14 dead in northwest Thailand road accident

[webfact]

14 dead in northwest Thailand road accident

BANGKOK, April 30, 2014 (AFP) - At least 14 people were killed Wednesday when a truck carrying local villagers crashed in a mountainous region of northwest Thailand, police and hospital officials said.

"The truck lost control and smashed into a car in front as well as an oncoming bus," said Lieutenant Colonel Patipan Mahatthanavisan in Tak province.

A spokesperson for the Tak provincial hospital said 14 people died in the accident, which happened near the site of a previous bus crash in March in which 30 people were killed.

Thailand's roads are among the world's deadliest and accidents are common.

A recent report by the World Health Organization said Thailand saw 38.1 road deaths per 100,000 people in 2010 -- behind only the Dominican Republic in the Caribbean and the South Pacific island of Niue.

In some parts of Thailand trucks are used as public transport instead of buses.


-- (c) Copyright AFP 2014-04-30

[saltandpepper]

I can not see where it says that driver fled the scene....He might be among the victims

Terrible accident again, most likely due to carelessness....again. Sad!

[seajae]

TV members are getting conditioned to this type of thing and no longer find themselves surprised, until such time as police enforce strict driving regulations and drivers are made to undergo special driving instruction for heavy vehicles this will keep happening. Actually making any vehicle used to transport people to be inspected yearly and made to be safe would help too, all these "brake" failuires are a joke.

[laurentbkk]

just another normal day in the LOS ... what a pitty ...with some real will in changing things , many accidents could be avoided. I am afraid that will never change ..... 21 years in Thailand and still the same amount of dead on roads ...and no improvement so far .

[hanno]

Again and again......

RIP

[winstonc]

blaming it on the roads again...excuses im afraid..maybe hundreds of sleeping policeman are required to slow these people down...but they would probably just drive around them..sad sad day again..

[marko kok prong]

Another case of brake failure no doubt.

[Just1Voice]

Yawn! Same <deleted>, Different Day. This is "news" only in the fact that it adds to the death toll numbers.

[johnlandy]

The death toll in Thailand is 44 / 100,000 (and that's the ones who die at the scene)

Namibia is 45 / 100,000 and is statistically the worst with Thailand vigorously competing for that distinction.

There is absolutely no will in the kingdom to do anything about the appalling road toll. You cannot even shame the people into being proactive.

But for me 'if it is not one of my loved ones of very good friends' I just have a big yawn and say who really gives a dam.

They don't want advice (and would never listen anyway) to a 'farang' "what do we know we are all stupid anyway" and so very often that is true.

All the 'RIP's and the like expressed on TV are not (never) gonna make an iota of difference.

[j15mth]

"It was there destiny " is the only Thai reply you will get as NO one cares.

[cmiuc]

How many times do you ever see the highway patrol cars parked in their police stations? How many times have you ever seen them on the road's catching violators?

II just drove mototrcycle to Amnat the other day... and I had to think this... in the city, there are several check points for helmet violators...

then went on the buzzing, drive as fast as you can or anywhere you want to highways... and most people driving on the sides(or aka Motorcycle lane) without helmets...

Now wondering... in a city, there is less likely to be an accident because the flow of traffic is controlled by itself...maybe a drunk might cause an accident, but far and few between... and yet we read as in this case...most accidents are happening on the highways and expressways... so why are all those policemen checking in town where it is not for safety... and not being where safety is needed... of course we might have a united opinion on this... but in reality... we see these articles constantly and yet the solution is not being presented... (yet we pray for Korea)

just a thought... and of course my opinion.

[eddie61]

That road is one of the most dangerous in Thailand. 3 lanes alternate in priority with nothing but 2 yellow lines to designate who has priority.

Given the extreme intelligence that comes with Thainess, it should be obvious why accidents happen so often to peepen in the Kingdom.

But you need "Kwahm ben Khon Thai" to not figure that out.

[Carl64]

Wake the f... Up Thailand . People in trucks and pickups = death on a large scale.

