Fire destroys bus transporting 34 farang

[Thaivisa News]

Chumphon:- A fire completely consumed a bus transporting 34 farang tourists from Khao Sarn Road to the Don Sak-Samui ferry pier early Thursday.

No one was injured because the driver woke up the passengers and had them flee before the fire engulfed the two-platform air-conditioned bus.

Although the fire was spotted early, a local municipality could not send a fire truck in time to put it out. The first fire engine arrived nearly an hour later after the fire had already engulfed the bus.

The accident happened shortly before 3 am on the 41st Asia Highway in Tambon Kron of Sawi district in Chumphon. Pol Lt Dejbanthit Tulperi of Sawi police station was promptly alerted of the fire.

Dejbanthit and highway police and rescuers of Saichon Foundation rushed to the scene promptly and saw the fire starting at the back of the bus while tourists were fleeing from it.

Police called for a fire engine from Tambon Kron Administrative Organization but the officials said there was no driver. So, police called for help from Tambon Napho Municipality, which is over 10 kilometers away.

When the fire engine arrived, the entire bus had already been burnt, prompting the tourists to boo at the fire fighters. They complained that fire fighters were too slow to react to the incident.

The driver, Pongphan Taengduang, 40, told police that the chartered bus belongs to Choke Mali Daeng Co. It was transporting 34 tourists from European nations from Khao San Road to the Don Sak pier to take the tourists to Koh Samui.

Pongphan said the electronic control system of the bus malfunctioned, causing an airbrake to lock and overheat, leading to a fire at a left rear tire. He parked the bus and led tourists to flee through an emergency exit.

[Eddy B]

Well done the driver for stopping a disaster. Shame that the fire stations do not have the correct personnel on standby when most needed, which is 24/7. I wonder how many of the foreign tourists will be in trouble if their baggage with all the stuff like passports/money/credit cards has gone up in smoke.

[surangw]

was all the tourists luggage off loaded before the fire? ( cover up)

[uptheos]

Chumphon:- A fire completely consumed a bus transporting 34 farang tourists

Someone must have made a note that they were all white Caucasian.

[NeverSure]

If I'm a tourist like that, my passport, money, and credit cards are always in a money belt, tucked into my pants. This is one reason. I can replace everything else. Everything else I had with me was stolen from a hotel one day when I bought a guided bus trip down the Loire Valley outside of Paris.

I'm glad no one was hurt in this mishap.

[borisloosebrain]

Well done driver, saved a lot of lives probably. Police possibly expected to conclude it was a mass suicide attempt.

[NongKhaiKid]

Knowing how insurance companies are never in a rush to pay out will the delay in the fire services attending have any effect on a subsequent claim ? Providing any of the tourists had some sort of coverage.

[jonclark]

A fire completely consumed a bus transporting 34 farang tourists

Sorry - I can't find this word - farang - in the Oxford dictionary. Stop bastardizing the English language with words that don't exist! Use Thai words when speaking Thai and English words when speaking English.

[chainarong]

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

A fire completely consumed a bus transporting 34 farang tourists

Sorry - I can't find this word - farang - in the Oxford dictionary. Stop bastardizing the English language with words that don't exist! Use Thai words when speaking Thai and English words when speaking English.

You won't find it in any English Dictionary , however in the Thai Prayth Dictionary the word is described as un-co-operative, Farang of European lineage ( Foreigner ) that generally likes to be taken for a ride when acting as tourists.

[emilymat]

A fire completely consumed a bus transporting 34 farang tourists

Sorry - I can't find this word - farang - in the Oxford dictionary. Stop bastardizing the English language with words that don't exist! Use Thai words when speaking Thai and English words when speaking English.

Yep. Also, 'rushed', 'flee' and 'boo' might also be looked at.

[rkidlad]

A fire completely consumed a bus transporting 34 farang tourists

Sorry - I can't find this word - farang - in the Oxford dictionary. Stop bastardizing the English language with words that don't exist! Use Thai words when speaking Thai and English words when speaking English.

Very good point. It's a word that's very rarely translated when Thais are speaking English. Can you think of any other Thai words that are often not translated when speaking English apart from 'Khun'?

'Farangs' using the word 'farang'. They've gotta be up their with the pidgin English speakers and the people who behave like they're 8 years old to impress people.

"My mother-in-law always calls me farang. It's a term of endearment" Eh, no. It's really not.

[Daniel Ingalls]

Far-lung is closest to the word used in Thai language, and the English language is a bastardized language comprised of German, French, Italian, and Scandinavian words, one more country wouldn't hurt any! I myself prefer spelling phonetically ..........The old english rules of spelling sometimes makes no sense!..

[zig]

Well done driver, saved a lot of lives probably. Police possibly expected to conclude it was a mass suicide attempt.

Well, if the bus would have had a fire extinguisher like one would expect it then perhaps he could have saved the bus too...

[ramrod711]

Police called for a fire engine from Tambon Kron Administrative Organization but the officials said there was no driver. So, police called for help from Tambon Napho Municipality, which is over 10 kilometers away.

