Van crash kills nine in Chachoengsao, Thailand

[johnlandy]

Thailand is a third world nation and as with all third world nations the standards applied to transportation regulations the servicing of highways, the testing of vehicles and the licensing of drivers is a joke. That is why we face so much risk when we travel in Thailand.

Thailand is a third world nation! when did that come about, or is 3rd as low as a country can be rated?

[culicine]

Most of these van drivers are poorly trained jerks.....a friend even told me of the time the guy was pulling 180 km/h on the expressway! Vans are scary at those sorts of speeds. I can count on one have the number of times I've used a van in 13 years - and then these were official college vans. I'll take my chances and drive myself thanks:) never put your life in the hands of another.....especially in this country where driving safety is predicated on having Buddha statues on the dashboard!

[johnlandy]

RIP those lost and hopes for a speedy recovery for those injured.

This has become so familiar to me living here that it just doesn't shock me anymore; kind of just wake up expecting the next one. Very sad situation.

The only time that I will be concerned is when it is someone 'near and dear' to me.

As for the rest of the population if they are not concerned about their own safety why exactly should I be.

Yes - whenever i see a driver anywhere driving like a suicidal prat, i always think : if he crashes and dies so what. But what you've somehow managed to overlook with your comment, is that it was only the DRIVER who was unconcerned about safety - how about sadly remembering the innocent victim-passengers ?

Accepting an unsafe situation is tantamount to complicity. Perhaps I need to spell it out more clearly. The driver was unconcerned and the passengers accepted the situation.

Remember it wasn't a van full of toddlers being taken to kindergarten.

And finally where is it stated that, it was only the driver who was unconcerned about safety.

[islandgirljenny]

Those who have posted about the dangers of minivans are correct--though most drivers are excellent, there are occasional ones who are lunatics, and you never know who you're going to get.

There is an alternative, though, for those who want to travel between Bangkok and Hua Hin or Pattaya: there is now an express bus (operated by Bell Travel Service) to and from Suvarnabhumi airport that is comfortable and safe. It takes about 3 hours to/from Hua Hin (probably less to/from Pattaya). Price to/from Hua Hin is only 305 baht. I've used it several times and highly recommend it. It's even more convenient now that there is an above-ground walkway connectng the Airport Link train at Makkasan station to the Petchaburi MRT station (it was already fairly easy transferring to the BTS at Phaya Thai). I can't imagine taking the death-defying minivan again.

[zydeco]

after seeing the video of about 10 charred corpses being pulled from a minivan crash between pattaya and bkk a few months ago it made me a bit weary of vans.

last time i was in one crammed in like a sardine i tried to imagine what i would do if the vehicle crashed and caught fire. truth is there is your chances would be slim.

- driver always locks the doors from his control panel in the front (anyone know why?)

- windows don't slide open far enough for anyone to get out

so your option would be

- to try to scramble for the front door and hope to god it's not locked

-unlock the doors via control panel in front

- break a window

car windows do not break easy.

scrambling for an exit in a van overloaded with luggage and panicked/injured people that is rapidly turning into a incinerator with no way out i think would be an incredibly bad way to die.

Why on earth do drivers insist on locking the doors with the controls in the front all the time? It's not like carjacking is rampant or likely to happen on the trip between pattaya and bangkok!

I don't get minivans anymore only bus. buses arn't exactly safe either but I feel they are better than the above scenario and less overloaded

I guess we could all take the train. They may fall off the tracks all the time, but at least they don't explode and catch on fire. Yet.

[Munger]

As bad as the driving experience is here in Thailand, I honestly regard China, India and Vietnam even worse. I believe driving in Russia is quite scary as well, as in "wear your brown jocks" scary.

Off topic, this is a thai topic, not China, India, Vietnam.

[Munger]

Those who have posted about the dangers of minivans are correct--though most drivers are excellent, there are occasional ones who are lunatics,

WHAT, "most drivers are EXCELLENT" Laughable. Please Wise up

[Ian Curtis]

Those who have posted about the dangers of minivans are correct--though most drivers are excellent, there are occasional ones who are lunatics, and you never know who you're going to get.

There is an alternative, though, for those who want to travel between Bangkok and Hua Hin or Pattaya: there is now an express bus (operated by Bell Travel Service) to and from Suvarnabhumi airport that is comfortable and safe. It takes about 3 hours to/from Hua Hin (probably less to/from Pattaya). Price to/from Hua Hin is only 305 baht. I've used it several times and highly recommend it. It's even more convenient now that there is an above-ground walkway connectng the Airport Link train at Makkasan station to the Petchaburi MRT station (it was already fairly easy transferring to the BTS at Phaya Thai). I can't imagine taking the death-defying minivan again.

