Thai Tour Bus Accident Kills Five, Including French Tourist

[poohy]

name='TallGuyJohninBKK' timestamp='1360200893' post='6090765']

Sad to have yet another one of these.... dead and injured tourists, and the bus driver fleeing the scene.

After reading MANY of these cases, there do seem to be some common elements. One of them, as seen in this case, is a lot of these accidents seem to occur overnight or in the early morning hours, or in bad weather. Hence, I'd really try to avoid bus travel during those times.

Also, not all bus companies are created equal in Thailand. Nakhon Chai Air (NCA) has a pretty good safety record from all indications and a policy to switching/substituting drivers on longer trips, aimed at minimizing driver error/fatigue accidents. I've taken their service many times, and never had any issue with the driving safety of their drivers.

[/u]

I can confirm the above on 1 occasion in the last 3 months my bus pulled over in torrential rain south of Phrachuap enroute to Chumphon the bus is crewed by seemingly the same drivers ( one old and other youngish) and hostess

My wife also travelled by the same company on New years eve and the bus journey took an extra 2 hours due to bad weather, (she said the driver drove very slowly because of the heavy rain) so it does seem some companies have a better reputation and sense of customer care than others.

Agreed Minivans are nothing but death traps, although in my last job as a tour operation's manager we had a fleet of 5 vans each with an assigned driver, these driver were superb and frequently received accolades for their safe driving, so there are good drivers out there !!!

[maapaa]

Does that mean it can't happen or Thai tyres are just poorly made?

It might happen everywhere. But from what I can see on most tires here in Thailand is the lack of depth of tire rubber material.

If there would be a strict check for all vehicles (and tires) like I had to do in Germany before I moved here - many accidents could be avoided.

Srict controls/checks - if very important parts fail the check: Don't allow the car to head on ...

Postive effect: many people could not afford to pay the repair and would give up owning one of this old "cars" ;-)

[PoodMaiDai]

Why would a driver flee if it was just a tire blow out? Unless of course he was either drunk, high on yaa baa, a wanted criminal, or an illegal.

[merlen10002]

I belive some missconception about the safety of Bus travel in Thailand exist with a number of TV posters, I want to state first that road fafety in Thailand is very poor for all types of transport, Bus travel is much safer than most other types of transport, A number of accident reports sites are on the internet, very easy to google them, on all sites Bus come in as the third most safe way to travel in Thailand after Planes and Train, even the much maligned VIP Vans come in much safer than portray on TV, the least safe is Motor Cycle, then the Privat car, Pick up, Truck, Taxi, Van, Bus, Train, Plane. this is for the number per 100 of type of vehicle, accidents and death per 100, all sites are very consistent with their results. Look on the internet it is easy.

[Chrisswe]

One of the most dangerous thing you can do here in Thailand that's to travel in a Thai turist Bus. The Bus Driver often impact of some kind of drugs ! Most of the Busses are more or less out of order!!

[johnnycthedog]

Can't even begin to imagine the pain of his family, and so many other families that are faced with similar tragedy. So many of these deaths are unnecessary.

Yes death is bad but it's final and the family grieves at the unnecessary loss of a loved one.

But I feel really sorry for the British guy that lost a leg in the accident or any other person that is maimed in this way whether it be an arm lost, a leg lost, paralysed, brain injury etc.

[BradWilkins]

have travelled all over thailand over 25 years. a long distance bus is always my last means of travel. have seen too many horrific bus accidents,bus drivers driveing like men possesed. the way many drive i think lots must take yaba or drive drunk. road rules are ignored to meet deadlines at the passengers peril

[chiangmaicharlies]

I'm sick of all this negativity. I use Green Bus and Nakhon Chai Air regularly and they are well-run bus companies that provide a great, safe service as far as I'm concerned.

[ALFREDO]

Does anyone else not get a annoyed at the message "you have posted more than the allowed number of quoted blocks of text" this message has come up after I have answered posts maybe only twice. What are the allowed number of quoted blocks of text? Could someone please answer this? Imagine writing a large answer to someones post and this notice comes up. What a waste of time that would be.

I understand that, in that way. Got that Information myself sometimes.

When everybody, "Quotes and Quotes again on the same first Posting a long "sausage" of Postings is the result

and the system allows only a specified Quotation after quotation.

Solution, "delete" all or some of the "quotes" on "quotes" in the already existing, "quotation sausage"

except the last one you are special answering and the system will accept your posting.

