3-year old girl severely injured after fall from moving Bangkok school van

[coconutmonkey]

Where's that idiot on tv who says...

This happens in every country....

Yea, okay.

After almost 10 years in Thailand, let me conclude...

The place is a death trap, time will tell you

Things will never change, it's ingrained

I'm leaving next month, and so much the better for it.

I know, good riddance... You can keep your cheap girls and living in paradise illusion.

Cheers Thailand.

You were fun for a while but the ride is over.

[MikeOboe57]

that is terrible , I hope this little girl will recover .... what to say more ? another lack in security system of those vans and lack in the driver who should pay more attention. I see those vans everyday , over crowed with small kids etc .....

You are wrong!

The school should provide van assistants. It is the van driver's job to drive safely from A to B. It is his job to deliver and collect.

It is the school's responsibility to ensure doors that have central locking when the van is moving, and the central locking is withdrawn when the van stops. To blame the driver in this incident is just another pure crass attack upon Thais doing a job. In fact, it's quite pathetic!

And I will take offence at the next set of posts I read with detriment to the driver. Get a life, and don't harrass little that you know. I travelled in a school van for 5 years, and never an issue. Those drivers are vetted.

Over-crowded with small kids? You want to pay their parents the money to get them to school? Blame the bloody government, not the driver..... Baa - Khun ting tong na!

You may take offence if you want, I don't care.

The driver is the number one person responsible for the safety of the car and its passengers. Period. Ensuring passenger safety may be delegated to a qualified person which btw. automatically excludes any minors. If there is no such person then the driver has to get off his ass and supervise himself the boarding and disembarking of the passengers, especially if they are children. It is pathetic to claim that the driver is just responsible for getting the vehicle from A to B without any regard for his passengers.

Even after one year of living in Thailand I am still stumped at the sheer magnitude of negligence, stupidity and the "I don't give a flying [expletive]" attitudes whenever one looks at the cause of accidents or incidents. And yet, there is this overall willingness to accept that actually no one was responsible, it was just "fate" - better luck in your next life.

Maybe we "Westerners" fail to understand that the 3year old might just be undergoing purgatorial cleansing for misbehaviours in a previous life. And this, of course, cannot be blamed on the driver.

[rammis35]

Hope the little girl recovers,, All school vans should have Auto locking doors when moving, Even my pickup has them fitted.

The van should have an alarm also warning the driver the door was not properly closed.

[kimamey]

Hope the little girl recovers,, All school vans should have Auto locking doors when moving, Even my pickup has them fitted.

If you check the full story there is a picture. Not sure about the auto locking doors though.

http://www.khaosod.co.th/en/view_newsonline.php?newsid=TVRNM016QTRNak01TlE9PQ==

[tragickingdom]

that is terrible , I hope this little girl will recover .... what to say more ? another lack in security system of those vans and lack in the driver who should pay more attention. I see those vans everyday , over crowed with small kids etc .....

Every van, bus or boat lacks security and even airlines like Air Asia seem to get permission to put seats in front of emergency exits. What is even more disturbing is that there seem to be no staff looking at these little children.

[SOTIRIOS]

Are you for real? Nanny staters? How about common sensers? She is three years old. The door should have been locked.

With a pad-lock?

....the doors are supposed to be locked when the van is moving....locked from the driver's controls...that could not be overridden......

[Salapoo]

You all sit there in your Western minds knocking, complaining, not understanding. You see only your way, but the majority came this way for one thing. It's about time you started with 'grengjai' to my country. I have recently joined this site, and I have studied in the west. Coming home I have a lot to be proud of.... but you wingeing lot just winge, and think it's fun. You are a disgrace in attitude to this country, my country, an dthe people of the country around you. You need to sit back and be grateful for your acceptance as a visitor. That is all you are; A visitor. Stop taking the piss out of everything your read.... mai dai.. mai dee....

Have I missed something here???

Why are people starting arguments about something totally irrelevant. It has nothing to do with countries.