Thanks for your info. I need to travel between Pattay and Huahin on a regular basis. I have tried many ways from train between Huahin and Bkk and then ordinary bus between Pattaya and Ekamai. There is a "yellow bus" service direct from Pattaya to Huahin but I've never didcovered the return connection. Anyway, I did it once and the VIP cost was 1 020 baht!!

Your method would be to get the Pattaya to airport bus and then look for the Bell Travel bus?

[noitom]

Yet another van accident. Was the driver a runner? Did he flee the accident scene?

[Pimay1]

Yet another van accident. Was the driver a runner? Did he flee the accident scene?

It is reported he was injured and is in the hospital. The truck driver has been arrested. As usual the truck was sitting on the road with no lights on. I saw the photo of the crash and there were no skid marks from the van. Must have hit the truck full speed.

[Scott]

There is a lot of truck traffic between Chachaengsao and Minburi on that stretch of road and a lot of factories. The trucks are all over the place, with many of them out in the 'fast' lane, even though they are hardly going fast. Trucks are occasionally parked on the side of the road with no lights. It's quite a dangerous road with the mix of cars, truck and motorcycles and local traffic as well as through traffic.

[webfact]

UPDATE:
Illegal van crashes into truck, 9 killed
The Nation



Driver lost control of speeding van after truck stopped 'without signal'

Nine people were killed and seven seriously injured when an illegal public van crashed into an 18-wheel truck early yesterday en route from Prachin Buri to Bangkok.

The crash took place at 4.50am near the bridge across the Bang Pa Kong River in Ban Sang, and the injured were taken to Bang Num Priew Hospital in Chachoengsao.

Police investigator Lt Sakchai Chantana said the van had picked up passengers from Prachin Buri's Muang district at around 4am to drop them off at Victory Monument in Bangkok.

Wirot Wongkot, the 30-year-old truck driver, was immediately arrested for coming to a stop without giving any signal. He said the truck's motor had died.

The driver of the van, Anusorn Srichai, was also severely injured.

Of the nine killed, eight were identified as Natthaphon Khaokhechon, Krisakorn Maneewong, Salinla Leusanan, Chadnai Cheyprasert, Suwanlaya Wuthmetha, Pongsak Leudthai, Adisorn Penyoo and Mongkol Sakulngarm. The ninth person could not be identified.

The injured were Rung Rungsaeng, Pram Rungsaeng, Suchanart Sukkhophan, Nanthaphon Wutmetha, Anusorn Sriwichai, Attachai Chaleewan, and Bootsaba Sukkhophan.

Passenger Bootsaba said the driver lost control of the van as he was going at a very high speed.

Changes needed

After hearing about the crash, Transport Minister Chadchart Sittipunt said he instructed the Land Transport Department to find a way to provide more transport, so people don't have to resort to illegal public vans. He told the department to team up with the police to resolve this problem, he said.

Chadchart gave the department a month to resolve these issues.

According to the World Health Organisation, up to 26,000 people are killed in road accidents every year in Thailand, the sixth highest in the world for road fatalities.


-- The Nation 2013-08-27

[ianf]

Try driving on the road between Chanthanburi and Sa Keo. Death road if there ever was one. Never seen so much crazy driving. And the police do nothing ......

[yooper2001]

The problem is male thai culture that think they are all formula one drivers and in fact they are some of the worlds worst drivers with not following the laws such as driving on the wrong side of the road, not stopping for a red light, passing on a yellow line, and my favorite is passing you and then stopping to make a left hand turn instead of slowing down for 2 seconds to let you go and then turn. When you add that the police do not enforce the laws then you can expect this to continue. I only see police set up a road check point and look for seat belt or helmet infractions. Has anybody seen the police stop someone for speeding?

[RickBradford]

Next week will read the same stuff. Guaranteed, sadly.

Why wait till next week?

Last night a passenger van ploughed into the back of a bus in northern Bangkok -- nine injured, one seriously.

[MaxYakov]

Most of these van drivers are poorly trained jerks.....a friend even told me of the time the guy was pulling 180 km/h on the expressway! Vans are scary at those sorts of speeds. I can count on one have the number of times I've used a van in 13 years - and then these were official college vans. I'll take my chances and drive myself thanks:) never put your life in the hands of another.....especially in this country where driving safety is predicated on having Buddha statues on the dashboard!

As long as there are other vehicles on the road, one is always putting their life, to some degree, in others' hands. This is the primary premise of defensive driving.

[islandgirljenny]

Those who have posted about the dangers of minivans are correct--though most drivers are excellent, there are occasional ones who are lunatics, and you never know who you're going to get.

