Three Chinese tourists dead as tour bus crashes off Phuket hill

[hocuspocus]

You have to appreciate if you come to Country like Thailand (Developing) this has to be a fact of life (or death) and has to be accepted as part of living or holidaying here.Thailand has a long way to go before it is accepted as a developed Country. I am not complaining as I enjoy living here but just stating the facts.If you want a safe holiday please do not come to Thailand.

[LivinginKata]

PG report from driver statement ... http://www.phuketgazette.net/phuket-news/Phuket-tour-bus-crash-Chinese-tourists-dead/53673#ad-image-0

"On the way down the hill from Kata, I applied the brakes, but they didnt work, Mr Kajornwit explained.

This bus is very old, almost 20 years. I couldnt control it. We crossed into the oncoming lanes before falling off the hill on the other side of the road.

I have been a driver for 10 years, and have never had an accident like this. I am very sad about what happened."

So, no doubt bus going downhill to Chalong. And I can say from my observations that the driver was driving way too fast (and out of control) down the hill.

[LivinginKata]

<snip>

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

Never lost power, or cable TV, or internet just a short distance uphill from the crash site ... much to my surprise.

No power poles were damaged, really no cables down, just one data cable dropped on the side road. I had to dodge under it.

[hansgruber]

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!

A wrecked water truck doesn't leave a stain on tourism like a wrecked passenger bus does.

They want it hidden and back to business by sunrise.

[Daniel Ingalls]

3 down, 3, 998,805,453 to go! At this rate, it will take 7 million years to wipe them out!

Edited March 25, 2015 by Daniel Ingalls

[bubblegum]

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 !!!

Has this anything to do with the accident?

And they are using XP, not 2000

Welcome to Thailand

[changsinghleo]

Too many passengers in a vehicle with an unskilled driver. A daily occurance and those vehicles should not be on the roads and certainly the drivers should be banned from them entirely! It seems to be a test at killing innocent tourists!

[chickenslegs]

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.

First impression from watching your dashcam footage - you are a gent, stopping to let someone out of a junction. If we all behave like this maybe it will catch on.

Wish I could say something positive about your taste in music though.

I have never been to Phuket,so I was looking around on Youtube to see if I could find some video of the infamous Kata Hill. I found this news report.

[JetsetBkk]

First impression from watching your dashcam footage - you are a gent, stopping to let someone out of a junction. If we all behave like this maybe it will catch on.

Yes, I even waited for the wobbly bike ridden by a stupid farang who didn't know whether to turn right or go straight on.

Wish I could say something positive about your taste in music though.

What? You don't like a bit of sixties and/or morlam?

Thanks for the "Phuket News TV" link - added it to my bookmarks.

[eddie61]

Safety ... a completely lost concept on Thais.

Still it doesn't matter those tourists will continue to flock to Thailand to risk their lives at the hands of people who couldn't care less providing the money keeps on flowing. As normal you won't get any follow ups on this 'accident' as it'll be swept under the carpet as quickly as possible without any further ado.

RIP the poor buggers that thought they were on holiday. I'm amazed the Chinese Gov hasn't acted considering how many of them are killed each year.

there's loads of them

[cookee68]

Thailand must have the worst bus crash record in the world, or second to India, and nothing will change it

[kannot]

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.

also to note is how they use them, its only accelerate, brake, accelerate , brake etc no cruise

[kannot]

Too many passengers in a vehicle with an unskilled driver. A daily occurance and those vehicles should not be on the roads and certainly the drivers should be banned from them entirely! It seems to be a test at killing innocent tourists!

They pass every time!

[williet98248]

I notice on several curvy roads on Phuket there are led signs mounted OVER the road that say 'CURVE AHEAD/30 kms'. But on this most dangerous stretch of road...nothing. I suspect many of these tour bus/truck drivers are not familiar with the road and are totally surprised at the steepness of the hill and the sharp curve at the bottom. The road itself at this point is just an extension of a footpath between Kata and Chalong that has been widened into a poorly designed and improperly maintained road. It is not wide enough for two proper lanes on each side, too steep and the curve is too sharp. There is a short term and a long term solution to this problem.

Short term: a huge electrified FLASHING sign at the top of the hill coming up out of Kata in the wide spot by the abandoned restaurant. Say... at least two meters square that says 'STEEP HILL/SHARP CURVE 250 METERS/CHECK BRAKES HERE', then another large electrified sign 150 meters on that says 'STEEP HILL/SHARP CURVE/100 METERS/20 KPH, then another final flashing sign just as you start down the hill 'STEEP HILL/SHARP CURVE/20KPH' (arrow pointing left). All signs in Thai and English language. Signs on both sides of the hill at the bottom that say 'SLOW TRAFFIC/KEEP LEFT' would be helpful too.

