8 Killed In Bangkok Van Crash, Driver Goes On The Run

[QualityTouristNumberOne]

Drivers run away to avoid vigilante justice. I've seen it happen. Whether a driver was at fault or not, it's quite common for those around to beat them silly.

I don't condone running away, but it's more than just simple cowardice.

I beg to differ. It stems from the usual lack of responsibility and culpability demonstrated at every level of society in Thailand.

In addition, I know the owner of a large haulage firm in Thailand that tells its drivers to flee the scene of an accident whenever possible. More shockingly, he told me that drivers involved in a serious accident are advised to "finish the job" in order to protect the company and themselves.

I would warrant that many van drivers are similarly advised by their employers.

Please define " finish the job"...... Does that mean if a van smashes into me and injures me, I need to crawl away as quickly as I can before the driver comes to finish me off?? :-)

I don't usually get involved in these stories but my Fiancee's brother was knocked off his bike by a 6 wheeled truck a few years ago and only saved his own life by rolling into a ditch(with a broken leg,hip and arm) as the driver rolled back in reverse to kill him after the accident,

so yeah don't take a chance.

[ratcatcher]

Personally, I take a train or plane wherever possible. But if you think mini-busses are equally safe an any other form of transport, you are sadly deluded.

Have you ever considered their tyres? With a load of up to 20 people the load rating of most car tyres would be reaching or exceeding maximum and the tyre pressure to maintain that load rating at speed is much higher and more critical.

OTOH most car tyres are R (170km/hr) speed rated or higher. Light truck tyres are often much lower speed rated especially the cheaper ones, Any van with P (or higher in the alphabet) rated tyres that approaches 160 km/hr is asking for tyre failure by exceeding its design rating. FYI the speed rating is the letter prior to the whel size as in 195/65R15. Every letter above R reduces the rating by 10km/hr (no O ) from 170.

Have you ever checked before putting your life at risk? How many sardines escape intact when you bash open their can with a hammer?

I had to answer your last question as I like sardines. It's not the escaping sardines so much as the messy olive oil or tomato sauce.

[xenomorph]

Similar thing happened to for almost exactly 2 years ago.

If it wasn't for a lady, who managed to enter the minibus a couple of minutes before me and took my favorite seat, I would have been dead now. There were 14 people in this vehicle, including me. The bus belonged to a family who had bought it and offered it for service on the daily minibus tours into Bangkok. The driver were 19 years old and seemed to get a kick of driving in high speed. The speed were about 130. We came into an area that had some heavy rain. Water all over the road. The drivier didn't slow down and kept the insane speed. The minibus the started to slip heavily and finally went off the road and made a broadside hit on one of the concrete poles along the road. The lady who took my seat, died immediately efter getting the full force of the pole on her. I sat next to her and were covered with her blood. I escaped with a few scratches and some tensions om my ribcage.

The driver got away by paying the police chief and the report said that the accident was due to a blown tire.

As someone wrote above... The root of the problem is the corruption in the whole Thai society. Everyone, both rich and poor, pay someone in order to get it their way. Corruption is like a cancer. If you don't become a part of it in a corrupted society, you can't compete against the ones that do.

Moved back to my home country 1 year ago, after 10 years in Thailand, and feel happy about it...

[Phatcharanan]

Drivers run away to avoid vigilante justice. I've seen it happen. Whether a driver was at fault or not, it's quite common for those around to beat them silly.

I don't condone running away, but it's more than just simple cowardice.

I know the owner of a large haulage firm in Thailand that tells its drivers to flee the scene of an accident whenever possible. More shockingly, he told me that drivers involved in a serious accident are advised to "finish the job" in order to protect the company and themselves.

Yeah sure. Of course you know.

[softgeorge]

Another tragic story involving these vans and again the driver flees the scene. How many exactly the same incidents involving vans and drivers legging it are there per week.

[KeyserSoze01]

If everyone else in the van were killed in the accident, how did the driver survive? Especially running into the rear of a parked truck.

[z12]

Riding in these minivans is like playing russian roulette.

Edited February 11, 2012 by z12

[thequietman]

Drivers run away to avoid vigilante justice. I've seen it happen. Whether a driver was at fault or not, it's quite common for those around to beat them silly.

I don't condone running away, but it's more than just simple cowardice.

I know the owner of a large haulage firm in Thailand that tells its drivers to flee the scene of an accident whenever possible. More shockingly, he told me that drivers involved in a serious accident are advised to "finish the job" in order to protect the company and themselves.

Yeah sure. Of course you know.

i was surprised at this statement also. however i asked the wife and sure enough she confirmed it. except to add that thai people in pickups and cars know to do the same. unbelievable. its cheaper to kill them she said, as an ongoing hospital bill will end up costing them more. life really don't meant shit in thailand.

[KamalaDreamer]

Ok, so who is to blame?

Any society, or group of individuals, or any individual, hell bent on making (or saving) money will always have "accidents".

You pay your money you take your choice.

Truck driver stopped on the hard shoulder to take a pee. Blame him.

<deleted>.

[KamalaDreamer]

This won't be the last post about people dying on Thai roads, as you all well know.

Whose going to get the Health and Safety boys in?

Regulations don't work. People take risks.

Great Britain would never allow riverboat taxi like they have on the Chao Praya.

USA's lawyers and the litigation laws make money.

