Another bus overturns, 3 dead
The Nation

KALASIN: -- A Khon Kaen-Nakhon Phanom bus overturned when the driver lost control while handling a downhill curve in Kalasin's Somdet district at 5pm on Tuesday.

Three passengers were killed and 35 others injured. Police blame the accident on malfunctioning brakes and the driver's unfamiliarity of the route.

This is the second bus accident this week. On Monday, a double-decker tour bus plunged down a 10-metre ravine in Phitsanulok killing five people and wounding 50 others.


-- The Nation 2013-04-10

Police blame the accident on malfunctioning brakes and the driver's unfamiliarity of the route.

Again? And what about the bus company? What about maintenance? Is anybody ever going to learn from these wholly preventable "accidents"?

(Rhetorical question)

Malfunctioning brakes and driver's unfamiliarity with the road?

Sounds a great recipe, especially with a bit of speed....which was probably the main cause of this accident, again!

Driver training and more training and training

Sort the bloody bus drivers companies out!!! Send an experienced driver out with the learning driver so that they get to know thier new routes and the road dangers. They just seem to throw random guys into these buses as a driver and then hope they come back in one piece. One reason why I refuse to use buses to go anywhere in this country and stick to the nice slow trains that usually have not so many deaths!!

I hate to admit this, but my wife, (an academic) accepts theses reasons given by police on so many occasions...malfunctioning brakes and driver inexperience.....I now tend to think that most Thais think similarly....am I wrong??.......Do Thais actually care about road fatalities and accidents?

Will this ever stop?

And please: spare me the "it happens everywhere"- bs!

In 40 years back home, I haven't read about as many fatal bus- accidents as I have here in the last 3 months.

It IS about how a country enforces laws, how it values education and safety etc.

RIP the victims

...if this reads somehow familiar to you...it is a comment I made on April 8th on another bus tragedy....

Anonymous monitors should be employed to take journeys around Thailand on various buses and assess the bus drivers. Any drivers found to be speeding or driving dangerously should be dismissed. Also, tachographs should be on all buses and checked regularly.

I think the concept of reincarnation was developed to deal with the danger of traveling by Thai bus .

Do Thai bus drivers need a special licence.. ( apart from the 500 meter sprint ) ?

Police blame the accident on malfunctioning brakes and the driver's unfamiliarity of the route.

More likely driver's unfamiliarity of the brakes.

"A Khon Kaen-Nakhon Phanom bus overturned when the driver lost control while handling a downhill curve" .........?

Very obviously, he WASN'T handling it well enough!

-mel.

what can I say, thai drivers need to learn to drive and actually pass a driving test, not simply pay the person supposed to be testing them. In Australia you need a set amount of hours driving in all condition just for a car licence, for busses etc you are required to take a complete course and pass another test. I havent found a thai yet that even knows the road rules apart from "you must always get there before everyone else".

Sadly this is sometin th' happen very often heer, I'v been driving heer for three years now, und fortunately never had an accident, but I'v seen accident like this happend, I tink that one of the main reasons is the lack of sleep of the drivers, those guys r awake tanks to m-150.

What a lame dog sick pig of an excuse to say the driver being unfamiliar with the route.

Joke surely. did he have a map ?? and was reading it at the time. Where was the driver born, Malawi???---- wasn't he briefed prior to the journey where he may be going????

For the police to say these things as early as this, we must assume all the evidence is at hand already, brakes and the de-briefing of the driver.

I have an idea over the years I have seen this statement before, is it so loopholes can be found????

Anonymous monitors should be employed to take journeys around Thailand on various buses and assess the bus drivers. Any drivers found to be speeding or driving dangerously should be dismissed. Also, tachographs should be on all buses and checked regularly.

I am afraid they will not do that here in Thailand as it makes too much sense!

A troll post and reply have been deleted.

What the driver did not do a runner

Sort the bloody bus drivers companies out!!! Send an experienced driver out with the learning driver so that they get to know thier new routes and the road dangers. They just seem to throw random guys into these buses as a driver and then hope they come back in one piece. One reason why I refuse to use buses to go anywhere in this country and stick to the nice slow trains that usually have not so many deaths!!

.

That'd be a good alternative if there were more train routes instead of the very limited ones we currently have.

Marvellous how the brakes continue to fail? But of course no admittance the driver was speeding...

Hang on to your hats people, SONGKRAN is just around the corner, then you'll read about some real carnage on the highways of Thailand. What is it with some of these drivers, outside the motor vehicle they are the nicest people, put them behind the steering wheel and the Jekell and Hyde syndrome takes over.

The bus companies don't care about maintenence or training..and why??...because it costs money!..its that simple...they will run their companies with the least amount of expenses incurred..they just don't give a sh-t.....Whats a few lives now and then?...People forget in a day or two anyway

"Police blame the accident on malfunctioning brakes and the driver's unfamiliarity of the route."

Same story different day in Thailand.

Until someone in power takes these accidents seriously they will keep occurring at an ever

increasing and alarming rate. Said it before, they should make all MP and their families travel

in the buses and so called VIP vans

Maybe Chalerm can head South in one of them

I well remember the first time I drove from Chiang Rai to Nan. Lots and lots of downhill curves, but I still managed to get to my destination safely.

If I had caused an accident, it seems that I would have had an explanation that police find plausable.

"Sir, I was unfamiliar with the route."

Another sad day in the land of grins.

I was appauled this morning when I read in the newspaper that some 200 mini bus operators were protesting that the police threatened to enforce the speed limit. They called it unfair and that the government should raise the speed limits. That's the mentality. Not a single consideration that following the law may be a good thing. This attitude that if you don't like the law then just ignore it or change it to allow for your liking is endemic but they only follow the example of their political leaders.

When will things ever change? Do whatever you want with total disregard for others and their suffering. Is this the future of this society?

Malfunctioning brakes and driver's unfamiliarity with the road?

Sounds a great recipe, especially with a bit of speed....which was probably the main cause of this accident, again!

+1

Another trolling post has been removed as well as the replies.

Another sad day in the land of grins.

I was appauled this morning when I read in the newspaper that some 200 mini bus operators were protesting that the police threatened to enforce the speed limit. They called it unfair and that the government should raise the speed limits. That's the mentality. Not a single consideration that following the law may be a good thing. This attitude that if you don't like the law then just ignore it or change it to allow for your liking is endemic but they only follow the example of their political leaders.

When will things ever change? Do whatever you want with total disregard for others and their suffering. Is this the future of this society?

seems to be the trend, sorry to say. wish to go back the 31 years it WAS lovelier then.

I hate to admit this, but my wife, (an academic) accepts theses reasons given by police on so many occasions...malfunctioning brakes and driver inexperience.....I now tend to think that most Thais think similarly....am I wrong??.......Do Thais actually care about road fatalities and accidents?

They all believe it. Because they are not taught to question anything or problem solve. They are taught to remember. They are also taught to obey and listen to their elders and those of a higher social status. So you could say they are more or less obedient parrots.

Those fortunate enough to go to school abroad usually are the ones who come back to run the country and/or make lots of money in business. They are taught to problem solve. Those who can implement real problem solving skills and be able to see Thailand for what it is, can quickly understand how to take advantage of, or help, a zoo full of parrots.

Will this ever stop?

And please: spare me the "it happens everywhere"- bs!

In 40 years back home, I haven't read about as many fatal bus- accidents as I have here in the last 3 months.

It IS about how a country enforces laws, how it values education and safety etc.

RIP the victims

...if this reads somehow familiar to you...it is a comment I made on April 8th on another bus tragedy....

In fact ...Ditto!