Three Chinese tourists dead as tour bus crashes off Phuket hill

[LivinginKata]

Original headline says it was going to chalong and the second one said headed up hill. What's wrong with these reports?

Just very very poor reporting, most likely 3rd hand sources. It's obvious from the many photos the bus was headed towards Chalong. I suppose the stall and slip backwards down this hill is possible, but the bus would be facing uphill. This bus was really moving hence how far off the road it travelled.

[monkey4u]

I just overtook that old bus as it was labouring up the Kata side of the hill. I saw him in my mirror barreling down the Chalong side of the hill. I got the hell as fast as I could away from him. 15 minutes later on my way back from Villa Market I saw the bus wreck. It was a very old looking bus. It will be the usual 'brakes not work good' excuse. How about 'I was going too fast' to get round the bend.

BusCrashPatak.jpg

Brain not work too good either

[Emster23]

"Chalong Police have asked motorists to avoid the area." Like "forever"?

[Antifreeze]

Nothing will be done to stop the carnage. I'm surprised the bus operator isn't there now spray painting the company logo with black paint to avoid bad publicity. I use that stretch of road everyday and the surface is bumpy and breaking up from the heavy vehicles.

How many must die before change is implemented?

From Chalong going up hill the surface is bad, really bad, and has been like that for years and years. But coming from Kata the surface is good to reasonably good, and really can't be an excuse.

That is correct. But, going towards Chalong, one sharp turn going down at a steep angle. Short of fixing those roads, what is required are certified drivers and regular inspection of heavy vehicles and busses. That needs a major clean-up. There are quite a few crazy drivers (small vans included) and bad busses.

Feel sorry for the tourists and their close ones. RIP.

[hansgruber]

Original headline says it was going to chalong and the second one said headed up hill. What's wrong with these reports?

Just very very poor reporting, most likely 3rd hand sources. It's obvious from the many photos the bus was headed towards Chalong. I suppose the stall and slip backwards down this hill is possible, but the bus would be facing uphill. This bus was really moving hence how far off the road it travelled.

The crash investigators were measuring the scrapes on the downhill lanes headed toward chalong. It was definitely headed down.

I think it left the road prior to the corner after seeing the marks on the road and grass on the left where they were measuring.

[OOLEEBER]

I don't mind when I hear the driver was the fatality. One less idiot to try to avoid but this time it sounds like the driver is the only one unhurt. Seems very unfair. I'm off out to buy some more amulets.

[hansgruber]

Nothing will be done to stop the carnage. I'm surprised the bus operator isn't there now spray painting the company logo with black paint to avoid bad publicity. I use that stretch of road everyday and the surface is bumpy and breaking up from the heavy vehicles.

How many must die before change is implemented?

From Chalong going up hill the surface is bad, really bad, and has been like that for years and years. But coming from Kata the surface is good to reasonably good, and really can't be an excuse.

That is correct. But, going towards Chalong, one sharp turn going down at a steep angle. Short of fixing those roads, what is required are certified drivers and regular inspection of heavy vehicles and busses. That needs a major clean-up. There are quite a few crazy drivers (small vans included) and bad busses.

Feel sorry for the tourists and their close ones. RIP.

Everyone avoids the outside lane headed down the hill. Everyone hugs the inside lane to avoid the rippled road on the outside lane.

[ezzra]

Those big huge double decker are a death traps, they're made in Thailand to a very poor

engineering standards or no standards at all by a motley crow of Cambodian and Burmese

slave laborers, those busses are put together with no attention to center of gravity, weight

and balances, and this is way they turn over once it losses it balance, that would have

happened to a proper made bus.... did we already said that life here are cheap, very cheap......

[SPB65]

Thailand consistently has one of the world's worst road death toll rates. It never changes. Its all to do with the people whether it be reckless drivers or poor roads due to lack of investment or corruption. It will never change because Thailand will never change.

[LivinginKata]

Everyone avoids the outside lane headed down the hill. Everyone hugs the inside lane to avoid the rippled road on the outside lane.

Have to say I've never noticed anything wrong with the outside (or inside) downhill lane, I often take the right turn there and use the outside lane, mind you I drive a car. But the inside uphill lane is a real disaster, not enough fill and compacting when they widened the road over the steep edge. Always expected that lane to just fall down the hill.

Clear to me when I passed the crash scene (on the way back home) that the bus could not make the turn, veered over the other side and through the crash barrier. Not the first time and won't be the last time. I always keep my wits about me on both sides of the Kata hill on the look-up for out of control trucks and buses. The bad bend at the Kata school side has also taken a number of lives.

[ToddinChonburi]

Now we have to keep tally on the Chinese tourist that die here. This is getting to be a lot of work .

[spectrumisgreen]

As Buddhism rightly 'preaches'.. all things are impermanent and will not last forever. Yet still bus drivers keep 'testing' their breaks over here without any thought that ONE DAY (no matter even how good they've been right up to that point!!) THEY WILL just pack in!!!!!!! (.. and if it was driver loss of control, rather than brake failure then it's just THEMSELVES they've been testing day in day out!!.. absolutely fine EXCEPT FOR ALL THOSE POOR OTHERS AND THEIR FAMILIES you've taken to their graves/ left grieving!!!).. so sad, and as others have said, needless, in the end.. RIP..

[apalink_thailand]

Its time for another crackdown. Its been a while.