There is an alternative, though, for those who want to travel between Bangkok and Hua Hin or Pattaya: there is now an express bus (operated by Bell Travel Service) to and from Suvarnabhumi airport that is comfortable and safe. It takes about 3 hours to/from Hua Hin (probably less to/from Pattaya). Price to/from Hua Hin is only 305 baht. I've used it several times and highly recommend it. It's even more convenient now that there is an above-ground walkway connectng the Airport Link train at Makkasan station to the Petchaburi MRT station (it was already fairly easy transferring to the BTS at Phaya Thai). I can't imagine taking the death-defying minivan again.

Thanks for your info. I need to travel between Pattay and Huahin on a regular basis. I have tried many ways from train between Huahin and Bkk and then ordinary bus between Pattaya and Ekamai. There is a "yellow bus" service direct from Pattaya to Huahin but I've never didcovered the return connection. Anyway, I did it once and the VIP cost was 1 020 baht!!

Your method would be to get the Pattaya to airport bus and then look for the Bell Travel bus?

Yes, I haven't done the Pattaya-to-Bangkok side, but you could switch to the Bangkok-to-Hua Hin bus at the airport. The counter (which sells tickets to both Hua Hin and Pattaya from the airport) is on the ground floor, same level as the public taxis, at the end near the food court (Level 1, Gate 8). The schedule is here: http://www.airporthuahinbus.com/suvarnabhumi-airport-hua-hin-bus-schedule-timetable

You can also book online (at the above link), up to about six hours before departure (good if you're reasonably sure what time you'll get from Pattaya to the airport). In the off-season there are usually plenty of seats, but sometimes they do fill up.

[TechnikaIII]

Sickening - the whole van-crash saga, from the day I first arrived in Thailand in 2010 until now. How many?

But will Thais do anything about it? ....

I will never forget the first ex gf replying to my expression of concern about a news item photo, showing a mangled van and dead bodies, with pools of vehicle and human fluids. She said, referring to the photo: "Why you worry? Is it Takhli van?" Speechless with bewilderment, I retreated.

Fortunately not all Thais are like that but I know what you mean.

True, "Fortunately not all Thais .." But for as long as the sensible Thais are in the minority, or at least there not enough to act toward bringing about change, we have a very grave situation, perpetuated by lousy driver education, social attitude, incompetant government and a dysfunctional police force.

So I repeat: ".... will Thais do anything about it? ...."

[Ian Curtis]

Those who have posted about the dangers of minivans are correct--though most drivers are excellent, there are occasional ones who are lunatics, and you never know who you're going to get.

There is an alternative, though, for those who want to travel between Bangkok and Hua Hin or Pattaya: there is now an express bus (operated by Bell Travel Service) to and from Suvarnabhumi airport that is comfortable and safe. It takes about 3 hours to/from Hua Hin (probably less to/from Pattaya). Price to/from Hua Hin is only 305 baht. I've used it several times and highly recommend it. It's even more convenient now that there is an above-ground walkway connectng the Airport Link train at Makkasan station to the Petchaburi MRT station (it was already fairly easy transferring to the BTS at Phaya Thai). I can't imagine taking the death-defying minivan again.

Thanks for your info. I need to travel between Pattay and Huahin on a regular basis. I have tried many ways from train between Huahin and Bkk and then ordinary bus between Pattaya and Ekamai. There is a "yellow bus" service direct from Pattaya to Huahin but I've never didcovered the return connection. Anyway, I did it once and the VIP cost was 1 020 baht!!

Your method would be to get the Pattaya to airport bus and then look for the Bell Travel bus?

Yes, I haven't done the Pattaya-to-Bangkok side, but you could switch to the Bangkok-to-Hua Hin bus at the airport. The counter (which sells tickets to both Hua Hin and Pattaya from the airport) is on the ground floor, same level as the public taxis, at the end near the food court (Level 1, Gate 8). The schedule is here: http://www.airporthuahinbus.com/suvarnabhumi-airport-hua-hin-bus-schedule-timetable

You can also book online (at the above link), up to about six hours before departure (good if you're reasonably sure what time you'll get from Pattaya to the airport). In the off-season there are usually plenty of seats, but sometimes they do fill up.

Jenny, Thank you very very much

[RickBradford]

Another one in Chacherngsao today - three injured. Same thing -- into the back of a bus.

The TV channel has started to take this up, interviewing people as to why they use vans (quick & convenient) and how to spot unlicensed vans.

[Jim walker]

RIP to all on the Thai roads .

[johnnie20110]

This afternoon, the death toll from the crash rose from 9 to 11 with two more victims succumbing to their injuries.

Four more remain hospitalized and hopefully the death toll won't increase even further.

[Sheryl]

My niece takes this van regularly. In fact she took it Monday, the day of the crash, though luckily not at that hour.

There are no seat belts for the passengers, they've all for some reason been removed.

It's terrifying.