Just heard on Thai news a bus of school children from Chiang Mai hit a pick-up in Doi Saket, 3 kids died. Hopefully I've misunderstood. Anyone heard anything?

edit: more here

Edited August 15, 201213 yr by naboo

thats what it says. always try to stay away from buses when im out on the road. never trust them. unfortunately, these kids could do nothing.

Sadly I'd say its probably true. I took my dog for a walk along Doi Saket Rd around 7pm and three ambulances were racing the lights full speed.

We were on scene at 2030. Unfortunately what you heard was correct, although number of deceased not confirmed. Horrific accident scene.

We were on scene at 2030. Unfortunately what you heard was correct, although number of deceased not confirmed. Horrific accident scene.

I live in sanameng and heard the ambulances going up and down for hours

We drove through this around 6 pm. The bus was really mangled and twisted around. If only 3 died then I am surprised. It was a terrible sight. The entire drive in had ambulances rushing by us in both directions.

If you see the way the drivers act with the school kids in this was only a matter of time!

They are some of the worst & most inconsiderate drivers i Chiang Mai.

It's a shame this has happened of course but these "school bus" drivers frequently speed excessively, weave through traffic, run red lights and just about every other dangerous act you can think of doing whilst transporting these innocent children on a daily basis.

They have little to no regard for their passengers or other road users in any way and I know first hand that few have only 3rd party insurance on their vehicles.

Unfortunately this section of the 118 highway approximately 40 km east of Doi Saket has seen at least 6 major accidents like this in the past 6 years that I can remember. involing anything from a somgthaew to double decker tourist busses. killing school children, locale residence and tourist. If memory recalls at least 12 in one of the accidents. RIP.

Totally inappropriate post and responses to that post. Try to show some human empathy here, thanks

Thoughts and prayers for all those directly or indirectly involved.

So much more painful that those involved were children. May He , whomever you have faith in, hold them close and give them peace. RIP children.

If I am not mistaken, it was around this area just a year or two ago that a big bus loaded with teachers went off the road , off the bridge and into the stream.....

It is way past time that the police do something about stopping, and citing these thoughtless, reckless drivers. Take them to court and where found guilty, are there should be a mandatory, non-buy-your-way-out sentence. .... and a painful one....

Its one thing when a jerk gets drunk and kills themselves, but completely unforgiving when it involves the death of a child.

JMHO

Edited August 16, 201213 yr by Gonzo the Face

In Si Muang Mai it is normal for 20 kids to sit on the roof of a school bus . I was behind one and my thought at the time was if the bus had to brake hard the kids would go into orbit.

This is how the school bus system works there, to carry as many kids as possible and is obviously accepted by the school, sadly.

"Posted Yesterday"

TV's timing (from the hoster, I assume) is way out. Everythijng seems shown as about 8-10 hours AFTER the post was really made.

Edited August 16, 201213 yr by Rotweiler

Thoughts and prayers for all those directly or indirectly involved.

So much more painful that those involved were children. May He , whomever you have faith in, hold them close and give them peace. RIP children.

If I am not mistaken, it was around this area just a year or two ago that a big bus loaded with teachers went off the road , off the bridge and into the stream.....

It is way past time that the police do something about stopping, and citing these thoughtless, reckless drivers. Take them to court and where found guilty, are there should be a mandatory, non-buy-your-way-out sentence. .... and a painful one....

Its one thing when a jerk gets drunk and kills themselves, but completely unforgiving when it involves the death of a child.

JMHO

http://www.cm108.com/bbb/index.php?/topic/52558-ioenuoaeuoeeaue-asncaineeoeaeoaaaua-oeeooaz/

17 teachers were reported dead at the seen on this accident.

Thoughts and prayers for all those directly or indirectly involved.

So much more painful that those involved were children. May He , whomever you have faith in, hold them close and give them peace. RIP children.

If I am not mistaken, it was around this area just a year or two ago that a big bus loaded with teachers went off the road , off the bridge and into the stream.....

It is way past time that the police do something about stopping, and citing these thoughtless, reckless drivers. Take them to court and where found guilty, are there should be a mandatory, non-buy-your-way-out sentence. .... and a painful one....

Its one thing when a jerk gets drunk and kills themselves, but completely unforgiving when it involves the death of a child.

JMHO

Amen to that. Nothing worse than the death of a child. Every parent's worst nightmare.

As many have stated the standard of public service bus driving in this country is lamentable. (mind you so is most other driving as well).

bus was from phichit and en route to chiang rai. driver didnt know the roads, had rain, brakes didnt work, getting dark...ran off the side of the road. around the same time a truck's brakes also failed and ran into the tree. youll see it pictured in the cm108 thread as well.

CityNews. - A People Lost Control Bus carrying the fifty-eighth and veered off the EDGE of the Road on fifteen. ^th. August around five thirty PM Injuring and killing many more third People.

Rescue teams soon got to the scene of the accident.

Doi Saket Police Station received a call that had a Bus. veered off the Highway close to a Police Check Point on the Chiang Mai - Chiang Rai Road, Moo 5th, Pamieng, Doi Saket. 20 rescue teams were immediately called to help.

When police arrived, they found a white and blue two level bus, license plate no. 30-0291 Nakornsawan, that had gone off the edge of the road. The bus's occupants were mainly students from Tapanhin Municipality School in Phijit. Teachers were also on board.