So, a commercial driver fled before he got to the scene, even before he got called to work. Now that is foresight.

[ToddinChonburi]

Yesterday's article made it sound like he was driving with the brakes on .

[Pib]

Guess an "always ready, fast responding" Fire Dept is not a priority at Tambon Kron Administrative Organization.

[marko kok prong]

A fire completely consumed a bus transporting 34 farang tourists

Sorry - I can't find this word - farang - in the Oxford dictionary. Stop bastardizing the English language with words that don't exist! Use Thai words when speaking Thai and English words when speaking English.

I agree Mate and i am not a racist,but imagine f the terminology were reversed.a bus fire similar in the Uk let's say involving Thai tourists and the paper reported,

A fire completely consumed a bus transporting 34 gook tourists,it would never happen,why can they not just say tourists?

[Pib]

A fire completely consumed a bus transporting 34 farang tourists

Sorry - I can't find this word - farang - in the Oxford dictionary. Stop bastardizing the English language with words that don't exist! Use Thai words when speaking Thai and English words when speaking English.

// Signed //

The English Grammar Police

[farangmick]

Well done driver, saved a lot of lives probably. Police possibly expected to conclude it was a mass suicide attempt.

Well, if the bus would have had a fire extinguisher like one would expect it then perhaps he could have saved the bus too...

A fire extinguisher on a Thai bus, whatever next? Working brakes, tyres with some tread left, cuisine on 1st class buses developed by a Michelin starred chef? Dream on.

[sawadee1947]

was all the tourists luggage off loaded before the fire? ( cover up)

another source said NO. But they will get compensation.....probably 1000 Baht. (did anybody asked if there were brake pads on that bus?)

[PETERTHEEATER]

A brake fire consumed the bus? More likely an LPG fire in the fuel system.

[surangw]

Yesterday's article made it sound like he was driving with the brakes on .

and good thing the driver woke up in time.

[Shawn0001]

A fire completely consumed a bus transporting 34 farang tourists

Sorry - I can't find this word - farang - in the Oxford dictionary. Stop bastardizing the English language with words that don't exist! Use Thai words when speaking Thai and English words when speaking English.

http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/farang

How to use a dictionary tip number 1 - type the word you are looking for into the search bar.

[Shawn0001]

A brake fire consumed the bus? More likely an LPG fire in the fuel system.

No, you are wrong. Brakes malfunctioning and causing enough heat to ignite a tire which then spreads throughout the vehicle is a very common cause of devastating fires in buses and HGV's as it very difficult to extinguish a burning tire. An LPG fire would have likely killed all on board.

[Chazto]

My girlfriend and I was on the bus, if anyone has any advise on who we should contact (no one is answering the numbers they gave us) our any other advise on how to claim the money back (stupidly we didn't have our own insurance) it would be very greatly appreciated.

[4evermaat]

My girlfriend and I was on the bus, if anyone has any advise on who we should contact (no one is answering the numbers they gave us) our any other advise on how to claim the money back (stupidly we didn't have our own insurance) it would be very greatly appreciated.

Was the article accurate? Any details about the incident would be appreciated. I'm wondering if people got any of their luggage off.....seemed like their was enough time.

[Chazto]

Not very accurate to be honest. We heard a loud bang from the back of the bus which woke us up, and saw their was smoke everywhere. Everyone yelled at the driver to stop and open the doors, which didn't happen straight away (I read that this was because of a failure with the doors but who knows?). No one got their bags from the holding area unfortunatly the bus went up so quick there wasn't time, luckily most people had their passports and money with them. I don't think there was any bad feeling toward the emergency services (as I say it went up so quick that there would have been nothing they could have done) though it would have been nice for someone to try and tell us what's going on (it was over two hours after we stopped that someone told us another bus was coming) no one had any water and because of the smoke people were feeling quite sick ect and all we got from the bus company was a free tea or coffee 5-6 hours later. Thank god no one was hurt which is the main thing.

[Shawn0001]

Not very accurate to be honest. We heard a loud bang from the back of the bus which woke us up, and saw their was smoke everywhere. Everyone yelled at the driver to stop and open the doors, which didn't happen straight away (I read that this was because of a failure with the doors but who knows?). No one got their bags from the holding area unfortunatly the bus went up so quick there wasn't time, luckily most people had their passports and money with them. I don't think there was any bad feeling toward the emergency services (as I say it went up so quick that there would have been nothing they could have done) though it would have been nice for someone to try and tell us what's going on (it was over two hours after we stopped that someone told us another bus was coming) no one had any water and because of the smoke people were feeling quite sick ect and all we got from the bus company was a free tea or coffee 5-6 hours later. Thank god no one was hurt which is the main thing.

Yes, that no one was hurt is the main thing, that's great. But the pertinent question remains, did the driver call you a farang?

I am sorry you have lost your luggage and I am afraid it is unlikely that you will be compensated. Thai insurance is pretty cheap and the limits are very low, they may well not cover the bus, let alone the contents!

Best of luck, hope it doesn't ruin your holidays.