A child has been involved in a serious accident...the issue should be that this should not happen anywhere!

1) child lock.

2) adult at the door.

3)seatbelts

Or am I just naive in thinking this should be common sense knowledge worldwide???

No, you're wrong.

Here in Thailand an Amulet hanging off the mirror and having the seatbelts removed (so no one causes an accident by putting them on, thus off-setting a series of events that result in an accident) are far more important that a child lock, adult at the door or said seatbelt.

You sound a little silly mate.

[peacetrain72]

Safe transport of the kids doesn't seem to be a major priority, although I suspect in most cases it is driven by lack of funds to provide it. Takes allot of time and money to educate the masses with regards to road safety, and even the better off countries still struggle, although most have very good systems for the kids.

I was horrified once to see not one but two lorries with at least 30 6-8 year old school children standing in the back of each truck all wedged together. I assumed it was a school excursion of sorts.

When you see what can be transported on a motor bike in Thailand, probably not so surprised, not unlike china, Vietnam, Malaysia, India etc...

Only the government can fix it sadly.

I hope the young girl comes through this well, although unfortunately it usually takes a few thousand deaths before the authorities decide they should do something. Maybe it is time?

[Thai at Heart]

You all sit there in your Western minds knocking, complaining, not understanding. You see only your way, but the majority came this way for one thing. It's about time you started with 'grengjai' to my country. I have recently joined this site, and I have studied in the west. Coming home I have a lot to be proud of.... but you wingeing lot just winge, and think it's fun. You are a disgrace in attitude to this country, my country, an dthe people of the country around you. You need to sit back and be grateful for your acceptance as a visitor. That is all you are; A visitor. Stop taking the piss out of everything your read.... mai dai.. mai dee....

Try joining Panthip forum. You would see many similar responses from Thai's regarding the same topic.

If you don't care whether or not a child of 3 years old falls out of a moving school van then I would suggest you are a disgrace to your nation.

The reason many foreigners have an opinion and voice it on this forum is because they care so much about Thailand. It is heart breaking to see such a wonderful country trip over itself so frequently.

While recognising that many aspects of Thailand are wonderful, we as foreigners would also love to see common sense and improvement in many areas. We have a right to an opinion, we foreigners have even jointed an 'expat' website to express this opinion.

I have a right to an opinion here, my Thai friends, Wife and her family value that opinion - I'd hazard a guess and suggest that they value my opinion of Thailand significantly more than they would yours, Sinisalom. Regardless of the visa I hold my opinion remains valid, to suggest that someone has no right to an opinion simply because they are a visitor is an example of the attitudes which hold areas of Thailand back.

I accept right to opinon. However, please remember, in all due respect, that your opinions are not Thai, and come from a different era, in effect.

Every post I read in this site is narrowed in opinion from a Western point of view, and a first world standard that I have experienced and, to add, enjoyed.

Ok, it's a site for westerners, and yet I am entitled to my opinion too, am I not?

It is not right to value your opinion, nor yours truly, as a means of your direct experience that says you are correct in your beliefs. You are not Thai, and will never have Thainess, and that's a thing you can never possibly understand - NEVER.

Caring for Thailand is exempt from first world standards, CURRENTLY, and that is something that must be accepted, like it or not. To continually knock every matter, being it the government, the police force, the army, the corruption is not the way forward. Exposure at the higest level is. So whilst everybody is making continual advances and derogatory remarks about everything wrong here..... why don't they keep it directed at the top levels, and not pathetic comments about balcony jumps, or elephant deaths........ but rather keep it all aimed at the very top?? I guess the forum would not be so interesting if dimwits couldn't take pleasure in knocking some place they care so much about??

Sunisa.

Is falling out of a moving minivan some unknown aspect of thainess?

A tragic avoidable accident explained by Thainess.

Mai bpen arai....

Edited July 6, 2013 by Thai at Heart

[oops]

I hope that little girl recovers, I also hope they have the ability to sue the s**** out of the school.

