Cameraman dies in highway crash
The Nation


Sunet Thawalee

BANGKOK: -- A Channel 5 cameraman was killed in an accident in Nakhon Ratchasima's Sikhiu district yesterday after covering Transport Minister Chadchart Sitthipunt's opening of a road-safety centre on the Mitraparp Highway.

The accident took place on the highway at 10.39am. After covering the event, the Channel 5 news crew's pick-up truck pulled over to record footage of traffic conditions ahead of Songkran when they were rear-ended by a pick-up truck trying to overtake another vehicle on the left.

Cameraman Sunet Thawalee, 41, who was in front of the crew's truck, was crushed against a tree and killed. Seven others were injured. Sunet's bathing ceremony was held at Wat Suthajinda Worawihan in Muang district yesterday.


-- The Nation 2013-04-11

I remember back some time in the General forum, we were discussing the definition of irony.

I'm sure that this would qualify.

R.I.P. Sunet Thawalee ...

Another senseless loss of life through dangerous driving, may he rest in peace.

Ironic indeed.

That's the second TV station employee to be killed on that stretch of road in a year.

The poorest drivers take to the roads at festival times. They drive long distances, keep too close to each other and, when the become frustrated, lose any sign of common sense. Undertaking on the shoulder is not at all unusual. A more dangerous trick is occupying both lanes of a single carriageway road, flashing at oncoming traffic to get off the road to let them through. Police add to the hazard by turning off traffic lights and closing turns on dual carriageways. Locals risk their lives trying to get onto or across these roads as non-stop lines of traffic pass by at a break-neck speed.

The failure of the police to take any interest in calming traffic is a disgrace.

IN Channel has just shown footage of the accident scene which unfortunately showed a shot of the deceased with out the usual blurring and that's totally inappropriate.

According to IN the driver of the 2nd pick up had five relatives on board and they were on their way home to Mahasarkham for Songkran. The female driver supposedly said she had overtaken a bus on the nearside because it was " driving too slow " and didn't see the parked vehicle.

Seems we have heard this all to often

I remember back some time in the General forum, we were discussing the definition of irony.

I'm sure that this would qualify.

R.I.P. Sunet Thawalee ...

.

A Channel 5 cameraman was killed in an accident in Nakhon Ratchasima's Sikhiu district yesterday after covering Transport Minister Chadchart Sitthipunt's opening of a road-safety centre on the Mitraparp Highway.

the hub of irony

.

An unending campaign by Channel 5 to improve road safety, properly train/educate drivers, for proper policing of the roads and punish dangerous driver would be a nice tribute to the the victim and the family.

IN Channel has just shown footage of the accident scene which unfortunately showed a shot of the deceased with out the usual blurring and that's totally inappropriate.

According to IN the driver of the 2nd pick up had five relatives on board and they were on their way home to Mahasarkham for Songkran. The female driver supposedly said she had overtaken a bus on the nearside because it was " driving too slow " and didn't see the parked vehicle.

Seems we have heard this all to often

"Didn't see" or "didn't look"?

I ask myself, if the headline was deliberatly chosen this way.

If so, I find it rather tasteless.

...but what do I expect?

RIP

IN Channel has just shown footage of the accident scene which unfortunately showed a shot of the deceased with out the usual blurring and that's totally inappropriate.

According to IN the driver of the 2nd pick up had five relatives on board and they were on their way home to Mahasarkham for Songkran. The female driver supposedly said she had overtaken a bus on the nearside because it was " driving too slow " and didn't see the parked vehicle.

Seems we have heard this all to often

I saw the story. How does one NOT see a parked vehicle on the hard shoulder and drive straight into the back of it? I don't bother to go down how good or bad the driving is in Thailand anymore, they can drive, it is just there is little understanding of even the basic rules, little understanding of the risks involved in a manaoeuver, and often a complete lack of common sense.

IN Channel has just shown footage of the accident scene which unfortunately showed a shot of the deceased with out the usual blurring and that's totally inappropriate.

According to IN the driver of the 2nd pick up had five relatives on board and they were on their way home to Mahasarkham for Songkran. The female driver supposedly said she had overtaken a bus on the nearside because it was " driving too slow " and didn't see the parked vehicle.

