Three Hong Kong tourists killed, four others injured in road accident

[Thaivisa News]

Phetchaburi:- A Thai driver, three Hong Kong tourists and four other Hong Kong tourists were injured when their van overturned and fell into the ditch in the middle of a bypass road in Phetchaburi's Cha-am district Sunday evening, police said.

Pol Lt Sayoomphu Sitthikul, an officer on duty of Cha-am police station, was informed of the accident at 5:05 pm. He was told that a van overturned and fell into the ditch in the middle of the outbound Cha-am-Pranburi Road in Tambon Cha-am of Cha-am district.

He rushed to the scene with rescuers of the Sawang Sanphet Phetchaburi Foundation and Sirin Cha-am Foundation of the Cha-am Highway office.

[Photo credit: Thairath Online]

The officials found a Toyota Commuter with Bangkok license plate overturned and badly damaged at the spot.

Four bodies were trapped in the van. Two of the bodies were identified as Flight Lieutenant Arthit Chalerm-at, the driver, and Au Wing Yan, 32, a female Hong Kong tourist. Two other bodies could not be identified because they were not carrying any identification card. One of them was a woman, who appeared about 50 years old and another a man about 30 years old.

The officials found three other Hong Kong tourists injured and also trapped in the van. They were identified as Cheng Tsz Zok, a four-year-old boy, An Woy Yank, 31, a woman, and Cheng Yank Chuen, 37, a man.

Officials had to use iron cutters to free the injured from the van. The operation took about an hour before the injured tourists could be rushed to the Cha-am hospital.

Officials have yet to establish the cause of the accident.

[green job]

These Van drivers are from HELL Come on Thailand do something about it. Stop dithiering.

[robertthebruce]

This ain't news, unfortunately this is a daily occurrence...

Sad fact but true.....

[Bucko]

four bodies were trapped in the van. Two of the bodies were identified as Flight Lieutenant Arthit Chalerm-at, the driver, and Au Wing Yan, 32, a female Hong Kong tourist. Two other bodies could not be identified because they were not carrying any identification card. One of them was a woman, who appeared about 50 years old and another a man about 30 years old.

Was this a Hired van ?? or a reporting mistake ?

Tragic-- R.I.P

[FireMedic]

Why is a flight Lt. driving a tourist van?

[Bucko]

Why is a flight Lt. driving a tourist van?

My thoughts as well FireMedic -

May have been a Private Hire--or , I guess , quite possible the Lt. was moonlighting as a minivan driver ?

Sad in any case -

[Just1Voice]

"Officials have yet to determine the cause of the accident."

Oh, really? Here's some clues for you - Speeding - Reckless driving - Probably intoxicated - Stupidity - Piss poor driving habits. I'm sure you can find one of those to fit.

[ChrisY1]

This By-Pass road is one of the most dangerous roads around....

Everyone speeds along this road....busses, trucks and cars!

The road is badly designed with a very high crown and deep drainage one either side....heavily wooded.

Most accidents are trucks veering across the lanes cutting off other traffic which then has nowhere to go, but into the ditch and trees.

[quandow]

Why is this even considered news any more? Just f4cking sad and ignorant. Thainess, sponsoring the 2nd highest road fatality rate in the world. Hell, they can't even get THAT right.

[brewsterbudgen]

Why is this even considered news any more? Just f4cking sad and ignorant. Thainess, sponsoring the 2nd highest road fatality rate in the world. Hell, they can't even get THAT right.

Indeed, it's really not "news" at all, but inevitably gets people posting.

[sabaii69]

When riding my bike I always look out for these vans as I'm pretty sure they are out to kill me. The army needs to try to correct this also. You're doing a fine job, military, step up.

[swifty5x5]

Easy. Cause of accident Thai driver.

[wrinklynomad]

More information here about passengers and causes.

<link removed>

[torpedo1970]

RIP

It is just become a daily occurrence, Sad but true.

[kingalfred]

Travelling in a white van in Thailand. A BIG gamble. Cmon foreign consulates, do your job! Tell the punters!

[NoBrainer]

Why is a flight Lt. driving a tourist van?

Sounds more like he was flying it!

RIP to the deceased.

[shaurene]

Why is a flight Lt. driving a tourist van?

What a stupid question.

[pchansmorn]

We rent a condo off of that road, people drive insane, as fast as they can. I hate having to cross that road, no one will ever slow down for you. Everyone says how passive & kind the Thai's are, but when they get behind the wheel, they want to kill you. I have been in parking garages where the cars have to stop to get a parking ticket & they won't even stop to let you cross the road to get to the mall, they are insane drivers, I have hit & kicked peoples cars to get them to stop, but they never do. These people take out all there frustration on the road killing & injuring people without in regard for others, & you think the Thai people are Kind. I got forced off the road by a scooter the other day, lucky i had time to kick the back of his bike causing him & the bike to go down, he jumped off & looked at me amazed that anyone would do such a thing, he looked at me, we had words, and he picked up his bike and drove off. Farangs are not use to be run over by motor scooters & most not willing to put up with it. Can't they just be civilised.

[SOTIRIOS]

...quite obvious if the van 'rolled out' of a curve....excessive speed.....

[monkey4u]

Being taken to Cha Am hospital is more of a nightmare than the bus drivers

I was taken there a few years ago

After arriving the nurse in charge decided I needed to go to Hua Hin hospital

No problem lets just lay here in agony waiting for an ambulance to arrive

1 hour later still waiting the nurse forgot to make the call

Tea time was more important

Anything greater than an ingrown toe nail avoid this backward hospital

[green job]

More information here about passengers and causes. http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/general/584981/three-hong-kong-tourists-die-in-horrific-van-crash

Well after reading the story.... Many Many times I have been driving,and all of a sudden i must hit the breaks and swerve because some dxck head of a polceman

is pulling vehicles out of the fast lane onto the hard shoulder for a control. The last time 2 days ago there was a policeman standing right in the middle of the motorway amongst trafic doing 120kmh

[godden]

it was brake or brain failure.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Why do I feel like I've read this news report before somewhere... just a few hundred times!!!

Maybe someone could make a movie about all this ... and title it "Death Wish."

[Nick167]

God! This is dreadful! A kid was also killed. Please help dessiminate this article back home to your freinds, relatives and media so that less people would come to this dangerous country.

[brewsterbudgen]

God! This is dreadful! A kid was also killed. Please help dessiminate this article back home to your freinds, relatives and media so that less people would come to this dangerous country.

As if that will help.

[green job]

Why do I feel like I've read this news report before somewhere... just a few hundred times!!!

Maybe someone could make a movie about all this ... and title it "Death Wish."

Did you read the real story? not the TV story.

[paddyjoe41]

After reading the report in the bangkok paper,its my guess the van driver was travelling too fast and too close for safety.It also seems the patrolman that tried to stop the truck had paid a big part of the accident,usual thing they have a habit of is jumping out in front of traffic that is travelling at speed,and trying to stop them abruptly,but of course as we all know a Thai policeman would never do that just to get a few lousey bk.

[glasswort]

A flight lieutenant moon-lighting as a mini bus driver!

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Even if there is any truth to the disputed account in the BKK Post, a van traveling at any normal rate of speed ought to be able to stop more quickly than a presumably much larger truck, especially if there was any reasonable following distance between the two.

So even if a highway policeman did have some role in this, ultimately, it also seems to come back to the van driver.

BTW, I'm presuming the Flight Lt. was properly licensed and permitted to be doing commercial van for hire driving???

[green job]

A flight lieutenant moon-lighting as a mini bus driver!

Read the real story,, It was a Thai driver,and the accident was caused by the Police