Four Dead, Five Injured As Pickup Truck Slams Into Phuket Tourist Van

[Robroy]

Last two bus trips I took from the Phuket area we had to take turns whacking the drivers, who were nodding off regularly at high speed.

On a third (Noparat Tours) the driver stopped the van for a 'break', & I found him going through our luggage at the back.

Think I might take my hols elsewhere in future.

[impulse]

Two people travelling in a car, both with the same last name, and even married to each other.

No chance they're from different countries? Think on that one for a second, then search these very forums for "Thai wife" and see if you come up with any different thoughts beyond "stupid Thais".

Whoever reported the info to the public did the appropriate thing. They reported what they knew and indicated what they did not know for sure. They didn't guess, they didn't make assumptions, they reported the facts they had at the time.

Once again, I'm amazed at how many TV posters are so quick to ridicule all things Thai. Maybe they're not so dumb if you think for even a second...

Edited March 5, 2012 by impulse

[PoodMaiDai]

Last two bus trips I took from the Phuket area we had to take turns whacking the drivers, who were nodding off regularly at high speed.

On a third (Noparat Tours) the driver stopped the van for a 'break', & I found him going through our luggage at the back.

Think I might take my hols elsewhere in future.

I had that happen once in a taxi going from Pattaya to Bangkok. He was nodding off every 10 minutes and refusing to slow down all the while. We stopped at the rest stop and sent him on his way and called a friend to come and get us.

[stevenl]

Last two bus trips I took from the Phuket area we had to take turns whacking the drivers, who were nodding off regularly at high speed.

On a third (Noparat Tours) the driver stopped the van for a 'break', & I found him going through our luggage at the back.

Think I might take my hols elsewhere in future.

Make sure you don't go on vacation anywhere in Thailand then.

[tigermonkey]

Two people travelling in a car, both with the same last name, and even married to each other.

No chance they're from different countries? Think on that one for a second, then search these very forums for "Thai wife" and see if you come up with any different thoughts beyond "stupid Thais".

Whoever reported the info to the public did the appropriate thing. They reported what they knew and indicated what they did not know for sure. They didn't guess, they didn't make assumptions, they reported the facts they had at the time.

Once again, I'm amazed at how many TV posters are so quick to ridicule all things Thai. Maybe they're not so dumb if you think for even a second...

I would hardly classify The phuket Gazette as part of " all thingsThai " -- it is an English language newspaper serving the ex-pat and tourist segments in Phuket -- founded in 1993 by John Magee.

You either publish complete information or omit partial/misleading information -- it's not that tough to get complete information.

To paraphrase Forrest Gump - " Sloppy is as sloppy does "

Edited March 5, 2012 by tigermonkey

[NamKangMan]

That brings the death toll this year in Phuket to how many?

Yes, I must admit it's becoming quite a talking point here. Quite a number of road deaths these past few weeks. It will be interesting to see how TAT spins the numbers.

Those "numbers" LIK are human lives, but I am sure TAT will "spin" it to show it's not Phuket's fault.

I agree there has been a "spike" in the road death statistics, but even without the spike, the statistics

are still pretty bad.

Some reasons as to why the spike, who knows?

Maybe the word has got out not to use the tuk-tuks, at all costs, therefore pushing everyone onto a bike.

Maybe simple economics, minimum tuk-tuk journey 200 baht - motorbike rent 150 a day. This can be further enhanced by the low euro, dollar and pound exchange rates.

One thing is for sure, people want to explore Phuket and do it in a manner that is not dearer than their accommodation here, or their flights to get here, and I don't think that is an unreasonable request, considering tourist and tourism is what Phuket is all about.

I can only see it getting worse, especially as the current targeted demographic of tourist are not big spenders.

I know some will brand another one of my posts as "negative" but, when we talk about statistics, market trends and supply and demand, facts speak for themselves, and emotions and opinions have nothing to do with my post.

Phuket NEEDS safe, affordable and profesionally operated public transport. Until that day, many more will continue to die, and be maimed, and tourism and the local economy will suffer here.

I would say to the "influential people" on Phuket who directly profit from the lack of transport on the island that they cause, you are killing people, literally, and forcing tourist to chose an alternative destination for their holiday. What you are doing is bad business and bad kharma. You are living "in the past" when Phuket did not have much competition. There is much more competition now, and you must run your tourism business properly, or slowly go broke, which, in my own opinion, I can see happening now.

[LivinginKata]

<snip>

Some reasons as to why the spike, who knows?

Maybe the word has got out not to use the tuk-tuks, at all costs, therefore pushing everyone onto a bike.

Maybe simple economics, minimum tuk-tuk journey 200 baht - motorbike rent 150 a day. This can be further enhanced by the low euro, dollar and pound exchange rates.

One thing is for sure, people want to explore Phuket and do it in a manner that is not dearer than their accommodation here, or their flights to get here, and I don't think that is an unreasonable request, considering tourist and tourism is what Phuket is all about.

I can only see it getting worse, especially as the current targeted demographic of tourist are not big spenders.

I agree NKM

[stevenl]

I also agree, but that is not the reason. This situation has not changed whatsoever. It may look now like more people are using a bike, but I remember threads every year with people saying they have seen more bikes. And the bikes don't ionvolve tourists on bikes, but tourists in cars, minibuses and locals on bikes.

[kartman]

So the pick-up driver stayed and the minibus driver fled. Mmmm ... who do you think was at fault ???

RIP to the dead. Another blight on Phuket's tourism industry.

The minibus if a tour vehicle not from the hotel where the victims were staying,the driver was clued up enough to know that whoevers fault it was he was still driving a minibus wrongly registered for fare paying passengers hence quick exit.

