Two Dead In Phuket-Bangkok Bus Crash

[webfact]

Phuket-Bangkok bus in crash - two dead
Nattha Thepbamrung


Credit: PhuketAndamanNews

PHANG NGA: -- A severe car crash involving a bus from Phuket bound for Bangkok and a car occured at the Bang Wah curve in Phang Nga Saturday and resulted in two deaths and more than 40 serious injuries.

Pol Lt Saner Samard has said that it is not yet clear as to the cause of the accident.

According to accounts, the car - a white Toyota Altis - in an attempt to overtake another car, crossed over into the other lane, and was confronted by the bus, travelling straight towards it.

"The car was in the wrong lane coming from Ranong to Phuket and the bus - a Phuket-Bangkok bus was heading to Bangkok.”

Lt Saner said that the car driver, Warin Kongkhao, 57, died at the scene while her two relatives in the car were seriously injured.

After the initial collision, the driver of the bus, Sompoch Pinyosap, 42, was not able to control the bus and it hurtled into a tree at the side of the road and badly hurt a 35-year-old passenger named Len, who later died at Takuapa hospital.

Source: http://www.thephuketnews.com/phuket-bangkok-bus-in-crash-two-dead-39000.php


-- Phuket News 2013-04-29

[PoodMaiDai]

I find it terrifying how cars, trucks, vans, and buses here just crumple into nothing like a coke can when they have an accident. Witnessed a lot of nasty accidents in my home country and never seen so many vehicles crumple so easily. Do car makers not have any safety features / reinforcements in cars and no crumple zones? I even see these crumpled messes on new cars from name brand makers. The bus makers just make them without a plan and no safety at all, this much I know, but cars and trucks should not rip apart like they do.

[moe666]

Buses come apart like a sardine can worldwide as it is called weight reduction, a very thin sheet of aluminum onthe outside

[Pimay1]

RIP to the victims.

Another preventable accident. I see it almost every time I venture out on the highways, drivers pull out to pass with oncoming traffic, flash their lights and never look back.

[LuckyLew]

cause of accident surely to be "faulty brakes'

[gemini81]

I find it terrifying how cars, trucks, vans, and buses here just crumple into nothing like a coke can when they have an accident. Witnessed a lot of nasty accidents in my home country and never seen so many vehicles crumple so easily. Do car makers not have any safety features / reinforcements in cars and no crumple zones? I even see these crumpled messes on new cars from name brand makers. The bus makers just make them without a plan and no safety at all, this much I know, but cars and trucks should not rip apart like they do.

Shows you how terribly fast they are travelling upon impact.

[Phronesis]

I rode up on my bike from Phuket to Ranong last week.

I had at least 6 close calls from morons pulling into my lane and flashing their headlights to claim right of way.

No doubt the moron driving the white toyota did exactly the same thing.

And no doubt the bus was travelling at warp speed as they do on that stretch of road.

Sigh..........

[lemonjelly]

Thailand needs a sustained road safety campaign on the telvision, remind the population how they should properly drive, depict the wrongdoers as buffalo.......

[laurentbkk]

what do you expect ? we have seen those accidents every day for the last 30 years (well for some of us at least) nothing ever changed , nothing will , its a reality. You can have double amount of deads on roads NO government will ever do anything about it, or they would have done something a long time ago . The only thing we can say is RIP to all victims.

[DocN]

RIP again

...and again...

...and again...

...and again...

...and again...

...and again...

...and again...

...and again...

...and again...

...and again...

...and again...

...and again...

...and again...

...and again...

...and again...

...and again...

...and again...

[wackysleet]

So another needless bus crash, but then are we really surprised, this seems to be a weekly event if not more frequent and no party has or it seems will address this so easily rectified problem that appears to have it's root cause in greed and corruption and none or very little driver training or skills.

Bring in a proper driving test. especially for HGVs and PSVs ensure a regular check on all vehicles including a yearly MOT.

Oh bugger, why am I saying what we all know should be done but never will.

Last Thursday I was visiting a friend in Mae Sot who is dying of cancer and on the road from Tak there was a bus completely smashed up at the side of the road with personal belongings strewn all over the place, obviously happened within a few days with one small police sign stating there was an accident about 200 yards ahead but I have not seen any reports of it anywhere unless I missed them. I also counted 6 broken down lorries on that mountain road and have frequently seen lorries/buses taking the escape route and a couple of weeks earlier a lorry went over the side of the road taking large power cables and poles with it.

Anyone knowing this mountainous road would appreciate just how dangerous it can be driving or as in my case riding it.