I am guilty of allowing my child to ride in one of those vans. It almost becomes a necessary evil.

Everyday I worried and everyday I heard sirens I would worry even more. My circumstances at the

time didn't allow any other options. This has changed, now my child rides with me after seeing, that

the school was packing the van with 20 plus children, ( Standing room only ).

To hear a grown man try to put responsibility on a child then in the same breath said, he dropped them off at 7-11 while he did his rounds it unbelievable!. But then we see the songtows carrying children who are just barely hanging on to the tailgate of the truck they are riding in. My wife and I at one time moved him out of a school where the Van drivers had to move in and out, backing up with children standing all around the vans in a tight area. Watching them make my son ( in kindergarten at the time)

stand in between the vans as they moved in and out, Mind you the kids and the teachers had to stand sideways so as not to get clipped.

Having a child makes you very much aware of these Kamikazes. My child now attends Sarassat school where the van drivers are worse than Kamikazes But my child doesn't take the van anymore. I only worry when I see them drive into the school area. Yesterday one came flying up from behind, then passed us as we were driving down the two lane road on school property. In horror I watched him play chicken with the other cars trying to get around them going at high speed.

But that's nothing to what the parents do on the school grounds. The F'n Thai's think the school driveway is a speed way and they just don't care. They have dog fights and run past zebra crossing for children when they can't even see because cars will stop at the zebra crossing to let the children out, and the lunchroom area is so dark that if a child runs across a speeding vehicle is likely to hit them. I have drilled my child about crossing there, then drilled again. IT's no different then the stupid markets, they will put markets in front of the parking areas so that the idiots can drive at top speeds through the market to park..and then on the way out. Nothing will change these idiots....I myself believe it's time to go home.

Edited July 6, 2013 by Scott
formatting

[Salapoo]

I hope that little girl recovers, I also hope they have the ability to sue the s**** out of the school.

Let's hope so.

And let's hope it is very public so other Thais might actually pay attention and start to think, just a little bit, about the safety of the childern they are paid to mind, as it might hurt their wallet other wise.

I think it's the only way they'll change.

[diamondmax]

I think you will find that most of these minibusses are nothing to do with any school but are private opperators charging each childs family for the service of collecting and delivering morning and evening to and from schools in the area. That's why they pack 20 or more children into each trip to make the maximum amount of money.

I see these busses driving in the right hand lane on dual-carriageways with kids hanging out of every window waving to the car drivers.

They can't drive and don't have anyone taking care of the kids in the back either.

When are Thai authorities going to license these drivers and enforce vehicle checks and a maximum number of people in the van.

Answer.... It'll never happen.

[Salapoo]

I think you will find that most of these minibusses are nothing to do with any school but are private opperators charging each childs family for the service of collecting and delivering morning and evening to and from schools in the area.

I don't know, but most I see have the school logos etc. branded onto them.

[Thai at Heart]

I think you will find that most of these minibusses are nothing to do with any school but are private opperators charging each childs family for the service of collecting and delivering morning and evening to and from schools in the area.

I don't know, but most I see have the school logos etc. branded onto them.

They have normally paid under and on top of the table to get the work. They are contracted by the school.

Of course, the contract is probably written on the back of a fag pack.

[CrisRMenumate]

You all sit there in your Western minds knocking, complaining, not understanding. You see only your way, but the majority came this way for one thing. It's about time you started with 'grengjai' to my country. I have recently joined this site, and I have studied in the west. Coming home I have a lot to be proud of.... but you wingeing lot just winge, and think it's fun. You are a disgrace in attitude to this country, my country, an dthe people of the country around you. You need to sit back and be grateful for your acceptance as a visitor. That is all you are; A visitor. Stop taking the piss out of everything your read.... mai dai.. mai dee....

