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

[tingtongfarang]

Seen police run out into the traffic a number of times, one time one ran infront of me while riding the bike, even with him going back a few steps i knocked his clip board out his hand, another time while driving in the second of a three lane road a cop ran out into fast traffic, arm stretched out with clip board in hand in an attempt to stop a scooter in the third lane,

I heard a screech of tires and the bone crunching sound as a fortuner hit him , i took a glance in the mirror to see him flying over the top of the fortuner...the sound haunted me for a while, i came to the conclusion it can only be that their greed is stronger than their will to survive.

[zakk9]

Seen police run out into the traffic a number of times, one time one ran infront of me while riding the bike, even with him going back a few steps i knocked his clip board out his hand...

Has happened to me twice. I wonder if they understand that what they do is endangering their own lives as well as the lives of others...

[jesimps]

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.

Also? Fine job?? Codswallop! Its a disgrace that road accident prevention wasn't their first priority.

[green job]

About 6 years ago we were traveling north,I was doing about 130kmh ( yes speeding ) a BIB stepped out into the middel of the road and pulled me over ( I nearly hit him )

on the side of the road he said You were speeding,my wife said give him 100bt but hold it down below the window,I did this,he took it and said in perfect English Thank you very much.

Yes their greed is stonger than their common sense

[gerry123]

Why is a flight Lt. driving a tourist van?

Flight Lieutenant Arthit Chalerm-at, the driver, and Au Wing read again

[ChiangmaiRob]

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

That's not exclusive to white vans, and in this case, it's silver!

[Longstaff]

Accidents nearly always have multiple causes. The root causes require a little bit of digging. Based on what we've been told (which I acknowledge will likely be lacking in some way), superficially it seems the two DIRECT causes were a policeman stopping a truck in a dangerous place / manner, and a taxi driver who was travelling too close to the truck to stop in time. Peel off a layer and you find the INDIRECT causes: woeful police training, management and discipline; and woeful driver training, testing, licensing, and policing. Peel off another layer and you find successive governments who have done nothing to improve either of these matters despite a blatantly obvious need. And yet another layer below that you find a society that displays little respect for human life, little consideration for other people, and little foresight. This brings you back full circle to the policeman and the driver; members of this society displaying the worst of appalling attitudes, ignorance and stupidity.

I imagine this crash will be reported in Hong Kong but not elsewhere, and that this is typical of most crashes involving foreign nationals. Consequently nobody ever sees the whole picture, just the unremarkable handful of people killed in an unfortunate accident from their own country. it's about time a decent investigative journalist pulled together statistics for all overseas visitors and highlighted the bigger picture.

[deecee10]

speed kills

[uktony]

An immigration officer on holiday in Thailand is rushing to the resort district of Hua Hin to assist the families of three Hong Kong tourists killed in a car crash on Sunday.

Another officer will shortly be leaving Hong Kong.

Three other tourists, including a four-year-old, are in a critical condition.

The disaster happened when a van carrying six Hong Kong tourists crashed at high speed into a tree. Four people, including the driver died at the scene. A mother and her 4-year-old child, and a 31-year-old man were rushed to hospital in critical condition.

According to the Bangkok Post, the driver of the van swerved from its lane to avoid crashing into a trailer truck that stopped abruptly.

The truck had been signalled to pull over within a short distance by highway police. The van overturned after ramming into the tree, and was so badly damaged it had to be cut open to remove the bodies.

(Source: RTHK)

[webfact]

Three Hong Kongers, Thai driver killed in road smash

AFP

BANGKOK: -- Three Hong Kong women and their Thai driver were killed when a van they were travelling in swerved off a highway and smashed into a tree in central Thailand, police said Monday.

"Four people were killed, they are one Thai driver and three women from Hong Kong," Police Lieutenant Sayumpho Sittikul from Cha Am police station in Petchaburi province, told AFP.

Three more Hong Kongers, including a 4-year-old boy, were injured in the crash which took place at around 5pm on Sunday.

"They are not in a critical condition," Sayumpho said, adding that the victims were heading south to visit a relative's house in Chumporn province.

Local news pictures of the crash site close to the seaside resort town of Hua Hin showed a silver minivan upturned, its front end caved in.

The bodies of four victims were laid out on stretchers at the scene, their faces covered by white sheets.

Sayumpho said police believed the van swerved to avoid a vehicle ahead of it and careered into a sloping central reservation before striking a tree.

Thailand's roads are among the world's deadliest and accidents are common.

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.

-- (c) Copyright AFP 2015-06-08

[green job]

Accidents nearly always have multiple causes. The root causes require a little bit of digging. Based on what we've been told (which I acknowledge will likely be lacking in some way), superficially it seems the two DIRECT causes were a policeman stopping a truck in a dangerous place / manner, and a taxi driver who was travelling too close to the truck to stop in time. Peel off a layer and you find the INDIRECT causes: woeful police training, management and discipline; and woeful driver training, testing, licensing, and policing. Peel off another layer and you find successive governments who have done nothing to improve either of these matters despite a blatantly obvious need. And yet another layer below that you find a society that displays little respect for human life, little consideration for other people, and little foresight. This brings you back full circle to the policeman and the driver; members of this society displaying the worst of appalling attitudes, ignorance and stupidity.

