Three die, 43 injured in bus crash in northern Thailand

[Tonawatchee]

Condolences to all involved. What else is there to say.

[Gonzo the Face]

Thoughts and prayers go out to those involved in this tragedy and their loved ones. Hopefully all of the injured will have a full and speedy recovery

and to save time and effort and also to give those who are to be in the numbers in next weeks accident , my condolences go out to you in advance .... so at least you can read that someone will care.

G

[Munger]

Like it or not, 98% of Thai drivers are brain dead morons.

The other 2 percent not morons???

Poor drivers are not restricted only to Thais. I live here and have observed some pretty foolhardy antics from what appears to be non-Thais. Death does not discriminate.

A resident Thai apologists has chimed in, and is trying to defend thai drivers

[cheshiremusicman]

I sometimes wonder why the journalists bother to go. Surely they have enough sad photos and know it involves death. Soon it will be easier to report on the days when there isn't a fatal bus crash in Thailand.

Just too sad....

Very strange why the BBC never cover these tragic events in Thailand (or almost anything else here). Seems to me, that they are sxxt scared of reporting anything nasty going on here. Maybe our 'Mrs Queen Elizabeth' doesn't like to hear anything nasty about her rival for the longest serving Monarch? The BBC, seem very happy to cover some lunatic in the USA, who shoots/stabs/murders somebody, or drives his car into a shop front - NOW that's International News it would seem, = pathetic coverage.

[wprime]

The bus was going down the hill? Why swerve? Those 3 lives could've been replaced by the reckless pickup driver if the bus driver had completely ignored the situation and kept driving as normal.

[cheshiremusicman]

I actually start to wonder how any bus company can make a profit, seeing the amount of buses that never come back.

This one doesn't look too bad...weekend in the shop, should be back on the road by Monday.

Oh, Yes, and crabbing like a good one. How many of the 'Bent chassis coaches' have you seen? I know that I have seen an awful lot and you wonder in what direction they would go in an emergency, even on dry roads. The 'Lip Service', that the so called authorities pay to any form of road safety is unbelievable and they still come out with their wonderful projections of how they are going to reduce the road deaths year after year. Just a load of hot air from a pile of bullxxxxters.

[davejones23]

the nakhon chai air buses have seat belts.

[davejones23]

The bus was going down the hill? Why swerve? Those 3 lives could've been replaced by the reckless pickup driver if the bus driver had completely ignored the situation and kept driving as normal.

It's just a normal reaction. Would you seriously have time to think about how many passengers could be killed and what it's best to do. It's a split second decision. And who's to say more wouldn't have died wit a head on collision. It could have been much, much worse.Frankly, I think your comment is ridiculous. And why would the driver risk almost certain death. I bet you would serve in a similar situation. All talk.

[connda]

The Thailand Transportation Ditty

Que the bubble machine - And a one, and a two, and a..........
<music>
I ain't takin' the bus no more, no more,

I ain't takin' the bus no more.

No taxis, no trains, no aero-planezzzzzz,

I ain't takin' the bus no more.
No Song-Taws either......

[connda]

Like it or not, 98% of Thai drivers are brain dead morons.

The other 2 percent not morons???

Poor drivers are not restricted only to Thais. I live here and have observed some pretty foolhardy antics from what appears to be non-Thais. Death does not discriminate.

A resident Thai apologists has chimed in, and is trying to defend thai drivers

I live here and have observed some pretty foolhardy antics from what appears to be non-Thais.

Chinese tourists on motorcycles?

Edited May 9, 2014 by connda

[lostinisaan]

RIP to the deceased and a speedy recovery for the inured ones.

[bushwacker]

That is a weird looking bus.

[metisdead]

Posts and replies in violation of this forum rule have been removed:

1) Do not post slurs, degrading or overly negative comments directed towards Thailand, specific locations, Thai institutions such as the judicial or law enforcement system, Thai culture, Thai people or any other group on the basis of race, nationality, religion, gender or sexual orientation.

[phuketandsee]

What, no failed brakes?

[kkup]

Such a waste of life. Wake up Jeff

[oldsailor35]

I actually start to wonder how any bus company can make a profit, seeing the amount of buses that never come back.

Yes, but so many of them are cheap 'great looking' back yard, bog filled rust buckets. So which bus company cares if they get written off. They will be back in a couple of months in different colours.

