2 killed and 18 hurt in VIP bus crash in Thailand

[Schuimpge]

Was it just a week ago, that Madame Yingluck said "Your safety is our main concern!!"

Hope those who died didn't suffer!!

Yes, it was certainly the PM's fault that this bus crashed.

Perspective.

In fact she is to blame

She runs the current government and they have yet to address the issue of driver training proper safety standards and enforcement of a proper driving code. Until the government acts in a correct fashion these type of accidents will continue

Time for the people in power to take action instead of being solely concerned about bring home the a hole from dubuy

Rubbish...clearly everyone else had seatbelts on and they came out ok with some cuts and bruises.

These two people seem to have not worn seatbelts so it was totally their responsibility.

In fact, they could have caused 'collateral damage' flying around and breaking someone's neck...

I feel no sympathy for them as they could have hurt others..

Some perspective is really necessary here...

Luc

[sabaii69]

I take the airport busses from Pattaya and haven't seen a seatbelt.

[unanimosity]

What the heck is a roll as referenced in the OP? Some local jargon to be sure but what does it mean?

[Emdog]

Don't tell me the refrigerated truck was "fishtailing", okay? Been here long enough that black humor seems best defensive posture. Me, I'm going by ox cart next trip. Or walk, except with the low wires, pipes, sidewalk hazards, vendors, etc.....

[oldsailor35]

Ho Hum........just another weekly occurrence.

[Angeledge777]

Thais still don't know what's the point in fastening their seatbelt.

[eddie61]

I do hope the injured weren't "quality tourists"

[SOTIRIOS]

...more like.....R.I.P. buses...talk about a misnomer...

...I would like to know how many are over 20 years old.....

...as for seatbelts.....1)...they need to be anchored.....2)....lap belts...or 2-point belts ...without the shoulder strap....are dangerous unto themselves.....

[Soi Sauce]

Who on the bus were VIPs?

[baboon]

Another day... another fatal bus or van crash.... Getting to be as regular as sunrise and sunset...

Looking at the photo, my wife says the bus company involved is something like "Chok Anan Tour" -- but that name doesn't mean anything to me.

Meanwhile, no mention of what happened to the bus driver. Wonder if he hit the road literally or figuratively, in this case..

When will the Thai people wake up and demand something better from their government?

I have used their busses on more than a few occasions. I found them to be a reliable and professional outfit.

Under the hood I cannot comment on, but I have yet to see a red eyed driver under the influence of drink or drugs.

[baboon]

I was on the same road last night driving back from Chumphon to Ranong just a few minutes behind the bus and although I did not witness the accident itself I was caught up in the pandemonium and the traffic backlog that ensued. The scene of the accident was on a very tight corner by the waterfall in Kra Buri where the entire stretch of road has no street lighting and there is very little room for opposing traffic. The police and a few ambulances where quickly on the scene as the accident occurred about 1km from Kra Buri hospital but as we continued our journey home (via a back road before rejoining Petkasem road) we seen countless ambulances and rescue trucks racing dangerously to the scene from Ranong which is 60 km away.

The Petkasem road running from Chumphon to Ranong is very very dangerous for those who do not know how to traverse it (especially at night) and is known as the road of a thousand bends. The vast majority of the road is unlit and some of the bends are notoriously tight causing many accidents to occur to those who are not aware of the dangers. There is also an increased danger at the moment due to roadworks being done to increase the width and quality of the roads. The bus driver and the fish truck driver would have been aware of the dangers but traffic from Chumphon to Ranong was surprisingly light last night and I think that the bus driver was maybe taking advantage of the empty roads to quickly arrive back in Ranong.

JAF

This is not a strip of highway/road that the elite business class Thais care about. It is running through poor Thai country and just totally gets ignored. Don't look for more lighting and better/wider paving in the future. It will be ignored for many years to come.

Untrue. They have been improving this stretch of road for quite a while now as they should, but these things take time.

