12 Tourists Injured in Samui Island Road Accident

[Lite Beer]

12 Tourists Injured in Samui Island Road Accident

By Khaosod Eng.

SURAT THANI — At least 12 tourists were injured after their tour bus veered off a road on the southern island of Koh Samui.

The incident took place yesterday afternoon a hilly road near Na Nim waterfall in Mueang district, police say.

One of the tourists is in critical condition, according to medical workers at Koh Samui Hospital. The driver, Wanich Sridon, 29, fled the scene before police arrived.

Police have not identified the nationalities of all the tourists, but say some of them appear to be from Romania and Hungary.

Read More: http://www.khaosodenglish.com/detail.php?newsid=1423380063

-- Khaosod English 2015-02-08

[iReason]

"The driver, Wanich Sridon, 29, fled the scene before police arrived."

Thainess.

"Niran Klodsuwan, an eyewitness, told police he saw the vehicle driving "at a high speed" before it veered off a bend in the road."

Quality hosts.

[clockman]

Another nail in the Thai tourism coffin!

[Tropicalevo]

Hope that the injured tourists make a full recovery soon.

[SneekyPete]

'Police say the vehicle ... was chartered by a company called "Funny Day Safari" '

Ouch. The tragic irony.

A grimace, a sigh and a sad shake of the head is all one can do after reading this. Our words here in this forum and wishful thinking all come to naught - except to ensure we issue stern words of warning to loved ones coming to visit.

[Briggsy]

Another nail in the Thai tourism coffin!

You might think so but I doubt this and all the other completely avoidable road traffic injuries and fatalities will make the slightest dent in the tourist numbers.

Regarding the fleeing driver, and given his age and the way he was driving, I would wager there is over a 50% chance he was under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

[Travelman868]

Another nail in the Thai tourism coffin!

Another bus crash, another driver flee's. It's about time that Thailand sorted out the companies. The drivers should be licensed, the company should

be licensed and if a driver flees after an accident he should be band for life.

[Nemesis7]

Is it a bad spell or year for Thailand or its simply due to reckless behavior that causes all the accidents here?

[Johnny S]

"The driver, Wanich Sridon, 29, fled the scene before police arrived."

Thainess.

"Niran Klodsuwan, an eyewitness, told police he saw the vehicle driving "at a high speed" before it veered off a bend in the road."

Quality hosts.

Another thai-lunatic driving at high speed - what else is new ....

[Lite Beer]

12 injured in safari 4 x 4 accident in Koh Samui

SAMUI: -- 12 tourists were injured yesterday when their tour bus veered off a hilly road near Na Nim waterfall.

One of the tourists remains in a critical condition in Koh Samui Hospital. The 29 year old driver, Wanich Sridon fled from the scene of the accident according to news reports.

Although the police in Koh Samui are yet to confirm the nationality of those injured it is thought that they are from Romania and Hungary.

Local police reports suggest that the large 4 x 4 pickup truck had been converted into a sightseeing bus and had been chartered by a company called Funny Day Safari, a visit to the waterfall was part of the day trip agenda. Eye witness reports suggest the vehicle was traveling at high speed but this has not been confirmed.

Local police are now looking for the driver of the vehicle.

-- Samui Times 2015-02-08

[moz45]

Another nail in the Thai tourism coffin!

You thinking one motor accident all tourism stopping?

What that island they kill people one times every month? Koh tao? tourists shipping there every day stills

[andypatt]

yet another coward "fleeing the scene"

[siam2007]

Another nail in the Thai tourism coffin!

Another bus crash, another driver flee's. It's about time that Thailand sorted out the companies. The drivers should be licensed, the company should

be licensed and if a driver flees after an accident he should be band for life.

excellent !

Continue dreaming

[circusman]

Another nail in the Thai tourism coffin!

You might think so but I doubt this and all the other completely avoidable road traffic injuries and fatalities will make the slightest dent in the tourist numbers.

Regarding the fleeing driver, and given his age and the way he was driving, I would wager there is over a 50% chance he was under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

You have NOTHING to base that statement on. I'm very tired of you people jumping to conclusions.

[Tidybeard]

I ride my dirt bike and walk on the dirt tracks of Samui regularly and see large groups of these 4X4's racing like crazy people every day. There are several companies, but they are all the same. Often get 8 or 10 trucks in a convoy with 8 passengers in the back and 2 sitting above the driver's cab. MADNESS !

