Indian tourists killed in van crash on elevated road to Suvarnabhumi Airport

[webfact]

Indian tourists killed in van crash on elevated road to airport



BANGKOK: -- Two Indian tourists and a Thai driver were killed and eight other Indians injured when their rented van rammed at the rear of a water truck on the elevated motorway to Suvarnabhumi airport this morning.

The tourists were on the way to the airport to take a flight to Phuket on a tour.

The incident happened on the elevated road to the airport.

Some of the injured tourists are relatives of the Indian diplomats to Thailand.

The water truck was watering plants and flowers on the elevated road when it was rammed at the rear at high speed.

All the injured were admitted to Walailak hospital.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/indian-tourists-killed-van-crash-elevated-road-airport


-- Thai PBS 2014-12-29

[EyesWideOpen]

I have often wondered how many people have to die in these vans before the government

starts to rein them in . Apparently the number is much larger than I thought..

[daveAustin]

Driving without due care and attention, likely, but frequently see these water trucks and others putting up fairy lights on the central res at the most inopportune times of day, namely rush hour! Beggar's belief!

[terryp]

just another day in thailand ... the knock on for the familys who lost loved ones in this idiotic country due to thainess is beyond anyones immagination

RIP

[JOC]

"Discover Thainess" and play Russian roulette with your life!!

Wish the injured a speedy recovery!!

[samsensam]

there but for the grace of God...

will they never learn?

[JOC]

When is someone finally going to take responsibility for the carnage on the roads here??

Silly me!!

Words like responsibility and accountability don't exist in Thai vocabulary.........................

[siampolee]

Well in my experience water rucks tend to be rather large and brightly coloured, many have powerful illuminated signs that show arrows regarding which direction one should take to avoid ramming said truck.

I live in the area and I can assure you that many of these tourist trap vans are driven or perhaps I should say ''aimed'' at top speed with no considerateness to traffic flow rate, direction of flow, or any other road user or any consideration for current road or weather conditions either whilst trying to home in on their target of the departure level at Swampy.

I am of the mind that the greater majority of these van ''drivers'' are reincarnated Kamikaze pilots working for Banzai van lines

Edited December 29, 2014 by siampolee

[lovetotravel]

We were headed to Bangkok last week. In the fast lane of the motorway doing 100km or so. Quite a bit of traffic, moving along nicely, but lots of vehicles.

I'm pretty good about keeping my distance. Tough to do here as even a small gap gets taken advantage of many times.

All of a sudden, the cars in front were moving over. Fast. It happened quickly. They had blocked a majority of the fast lane with NO advance warning. There were 3-4 cones fairly near each other that were blocking off the fast lane, with maintenance vehicles right behind them.

All you have to do is be distracted for just a few seconds, and you're into blocked lane and a major accident. I also see these water trucks all the time in Pattaya. No flashing lights, no workers waving a flag a bit up the road. Just there in the fast lane moving slow.

[Thai at Heart]

Well in my experience water rucks tend to be rather large and brightly coloured, many have powerful illuminated signs that show arrows regarding which direction one should take to avoid ramming said truck.

I live in the area and I can assure you that many of these tourist trap vans are driven or perhaps I should say ''aimed'' at top speed with no considerateness to traffic flow rate, direction of flow, or any other road user or any consideration for current road or weather conditions either whilst trying to home in on their target of the departure level at Swampy.

I am of the mind that the greater majority of these van ''drivers'' are reincarnated Kamikaze pilots working for Banzai van lines

In fairness, these trucks have no business being put onto high speed roads to water anything. Presumably no signs, maybe a hazard light of you are lucky.

The expressway is an expressway and avoiding water trucks shouldn't be part of the hazards. Get rid of the bloody plants.

I had this near my home upcountry which was was on large road in the city.

Every year without fail at least a couple of motorcycle accidents from water on the road, all to save a few spindly plants bought at some ludicrous price to beautify the city.

[lovetotravel]

Or fix the automatic sprinklers that were setup and obviously don't work now! 55555

There are pop up sprinklers all up and down the medians here in Pattaya.

[Briggsy]

Nipped out to overtake or undertake from about 3 inches behind the vehicle in front only to be faced by the rear of a vehicle going 5 km/h.