I imagine this crash will be reported in Hong Kong but not elsewhere, and that this is typical of most crashes involving foreign nationals. Consequently nobody ever sees the whole picture, just the unremarkable handful of people killed in an unfortunate accident from their own country. it's about time a decent investigative journalist pulled together statistics for all overseas visitors and highlighted the bigger picture.

This is the best post I have ever read on such a subject on TV. 100% true.

[butch333]

it's just crazy that anybody can take customers like the minivan drivers the taxi drivers the tuk-tuk drivers the bus drivers and take the responsability of the life of their customers witout a special driving licence , a real driving licence ( i mean not the big joke driving test in 2 days ) , one or 2 weeks tests and learn to get a defensive driving and not the agressive driving like all the thai-drivers, a real medical test every 6 months . the same for the truck drivers . and a real police repression fro the safety and not for the tea money . if a truck , taxi , minivan , tuk-tuk driver don't respect the road laws , police have to stop him and call the compagny to send another driver , other way the vehicule stay there . since the police don't make his work , nothing will change . when a thai is driving , he forget all the rules , forget to respect tohe others and begin very agressive . the only way to change that is to hurt them , and when you want to hurt a thai you take his money and you make him lose the face .

[Tchooptip]

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.

"I have hit & kicked peoples cars to get them to stop, but they never do".

" lucky i had time to kick the back of his bike causing him & the bike to go down"

Can't they just be civilised.

[misterphil]

These minibuses need to be restricted and not allowed to be uprated by any means. Ive seen these buses slammed on their ass with big wheels on, and smoke belching out the exhaust because theyve been chipped so the ECU overfuels the engine to make them fast.

These drivers are paid by the trip and not by the hour so the sooner they can get home, the sooner they can get on the Sangsom.

[burgdawg]

...next stop...REINCARNATION!

Does anyone have a timeline how long it takes for this process to occur?

[ICECOOL]

There is a regular Police checkpoint on this stretch. The problem is there is no signage when it is operating which is the case for all there checkpoints. Many times I have had to slowdown quickly to get through these blockades. Police need to take some responsibility for this but will not off course.

[misterphil]

Tachographs or any other kind of vehicle driving behaivour tracking system should be fitted to all public service vehicles.

[akampa]

no it does not it`s the drivers that kill.

speed kills

[cardinalblue]

excessive speeding compounded immensely by traffic cops moving into the traffic lanes signaling for cars to pull over...

stupid stupid stupid.....

too fricking lazy to monitor traffic by using vehicles....

[Ulic]

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.

Sounds like you are more a part of the problem certainly not a part of the solution.

[NoshowJones]

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.

Your lucky he never pulled a gun.

[fishhooks]

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

Can we have a second attempt at this one please?

[fareastguy]

Must have been "contagious" I was travelling from Cha am back towards Ratchaburi direction around the same time.
On a main road similar to the one in the post a "10 wheeler" was belly up in the central ditch with a few trees scattered around... only just happened as the occupants were still getting themselves together.. caused hold-ups in either direction as trees and debris/earth etc was all over the road.

[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

Can we have a second attempt at this one please?

Well spotted, Klugscheisser

[Transporter]

I've lost count how many times I have been in the right hand lane with my right indicator flashing whilst approaching a U turn point when some Silver minivan has sat 2 feet behind me flashing his lights for me to get out of his way. I simply ignore it completely but keep a close eye on the left lane waiting for the pratt to try screaming up the inside and then cut across from left to right as near as he dare.

What is most annoying is the police do nothing about it.

I might try stamping hard on the brakes next time but the problem is he is carrying innocent passengers. It is them who should do something to the berk behind the wheel for their own safety.

[rhinoboy]

Yah,

Something goes nutty with these people when they get into a vehicle. You have to come to the conclusion that many of the locals are very angry and/or not very nice people.

Commercially speaking, behind this is the Business owner who pushes these commercial drivers with Ya Ba to get the most crap delivered in the shortest amount of time. Yah, tourists are part of that crap. Its quite amazing to see the development of this technology to the point of one of the most bizarre displays of human insanity on the planet earth.

[dotpoom]

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

This was not your regular van driver....."Flight Lieutenant Arthit Chalerm-at, the driver,"

[green job]

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

This was not your regular van driver....."Flight Lieutenant Arthit Chalerm-at, the driver,"

Just shows,,,all tarred with the same brush.

[Peterphuket]

A speed limiter is perhaps a first step in the right direction with a maximum of 90km/hrs, also for busses and trucks.

A tachograph with strict control will be a second step.

[wvavin]

Nobody cares a bit to improve these van / minibus drivers' speeding habit. Probably the authority feels that Thailand is overpopulated.