Bus Packed With Tourists Crashes Into Surat Thani Bridge

[Lite Beer]

Bus Packed With Tourists Crashes Into Surat Thani Bridge

PHOTOS: Khaosod - Click image to enlarge)

SURAT THANI:-- More than a dozen of foreign tourists were admitted to hospital after their tour bus crashed into a bridge crossing Tapee River in Mueang District, Surat Thani province.

At the scene, police found the bus, registered to A.S.R. Transport Inc., stuck beneath the Tapee River Bridge near the province′s City Pillar Shrine, with half of its roof slid off.

The driver fled the scene but was later apprehended by the police. He was identified as Mr. Anurak Puphiromya, 34, a resident of Huay Kwang District, Bangkok.

Mr. Anurak told the police that Songserm Rungrueng Tour had hired him to take foreign tourists from Krabi province to Surat Thani province.

Before the incident, he said, he dropped off 17 tourists at Pun-Pin Train Station, and he was bringing the rest of the group - numbering 22 tourists - to a pier where they can catch ferries to Koh Pangan, the island famous for its Full Moon Party.

According to Mr. Anurak, he became unfamiliar with the route as he entered Mueang District, so he asked directions from a local resident, who generously drove a car ahead of the bus to lead him.

Read More: http://www.khaosod.co.th/en/view_newsonline.php?newsid=TVRNM05ERTBPRFUyTlE9PQ==&sectionid=TURFd01BPT0=&utm_content=buffer21ff1&utm_source=buffer&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=Buffer

--KHAOSOD 2013-07-18

[Boater]

From the look of the bridge , not the only person to have hit it !

Another undertrained driver without the skills to drive a bus

Lucky no deaths this time

Sent from my iPhone 6

using ThaiVisa app

[TomTao]

Thank God none of the tourists were killled, it must have been quite a scare. I hope all the injured make a full recovery.

[Bluespunk]

The article goes on to say:

'Mr. Anurak claimed he did not notice the bridge in front of him, which was only 2.8 metres high above ground, as he was focusing with the leading car. Moments later, his tour bus, height 3.3 metres, crashed squarely into the bridge.'

'

[EyesWideOpen]

These bus companies are really going to have to do some soul searching and hire more intelligent drivers. Also they might think about installing a GPS system so the driver can concentrate on driving, not trying to figure out where he is.

And of course he did the classic runner, which they all seem to do unless the driver is dead...

[boomerangutang]

from the extended article at Khaosod: Songsermsungrueng Tour said it has provided help and accommodation for the tourists who were affected by the incident, and would provide transport to deliver the tourists to their destination the day after.

Chances are, the Tour heads are going to pay absolute minimum - they can get away with.

Added note: At Mae Sai, which is Thailand's northernmost town, there is a big white hotel (I don't know its name) where giant tour buses pull up to the front. I watch fascinated while the tops of the buses look to have as little as 1 inch clearance from the concrete beam above. They're going slow, but it's an accident waiting to happen.

Added note 2: The last 2 times I did a r-trips on VIP buses in northern Thailand, I buckled up. Guess how many others used their seat belts (passengers and drivers)? Yup: none.

[Eddy B]

well it's oneway to keep the worlds population down. Come to Thailand and use the public transport.

[soi41]

Any news on Thaivisa, and the Thaihaters appears from under their bridges!!

Accidents like the one in the OP happens all over the world. Just before moving here, 3 of my customers were killed in a simular accident. Happened in Copenhagen! With a trained driver, new bus (everything in working order), but just like here not familiar with the route.

I anyone should be blamed here, it should be the friendly person, who try to help guiding the driver and didn't think about the low bridge and the too high bus.

Good, at least nobody killed!

[Farangdam]

motorcyman driving coach bus... realy a blunder.. he can only say i am sorry i just follow the leading car..

[yaipai]

not a surprise. Songserm has many safety issues. Their ferries lack any lifevests or life-rafts and they are mostly overloaded. Diesel fumes can enter the passenger compartments.

It is incredible how Songserm gets a license to operate. Since they overload their vessels there are not always seats for everyone. If you are lucky you can buy a seat in the aircon room for an additional 50 baht per person. Songserm should be forbidden to operate.

To make it worse.. they are only around 100 baht cheaper.. (or if you buy a seat .. only 50 baht cheaper) than the Lomphraya catamaran service. Lomphraya's catamaran are fitted with life-rafts and life-vests and have seats for everyone.

There are many ways to dies but certainly Songserm is not worth it..... This busaccident is not a surprise because Songserm does not care a bit about safety.