[cruisemonkey]

It doesn't matter... because they're Chinese... so they're "bottom end tourists" according to Global Travel Industry News -

http://www.eturbonews.com/56854/thailand-where-are-russian-tourists

[ExPratt]

Terrible occurrence its not an accident if you are driving like an idiot

[shaurene]

95% of Thai drivers only know 3 things about driving a vehicle.

1: The steering wheel.

2: The accelerator peddle

3: The brake peddle.

Nothing else. No knowlage about driving sense or contrôle.

I have also noticed quite offten driving behind so of these coaches that the double wheel axel at the rear has only 1 wheel either side, not the double wheels that they are supposed to have. The company's taking a wheel off either side to save rubber wearing or maybe it saves some fuel not sure.

[stevenl]

Those big huge double decker are a death traps, they're made in Thailand to a very poor

engineering standards or no standards at all by a motley crow of Cambodian and Burmese

slave laborers, those busses are put together with no attention to center of gravity, weight

and balances, and this is way they turn over once it losses it balance, that would have

happened to a proper made bus.... did we already said that life here are cheap, very cheap......

What double decker bus?

[LivinginKata]

Those big huge double decker are a death traps, they're made in Thailand to a very poor

engineering standards or no standards at all by a motley crow of Cambodian and Burmese

slave laborers, those busses are put together with no attention to center of gravity, weight

and balances, and this is way they turn over once it losses it balance, that would have

happened to a proper made bus.... did we already said that life here are cheap, very cheap......

What double decker bus?

Think the poster is taking about those 2 level buses, not really like the British double deckers, more of a very low level driving position, few seats, and luggage deck, toilet, and an upper observation deck. In the UK we used to call a low decker.

In this accident the bus was a single deck small coach.

[maidee]

no thais were killed

so ... did i really happen or matter ? (to them)

[madmitch]

Just driven past, slowly, after being stuck in traffic for 40 minutes.

There's a bloody great crane now in place, presumably to try to lift the bus out. That's a bit quicker than the water truck that went down in practically the same spot a couple of years back which stayed there for a few days.

Not sure how this spot can be called "a ravine close to Karon Beach" but if that's what AFP thinks then who am I to argue.

I'm not quite sure how the Governor can state the bus was going uphill. Yes, it had been going uphill but where this accident happened is most definitely downhill going from Kata to Chalong. But I haven't exactly been impressed by anything the current Governor has said about anything!

[FredNL]

A recent report by the World Health Organization said Thailand saw 38.1 road deaths per 100,000 people in 2010 -- behind only the Dominican Republic and the South Pacific island of Niue.

I can tell that the road safety in the Dominican Republic is way better than here in Thailand. I've lived there for several years.

2010 was 5 years ago. Maybe in Thailand it is still recent.

The Thai ATM's are still using illegal Windows 2000 without official updates. That is recent !!!

[wvavin]

There is nothing new but cost-saving old bus being used at the expense of the passengers' safety.

[Andre0720]

The bus company will certainly conclude that it it because of the chinese, all leaning on the same side of the bus to take pictures....

[geriatrickid]

Aren't seat belts available on the buses, and isn't it mandatory to use them?

On the bus to Hua Hin, Bell Express attendant walks the aisle and tells pax to buckle up or the police will issue a fine. Does it twice and sometimes during the journey. Also tells people to stay in their seats. Bus pax are predominately western, and understand the reason for seat belts. Do they use seat belts on Phuket tourist buses? Although, I doubt mainland Chinese would comply.

[indieke]

I said it to my girlfriend not further then yesterday, the speed the buses , come off the hill they are going to miss the bend, more then once....

Unfortunately, happened sooner then I ever expected. Poor people, their lifes wasted in the hands of reckless people. On the opposite site, there are not only unexpected bends, but on top of that they drive through Kata, coming off the hill, as it was a freeway, when it is already a busy street, with a lot of restaurants and slow traffic

[JetsetBkk]

I went past there today, to and from Karon.

It probably accounts for the power cut in Rawai today from just before 12 noon to about 1:45 pm.

You'd think the people who have the authority to replace the crash barrier each time a bus rolls over it would think about making it stronger.

[Jim walker]

R.I.P to the deceased And still the carnage continues on the Thai roads I thought the soldier government was clamping down on clapped out busses so that they can balance correctly and not fall over but this one looks like a brake failure this news will frighten another 20million Chinese and deter them from coming on holiday to Thailand and each person spending their 10million baht a day on tours and fun time happy ending massage in Thailand.

[uptheos]

Ban the bus lines until they give certain written assurances!

Including a million baht per deceased passenger and hefty lumps to those injured.

The CEO must ride on a minimum of trips too.

[mercman24]

post 56 nice one Mustang, puts it into perspective

[LivinginKata]

Aren't seat belts available on the buses, and isn't it mandatory to use them?

On the bus to Hua Hin, Bell Express attendant walks the aisle and tells pax to buckle up or the police will issue a fine. Does it twice and sometimes during the journey. Also tells people to stay in their seats. Bus pax are predominately western, and understand the reason for seat belts. Do they use seat belts on Phuket tourist buses? Although, I doubt mainland Chinese would comply.

In Thailand ??? I must be in a dream world to believe this ....

"On the bus to Hua Hin, Bell Express attendant walks the aisle and tells pax to buckle up or the police will issue a fine"