If you just joined and start reading the TV muckraking by farangs with nothing better to do we can then look forward to many more comments from you to this effect, however, the Thai constitution does clearly state that everyone has a right to have and to express their opinion.. whingeing and whiney or not, same as you. I bet you spent plenty of time complaining when you lived overseas about how cold it was, or how stupid the locals were because it wasn't like home, or how you couldn't get any good nam prik krapee and how the farang food was all "jerd"... yes, it is fun to poke fun at some of the stupid things that go on in a country. Thai people never want to admit they have a problem or that they should do anything about it, shouldn't your overseas experience have taught you to think a little better and try to do something about the things that are wrong in your country, like the terrible standards of safety for children in school vans... for example?

[chooka]

How many incidents this year alone involving kindergarten kids. Where is the duty of care towards these children.

[Salapoo]

I think you will find that most of these minibusses are nothing to do with any school but are private opperators charging each childs family for the service of collecting and delivering morning and evening to and from schools in the area.

I don't know, but most I see have the school logos etc. branded onto them.

They have normally paid under and on top of the table to get the work. They are contracted by the school.

Of course, the contract is probably written on the back of a fag pack.

Or the removed seatbelt buckles.

[Scott]

The problem is complex. Too many children have to go to schools that are too far away. I had neighbors who sent their children to 3 different schools. One was picked up by a school bus and the other two were driven because they went to schools that were too far for a bus service. However, within walking distance there was a Kindergarten which was very good and a reasonably priced private school.

[hhiser]

"Police believe Parita, who was sitting near the door, opened the door out of her curiosity. Mr. Wuttipong has been charged with driving with negligence and causing grievous harms to others." http://www.khaosod.co.th/

Why would they not consider the possibility that the door was not fully closed and opened by itself?

[diamondmax]

That maybe in Bangkok but in nakhonratchasima there is no school name on any minibus. They are all what I would call owner opperators.

[diamondmax]

I was with my daughter in the back of a minibus from the Mall shopping center to their car park, about a 1km ride. My daughter and I were in the first row of seats near the door when I had to stop her from trying to open the door while we were moving. My daughter is 3 years and 9 months old. so don't say they can't do it.

Also, as an engineer who has worked in the car industry, I have never seen or heard of a mini bus with a central locking system on the rear sliding door. I don't think they have such a thing.

[Salapoo]

My daughter and I were in the first row of seats near the door when I had to stop her from trying to open the door while we were moving. My daughter is 3 years and 9 months old. so don't say they can't do it.

She was trying to, or she did?

Big difference.

[pedro01]

You all sit there in your Western minds knocking, complaining, not understanding. You see only your way, but the majority came this way for one thing. It's about time you started with 'grengjai' to my country. I have recently joined this site, and I have studied in the west. Coming home I have a lot to be proud of.... but you wingeing lot just winge, and think it's fun. You are a disgrace in attitude to this country, my country, an dthe people of the country around you. You need to sit back and be grateful for your acceptance as a visitor. That is all you are; A visitor. Stop taking the piss out of everything your read.... mai dai.. mai dee....

If you just joined and start reading the TV muckraking by farangs with nothing better to do we can then look forward to many more comments from you to this effect, however, the Thai constitution does clearly state that everyone has a right to have and to express their opinion.. whingeing and whiney or not, same as you. I bet you spent plenty of time complaining when you lived overseas about how cold it was, or how stupid the locals were because it wasn't like home, or how you couldn't get any good nam prik krapee and how the farang food was all "jerd"... yes, it is fun to poke fun at some of the stupid things that go on in a country. Thai people never want to admit they have a problem or that they should do anything about it, shouldn't your overseas experience have taught you to think a little better and try to do something about the things that are wrong in your country, like the terrible standards of safety for children in school vans... for example?

Cris - Sunisalom is an an English male in his late 20's early 30's. He has been in Thailand for less that 12 months.

As such, I would not put a great deal of effort into crafting replies to him, especially if you are addressing him as a Thai National.