[myluckythai]

Took the Nakonchai air vip bus many times to bangkok and back. a 900 Km trip there and back These busses Always have seatbelts. Up to you if you use m or not. I never had come at the place of destination quicker than another time, so i have to conclude they never try to drive quicker at some times to save time. 2 weeks ago the bus was late 3 hours due to the weather an d flooded roads in bangkok , but still did the same time, and no rush. Travelling with Nakonchai air feels pretty good i have to say. I still have seen enough coaches turned over and what not along the way , and trough time, so don't know about the other companies and their policies The road conditions here are pretty well and the whole way is all 4 lane roads but the last 30 km's, so that is a difference from the road where the accident happened, but another driver slamming in to you is a hard thing too avoid i think.

Edited October 29, 2013 by myluckythai

[Bagwan]

The usual I want Thailand to be just like the place I came from. We all know the risk here if you cannot handle it go back to that safe paradise you came from

This is one of the most moronic posts that I have read here. Expect no sympathy if ever you become just another road accident statistic.

[thrilled]

It has gotten safer in Thailand.Back in the early 70's it wasA real cluster --. It's getting better,slowly but surely.

[gintis0604]

Will they ever learn? No, because life is cheap here- at least the life of others.

To learn you need a brain. Thai people haven´t. They are still on the monkey stadium. Sit on the floor, eat with the fingers. Driving some faster thing than a buffalo is too much for them.

[Jib Teenuc]

Will they ever learn? No, because life is cheap here- at least the life of others.

Everyone CAN learn, but first they need to be taught (well) and that will only happen when teachers are found and allowed to teach, unencumbered (supported even?) by red-tape and official nonchelance, as seems currenly the case.

You are correct in that.....OTHER people's lives may be cheap but each and every one of the friends and families of these victims of such an appalling event will not be thinking the loss of their own is next to worthless, at this time.

Thailand is very much a work-in-progress. It is possibly the most advanced of its region (think Cambodia, Viet Nam, Burma, Laos) but a work in progress, nonetheless.

Not so different to many S E Asia, Indian Sub-Continent (including Pakistan and almost any country whose name ends in "stan"), Middle-Eastern, South American, African and former Eastern European countries.

The biggest difference I can see between these countries and those most of us on TV hail from is a properly paid and an equally properly administered police force charged with enforcing the laws that government has passed (and this is not only with regard to driving/traffic laws).

If you treat your enforcement personal as little more than barmen or waiters, don't be surprised if they reserve their largest smiles and greatest deference for those with the largest wallets and "to heck" with the rest.

If the tail of the snake is a threat....cut off its head, as that is what ultimately controlled the tail (i.e. corrupt street-cops equals the firing or resignation of the local chief). That'd soon sort it, no doubt. A minibus crashes and the driver is at fault...the company is severly fined or closed down.

If ever you get into a physical fight, might I suggest there are more productive areas to target your punches at than his toes?

EVERY time there is a bus or minibus or train or whatever crash.....Go for and crucify the very top man (not the driver or whoever - regardless of his yabba intake).

It will soon stop.

[Bpuumike]

Was it just a week ago, that Madame Yingluck said "Your safety is our main concern!!"

Hope those who died didn't suffer!!

Yes, it was certainly the PM's fault that this bus crashed.

Perspective.

Yes, the PM and Govt need to take some responsibility as they do in other countries. They introduce and enforce laws to minimize this occuring. Victoria in Aust reduced their road toll from 1200 per annum to around 300 per annum through policing and safety measures being introduced. That is all part of the responsibility of modern day Govts

This is all very well if you have a population that respects most laws and a Police force that actually upholds them. This is Thailand....land of lawbreakers and an inept Police force.

Someone described them best as a franchise,

[Colabamumbai]

They are all Helldrivers on drugs.

With all the yaba busted daily here, you are correct.

[Kawapete]

VIP bus hmm, these guys are driving as if the road was only ment for them. I commute between Bkk and Sam Roy Yod every weekend on motorbike or by car and I just wonder when somebody in a VIP bus or overloaded pickup blocking seccond lane knocks me off the road....