You can't have it all.

[xthAi76s]

Police would strictly enforce the laws, including limiting transport vans to 120km/h on highways, Noraboon said.

LMAO!! Made my Saturday evening

[KamalaDreamer]

Drivers run away to avoid vigilante justice. I've seen it happen. Whether a driver was at fault or not, it's quite common for those around to beat them silly.

I don't condone running away, but it's more than just simple cowardice.

I know the owner of a large haulage firm in Thailand that tells its drivers to flee the scene of an accident whenever possible. More shockingly, he told me that drivers involved in a serious accident are advised to "finish the job" in order to protect the company and themselves.

Yeah sure. Of course you know.

i was surprised at this statement also. however i asked the wife and sure enough she confirmed it. except to add that thai people in pickups and cars know to do the same. unbelievable. its cheaper to kill them she said, as an ongoing hospital bill will end up costing them more. life really don't meant shit in thailand.

With the greatest respect to your wife, farangs need to be very careful about blanket statements about the value of lives in IndoChina.

US got that one wrong in VietNam.

[KamalaDreamer]

Let's see if the next economic power gets it right.

IMO there will be horror stories coming out of China that make Thailand look like a land of smiles.

Horror stories or "accidents"?

[thaicbr]

RIP to the people.

I gotta ask WHAT is the maximum speed allowed on Thai roads..

I have only ever seen 90kmh signs (i do not go on Thailand's single motorway much)

[Tywais]

Off topic nonsense removed.

[osiboy]

There we go again. And another runner! EVERY TIME there's an accident in Thailand, the driver "runs" away from the scene. It is the most bizarre international/cultural phenomenon I've ever witnessed.

if you KNEW it was because they were all taking amphetemines or illegal stimulants ,...........would you think running away was so '' bizarre'' ?

[Darbar]

Everyone seems to be missing the point that this kind of <deleted> driving (although fuelled by higher driver earnings) is a direct result of the equally <deleted> Thai driving test standards compared to the rest of the world.

Like most fuc_k-up's in this country.. the path leads back to the government and the ineptness that runs rife. Fix the system, and over time these kinds of tragedies can be averted

[kimamey]

How can a so called speeding van crash into the back of a stationary truck, kill a load of people yet the driver who presumably was sitting at the front of the vehicle is somehow miraculously able to flee the scene? Same with the Jan 6th incident.

The driver is probably the only one who had a seat belt on; not for safety but just to avoid getting a traffic ticket for anyone in the front seat found not wearing a seat belt...the traffic BIB love to give "almost" tickets for this....it's a quick 200 baht for them. For anyone not in the front seat, seat belts are not required by Thai law.

Surely if only those in the front seats are wearing seat belts then in a collision such as this the passangers behind will propel forward crushing those in front? This is why a law requiring only those in the front seats to wear belts is pointless.

Still amazing that these drivers seem to survive.

[Richard W]

i was surprised at this statement also. however i asked the wife and sure enough she confirmed it. except to add that thai people in pickups and cars know to do the same. unbelievable. its cheaper to kill them she said, as an ongoing hospital bill will end up costing them more. life really don't meant shit in thailand.

The British Army has also advised in the past (a couple of generations ago) that it's cheaper to kill than to maim in a traffic accident.

[KamalaDreamer]

i was surprised at this statement also. however i asked the wife and sure enough she confirmed it. except to add that thai people in pickups and cars know to do the same. unbelievable. its cheaper to kill them she said, as an ongoing hospital bill will end up costing them more. life really don't meant shit in thailand.

The British Army has also advised in the past (a couple of generations ago) that it's cheaper to kill than to maim in a traffic accident.

You'd better check with the wife quietman. My tgf would piss all over me if I operated that way.

[metisdead]

Posts commenting on moderation issues have been removed.

[scorecard]

Drivers run away to avoid vigilante justice. I've seen it happen. Whether a driver was at fault or not, it's quite common for those around to beat them silly.

I don't condone running away, but it's more than just simple cowardice.

I beg to differ. It stems from the usual lack of responsibility and culpability demonstrated at every level of society in Thailand.

In addition, I know the owner of a large haulage firm in Thailand that tells its drivers to flee the scene of an accident whenever possible. More shockingly, he told me that drivers involved in a serious accident are advised to "finish the job" in order to protect the company and themselves.

I would warrant that many van drivers are similarly advised by their employers.

' ' I beg to differ. It stems from the usual lack of responsibility and culpability demonstrated at every level of society in Thailand. ' '

And the paymaster the prime example, nor morals whatever , worst possible role model

[samsiam]

Limit to 120kmh......outstanding

[jimbeam1]

RIP to the people.

I gotta ask WHAT is the maximum speed allowed on Thai roads..

I have only ever seen 90kmh signs (i do not go on Thailand's single motorway much)

On some roads the limit is 120kmh.

jb1

[peecee]

When it comes to mini-vans, Just Say NO - preferably in emphatic four letter words.

No different to riding in a taxi, bus or any other road transportation within Thailand.

The van drivers rightfully have a bad rep, but taxi drivers, bus drivers and other drivers with passengers are equally irresponsible, untrained and unqualified and are just as likely to be involved in accidents.

The driving test is unreal here, even if you fail then 1000bt changes it to a pass; that's if you can be bothered to take a test in the first place!