisherDavis]

Thailand, Vietnam and Laos are all alike. They do not follow the traffic regulation. The drivers are impatience. They do not care about the safety of other people. I feel scare just being in the transportation.

Have you ever been to Cambodia...? It is worse...Believe me...

[oldsailor35]

Very very sad indeed. RIP to all these people. It is so strange how the drivers never die in these daily accidents. Not that I wish that upon anyone but just strange.

I personally don't use these vans for this exact reason.

These drivers are probably the only person on board with a safety belt

[oldsailor35]

No driver training whatsoever.

I often wonder just how these mimi bus drivers get their jobs ! I live on Koh Samui and believe me, its an absolute nightmare travelling thro Maenam in the morning when all these mini busses are heading for the Lompraya ferry taking passengers from hotels to the Koh Pangan ferry boats. They drive like maniacs, overtaking everything and anything and then if there is no room because of oncoming traffic, they just barge in , no indicators whatsoever and god help any motorbikes who happen to be in "their" space.

And then in the late afternoon, it all happens again only in reverse. Something just has to be done about these mini busses. I was at the airport today, a mini bus dropped his passengers and then did a screaming U turn and took off out of the airport, flat out, no reason at all, just his gung ho attitude. These busses are very high geared and all the drivers treat them like toys.

[oldsailor35]

Thailand, Vietnam and Laos are all alike. They do not follow the traffic regulation. The drivers are impatience. They do not care about the safety of other people. I feel scare just being in the transportation.

Have you ever been to Cambodia...? It is worse...Believe me...

Bugger Cambodia, its Thailand we are concerned about !

[pacovl46]

a car suddenly sped up and crashed into him while he was changing lanes. in other words: he DIDN'T check his mirror before changing lanes and therefore didn't see the pick up coming.