[ToddWeston]

The article goes on to say:

'Mr. Anurak claimed he did not notice the bridge in front of him, which was only 2.8 metres high above ground, as he was focusing with the leading car. Moments later, his tour bus, height 3.3 metres, crashed squarely into the bridge.'[/size]

'

Focusing on the car in front is code for " he was texting or using line or hit level 12 of candy crush"

[fn idot]

hope they took a swab of that bridge, it was obviously trying to commit suicide probably on yaa baa. we got bridges like that in (insert favorite slag off here). truly disgusting what bridges get up these days.

[SCARLETIBIS1]

Comon sense, common sense, common sense, where art thou? 3.3 meter high bus; 2.8 meter high bridge. What's the problem here? LOL

[toenail]

We forget, Thailand is a "developing country" - safety, accountability, and thinking of the "what ifs" is not part of the culture--yet.

[GotR1GHT]

Any news on Thaivisa, and the Thaihaters appears from under their bridges!! width=19 alt=bah.gif>

Accidents like the one in the OP happens all over the world. Just before moving here, 3 of my customers were killed in a simular accident. Happened in Copenhagen! With a trained driver, new bus (everything in working order), but just like here not familiar with the route.

I anyone should be blamed here, it should be the friendly person, who try to help guiding the driver and didn't think about the low bridge and the too high bus.

Good, at least nobody killed! width=20 alt=wai2.gif>

+1

[drdoom6996]

Comon sense, common sense, common sense, where art thou? 3.3 meter high bus; 2.8 meter high bridge. What's the problem here? LOL

It appears that common sense is not common. What is common to you and me may not be common for some one else.

[rametindallas]

Wow! I'll not ride in the front upstairs on a VIP bus again. The driver must have forgotten he was driving a double-decker bus because the clearance under that bridge would be scary close for a city bus.

Soi41 wrote: "I(f) anyone should be blamed here, it should be the friendly person, who try to help guiding the driver and didn't think about the low bridge and the too high bus."

I completely disagree. The driver is the only person who can decide if it is safe or not. You are a 'Thai apologist' which is just as bad as a 'Thai basher'. How would that 'friendly person', who has no experience driving a bus, know if the route was safe? The driver is supposed to be trained and have the knowledge and experience to make safe decisions for his passengers who put their lives in his hands. You are not just wrong, you are ridiculously wrong.

[Emdog]

I don't drive here, and haven't noticed, but is the clearance displayed near the bridge, hopefully far enough away to stop?

[oldsailor35]

Wow! I'll not ride in the front upstairs on a VIP bus again. The driver must have forgotten he was driving a double-decker bus because the clearance under that bridge would be scary close for a city bus.

Soi41 wrote: "I(f) anyone should be blamed here, it should be the friendly person, who try to help guiding the driver and didn't think about the low bridge and the too high bus."

I completely disagree. The driver is the only person who can decide if it is safe or not. You are a 'Thai apologist' which is just as bad as a 'Thai basher'. How would that 'friendly person', who has no experience driving a bus, know if the route was safe? The driver is supposed to be trained and have the knowledge and experience to make safe decisions for his passengers who put their lives in his hands. You are not just wrong, you are ridiculously wrong.

Errrrr i know that the bus is too high to get under, but the guide in front thinks its ok and i do have the appropiate amulets.

oops! we have hit the bridge.....................me thinks i had better do a bolter

[oldsailor35]

Any news on Thaivisa, and the Thaihaters appears from under their bridges!! width=19 alt=bah.gif>

Accidents like the one in the OP happens all over the world. Just before moving here, 3 of my customers were killed in a simular accident. Happened in Copenhagen! With a trained driver, new bus (everything in working order), but just like here not familiar with the route.

I anyone should be blamed here, it should be the friendly person, who try to help guiding the driver and didn't think about the low bridge and the too high bus.

Good, at least nobody killed! width=20 alt=wai2.gif>

And i suppose the driver ran away.

[bhatmasterson]

I believe this is the first time I've read of a bus or truck driver doing a runner and then getting captured!

That's good police work. Or the guy couldn't run vary fast.

[noitom]

Another outsourced freelance Thai driver. And he flees!! No assistance to injured tourists - The driver flees!! This Thai driver fleeing accidents is a national disgrace for Thailand. Tourists will eventually get the idea that the risk of tour travel in Thailand far exceeds the joy of the experience and they will stay away. The driver "flees!" Shame on Thailand and its culture of fleeing accident scenes with injured and/or dead in distress.

[fn idot]

Thailand's Special Investigation Department (DSI) and the Office of the Narcotics Control Board were aware of the situation and the bridge will be fix in 90 days well before it becomes a hub

[Tchooptip]

Any news on Thaivisa, and the Thaihaters appears from under their bridges!! width=19 alt=bah.gif>

Accidents like the one in the OP happens all over the world. Just before moving here, 3 of my customers were killed in a simular accident. Happened in Copenhagen! With a trained driver, new bus (everything in working order), but just like here not familiar with the route.