[antipodesant]

This carnage has to stop, but it won't

You are right.

AND . the police charge one of the drivers with negligent driving causing death and they haven't even located the driver of the touriist van let alone spoken to him. Another example of the realms keystone cops.

Make ya want to puke.

Phuket, SE Asia's island of "death"

Edited March 5, 2012 by antipodesant

[Boater]

[...Mrs Nergiz Tinc, 26, of as-yet unknown nationality...]

[...Mr Serkan Tinc, 33, from Turkey...]

do we need Kojak or Columbo for that case?

Absolutely stellar reporting -- I am amazed at the detail and accuracy of the reporting !

Who would think that Mr and Mrs Tinc travelling in the same minivan, would both be from Turkey.

" of as-yet unknown family name and nationality" -- a case for Colombo indeed -- how can you determine a person's, age, first name and marital status, and not accidentally stumble over their family name and nationality.

"Mrs Lubeznaya Galina, 56, from Ukraine" -- Kojak would know that Galina is a first name and Lubeznaya is a family name .

..but really, should all of these names be in print before relatives have been notified ?

Mr and Mrs Tinc where on there honeymoon, and Mrs Tinc died, it is reported in the other news source ... very sad, and harrowing picture of the husband, the picture tells a thousand words what his feelings must have been , so tradgic

[transam]

So the pick-up driver stayed and the minibus driver fled. Mmmm ... who do you think was at fault ???

RIP to the dead. Another blight on Phuket's tourism industry.

The minibus if a tour vehicle not from the hotel where the victims were staying,the driver was clued up enough to know that whoevers fault it was he was still driving a minibus wrongly registered for fare paying passengers hence quick exit.

Think it standard practice for drivers to leg-it if an accident.

[oldsailor35]

Its not only in Phuket. Last week i was heading for Suratthani off the Dongsak ferry. Set of lights in front of me changed to red, i was slowing down to stop, doing about 60 when a mini bus hurtled past me straight through the lights, clipping a lady on a motorbike- sidecar, luckily she survived by a few inches from going under the bus, which just kept going. That mini bus had come off the Dongsak ferry and was carrying a full load of visa runners to Ranong. I suppose they got back ok as i have not heard any more.

[oldsailor35]

Two people travelling in a car, both with the same last name, and even married to each other.

No chance they're from different countries? Think on that one for a second, then search these very forums for "Thai wife" and see if you come up with any different thoughts beyond "stupid Thais".

Whoever reported the info to the public did the appropriate thing. They reported what they knew and indicated what they did not know for sure. They didn't guess, they didn't make assumptions, they reported the facts they had at the time.

Once again, I'm amazed at how many TV posters are so quick to ridicule all things Thai. Maybe they're not so dumb if you think for even a second...

Oh yes! so why did they not just list the names and leave out all the other crap. I think that the reporter was just trying to look knowledgeable and important.

[spidermike007]

Only when the authorities get serious, and start handing out 10 year sentences, and start imposing 2 million baht fines on the families of the drivers causing these horrendous accidents, will the Thai people possibly get serious about learning how too drive. In the interim, they are are hazard every time they get behind the wheel. I have encountered hundreds of truly terrible drivers here, who have little or no driving skill. They are human death machines, and they are accidents waiting to happen. The skill level here is atrocious. Why would someone flee from a scene, when they are not at fault? What a tiny hearted coward the driver of the van was. Instead of administering aid, to the tourists that provide his livelihood, this cockroach fled the scene. Shame on him, and his entire family.

[transam]

Only when the authorities get serious, and start handing out 10 year sentences, and start imposing 2 million baht fines on the families of the drivers causing these horrendous accidents, will the Thai people possibly get serious about learning how too drive. In the interim, they are are hazard every time they get behind the wheel. I have encountered hundreds of truly terrible drivers here, who have little or no driving skill. They are human death machines, and they are accidents waiting to happen. The skill level here is atrocious. Why would someone flee from a scene, when they are not at fault? What a tiny hearted coward the driver of the van was. Instead of administering aid, to the tourists that provide his livelihood, this cockroach fled the scene. Shame on him, and his entire family.

Think it the norm here for employees to leg it and stuff sorted later.

[anterian]

The news is getting out http://thailand-business-news.com/travel/31091-thailand-2nd-worst-country-for-road-safety#.T1WYhYfxqQk

[pubba]

My fiancee lives in Pakchong (about 2 hours from Bangkok) and she prefers the minivan over the bigger blue and white buses because it's faster..

But &lt;deleted&gt;.. I've never been so worried for my life before whilst travelling in a vehicle, and I grew up in rural Australia and spent many holidays 'bush bashing' and being reckless in old beat up cars.

I vowed to never travel in one again after the first minivan trip, but succumbed to her whining the last time I was in Thailand and I swear to god - that's the very last time. The driver looked like he was about 12 years old and was on his iPhone half the time when he wasn't watching a Thai soap on a dvd player taped to the dashboard.

When I asked where the seatbelt was, everyone laughed at me. Oh ho ho! Farang ting tong! Mai pen rai kap, don't need... etc etc

&lt;deleted&gt; that.. I dug the seatbelt out from under the cushion where it was still sealed up in plastic and tied with a rubber band as it came from the factory.

There are driver services that I will try next time. Private car, decent driver and they go slowly if you ask them (and slip them an extra couple hundred baht). We used one last time when we went sightseeing and it was worlds better than hurtling down the freeway at 180km an hour, tailgating people inches away till they move aside and feeling me heart in my throat everytime the van got airborne over bumps in the road

And RIP to the victims here. They went through what I was vividly imagining in my mind for the whole terrifying 2 hour mini van trip