D-Day: All passenger vans in Thailand must be properly registered by today

[hansnl]

I hope they move on the large buses as well. Surely most of those are over 10 years old & unsafe.

Buses are built for a considerable longer time as 10 years.

The investment on a bus is huge, and can not be earned back in ten years.

It is all about maintenance!

[tingtongteesood]

Sweet lord, the amount of sheer negativity from the red lovers can be truly shocking at times. I for one applaud the military for their efforts. I agree with djjamie.

[fire69water]

sticker very high tech so if the van is used for multiple routes will driver be able to see out of windows

Haha. What a strange comment. Each particular van is scheduled to run in only one fixed route, my friend. They represent the starting point of the route and the final destination. There is no such thing as multiple routes.

I assume you can't read Thai, so I'll explain what the last line of the sticker says. It reads Anusawaree-Rangsit. Anusawaree is the starting point and Rangsit is the final destination.

For example, just think of the MRT. The blue line runs from Bang Sue to Hua Lamphong, but it also stops at several other stations in between such as the Sukhumvit, Lumphini, and Chatuchak stations.

Well actually there are multiple routes, especially with reference to longer routes. You refer only to local routes, within which there are also multiple routes

Everyday, vans leave Mo Chit, or wherever, to travel to Nong Khai or Ubon Rtachatani or Aranyaphatet and, depending upon pick up points or required drop off points, such vans can detour upto at least 80Km off-course, which is not a fixed route - is it? Or is it, in your opinion?

Even in the example you give: Anu Sawaree to Rangsit, you seem to assume the van will take Phaholyothin Road, do you? Elevated freeway, or under road? Which under road, or even frontage road?

I know vans taking many alternative journeys, even from Anu Sawaree to ABAC, Nonthaburi, and then onto Rangsit - never hitting Phaholyothin. That is not a set route

Please show me an example of ALL vans being required to take ONE CERTIFIED fixed route, and I'll show you my **se!

Congratulations on your wife's translation for you, by the way.

Never heard of a van that can choose an alternative route to reach their final destination as you mentioned. Wouldn't that confuse the passengers who normally wait to get picked up at a particular stop? Buses can only travel in one route, so vans must be required to do the same.

Bus No.11 in Bangkok, for example, runs from Pattanakarn to Pratunam only and are prohibited to veer off direction. They cannot go and pick up passengers at Ramkamhaeng or Sukhumvit, etc. Hence, that was my point in replying to kartman about the fact that each particular van cannot go off their intended route they're scheduled to travel.

You mentioned about vans that travel from Bangkok to Nonthaburi or Aranya Prathet. How interesting. Those are called interprovincial vans. Never rode on any of them. Too dangerous because of those reckless drivers.

P.S. For once in my life, I wish I could be wrong because if I was right, I would get to see your **se! I don't know if it would be a pretty sight or not! How about giving some money instead?

By the way, I can read some Thai without needing my wife to help me. Surprised?

Intra-Bangkok-and-nearby-provinces van buses can change their routes on-the-fly and the main reason is usually severe traffic jam ahead. Before they do that they would ask if any passenger needs to alight at X place. Also, to speed up the journey, they may take the viaduct or underground, if nobody is alighting at those spots. But they would ask first. So if you don't speak Thai but at least know how to say your destination in Thai, say it to the driver before boarding. And if during the course of your journey, the driver mutters something like "blah-blah-blah mee long mai khrap", just shout out your destination again. He may have forgotten about your destination.

Edited July 21, 2014 by fire69water

[Cake Monster]

The real issue, is not the actual vans ( although some are dangerous for sure ) but the maniacs that are driving them.

These guys are racing from A to B all the time so they are maybe one in front of the next guy for the flip trip.

All the drivers of these vans should have the name " Biggles " given to them, because they are trying to make the things fly.

My daughter,s mini van for School takes a minimum of 25 children squeezed in every day - 3 or sometimes 4 on the front seat with no belts

A disaster waiting to happen.

We have complained to the school, and the reply - "this is how we do it in Thailand what is the problem ?"