Seems we have heard this all to often

"Didn't see" or "didn't look"?

Didn't think, didn't care. It's all the same.

My condolences to the friends, family and colleagues. The endless death toll is the part of the festival I hate the most.

I'm sure somebody was close by to look after his camera and ensure his belongings were safely delivered to his family.

RIP Khun Cameraman.

My condolences to the friends, family and colleagues. The endless death toll is the part of the festival I hate the most.

Scott, don't inconvenience yourself with feelings of "hate" for this; if the Thais wanted to do something about this they would.....but they obvioulsy don't concern themselves the way westerners do!!

R.I.P. Sunet Thawalee

IN Channel has just shown footage of the accident scene which unfortunately showed a shot of the deceased with out the usual blurring and that's totally inappropriate.

According to IN the driver of the 2nd pick up had five relatives on board and they were on their way home to Mahasarkham for Songkran. The female driver supposedly said she had overtaken a bus on the nearside because it was " driving too slow " and didn't see the parked vehicle.

Seems we have heard this all to often

"Didn't see" or "didn't look"?

Didn't think, didn't care. It's all the same.

normal way would be no-one parks a car on the highway, and if some tv crew wants to do where are the BIB to escort them it's also part of their job description

IN Channel has just shown footage of the accident scene which unfortunately showed a shot of the deceased with out the usual blurring and that's totally inappropriate.

According to IN the driver of the 2nd pick up had five relatives on board and they were on their way home to Mahasarkham for Songkran. The female driver supposedly said she had overtaken a bus on the nearside because it was " driving too slow " and didn't see the parked vehicle.

Seems we have heard this all to often

I saw the story. How does one NOT see a parked vehicle on the hard shoulder and drive straight into the back of it? I don't bother to go down how good or bad the driving is in Thailand anymore, they can drive, it is just there is little understanding of even the basic rules, little understanding of the risks involved in a manaoeuver, and often a complete lack of common sense.

She was on a dual carriageway and if in the nearside lane with the bus in the offside she should have had an extended view ahead even with other vehicles in front. If she was in the offside lane right up the bum of the bus, got fed up moved left and put the foot down...! Add in the factor of 5 chattering relatives, where was she looking ?

rear-ended by a pick-up truck trying to overtake another vehicle on the left.

I think it it time to buy a big old truck and when these idiots try this, jest "merge' to the left a bit and drive the people off the road who go up the side shoulder to over take. pricks.

they can drive, it is just there is little understanding of even the basic rules

Ever seen a Thai trying to parallel park? Reverse into a small space? 3-point turn?

Their driving ability is very poor but the bar is set very low and the test is far too easy.

RIP Sunet. It would be nice to hope for your sacrifice to bring about some change but sadly the problems are too culturally ingrained and thus irrevocable.

This is another reason why overtaking (or under-taking) on the left should be banned, as it is in the UK.

It is legal in Thailand on roads with more than 2 lanes in the same direction IIRC.

This is another reason why overtaking (or under-taking) on the left should be banned, as it is in the UK.

It is legal in Thailand on roads with more than 2 lanes in the same direction IIRC.

only when there are blocks painted such as an exit

A friend of mine drove to Bangkok yesterday from Isaan, and the police hadn't yet organised to get the crossroads organised and the lights set to green so that the North to South traffic was unempeded as they normally do. Result, every traffic light junction had a stationery queue 1 km long. Which will INEVITABLY lead to stupid people speeding up the hard shoulder to jump the queue. Not withstanding the fact that there are 100's of small roads entering the highway with motorbikes, kids playing, bufallos and whatever else only metres from the highway, it makes speeding up the hard shoulder incredibly dangerous.

Basically, the highway carries cars at 90kmh through what are essentially built up areas, with long stretches of countryside with entry roads through the whole length of the road. I once saw a very stupid kid doing 150+ on his pocket rocket up the hard shoulder only to meet a farmers pick up truck rolling very slowly onto the highway.

And don't get me started about trucks parking themselves on the EXIT of petrol stations, meaning that you have to enter the road at 10km/h at a 90 degree angle. But then, when did anyone consider such things.