Oh and Sunisalom... Whilst your whole effort at appearing Thai has been appalling. If I had to pick just one thing that stands out as the single worst thing in your attempt at passing yourself as an educated Thai.

It would be this little gem "Baa - Khun ting tong na!".

Seriously, you should stop now.

[SilentReader]

I am quite certain newer models of most makes of mini buses have a child safety lock on the sliding door just as most cars do. "vehicles have been built with this feature since the early 1980s"

[MikeOboe57]

I am quite certain newer models of most makes of mini buses have a child safety lock on the sliding door just as most cars do. "vehicles have been built with this feature since the early 1980s"

Even if it had one, with a 12 year old riding in the back and in charge of the door it would have been deactivated. And as far as reported the driver didn't bother to get out to check if the door was properly locked when his "safety officer" had left.

[Farangdam]

3 years old already to kindergarten...may be the parent to busy working

[Salapoo]

And to think I'm raising my daughter in this country.

Or at least was planning to.

The more you look, the more Fawlty Towers you see, but with real life dead and maimed.

[EyesWideOpen]

You all sit there in your Western minds knocking, complaining, not understanding. You see only your way, but the majority came this way for one thing. It's about time you started with 'grengjai' to my country. I have recently joined this site, and I have studied in the west. Coming home I have a lot to be proud of.... but you wingeing lot just winge, and think it's fun. You are a disgrace in attitude to this country, my country, an dthe people of the country around you. You need to sit back and be grateful for your acceptance as a visitor. That is all you are; A visitor. Stop taking the piss out of everything your read.... mai dai.. mai dee....

If you just joined and start reading the TV muckraking by farangs with nothing better to do we can then look forward to many more comments from you to this effect, however, the Thai constitution does clearly state that everyone has a right to have and to express their opinion.. whingeing and whiney or not, same as you. I bet you spent plenty of time complaining when you lived overseas about how cold it was, or how stupid the locals were because it wasn't like home, or how you couldn't get any good nam prik krapee and how the farang food was all "jerd"... yes, it is fun to poke fun at some of the stupid things that go on in a country. Thai people never want to admit they have a problem or that they should do anything about it, shouldn't your overseas experience have taught you to think a little better and try to do something about the things that are wrong in your country, like the terrible standards of safety for children in school vans... for example?

Cris - Sunisalom is an an English male in his late 20's early 30's. He has been in Thailand for less that 12 months.

As such, I would not put a great deal of effort into crafting replies to him, especially if you are addressing him as a Thai National.

Oh and Sunisalom... Whilst your whole effort at appearing Thai has been appalling. If I had to pick just one thing that stands out as the single worst thing in your attempt at passing yourself as an educated Thai.

It would be this little gem "Baa - Khun ting tong na!".

Seriously, you should stop now.

Have to agree.... Is this some new bizarre strategy by the apologists, to pretend to be an affronted Thai national ? " Stop taking the piss...." This was an instant tip off, as no Thai has ever used that phrase. I guess the >>> If you do not like something that Thailand does, go back to your home country <<< phrase was getting a bit tired, so time for a fresh approach... :-)

Regarding the deaths of these school children over the past few months, I suspect there is a certain wealth correlation . Meaning the child of a truly wealthy elite is not getting killed by a moronic van driver...

[noitom]

A three year old shouldn't be seated next to a door on a van. If she wasn't, what person would sit there and watch the three year old climb over someone or them to "play" with the door?

[DekDaeng]

I think you will find that most of these minibusses are nothing to do with any school but are private opperators charging each childs family for the service of collecting and delivering morning and evening to and from schools in the area. That's why they pack 20 or more children into each trip to make the maximum amount of money.

I see these busses driving in the right hand lane on dual-carriageways with kids hanging out of every window waving to the car drivers.

They can't drive and don't have anyone taking care of the kids in the back either.

When are Thai authorities going to license these drivers and enforce vehicle checks and a maximum number of people in the van.

Answer.... It'll never happen.

Any money in it?