[fareastguy]

Was it just a week ago, that Madame Yingluck said "Your safety is our main concern!!"

Hope those who died didn't suffer!!

Yes, it was certainly the PM's fault that this bus crashed.

Perspective.

In fact she is to blame

She runs the current government and they have yet to address the issue of driver training proper safety standards and enforcement of a proper driving code. Until the government acts in a correct fashion these type of accidents will continue

Time for the people in power to take action instead of being solely concerned about bring home the a hole from dubuy

While I am saddened to hear of the deaths of tourists caught up in traffic related accidents I have no lasting concerns for the Thai people involved, it's their country and it's how they choose to live, unlike many "posties" here I am not in such a rush to change things.

I came to Thailand a long time ago to break away from the "nanny state" in which my home country was fast becoming.

What you have here in fact is "FREEDOM OF CHOICE" & I have no desire to try to turn Thailand into a replica of where I came from.. otherwise what was the point of coming here in the first place?

If you don't like the transport system don't use it.. if you don't like Thai drivers, stay off the road.

Stop bleating about every accident & get used to living in Thailand !!

If you want a nanny state go back home!!

[ignis]

Been on a good number of VIP buses, mostly they are the newest buses, always have 2 drivers, always have a 30 min meal stop, half way and the driver change, as for seatbelts guess I am the only one that uses it.

Drive that road every months and have seen only 1x VIP bus accident in 9 years [about 5 years ago], also used the Ranong Express VIP bus about 5 times.

With the amount of buses on the roads the % of accidents are very small, even smaller with the VIP buses.

every accident is one too many, loss of life is very sad

[Udox]

For years now I have been reading about these bus and minivan crashes.

There usually follows a plethora of posts, some positive, some negative and some - downright insensitive.

Why do people try so hard to make a cheap joke or highlight a spelling mistake in the text - when people have just died?

There often follows a 'crackdown' or other 'good idea' from someone high up.

Point is - what changes? After years of similar incidents, what has actually changed ?

Zero.

I was on a bus yesterday from a large well known company. There were no seat belts on that bus and the driver could only be described as downright dangerous.

Seatbelts are the 're-active' measure why not start with a 'pro-active' measure (improved roads/drivers) and those seat belts would never need to be relied upon.

It's not going to happen, I realise that.

It kind of makes one hardened to the news when you read about "yet another bus crash"

[keithcresswell]

The Nation newspaper recently reported that there are actually about 24,000 Thai road deaths every year. That's the equivalent of a full jumbo jet crashing every five or six days. I'm sure if Thai airways lost a 747 every week the government would actually do something about it.

[ajs500]

So, what is the safest mode of transport for long distances here ?

Walk or Bicycle, and good for your health. Some guys have walked BKK-CM and biked to Phnom Pen and back, also BKK-Mae Sot-Malaysian Border. Why ??? ask the girls at Soi 7.

[DocN]

Was it just a week ago, that Madame Yingluck said "Your safety is our main concern!!"

Hope those who died didn't suffer!!

Yes, it was certainly the PM's fault that this bus crashed.

Perspective.

In fact she is to blame

She runs the current government and they have yet to address the issue of driver training proper safety standards and enforcement of a proper driving code. Until the government acts in a correct fashion these type of accidents will continue

Time for the people in power to take action instead of being solely concerned about bring home the a hole from dubuy

While I am saddened to hear of the deaths of tourists caught up in traffic related accidents I have no lasting concerns for the Thai people involved, it's their country and it's how they choose to live, unlike many "posties" here I am not in such a rush to change things.

I came to Thailand a long time ago to break away from the "nanny state" in which my home country was fast becoming.

What you have here in fact is "FREEDOM OF CHOICE" & I have no desire to try to turn Thailand into a replica of where I came from.. otherwise what was the point of coming here in the first place?

If you don't like the transport system don't use it.. if you don't like Thai drivers, stay off the road.

Stop bleating about every accident & get used to living in Thailand !!

If you want a nanny state go back home!!

How original!