So at least is my idea, how it works. Cheers.

Edited February 7, 2013 by ALFREDO

[mickyboy]

The old my tire blew out excuse. I read this excuse every time somebody is killed in a van accident

sorry to say but i agree i seen this reason about 4 times now why di the driver run away surly he had driving license and wasnt drunk or asleep at the wheel

just asking do they have driving test for these type vehichels

[NoshowJones]

Does anyone else not get a annoyed at the message "you have posted more than the allowed number of quoted blocks of text" this message has come up after I have answered posts maybe only twice. What are the allowed number of quoted blocks of text? Could someone please answer this? Imagine writing a large answer to someones post and this notice comes up. What a waste of time that would be.

I understand that, in that way. Got that Information myself sometimes.

When everybody, "Quotes and Quotes again on the same first Posting a long "sausage" of Postings is the result

and the system allows only a specified Quotation after quotation.

Solution, "delete" all or some of the "quotes" on "quotes" in the already existing, "quotation sausage"

except the last one you are special answering and the system will accept your posting.

So at least is my idea, how it works. Cheers.

Thanks Alfredo, I did that this morning and it worked, but next time it probably won't.

[candypants]

I rode a thai long distance bus once. The driver was on a death wish. From phuket to bangkok, following a dive accident that ruled out flying.

Like everything else in thailand, one must realise that the rulers of the fiefdom regard other people as expendable and we are just more "other people" in tbe land of slimes.

land of slimes.

intentional, or typo?

[peterbkk9]

"The driver fled the scene."

Why? Why did he do that?

How can anyone look at himself in the mirror and be proud of himself after this? How can he live with this?

There are things I will never understand. Never

Edited February 8, 2013 by peterbkk9

[Thereisnoif]

I have been living and driving in Bangkok for the last 18 years, and all I can say in all fairness to Thai people is that they do not have a <deleted> clue as to what driving a car entails.

Every single day has been an ordeal, right from the moment I venture out of my condo driveway unto Soi Suanplu, down to my office tower on Surasak, I have been consistently and permanently bombarded with utter stupidity, disgusting selfishness, and pathetic moronism from the whole specter of Thai drivers, right from the Songtaw driver without a driving license but yet high on Yaba down to the Cayenne driving mafia thug who thinks he owns the pavement

[growe237]

"Would never of guessed the driver fled the sceen "

Do they EVER catch these guys that "fled the scene?" It seems like a simple case of IDing driver with bus company but I never seem to read any resolution - maybe just not newsworthy?

[BradWilkins]

http://newsletter.th...sendy/l/1y04/py nuff said very sad, but negligent driveing is far too common Edited February 19, 2013 by BradWilkins

[apetley]

"The driver fled the scene."

Why? Why did he do that?

How can anyone look at himself in the mirror and be proud of himself after this? How can he live with this?

There are things I will never understand. Never

One usually reads after the driver, or for that matter, anyone charged with murder or other heinous crime is caught, they usually perform some merit making ceremony.

That way they can like what they see in the mirror.

[MacChine]

The old my tire blew out excuse. I read this excuse every time somebody is killed in a van accident

Does that mean it can't happen or Thai tyres are just poorly made?

WOuldn't be surprising. More likely is how tires are allowed to become void of tread and then driven at high rates of speed.

The driver fled the scene. When will tourists have enough of tis Thai thing and just stop coming here? Had the driver not fled the scene, could he have saved lives and limbs? Could he have been assistance to the injured in getting aid and help faster. The tour company should be shut down.

Thailand has the commodity foreign men want. It needn't change its behavior one iota to ensure a steady stream of visitors. It doesn't have to.

Edited February 19, 2013 by MacChine

[claremh1]

i have just got back from thailand .we got a taxi boat and bus ticket from koh samai to save a bit of money as we were at the end of our travels .

when we got on the bus the driver looked no more thasn 16 wicth worried me at first ,but as we made our way ,he seemed to be driving sensable.

when we reaced the moter way he picked up speed dramaticaly and everyone on the bus was looking a little worried ..then he mounted a grass verge and the bus toppled over to one side.i think he may have fallen asleep becuase when everyone one the bus screamed he managed to pull the bus back up .the goverment should take a long hard look at there driving polices as there are clearly to many lifes being lost .i have been to thailand many times and will go back again ,but i would strongly advise not to take a bus of any kind .the bus i was on was a double decker and had over 30 people on it .....we were the lucky ones .others have not been or and will not be .