I anyone should be blamed here, it should be the friendly person, who try to help guiding the driver and didn't think about the low bridge and the too high bus.

Good, at least nobody killed! width=20 alt=wai2.gif>

What do you say? No no, not a single Thaihaters on TV ...professional moaners yes, they are to happy with news like that so let them play among themselves

[kieranhealy]

Any news on Thai visa, and the Thai haters appears from under their bridges!!

Accidents like the one in the OP happens all over the world. Just before moving here, 3 of my customers were killed in a simular accident. Happened in Copenhagen! With a trained driver, new bus (everything in working order), but just like here not familiar with the route.

I'm sorry but most of the people that comment on here are not Thai haters....I've lived here for almost 5 years as i also did in Denmark. The difference is that almost every day there are accidents involving foreign tourist here in Thailand and the problem most people on here have is that little or nothing seems to be done about it. The economy here is such, that the money spent by tourists (which is a huge and very important part of the Thai economy) never seems to be reinvested back into the safety of the tourists. I can assure you that if these type of accidents were occurring on a daily basis in Denmark something would be changed very quickly to protect their investments in tourism......which i think is fair and the only logical and human way to solve the problem. Unfortunately this is not the case here and nobody is ever held accountable. When did you ever hear of train derailments, bus crashes and murders involving Asian tourists all in the space of three days in Copenhagen or any other country or city in in Europe, USA, Australia or any other country for that matter. I can completely understand your desire to protect this country from what you consider ''Thai bashing' but i don't honestly think you are protecting the future of the Thai Tourism industry or the general economy of the country itself by being ignorant to your road safety records.

[fn idot]

Any news on Thai visa, and the Thai haters appears from under their bridges!!

Accidents like the one in the OP happens all over the world. Just before moving here, 3 of my customers were killed in a simular accident. Happened in Copenhagen! With a trained driver, new bus (everything in working order), but just like here not familiar with the route.

I'm sorry but most of the people that comment on here are not Thai haters....I've lived here for almost 5 years as i also did in Denmark. The difference is that almost every day there are accidents involving foreign tourist here in Thailand and the problem most people on here have is that little or nothing seems to be done about it. The economy here is such, that the money spent by tourists (which is a huge and very important part of the Thai economy) never seems to be reinvested back into the safety of the tourists. I can assure you that if these type of accidents were occurring on a daily basis in Denmark something would be changed very quickly to protect their investments in tourism......which i think is fair and the only logical and human way to solve the problem. Unfortunately this is not the case here and nobody is ever held accountable. When did you ever hear of train derailments, bus crashes and murders involving Asian tourists all in the space of three days in Copenhagen or any other country or city in in Europe, USA, Australia or any other country for that matter. I can completely understand your desire to protect this country from what you consider ''Thai bashing' but i don't honestly think you are protecting the future of the Thai Tourism industry or the general economy of the country itself by being ignorant to your road safety records.

silly silly silly. danger tourism is what attracts tourist, it get world wide press advertising for free. Office of the Narcotics Control Board is not going to touch that at all.

[outre99]

The article goes on to say:

'Mr. Anurak claimed he did not notice the bridge in front of him, which was only 2.8 metres high above ground, as he was focusing with the leading car. Moments later, his tour bus, height 3.3 metres, crashed squarely into the bridge.'

'

I'm sure we all at one time or another found ourselves following another car through an unfamiliar darkness. The driver's story does make sense as one tends to become completely focused on following the leading vehicle. Add to this an old/faded/covered/non-existent sign indicating the height of the bridge and the disaster is complete. Of course, the driver lost major points when he ran away.

But based on the facts from the article i will speak up in defence of the driver as there clearly were other factors beyond the driver's control that made significant contributions to this unfortunate outcome.

[tonypace02]

These bus companies are really going to have to do some soul searching and hire more intelligent drivers. Also they might think about installing a GPS system so the driver can concentrate on driving, not trying to figure out where he is.

And of course he did the classic runner, which they all seem to do unless the driver is dead...

The driver did not work for a bus company, he worked for a tourist company. What needs to be known is whether the driver was licensed to drive a bus and whether he had any experience on a vehicle of that size. An experienced bus driver is more like to be sensitive the size of his vehicle in while driving in an unknown area. Pilot error!

[DekDaeng]

http://laughingsquid.com/11foot8-videos-of-trucks-hitting-low-clearance-overpasses/

[unanimosity]

So Thais actually give bad directions to Thais, thought it was reserved for foreigners.

Good thing the driver was creative courteous enough to leave the scene and go in search of help instead of staying around to blame the other fellow that cause the accident.