Please post again, when your wife, good friends or your children are among the victims...

[boomerangutang]

Every day, I see large buses, including double deckers, careening and speeding. They take corners with wheels on the other side of the yellow line, buses tilted 5 degrees. Whenever I've been in VIP buses, I'm the only one who bothers to put on a seatbelt. Thai males are too manly to do so, and females just go along with others who say, "don't worry, nothing bad will happen."

[DekDaeng]

Was it just a week ago, that Madame Yingluck said "Your safety is our main concern!!"

Hope those who died didn't suffer!!

Yes, it was certainly the PM's fault that this bus crashed.

Perspective.

What, she doesn't have a government?

[DekDaeng]

Yes, the PM and Govt need to take some responsibility as they do in other countries. They introduce and enforce laws to minimize this occuring. Victoria in Aust reduced their road toll from 1200 per annum to around 300 per annum through policing and safety measures being introduced. That is all part of the responsibility of modern day Govts

This is all very well if you have a population that respects most laws and a Police force that actually upholds them. This is Thailand....land of lawbreakers and an inept Police force.

Someone described them best as a franchise,

Almost a perfect description. Would love some academic to study the parallels between the BIB and KFC / Maccas - but it would be publish & run -

[DekDaeng]

I was on the same road last night driving back from Chumphon to Ranong just a few minutes behind the bus and although I did not witness the accident itself I was caught up in the pandemonium and the traffic backlog that ensued. The scene of the accident was on a very tight corner by the waterfall in Kra Buri where the entire stretch of road has no street lighting and there is very little room for opposing traffic. The police and a few ambulances where quickly on the scene as the accident occurred about 1km from Kra Buri hospital but as we continued our journey home (via a back road before rejoining Petkasem road) we seen countless ambulances and rescue trucks racing dangerously to the scene from Ranong which is 60 km away.

The Petkasem road running from Chumphon to Ranong is very very dangerous for those who do not know how to traverse it (especially at night) and is known as the road of a thousand bends. The vast majority of the road is unlit and some of the bends are notoriously tight causing many accidents to occur to those who are not aware of the dangers. There is also an increased danger at the moment due to roadworks being done to increase the width and quality of the roads. The bus driver and the fish truck driver would have been aware of the dangers but traffic from Chumphon to Ranong was surprisingly light last night and I think that the bus driver was maybe taking advantage of the empty roads to quickly arrive back in Ranong.

JAF

This is not a strip of highway/road that the elite business class Thais care about. It is running through poor Thai country and just totally gets ignored. Don't look for more lighting and better/wider paving in the future. It will be ignored for many years to come.

Lighting is not necessary - well planned reflective signage may do a better job by highlighting corners etc.

And much cheaper.

Edited October 30, 2013 by DekDaeng

[cup-O-coffee]

Ensuring the safety and well-being of Thais; one may as well order 75 million straight jackets, because that is the only solution I see at this point. Otherwise, forego the straight jackets and these lunatics will continue to kill themselves in this lunatic fashion and the real sympathy should be held for those who feel that sympathy is deserved.

Step back and take a good look at the entire system and infrastructure; from the family unit (yeah, right!) all the way up to the top of Parliament; including everything in between, such as the Ministry of Licensing, Land, Education, Science and Engineering, all Law Enforcement agencies, Immigration, Business, Bean-Counting, etc. etc.

You will not find one gram of accountability or responsibility.

Hence, you have a country where people of all ages are generously tolerated to "pin-ball" their way through life without being held responsible or accountable for absolutely anything they do at a knee-jerk moment.

Does this tiny, miniscule consequence being reported today come as any real surprise to us all?

When it comes to complaining and moaning their woes, Thais spend their entire lives describing the water whilst the truth drowns in a sea of lies and avoidance.

Having sympathy for Thai lunacy is almost becoming a superstitious past time. I gave up believing that if I did not have any that I would cease to be a decent person. That turned out to be a falsehood because common sense and logic told me I was wasting my time.

Edited October 30, 2013 by cup-O-coffee