[Locationthailand]

It has all been said here and on many previous posts for years. Driver ignorance is usually the start, the end is always death. Since the Thai mentality is always so absorbed in setting up committees you would think a road safety committee would be paramount? If the police actually did anything towards road safety rather than scamming money from drivers, there would be a chance but that is wishful thinking.

There are quite a number of roads I have travelled who have the exact same scenario of vehicles overtaking and expecting you to move off the road. Some to mind - West of Kanchanaburi, Trat to Soi Dao in Chantaburi province, Sattahip to Utapao and so on. Start fining people to the tune of THB5,000, and forget taking their licenses as they will just buy another. Thai's only understand money.

And I will never do the R.I.P., as how can anyone crushed, maimed or torn apart 'rest' or 'be at peace'? Ridiculous statement.

[lenscapasia]

there is a responsibility on the passengers too. i have sat on many buses going far too fast and the passengers sit there like lemmings as if they have no power to do anything. when actually all the passengers can go to the driver and demand he stop, and take the keys if necessary.

i was on a visa run where the van driver was dicing with death every ten minutes. everyone else in the van was terrified but said nothing. i asked if the driver could stop as I felt sick. i went round to the driver's side, opened the door, confiscated the keys and rang the visa run company. there was an international incident on the side of the road for ten minutes but the visa run company spoke to their employee and although he was furious he drove at a steady 100 kms an hour taking no risks until i got out. apparently he then sped up and everyone sat terrified in the bus for another half hour. people have to take a stand. it's uncomfortable and maybe upsets people but these crashes are too frequent. you can't do much about another car coming head on agreed - but if the bus was going slower it would have more room for manoevre.

[Pimay1]

It has all been said here and on many previous posts for years. Driver ignorance is usually the start, the end is always death. Since the Thai mentality is always so absorbed in setting up committees you would think a road safety committee would be paramount? If the police actually did anything towards road safety rather than scamming money from drivers, there would be a chance but that is wishful thinking.

There are quite a number of roads I have travelled who have the exact same scenario of vehicles overtaking and expecting you to move off the road. Some to mind - West of Kanchanaburi, Trat to Soi Dao in Chantaburi province, Sattahip to Utapao and so on. Start fining people to the tune of THB5,000, and forget taking their licenses as they will just buy another. Thai's only understand money.

And I will never do the R.I.P., as how can anyone crushed, maimed or torn apart 'rest' or 'be at peace'? Ridiculous statement.

Some of us humans believe there is a heaven. When I say R.I.P. this is what I am referring to. Not a ridiculous statement at all.

[NomadJoe]

I feel like a broken record, but I am always amazed that this doesn't happen more often. We don't overtake on a hill or a curve because someone might be coming. Thai's overtake on a hill or a curve because somebody might not be coming.

If you drive a cement mixer, water truck, dump truck, or tour bus in Thailand, the drivers must just accept that during the course of their careers, they will kill a few people. Just part of the job. With no effective actions in place to prevent it (like training, safety checks, or traffic law enforcement) and such an easily manipulated legal system,, complete corruption where one can buy their way out of any serious punishment, the carnage on the roads here will continue. The drivers are not bothered by killing, as to them the people will be reincarnated into something nice as long as they lived a clean life and made enough merit.

Edited April 29, 2013 by NomadJoe

[yourauntbob]

I find it terrifying how cars, trucks, vans, and buses here just crumple into nothing like a coke can when they have an accident. Witnessed a lot of nasty accidents in my home country and never seen so many vehicles crumple so easily. Do car makers not have any safety features / reinforcements in cars and no crumple zones? I even see these crumpled messes on new cars from name brand makers. The bus makers just make them without a plan and no safety at all, this much I know, but cars and trucks should not rip apart like they do.

Some cars are designed to crumple, the design is to lessen the impact during a collision and to keep the driver safe from a less desirable crumple (as in a rod breaks off and stabs you in the chest). This is generally the case for cars in the west as well.

[silent]

what do you expect ? we have seen those accidents every day for the last 30 years (well for some of us at least) nothing ever changed , nothing will , its a reality. You can have double amount of deads on roads NO government will ever do anything about it, or they would have done something a long time ago . The only thing we can say is RIP to all victims.

Not really sure where abouts talking about here, or what part of the world. Hopefully all victims RIP and others get a conscience and learn to prevent more tragedies.

