Satun:- A sports utility vehicle of group of Malaysian tourists crashed into a power pole in Satun’s La-ngu district Saturday afternoon, killing five on board and injuring four others, police said.

The accident happened at 4 pm on the Trang-Satun Raod in Tambon Kamphaeng, Pol Lt Pichit Jehsoh, a police officer on duty of the La-gnu police station said.

Four of the killed passengers were Malaysian tourists and the other was a 15-year-old Thai boy, Krissada Umasa from Phang Nga. The four Malaysian tourists were identified as Ramla Adam, 42, Nuahnisa Abdulrohmanh, 21, Anas Abdulrohmanh, 6, and Nunayid Abdullohmanh, 2.

Some of the killed were trapped in the vehicle and rescuers had to cut parts of vehicle to remove their bodies. Other were thrown outside by the impact.

Pichit said the vehicle was being driven by Rofandi Abdullrohmanh, who was severely injured. The three other survivors were identified as Abdullrohmanh Abdullah, 46, Wufmi Naza-I, 2, and Nislis Abdullohmanh, 2.

The four injured were initially rushed to the La-ngu hospital and they were later forwarded to provincial hospitals – two to the Satun Hospital and the two others to the Trang Hospital.

Their relatives told police that the group came from Malaysian’s Kedah state to visit Phuket and the accident happened when they were returning to Malaysia.

Police believe the driver was speeding up as the section of the road was straight and the driver might doze off, causing the vehicle to crash into the electric pole.

Relatives of the killed tourists retrieved their bodies from the Satun Hospital Sunday for religious rite in Malaysia.

RIP. But nine passengers in a SUV? Seat belts anyone?

Malaysian drivers are normally quite courteous when driving in their home country but as soon as they drive their cars across the border to Thailand they seem to become quite aggressive and deliberately flout the rules, even more so than the Thais it seems. Sadly, speed and possibly fatigue caught up with this particular vehicle. And I agree that 9 people in one vehicle is too many.

I'm also wondering what the Thai boy was doing in the car with the Malaysians. Seems a bit odd, but I digress.

How sad.

RIP

Well three of the Malaysians were 2 year olds, a fourth was aged 6, so 4 adults, 4 children, 1 teenager in the SUV.

Given the space the kids won't have been in car seats.

As said, how sad.

RIP