[oldsailor35]

The bus was going down the hill? Why swerve? Those 3 lives could've been replaced by the reckless pickup driver if the bus driver had completely ignored the situation and kept driving as normal.

Mate ! that takes brains to have worked that solution out, unfortunately for the deceased passengers, their driver was a Thai, quite probably unlicenced, running downhill, probably in top gear.

Edited May 9, 2014 by oldsailor35

[wvavin]

Another reminder to everyone here; Thailand is still not safe. GOT IT!

[wvavin]

Another reminder to everyone here; Thailand is still not safe. GOT IT!

[peecee]

So the usual gnashing of teeth, wringing of hands, and nothing will get done. And that bus about 2 months ago where all those kids were killed, did the name of the bus company who hired the unqualified driver ever get revealed or are the owners to well connected?

And this nonsense will never, ever end. There is no enforcement and there will no none in the future. Pathetic.

Yep; 3rd world at it's worst I'm afraid!

[BillyBobThai]

Ban all buses and make everyone ride on the trains. The trains might fall off the track almost daily, but the death rate is much, much less.

[Bigfarang1948]

Sigh...

Nice to see the same bunch of idiots commenting here about seatbelts.

RIP deceased. Shame on Thailand again and again for not doing anything to reduce these needless loss of lives.

[Tomtomtom69]

This sounds like the pickup was overtaking something,probably on a blind bend.

Or it was one of those idiot drivers that doesn't know how to take a curve. Typically on a curvy road, many Thai drivers deliberately drift off into the opposite lane to make their turn softer. I can't understand the stupidity behind this - what's so hard about taking a curve? Always keep to the extreme left of a winding road as there will inevitably be idiotic, inexperienced drivers who can't seem to stick to their lanes!

Most Thai drivers would never be able to handle a mountainous Laotian or Burmese road, let alone south-west Chinese roads. Let's see what 2015 brings once Myanmar and China open up their countries to foreign cars, including Thai ones. Laos is already open and I've noticed better driving amongst Thai drivers there than on the Thai side, but usually Thai drivers there are so slow that overtaking them is a very common occurrence for me.

In this case, it sounds to me like the pickup driver drifted from his lane and indirectly caused this accident.

[paulchiangmai]

This sounds like the pickup was overtaking something,probably on a blind bend.

Or it was one of those idiot drivers that doesn't know how to take a curve. Typically on a curvy road, many Thai drivers deliberately drift off into the opposite lane to make their turn softer. I can't understand the stupidity behind this - what's so hard about taking a curve? Always keep to the extreme left of a winding road as there will inevitably be idiotic, inexperienced drivers who can't seem to stick to their lanes!

Most Thai drivers would never be able to handle a mountainous Laotian or Burmese road, let alone south-west Chinese roads. Let's see what 2015 brings once Myanmar and China open up their countries to foreign cars, including Thai ones. Laos is already open and I've noticed better driving amongst Thai drivers there than on the Thai side, but usually Thai drivers there are so slow that overtaking them is a very common occurrence for me.

In this case, it sounds to me like the pickup driver drifted from his lane and indirectly caused this accident.

How would a bus of this length be able to keep on there side of the road on a road that is up and down and winding around? I would be very surprised if the front of that bus didn't enter the opposing lane on a corner. Not sure I have ever seen such a long wheelbase on a bus.

[LisuLover]

Shame on you Thailand

[Doc46]

THAI DRIVING SKILS WHAT CAN YOU SAY?

[chongtak]

When people will stop driving like crazy in this country?

Sent from my Lenovo A3000-H using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[atyclb]

3 of 46 dead. only a 6.5 % kill rate. an off day.

[wprime]

The bus was going down the hill? Why swerve? Those 3 lives could've been replaced by the reckless pickup driver if the bus driver had completely ignored the situation and kept driving as normal.

It's just a normal reaction. Would you seriously have time to think about how many passengers could be killed and what it's best to do. It's a split second decision. And who's to say more wouldn't have died wit a head on collision. It could have been much, much worse.Frankly, I think your comment is ridiculous. And why would the driver risk almost certain death. I bet you would serve in a similar situation. All talk.

Do you even drive? All careful drivers always have safe courses of action planned - I hate to break it to you but driving off a cliff-face is NOT safe escape path - it is the type of reaction one does if they haven't planned ahead.

Your comment about certain death, more dying, etc are ignorant at best. Here is further reading for you:

https://www.google.com.au/#q=momentum+transfer+in+a+collision