[yourauntbob]

there is a responsibility on the passengers too. i have sat on many buses going far too fast and the passengers sit there like lemmings as if they have no power to do anything. when actually all the passengers can go to the driver and demand he stop, and take the keys if necessary.

i was on a visa run where the van driver was dicing with death every ten minutes. everyone else in the van was terrified but said nothing. i asked if the driver could stop as I felt sick. i went round to the driver's side, opened the door, confiscated the keys and rang the visa run company. there was an international incident on the side of the road for ten minutes but the visa run company spoke to their employee and although he was furious he drove at a steady 100 kms an hour taking no risks until i got out. apparently he then sped up and everyone sat terrified in the bus for another half hour. people have to take a stand. it's uncomfortable and maybe upsets people but these crashes are too frequent. you can't do much about another car coming head on agreed - but if the bus was going slower it would have more room for manoevre.

I agree to an extent, I would not take the keys away but I would tell the driver to slow down (and have in the past). Calling the company and complaining can be effective some times and other times it falls on deaf ears. People do need to speak up more on these issues but sadly not many do. I simply dont ride in vans anymore, i dont see myself getting on a bus anytime soon either. trains and planes are safer, and safety is worth a few extra baht.

[misterme]

Many of the busses (the regulated ones from the bus stations) are now driving much slower than in past years. The 999 busses have a diigital display of the drivers' speed beside the clock in the passenger cabin. I rarely see the display rise above 90KM?HR. I cannot speak for the un-regulated tourist busses. But my experience on 999 is that it is a slower, safer ride than a decade ago.

Of course, this is Thailand, and you have to worry about all the other idiots on the road.

[WhizBang]

Do car makers not have any safety features / reinforcements in cars and no crumple zones?

Many of the buses here are 'homemade'. They are NOT manufactured to any sort of engineering or safety standard.

These is a very interesting documentary (British, I think) that was made fairly recently on this. Sorry, I don't have a link.

[cup-O-coffee]

Seems to me the article said it was the car driver making the wrong choices and getting the bus caught up in it all; hence this is about poor driving skills and poor decisions and not at all about buses. It could have been anything. Her number was up and she was going to hit something, whether it be a bus or a tree or what have you. This woman driver more than likely took one too many chances prior. I'll wager this wasn't the first one that she tried, but it certainly is her last one, eh? I simply cannot muster the decency anymore to say RIP when I read about idiots like this. She was no different than a person with a loaded gun, and she is now guilty of killing more people than most gun owners ever do.

[richard_smith237]

i was on a visa run where the van driver was dicing with death every ten minutes. everyone else in the van was terrified but said nothing. i asked if the driver could stop as I felt sick. i went round to the driver's side, opened the door, confiscated the keys and rang the visa run company. there was an international incident on the side of the road for ten minutes but the visa run company spoke to their employee and although he was furious he drove at a steady 100 kms an hour taking no risks until i got out.

+1: Agreed:

In doing so you may have prevented a tragic accident. Some won't see it that way though. They will only see that you are a trouble maker or someone who is too confrontational. You can't measure something which doesn't happen.... But, I believe that when someone takes a stance such as this, there is a possibility that they have diverted a possible tragedy.

I simply take it a step further and avoid all vans and busses full stop, I also avoid driving at night. Some don't have this luxury but for me, taking these measures may have already paid off (but that is a complete unknown).

[A Member]

I rode up on my bike from Phuket to Ranong last week.

I had at least 6 close calls from morons pulling into my lane and flashing their headlights to claim right of way.

No doubt the moron driving the white toyota did exactly the same thing.

And no doubt the bus was travelling at warp speed as they do on that stretch of road.

Sigh..........

Right of way has a funny, and dangerous, application here and there's an element of face depending on the vehicles involved.

Recently i was walking up my soi towards the main road, it's not the widest and there are no pavements so I walked left foot on a grass verge and right on the road. I heard a car horn from behind but ignored it, it was repeated in a continuous fashion and when I turned around there was a Thai driver waving at me to get out of his way, I ignored him so he was forced to pull out ever so slightly to pass and there was no on coming traffic. As he passed, I can only say if looks could kill. I still don't know if he was having a laugh, could only drive in a straight line or decided a foreigner had no right being ahead of him on a Thai road. No matter what very childish but stopped laughing when my GF pointed out if he was really worked up I was lucky he didn't hit me as it would have been my fault anyway

[A Member]

Seems to me the article said it was the car driver making the wrong choices and getting the bus caught up in it all; hence this is about poor driving skills and poor decisions and not at all about buses. It could have been anything. Her number was up and she was going to hit something, whether it be a bus or a tree or what have you. This woman driver more than likely took one too many chances prior. I'll wager this wasn't the first one that she tried, but it certainly is her last one, eh? I simply cannot muster the decency anymore to say RIP when I read about idiots like this. She was no different than a person with a loaded gun, and she is now guilty of killing more people than most gun owners ever do.