In all there were 48 males and 10 females. Rescue teams and hospital staff began a rescue operation sending the injured to Doi Saket Hospital. Two bodies were found at the scene pronounced dead. They are named Jirayus Rajprachum and Jakkrapan Nakket, both male. One female, named Bonhkot. Chaiyen. later died from her injuries in Hospital.

This bus was on its way back from a field trip in Chiang Rai, heading towards Chiang Mai. The road is well known for being difficult to navigate being that there are steep hills and sharp bends in the road. It's presently thought that the bus breaks failed and so it lost control and went over the edge of the road.

In the 2007th, at almost the Same Spot,. a Bus from Chiang Rai veered off the EDGE of the Road. causing seventeen deaths and injuries thirty-one.

Its one thing when a jerk gets drunk and kills themselves, but completely unforgiving when it involves the death of a child.

Agree 100%, but the sellers of alcohol will gladly keep supplying it, for as long as the customer wants to buy it.

As for the bus....absolutely tragic and far too common in this country.

Its one thing when a jerk gets drunk and kills themselves, but completely unforgiving when it involves the death of a child.

Agree 100%, but the sellers of alcohol will gladly keep supplying it, for as long as the customer wants to buy it.

As for the bus....absolutely tragic and far too common in this country.

Was the bus driver intoxicated? If so, where is this mentioned?

Road accident claims three lives

By Phitsanu Thepthong & staff reporters 17.08.2012 02:24

Two children are among the three people who have died when a tour bus full of school students crashed into an oncoming vehicle in Doi Saket district, Chiang Mai on Aug.15.

The double decker tour bus, carrying students and teachers from Tambon 2 Municipal School in Taphanhin district, Phichit, experienced break failure before it crashed into an oncoming in pickup truck at 5.30 pm.

Doi Saket police inspector Pol Lt Col Uthai Puangchan, said that after the Wongboontra Tour Co., Ltd. bus crashed into the pickup it then plunged into the roadside of the Chiang Mai - Chiang Rai highway.

The school students had just visited Chiang Rai province and were heading to Chiang Mai. The crash instantly killed two students while another later died at hospital, was a passenger of the pickup truck.

Police have identified the dead students to be Jirayutch Rabprakhathum, a Mathayomsueksa grade six student, Chakaphan Nakket, Mathayomsuek grade three student and the passenger of the pickup truck who died has been identified as Mrs Bongkhot Jaipin.

Rescue teams assisted and helped transport dozens injured passengers to Doi Saket Hospital and other nearby hospitals. Two of the injured remain in a critical situation.

On top of the bus’s break failure, police said that rains and slippery mountain road might have also contributed to the accident. The accident also occurred on a dangerous curve which has been the site of many other accidents.

The last accident occurred in that same area was on Jan.19, 2007, when a tour bus carrying teachers from Chanthaburi crashed. Twenty one teachers were killed in this accident.

(Photos courtesy of CM 108.Com, Chiang Mai Rescue & Highways Police Rescue )

Chiang Mai Post

Saw a similar accident my first year here back in 2004 - it was one of the regular multicolored (majority green colored) buses that run out of the Arcade toward Chiang Rai. Same stretch of road. My VIP bus passed probably not more than an hr after it had happened, I counted maybe 11 corpses covered in blankets by the roadside from my window. It gave us all reason for quiet reflection the rest of the way. No matter the size of the vehicle, seems we're all in danger no matter. Sad that it's a gamble as it is.

Someday the changes in attitudes and standards will come... someday, but I have little hope for it happening in my time, no matter what practical Western advice I think I or my fellow expats have to offer. And I have many many years to go.... but it won't happen in my time. It just is what it is.

And the lack of standards/ inevitability of it happening again sometime only reinforce the luck of the draw attitude in local thinking. May we all find safe passage on this road in our travels !

And may the kids RIP.

Rip i cannot really get through the whole 108 thread, its too terrible, theres hardly anything left of the bus :(

I was on a motorbike tour on this stretch of highway once... It was raining and I counted no less than seven (!!) accidents there! Cars going off the road left and right, a truck did an unintentional 360 just in front of us but managed to stay on the road.

I think what needs to happen is that this road gets redone. As it is its a slippery slide.

Rip i cannot really get through the whole 108 thread, its too terrible, theres hardly anything left of the bus

I was on a motorbike tour on this stretch of highway once... It was raining and I counted no less than seven (!!) accidents there! Cars going off the road left and right, a truck did an unintentional 360 just in front of us but managed to stay on the road.

I think what needs to happen is that this road gets redone. As it is its a slippery slide.

They have been resurfacing a lot of the 118 over the last couple of years. It is a very long and very slow process in this country for some reason.

Lets hope someone in a government position has sense to realise just how dangerous this stretch of road is and does something about it sooner rather than later.

I've travelled it many times by motorcycle and think it's a great road but there are many places where the surface is bad and it's nearly all extremely slippery during or just after rainfall.

bus was from phichit and en route to chiang rai. driver didnt know the roads, had rain, brakes didnt work, getting dark...ran off the side of the road. around the same time a truck's brakes also failed and ran into the tree. youll see it pictured in the cm108 thread as well.

We passed this after the crash and it wasn't dark. I think it was around 6 pm or maybe a little earlier.

They have been resurfacing a lot of the 118 over the last couple of years. It is a very long and very slow process in this country for some reason.

Couple of years? After they got the funding from the E.U., they repaved the entire Country of Spain in this same time frame!