They should all be banned and told to leave the poor farmers in peace and quiet.

[Tidybeard]

These are the sort of antics they get up to !

[silver sea]

I am a regular walker in the hills around Lamai on Koh Samui. This includes the area where the accident took place. These tourist trucks have a seat fixed on top, above the driver's cabin. 2 or 3 people can sit on that seat.

Below is a photograph of one of these trucks. I would stress though that the truck in my photo belongs to a rival company and not to Funny Day Safari; the photograph is for illustration only. There do not seem to be seat belts on that top seat and I never see the passengers wearing crash helmets. Some of the roads are concrete, but some are off road tracks, which are always very hilly and bumpy. I often see the drivers of these trucks going far too fast along them. It's all part of the 'game' of giving their passengers a bit of a thrill as they bounce up and down over the bumps and ruts. You can hear the passengers screaming with pleasure as if they are on a roller coaster. They enjoy it, so that's why the drivers do it, no doubt hoping to get a good tip at the end as a result.

Last Wednesday, I was in the area near where the accident probably occurred, and that's when I took the photograph below. I counted 11 of these trucks going by in quick succession as they hurried on from the Magic Garden to the Lamai Big Buddha (not to be confused with the more famous Big Buddha at Bophut on Samui). On that Wednesday, a cruise liner had probably arrived at the port town of Nathon, and so the cruise passengers were being given a day trip around the various sites of interest on the island, hence the large number of trucks. In theory, it is a great idea, but the drivers always drive far too fast on these bumpy tracks. It has always been an accident waiting to happen.

On another occasion, I was on my motorbike driving through the town of Lamai. There was a line of traffic approaching me from the other direction. One of these trucks, I cannot now remember which company it was from, had moved out onto my side of the road and was overtaking this long line in front of him. The driver was driving very fast and was repeatedly sounding his horn as he did so. I had to swerve over to the far left on my side of the road in order to avoid being hit. What a stupid idiot!

(Edited to remove the link to Samui Times, which has now been provided by someone else in one of the posts above. It wasn't there when I started writing my post, but I am a slow typist!)

[iReason]

These are the sort of antics they get up to !IMG_4925.JPGIMG_4926.JPG

You would have to be a complete fool to sit on top of one of those things.

No roll bar. Nothing.

[arjunadawn]

I had an experience two weeks ago off the main ring road, which is exactly like this crap above:

We went to see a waterfall as a friend and husband were visiting. As we walked up hill with various others a "bus" like this with rails and packed with people came screaming up the hill in really high speed, beeping the horn as it went. It was upon us so fast we had no choice but to jump to the side; I literally grabbed the Mrs and spun her to the side with me. I was really itching to go and yell at this fool as I then saw where he parked, but was talked out of it. Later, when leaving, he or another guy came screaming down the mountain, beeping the horn, walkers jumping to the sides and riders laughing and yelling. It was only a matter of time. It is not a Thai thing, it is a stupid thing. Throw one of these clowns in jail or impossible fines for the Businesses.

[arjunadawn]

Another nail in the Thai tourism coffin!

You thinking one motor accident all tourism stopping?

What that island they kill people one times every month? Koh tao? tourists shipping there every day stills

Yea, this will not remotely dent tourism. My first week in Samui I saw- was actually present- at 2 accidents and 3 deaths. I have never seen such numbers of injured on a lazy stretch of road. The ring road is far more dangerous and hard to manage. I think they can address the 4x4 problem with an overwhelming choice to reign in negligent driving up there. The roads? Not so easy.

[samuibruno]

like many others on samui we see these idiots all the time

mostly speeding and overtaking into on coming traffic or forcing you off the road

take a close look at their number plates and you will see that they are not legally allowed to carry passengers of any type , which means they carry no insurance

foolish tourists and hotels/agencies selling these trips need an attitude adjustment

whens the general sending the troops to samui ?

[sambum]

like many others on samui we see these idiots all the time

mostly speeding and overtaking into on coming traffic or forcing you off the road

take a close look at their number plates and you will see that they are not legally allowed to carry passengers of any type , which means they carry no insurance

foolish tourists and hotels/agencies selling these trips need an attitude adjustment

whens the general sending the troops to samui ?

Pardon my ignorance, but how can you tell from the number plates whether they are insured to carry passengers, or not?