Long term: Buy the property on the apex of that curve that is now a rubber tree plantation/jungle, make a cut for the road starting at the top of the hill and coming in to the existing road just above the resort and restaurant on the east/Chalong side. The road could be properly constructed with two wide lanes and a breakdown lane on each side, not steep, gentle curve. Leave the portion of the hill on the downhill side as a buffer so that any one going off the road will go into a ditch and a bank rather than through the guard rail and down the cliff as now.

So...if anyone knows the email address of the Governor of Phuket feel free to copy and forward this message to him and to anyone else who may be concerned. Or if anyone can get me an appointment I will be happy to present these proposals in person.

The short term solution can be accomplished rather quickly and cheaply and I don't understand why this particular hill/curve hasn't been signed already.

The long term solution will be more expensive and take some time for road construction but if they can construct tunnels at Central and Chalong Circle just so commuters can save a few minutes of time the powers that be can spend some money and time to actually save lives by rebuilding this incredibly dangerous road..

[jerojero]

Totally avoidable. RIP. Yet the driver avoids injury.... Nice.

[godden]

have they never heard of using a low gear when going down hill, sad loss of life AGAIN

[The Deerhunter]

I have a friend who lives in Patong and he says that virtually every time he goes "over the hill" there is a serious accident that he sees, coming, or going, sometimes one each way. I visited him a few months, drove over the hill to Phuket to get my car serviced & there was a motor bike under a bus at the bottom of the hill on Phuket side & ambulances in attendance. We never saw one on the way back but did see several near-misses by overloaded, underpowered motor bikes, whose riders were passing stupidly, but obviously had functioning amulets.

[roo860]

3 down, 3, 998,805,453 to go! At this rate, it will take 7 million years to wipe them out!

Was waiting for that!

[kiwikeith]

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

I have been on busses that have had accidents the ten seaters scare the hell out of me and every sane person who rides them.

Another big bus I caught from Chiang Mai to Hua Hin was lucky to arrive the driver was a maniac and was going down hills at horrific speeds not to mention going through towns like a rocket overtaking everything in his path.

One day we might prey, the new army general / PM will read Thai Visa and do something about these Kamikazi lunatics that murder their own and tourists but we can only wish for that day it seems.

[Sonhia]

Those who've experienced the dangerous of the roads, will all know how mindless road users can be. No stopping! No looking! No respect or consideration for other road users! I do what I want, because I can get away with it and if I do wrong I get a slapped wrist, attitude. T.I.T LIFE IS CHEAP!

[kiwikeith]

Those who've experienced the dangerous of the roads, will all know how mindless road users can be. No stopping! No looking! No respect or consideration for other road users! I do what I want, because I can get away with it and if I do wrong I get a slapped wrist, attitude. T.I.T LIFE IS CHEAP!

Correct, four children on a motorbike with the driver talking on a cell phone and holding an umbrella, common site!

[xylophone]

I passed that accident yesterday not long after it happened and it must have been going at some speed because it took out the metal barrier at the side of the road and also a concrete pole (or at least damaged it because a new one was ready to be installed). They were taking some luggage from the bus so the accident must have been fairly recent, and of course the traffic was backed up.

Was not a good day all in all for accidents and near misses yesterday because not only was there this accident; on the way back from Chalong towards Karon, on the other side of that hill actually, I was almost wiped out by a small truck coming up the hill on the double/triple bend when he decided to cut across to my lane, which many of them do because the road markings are extremely poor.

Then on the section of road from Karon to Patong, I saw a Chinese guy sitting alongside of the road in a very distressed condition, attended by his two mates who were looking over what remained of his scooter – – looks like he had driven at some speed into the metal barrier at the side of the road. Not surprising because at that particular point is where the road surface is horrendous and for some reason the authorities don't know how to stop the large grooves from regularly appearing in the road. It seems as if the top road surface slips away from the road surface underneath leaving some very dangerous and deep "grooves" which can easily knock a motorcyclist off.

Oh, nearly forgot about the guy in the pickup behind me, just before the crash site, when he decided to get to within about 2 foot of my car in the outside lane, wanting me to pull over. This was not possible because on the inside lane were motorbikes and in front of me were two other cars, so I waited until I had passed the motorbikes and pulled into the inside lane and he rushed by and did the same to the next car – – a bloody idiot and quite typical of the drivers here.

