Patong, Thailand - The island of Phuket. Area in front of inn Baumanburi. White bus driven by visitors on a tour. STOCK IMAGE

Yesterday, a tour bus in Phuket slammed into a taxi and pick-up truck, leaving three Indian tourists injured. The accident occurred near the Heroines’ Monument.

The injured parties, all occupants of the taxi, were just picked up. The taxi driver, Amnuay Wongsarattanawut, states that while driving, the pick-up truck made a U-turn which caused the taxi to slow down and the tour bus to hit the back of the vehicle.

According to Leatchao Khinthon, the tour bus driver, the accident was caused by his brakes. He stated that he saw the truck making a U-turn and tried to slow down the bus, but his brakes failed.

The pick-up driver, 33-year old Somphong Ngankeng, also denies any blame in the accident. Somphong states that he completed his U-turn and then was hit by the taxi.

According to police reports, the tour bus driver, Mr. Leatchao, was charged with careless driving. The driver was charged for causing injury to another and causing property damage.

The Thalang Police have not confirmed whether Mr. Somphing or Mr. Amnuay were charged by the police.

Two people suffered minor injuries and the taxi driver hit his head on the steering wheel. The third passenger was pulled out of the vehicle, and no reports of his injuries have been made available at this time.

-- 2015-04-23

>>He stated that he saw the truck making a U-turn and tried to slow down the bus, but his brakes failed.

Of course they did! I'll offer another scenario and that is, the bus was going too fast and following too close behind the taxi, then when the taxi braked, the bus couldn't brake as fast and hit the taxi. If the bus brakes failed, the bus would have hit the taxi a lot harder.

On a side note, does any government agency inspect the brakes after all of these "brake failures"?

Brakes failed, does any one actually test the brakes after the driver makes this claim or it taken as gospel.

I do wonder when a Thai driver is pulled over for speeding if he offers the excuse that 'the accelerator failed'?

White bus driven by visitors on a tour. STOCK IMAGE

Unusual for the tour bus to actually be driven by the visiting tourists.,must have been a very cheap package.

Lots of blame to go around. People make U turns in Thailand all over the place and often when

there is not enough space and time to make them safely.

"the accident was caused by his brakes." Brakes again... Oh, yes, the lorry that squashed the Honda Brio used the same excuse. How about... no one seems to know how to drive here. They should just say that, "I don't know how to drive."

Lots of blame to go around. People make U turns in Thailand all over the place and often when

there is not enough space and time to make them safely.

I know that happens... but a good driver knows that everyone else on the road is trying to kill him.

everyday I go out I watch these vans and buses tear up and down the road just waiting for something bad to happen. I just hope it is not me.

Yet again ... brake failure. I wonder how close he was traveling behind the taxi. Considering their love of tail-gating I suspect he was inspecting the contents of the taxis trunk.

Brakes failed ... yeah right

Failure to USE brakes in an appropriate manner given distance to traffic ahead! Moron!

Axiom: Brakes will always fail when the driver fails to put his foot on the brake pedal in time.

Should be added to every Thai driver training manual and driver's exam. For those who may take it.