[JOC]

Or fix the automatic sprinklers that were setup and obviously don't work now! 55555

There are pop up sprinklers all up and down the medians here in Pattaya.

"There are pop up sprinklers all up and down the medians here in Pattaya."

Probably not intended, but quite a funny comment!!

[Sirpia]

At least they weren't burned alive this time.

A frightening blight that the Thais just don't give a shit about.

[Noi657]

And next week they'll start the campaign for Indian weddings!

[Fiddlesticks]

Someone should warn tourists to never, ever, ride in one of these silver Thai death wagons. The Thai drivers think that they are invincible when they are behind the wheel of one of these death traps. For me, I would no sooner tour an Ebola quarantine facility than to ride in one of these when a Thai is behind the wheel.

[FireMedic]

At what point do people or leaders of this country get embarrassed about how many tourists die in car wrecks every year? You would think there has to be a number that where it is no longer able to over looked. Yes, accidents happen, no doubt. But come on already. TAT should be focusing on tourist safety, not just trying to woo the next sucker whales into coming here.

[IamNoone88]

Yet another very preventable tragedy.

[mikemac]

I am almost 100% certain I will never die in one of these suicidal vans, unless I am forced into one at gunpoint.

Condolences to all involved in this senseless tragedy.

[loonodingle]

There is NO excuse for not seeing a water truck. If you was driving at the correct speed with your eyes open. Free of drink and drugs. Not changing cd's or texting on your phone. Or perhaps having an argument with your wife, even on hands free. Its not rocket science, just common sense.

[loonodingle]

Or fix the automatic sprinklers that were setup and obviously don't work now! 55555

There are pop up sprinklers all up and down the medians here in Pattaya.

"There are pop up sprinklers all up and down the medians here in Pattaya."

Probably not intended, but quite a funny comment!!

They could always just open their eyes when driving?

[Commerce]

At what point do people or leaders of this country get embarrassed about how many tourists die in car wrecks every year? You would think there has to be a number that where it is no longer able to over looked. Yes, accidents happen, no doubt. But come on already. TAT should be focusing on tourist safety, not just trying to woo the next sucker whales into coming here.

Thai numbers only pertain to Baht and cash and gain. You not got that yet?

[Larry001]

Everyday such sad loss of life in this country of st....ity "LOS" Absolute disgrace and sheer arrogance.

[Thai at Heart]

There is NO excuse for not seeing a water truck. If you was driving at the correct speed with your eyes open. Free of drink and drugs. Not changing cd's or texting on your phone. Or perhaps having an argument with your wife, even on hands free. Its not rocket science, just common sense.

Yeah right. That exactly what one expects to see in the outside lane of the expressway. A water truck moving at 10k per hour. You are an arrogant fool.

Best or worst I ever saw was a car parked on the downslope of one of the humps of the klongs on the to highway to pattaya.

My heart rate went to 200 as I came over the brow of the hump.

[janpharma]

The van's are suidice machines...not even spoken of the drivers... I refuse to get into...

[janpoo]

RIP. Happiness to the foreigner people!!!!!! They'll never learn in this 3rd world country. Let see again how many this coming week.

[jomcondo]

slow moving water truck + fast moving mini van with brainless driver = disaster

[Rooney860]

Drive with your eyes open <deleted>!!!

[Benmart]

There is NO excuse for not seeing a water truck. If you was driving at the correct speed with your eyes open. Free of drink and drugs. Not changing cd's or texting on your phone. Or perhaps having an argument with your wife, even on hands free. Its not rocket science, just common sense.

I wasn't there and don't know if the truck had its lights on or if the rear view lights were operating.

I wasn't there and don't know any details as to what the driver was doing.

I wasn't there and cannot proclaim with any credibility if there was any excuse or not.

I would imagine that most legal systems generally don't honor statements based on conjecture or opinion from 3rd parties.

Rocket science is best left to scientists, or those with credentials, to make statements concerning that endeavor.

I've learned that what constitutes common sense is as variable as those with hypotheses.

[NoBrainer]

RIP To the deceased.

This is a classic example of Darwin's Theory of Evolution.