An unending campaign by Channel 5 to improve road safety, properly train/educate drivers, for proper policing of the roads and punish dangerous driver would be a nice tribute to the the victim and the family.

Yes. Not just an unending campaign (there seems to be many of such already), but actual improvements in the points you raised. THAT would be a real tribute to this fellow's otherwise meaningless demise.

IN Channel has just shown footage of the accident scene which unfortunately showed a shot of the deceased with out the usual blurring and that's totally inappropriate.

According to IN the driver of the 2nd pick up had five relatives on board and they were on their way home to Mahasarkham for Songkran. The female driver supposedly said she had overtaken a bus on the nearside because it was " driving too slow " and didn't see the parked vehicle.

Seems we have heard this all to often

I saw the story. How does one NOT see a parked vehicle on the hard shoulder and drive straight into the back of it? I don't bother to go down how good or bad the driving is in Thailand anymore, they can drive, it is just there is little understanding of even the basic rules, little understanding of the risks involved in a manaoeuver, and often a complete lack of common sense.

Didn't see the parked car, let us know when you can see thru a bus. Thais drive on the right side of their vehicles, pickup was parked on leftside abit hard to see thru bus as she was probably tail gateing

IN Channel has just shown footage of the accident scene which unfortunately showed a shot of the deceased with out the usual blurring and that's totally inappropriate.

According to IN the driver of the 2nd pick up had five relatives on board and they were on their way home to Mahasarkham for Songkran. The female driver supposedly said she had overtaken a bus on the nearside because it was " driving too slow " and didn't see the parked vehicle.

Seems we have heard this all to often

I saw the story. How does one NOT see a parked vehicle on the hard shoulder and drive straight into the back of it? I don't bother to go down how good or bad the driving is in Thailand anymore, they can drive, it is just there is little understanding of even the basic rules, little understanding of the risks involved in a manaoeuver, and often a complete lack of common sense.

Didn't see the parked car, let us know when you can see thru a bus. Thais drive on the right side of their vehicles, pickup was parked on leftside abit hard to see thru bus as she was probably tail gateing

That's why you don't use the damn hard should as an overtaking lane. Overtaking on the left side main lane is at best is incredibly dangerous, aside from parked cars, you may just take out a cyclist or a bufallo, or grandad on his tak tak coming back from his morning work in the fields, with no way out of your predicament, but to drive off the road.

RIP; yet another innocent life lost, but you have to wonder about the common sense used by the TV crew in deciding to park on the hard shoulder to film traffic when they know how bad the driving is generally in Thailand, especially around the time of public holidays and festivals. These people have no doubt visited the sites of numerous fatal road accidents to film and have seen the devastation caused but, they are unable to make a sensible decision to NOT stop in such a dangerous position. I am often left wondering about the Thai thought process !

Bus was in the fast right lane. She overtook in the slow left lane. Can imagine she drove alongside the bus at full speed when she hit the parked car. Perhaps driving too far to the left (to maintain space between her and the bus) or the car was not properly parked but too close to or even partly on the road. She did not see the parked car (or saw it too late) as she kept her eyes on the bus in case the driver would decide to change lanes with her being in the mirror's dead angle.

An unending campaign by Channel 5 to improve road safety, properly train/educate drivers, for proper policing of the roads and punish dangerous driver would be a nice tribute to the the victim and the family.

+1,i was out on mittapab rd yesterday it was full of selfish,uneducated,untrained and i expect non licenced drivers thats my keys put away for a week.campaign to improve safety does that mean more b.i.b.dummey's.

Since when has it been legal to overtake anyone on the verge/shoulder of the road, this is where cars/trucks do park if needed legally. The amount of times I have seen or been passed on the left (a non overtaking lane) is amazing, thai drivers simply have no patience or idea of what is expected of a driver. Last night on the way home from dinner on a narrow two way street we had to actually pull of the road and stop because a car driving towards us decided to overtake a slower car, we barely missed being slammed into head on but I suppose all the thais would think it was ok for him because he flashed his lights at us, come on people, these drivers are a menace to everyone and until the police start to confiscate the vehicles of all drivers showing this obvious lack of ability it will keep happening.

An unnecessarily nasty post has been deleted. Let's stay on the topic.