[bulekee]

This is not news,it's a replay of a very bad Thai soap.I said in a previous post I have become immune to this and I still stand by my previous post.Before anyone says "What if it was your family member" I do my best for myself and my family never to travel by Thai public transport,I prefer to drive myself and then the odds are stacked in my favour.There is too much to be said on this topic,but usually all the same comments and conclusions come,in other words why bother.

[Roadman]

14 today, 30 in March in same spot, its a bit like Lotto except the odd bus now and then into a ravine or rolled at high speed and bursting in to flames claims more per than the standard 40 number Lotto...same same bullsh!t..just different big numbers. And its not even thai bashing...3rd last in the world for road kills is indefensible especially when the rich pr!cks walk with a few millions Baht spread when they kill people in what ever number of fist fills...and people think corruption is only defined in dollars or Baht. Same same the corruption of 4 different Education Ministers in less than 3 years of governance then professing care for the underprivileged. The waste of resources in Thailand is staggering.

Agree some TV posters have become immune to the countless waste on Thai roads and the lack of accountability to law.

[JoeThePoster]

The truck lost control.......

Bad, bad, truck.

[eddie61]

That road is one of the most dangerous in Thailand.

3 lanes alternate in priority with nothing but 2 yellow lines to designate who has priority.

Given the extreme intelligence that comes with Thainess, it should be obvious why accidents happen so often to peepen in the Kingdom

They are uniquely endowed with the ability to see around blind corners, accelerate downhin faster than uphin, and they have tattoos that plotect them from harm.

[NongKhaiKid]

Within minutes of leaving my home in Udon Thani I can be heading into rural areas even on Highway 2 and shudder every time I'm overtaken by a beat up old pickup loaded to the gun'ales with people. If anything goes wrong ... !

[Jim walker]

Completely immune to this usual usual every day story on Thai roads RIP to the deceased and drive with care to everyone else on the Thai roads.

[Tywais]

Source - CM108

[bangkokheat]

the centre for birth control or whatever they call them selves say that double deckers should not be allowed on mountainous routes, of course they are right, yet again proven with this accident

[Borzandy]

"The truck lost control and smashed into a car" another normal day in LOS.

[John Clarke]

The truck did nothing, the driver lost control of the vehicle...... was it human error or just just plain old wear and tear on the uncared for truck?

Sent from my GT-P5110 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[clockman]

Third world, and always will be!

[John Clarke]

All elected politicians must be given a 2 day bus tour over the pictureque mountain roads, carefully chauffeured in these outrageous vehicles......

Sent from my GT-P5110 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[noodle]

 

blaming it on the roads again...excuses im afraid..maybe hundreds of sleeping policeman are required to slow these people down...but they would probably just drive around them..sad sad day again..

Judging by a recent topic - ....would probably drive through them.

And since we are banning double deckers we may as well ban trucks too:)

[Melyn]

The driver will have less punishment than if he sold unripe durians

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[John Clarke]

Yes true, public confidence needs to be maintained for fressh fruit..... not lives on roads

Sent from my GT-P5110 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[roguewo]

How many times do you ever see the highway patrol cars parked in their police stations? How many times have you ever seen them on the road's catching violators?

II just drove mototrcycle to Amnat the other day... and I had to think this... in the city, there are several check points for helmet violators...

then went on the buzzing, drive as fast as you can or anywhere you want to highways... and most people driving on the sides(or aka Motorcycle lane) without helmets...

Now wondering... in a city, there is less likely to be an accident because the flow of traffic is controlled by itself...maybe a drunk might cause an accident, but far and few between... and yet we read as in this case...most accidents are happening on the highways and expressways... so why are all those policemen checking in town where it is not for safety... and not being where safety is needed... of course we might have a united opinion on this... but in reality... we see these articles constantly and yet the solution is not being presented... (yet we pray for Korea)

just a thought... and of course my opinion.

'so why are all those policemen checking in town where it is not for safety... and not being where safety is needed'

Because critical thinking is not taught in schools!

[PungShoeWrote]

Let me help the Monitors out. Delete, delete, delete, delete, delete, delete, Ball bags, delete, delete, delete and DELETE... RIP