[mok199]

the driver fled with out even trying to care for the injured.what a scumbag

[KarenBravo]

like many others on samui we see these idiots all the time

mostly speeding and overtaking into on coming traffic or forcing you off the road

take a close look at their number plates and you will see that they are not legally allowed to carry passengers of any type , which means they carry no insurance

foolish tourists and hotels/agencies selling these trips need an attitude adjustment

whens the general sending the troops to samui ?

Pardon my ignorance, but how can you tell from the number plates whether they are insured to carry passengers, or not?

Different coloured letters and backgrounds mean different things.

Black letters on white background = private car.

White letters on green background = taxi.

You get the idea.......

[Tropicalevo]

Pardon my ignorance, but how can you tell from the number plates whether they are insured to carry passengers, or not?

Different coloured letters and backgrounds mean different things.

Black letters on white background = private car.

White letters on green background = taxi.

You get the idea.......

Green letters on white background = truck for commercial purposes (different tax rate to private cars/trucks).

Blue letters on white background = vehicle in company name

Black letters on yellow background = commercial vehicles licensed to carry paying passengers (eg safari trucks, mini buses etc)

Black letters on red background = trade/temporary plates for new vehicles

Whilst I am not 100% sure about my classifications, you get the picture.

[monkeycountry]

Another nail in the Thai tourism coffin!

Another bus crash, another driver flee's. It's about time that Thailand sorted out the companies. The drivers should be licensed, the company should

be licensed and if a driver flees after an accident he should be band for life.

These "sightseeing pickups" have seats on top of the roof (no joke), I really doubt you can get a license for that :-)

And of course, jacking up a standard pickup truck and putting people on the roof is not good for the trucks center of gravity,but I highly doubt these drivers even understand what that means.

[cruisemonkey]

Koh Samui - an island populated mostly by idiots... 'owned' by Bangkok Airways:

- idiot Thais (let's see who can have the loudest, 2-stroke motorcycle on the island by taking the baffles out of the muffler) and drive at 120 kmph the wrong way down a one-way street after dark with no lights on. Cement truck drivers. 150 dB Thai boxing advertising trucks. The list is endless... "Hallllo massage?"

- idiot ex-pat girlie bar owners married to ex-girlies (who are 'different'... LOL), who are too drunk to walk... so they drive.

- idiot European wannabe bikers... who think renting a Harley makes them tough.

- idiot 20-something newlywed tourist couples on scooters who WILL become one with the pavement.

- idiot, Caucasians with dreadlocks who have so many drugs they think they are Black and have been oppressed..

- idiots who get on buses driven by a Thai.

It's kinda like... Hell.

[Basil B]

It is clear that this activity need regulating, I am not a kill joy but surely these vehicles need taking off the road and modifying to make them safer and need also insurance.

Surely this comes under the jurisdiction of the local police and DLT (Department of Land Transport), if the police can not or will not deal with it due influential pressures on the Island then they need to send in the army (or navy).

Action required:

1. Modify them so all seats within roll bar cadge.
2. Seat belts fitted and mandatory wearing of.
3. protection against arms or other limbs "frailing" outside the roll bar cadge.
4. Limiting them to suitable roads, maybe on certain tracks or roads ban and provide alternative paths for walkers.
5. special operator licences.
6. Mandatory special training for their drivers.
7. Routine monitoring of their activities, and suspension of operator licences for infringements.

Not rocket science.

[Tonawatchee]

Another nail in the Thai tourism coffin!

Too often, quality tourists become injured tourists.

[Tonawatchee]

It is clear that this activity need regulating, I am not a kill joy but surely these vehicles need taking off the road and modifying to make them safer and need also insurance.

Surely this comes under the jurisdiction of the local police and DLT (Department of Land Transport), if the police can not or will not deal with it due influential pressures on the Island then they need to send in the army (or navy).

Action required:

1. Modify them so all seats within roll bar cadge.
2. Seat belts fitted and mandatory wearing of.
3. protection against arms or other limbs "frailing" outside the roll bar cadge.
4. Limiting them to suitable roads, maybe on certain tracks or roads ban and provide alternative paths for walkers.
5. special operator licences.
6. Mandatory special training for their drivers.
7. Routine monitoring of their activities, and suspension of operator licences for infringements.

Not rocket science.

8. handcuff the driver to the steering wheel.