I wonder if she learned to drive just driving around to get the hang of it. i say this because I was once given a lift home by a colleague who asked me to excuse her driving as she was only learning which turned out to mean her dad had shown her basics then let her use his car unsupervised so she could practise.

[Card]

Part of the problem with bus deaths is that passengers don't use seat belts when provided. They assume they don't need them in a bus and often stare with incredulity when I always put mine on. The seats at the front or facing a stairwell are also dangerous because there is nothing to stop forward motion except the stair rail or window if there is a sudden halt. Always sit behind a seat to cusion blows and wear a seat belt, preferably in the middle of the bus near an emergency door and next to the aisle - then there is a better chance to avoid damage from impacts and escape any crashed bus. Never use minibuses unless unavoidable.

[seajae]

I did my 90 day visa run to Ranong from Surat Thani last thursday, the amount of visa run buses flying past me was incredible. The road in to Ranong has lots of blind curves/hills but the usual idiots were still overtaking on double lines/blind curves/hills, they are just simply impatient and believe it is their tight to pass where ever they like and everyone has to stop for them. I had 3 near accidents, one was some idiot that pulled out onto the road in front of me(only a 100 metres or so from me) from the opposite side curb (I was doing 80 k) then stopped so he could talk to the person on the side of the road, he was on a blind corner, I had to stand on the brakes and nearly ran up his bum and he still kept talking, ignorant. Another was a new twin cab that pulled out over double lines coming towards me to pass a slower car, trouble was it was where the road was very narrow, he flashed his lights and expected me to drive into the bush, I just stopped as far over as I could get, luckily the driver swerved back in and missed me. The same thing happened closer to Surat Thani when I was going over a bridge and a car coming from the opposite direction pulled over to my side to over take and just flashed their lights at me, by that stage I was pretty pissed at all the idiots so I stayed where I was and made them pull back in, these drivers are asking to die so I have no regard for them at all, until they acvtually make people PASS a drivers test and learn the rules we will continue to see multiple deaths here, they are ignorant ***### once they get behind a wheel.

[DekDaeng]

cause of accident surely to be "faulty brakes'

In this instance it is unfortunate that the buses brakes were not faulty. Bus driver should have not tried to avoid, he has up to 45 passengers, when a stupid car driver does this let Darwin rule.

Car can't kill bus driver or pass, trying to avoid car can.

[EyesWideOpen]

Sad....In a lot of these bus crashes, the driver seems to be at fault. However in this case it seems pretty clear it was the fault of the car driver.

As another posted noted, these buses really seem to fly apart when they crash. Sort of like a RV, just an aluminum shell that provides no protection whatsoever in the event of a crash. Since bus crashes seem to be a fixed part of society here, with no change on the horizon, perhaps the government could step in with some kind of regulations to make the buses more crash proof. Or would that be too restrictive here ??? :-)

I have noticed all the big European buses such as Volvo have long since disappeared, to be replaced by Chinese Sunlong buses, not sure which is more crash proof..

Edited April 29, 2013 by EyesWideOpen

[wackysleet]

Sad....In a lot of these bus crashes, the driver seems to be at fault. However in this case it seems pretty clear it was the fault of the car driver.

As another posted noted, these buses really seem to fly apart when they crash. Sort of like a RV, just an aluminum shell that provides no protection whatsoever in the event of a crash. Since bus crashes seem to be a fixed part of society here, with no change on the horizon, perhaps the government could step in with some kind of regulations to make the buses more crash proof. Or would that be too restrictive here ??? :-)

I have noticed all the big European buses such as Volvo have long since disappeared, to be replaced by Chinese Sunlong buses, not sure which is more crash proof..

It's not actually the flimsy construction of the buses that cause the accidents but the nut behind the wheel in most cases, although better construction with mandatory wearing of seat belts may prevent some injuries along with proper training but the root cause of excessive speed, lack of maintenance and the need to keep to an almost impossible schedule in the search for more money is always going to prevail.

[Peterphuket]

I find it terrifying how cars, trucks, vans, and buses here just crumple into nothing like a coke can when they have an accident. Witnessed a lot of nasty accidents in my home country and never seen so many vehicles crumple so easily. Do car makers not have any safety features / reinforcements in cars and no crumple zones? I even see these crumpled messes on new cars from name brand makers. The bus makers just make them without a plan and no safety at all, this much I know, but cars and trucks should not rip apart like they do.

Well, it is true, cars made for Thailand or made in Thailand are different about safety (read less) than somewhere els. Long time ago it is told me by a car repaire shop in Phuket, and the owner of the shop showed me as example by a Honda.