[steelepulse]

I passed that accident yesterday not long after it happened and it must have been going at some speed because it took out the metal barrier at the side of the road and also a concrete pole (or at least damaged it because a new one was ready to be installed). They were taking some luggage from the bus so the accident must have been fairly recent, and of course the traffic was backed up.

Was not a good day all in all for accidents and near misses yesterday because not only was there this accident; on the way back from Chalong towards Karon, on the other side of that hill actually, I was almost wiped out by a small truck coming up the hill on the double/triple bend when he decided to cut across to my lane, which many of them do because the road markings are extremely poor.

Then on the section of road from Karon to Patong, I saw a Chinese guy sitting alongside of the road in a very distressed condition, attended by his two mates who were looking over what remained of his scooter – – looks like he had driven at some speed into the metal barrier at the side of the road. Not surprising because at that particular point is where the road surface is horrendous and for some reason the authorities don't know how to stop the large grooves from regularly appearing in the road. It seems as if the top road surface slips away from the road surface underneath leaving some very dangerous and deep "grooves" which can easily knock a motorcyclist off.

Oh, nearly forgot about the guy in the pickup behind me, just before the crash site, when he decided to get to within about 2 foot of my car in the outside lane, wanting me to pull over. This was not possible because on the inside lane were motorbikes and in front of me were two other cars, so I waited until I had passed the motorbikes and pulled into the inside lane and he rushed by and did the same to the next car – – a bloody idiot and quite typical of the drivers here.

Sounds like a typical day then! It would be quite easy to get into multiple accidents on a daily basis if you did not know what hazards to look out for. Driving here is like being in a video game, and apparently many people think it is just one big video game.

[JetsetBkk]

Look familiar?

Same place (+ or - a crash barrier or two), April 25th, 2007.

Phuket Gazette: Woman killed in water truck crash

[beowolf2012]

In Denmark when have a accident police have a team to look for how the accident had happen. Road will properly not have all those bump but when have a accident the road will be closed for hour's.

[steelepulse]

Look familiar?

DSCN8048b.JPG

Same place (+ or - a crash barrier or two), April 25th, 2007.

DSCN8057b.JPG

Phuket Gazette: Woman killed in water truck crash

Those uphill lanes look just as bad in 2007 as today. Has the road really been this crappy for 8 years running? Anyone know which district is supposed to be taking care of this road? Is it the Kata Karon council which has been collecting huge backhanders from the beach for years, or does it fall under the Chalong district? The road really is disgraceful for being a main artery on the island.

[geriatrickid]

In Denmark when have a accident police have a team to look for how the accident had happen. Road will properly not have all those bump but when have a accident the road will be closed for hour's.

Umm, in Denmark, you can drink the tap water, the cops don't solicit bribes, fire codes are enforced and the locals are polite and courteous. You also have a better chance of emergency services arriving in a timely manner and transporting the injured to hospital. Phuket is on its last legs and this is just part of its death spiral.

[JetsetBkk]

Those uphill lanes look just as bad in 2007 as today. Has the road really been this crappy for 8 years running? Anyone know which district is supposed to be taking care of this road? Is it the Kata Karon council which has been collecting huge backhanders from the beach for years, or does it fall under the Chalong district? The road really is disgraceful for being a main artery on the island.

The uphill part is a complete disgrace. The inside lane is so bad many cyclists try to use the outer lane, or the outside of the left lane.

I try to use half the inside and half the outside lane as it is so bumpy near the centre line.

Just listen to my pickup vibrating as it goes up, at time interval 10 to 20 seconds, today:

Oh, and 3 days later, no crash barrier.

I suppose the administration is betting that no one will hit the same spot before they fix it. But whose lives are they betting? Not their own, that's for sure.

[JetsetBkk]

After 6 days, all is OK now.

They have installed some special barrier cones that produce an impenetrable and invisible wall so any vehicle hitting the same place will no longer tumble down the embankment and kill anyone.

[hansgruber]

After 6 days, all is OK now.

They have installed some special barrier cones that produce an impenetrable and invisible wall so any vehicle hitting the same place will no longer tumble down the embankment and kill anyone.

Barrier vlcsnap.jpg

All has gone quiet. No changes by the authorities to make sure this doesn't happen again.

Swept away all in 24 hours. The bus was removed at night and all cleared by sunrise.

Don't want to hurt tourism just because 3 people died.