Seven died in passenger van crash on Asian Highway

[Lite Beer]

Seven died in passenger van crash on Asian Highway



BANGKOK: -- Seven passengers were killed and three others seriously injured when the passenger van they were travelling in from Sukhothai rammed at the rear of a 10-wheel truck on Asian Highway in Bang Pahan district of Ayutthaya on Friday night.

One survivor of the van crash known only as Kamlai told the police that all the victims are her relatives who are traders at Sukhothai market.

They took the van together to Bangkok to buy goods for selling at home.

She said the van left Sukhothai at 10 pm and stopped over in Phitsanulok to have a tyre replaced.

The stopover and tyre replacement took time, thus forcing the driver to drive faster to get to Bangkok in time, she said.

She said she was sleeping but was awakened by a loud bang and impact, and the van rested by the roadside protective railing.

Police said seven passengers died, five of them women, and three were injured.

Two injured passengers were admitted to Bang Pahan hospital and another to Ayutthaya hospital by Po Teck Tueng charity foundation rescue workers.

The police said the driver might be sleepy while driving speedily, causing the van to skid and rammed at the rear of the truck before banging on the roadside railing.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/seven-died-in-passenger-van-crash-on-asian-highway

-- Thai PBS 2015-06-27

[Just1Voice]

Got to make up for lost time, so who cares about something such as safety?

[ratcatcher]

Yet another sad story. R.I.P. the dead and hope the survivors recover.

"The police said the driver might be sleepy while driving speedily," I like that phrase, just about sums it up.

[bendare]

When will they hold their hands up and say, lets sort out our road safety

[Just1Voice]

When will they hold their hands up and say, lets sort out our road safety

This IS a rhetorical question, right?

[Jessi]

So sad, more carnage for the Thai roads.

[Robby nz]

Speed governors on all these crash master vans would go a long way to stopping the carnage.

As would mandatory maximum driving hours for the drivers the same as bus drivers.

[halloween]

I flat-out refuse to travel in one of these death traps. If you are thinking of doing so, take a can of sardines (in tomato sauce is best) and give it a good smack with a sledge hammer. Or take a good look at the vehicle above, and then imagine what it would like in a head-on rather than a nose-to-tail accident. Then think again.

[saltandpepper]

As long as passengers will tolerate having an idiot at the wheel, and won't dare to order him to stop, things will go on that way. If cops can't or don't want to do the job, then someone has to take things into their hands.

Getting out of the van driven by an idiot at the first opportunity might save your life. Reporting the idiot might also help, if everyone does.

[sawadee1947]

Yet another sad story. R.I.P. the dead and hope the survivors recover.

"The police said the driver might be sleepy while driving speedily," I like that phrase, just about sums it up.

yeah, it sounds like an excuse....If he would be still alive he would have ran away... Business as usual...unfortunately

[technologybytes]

Firstly, of course, RIP the victims concerned.

If you read the story, its a bit contradictory. The woman who was asleep suggested that the driver may have been going faster to make up time, but she was asleep so really we don't know.

The policeman who said that the driver may have been sleepy while driving fast was not stating a fact, only a theory.

The fact is, from the story as its been presented, we just do know know what happened, so it's not really fair at this stage to be blaming the driver.

Accidents like this do happen in other countries too, I totally agree that road safety is an issue here but I think we also have to also understand that not every driver is an idiot and not every crash is the fault of the driver.

To say the driver would have run away if not dead is also very stupid, not all drivers run away.

Edited June 27, 2015 by technologybytes

[bdenner]

Yet another photo to add to the "Traveller in Thailand" magazine which should be placed into every seat pocket on every mode of transport heading into Thailand.

Edited June 27, 2015 by bdenner

[Thongkorn]

Many people think they can drive at night, your body says different,

[doesitmattter]

Firstly, of course, RIP the victims concerned.

If you read the story, its a bit contradictory. The woman who was asleep suggested that the driver may have been going faster to make up time, but she was asleep so really we don't know.

The policeman who said that the driver may have been sleepy while driving fast was not stating a fact, only a theory.

The fact is, from the story as its been presented, we just do know know what happened, so it's not really fair at this stage to be blaming the driver.

Accidents like this do happen in other countries too, I totally agree that road safety is an issue here but I think we also have to also understand that not every driver is an idiot and not every crash is the fault of the driver.

To say the driver would have run away if not dead is also very stupid, not all drivers run away.

Obviously you don't drive in Thailand!

I dare to say that from 100 Thai drivers 70 of them drive like idiots. Most likely I'm underestimating this!

If you think otherwise just go and drive a few times on the Asia highway.

Sure, some other countries have there fair share of idiot drivers, but most western countries enforce strict safety and educate people.

The word safety does not exist in a Thai dictionary (and also not the Thai translation for safety, duh).

Edited June 27, 2015 by doesitmattter

[Jonners]

Thai word for safety = ความปลอดภัย (kwamplodpie)

[MockingJay]

I always tell my Thai travelling relatives, friends and our guests to stay the F away from mini buses and tour buses in general and invest in a flight ticket for longer distances within Thailand. It's money well spent since doing long distance with one of those drugged, M-150 gulping, suicidal idiots at the steering wheel leaves you with a 50/50 chance of getting yourself killed.

Edited June 27, 2015 by MockingJay

[doesitmattter]

Thai word for safety = ความปลอดภัย (kwamplodpie)

I think the Thai word for safety is safety, since that is written at many sites, like those construction sites where you can see big signs saying 'safety first'.

[masuk]

Sad to see. Reminds me of an old traffic safety slogan: "Better to arrive late, than dead on time"

[SOTIRIOS]

...the headline makes it sound like..... 'somewhere in Asia'....not Thailand....

...sick of all this denial.....

[quandow]

These roads are paved with the blood of innocents at the hands of the reckless, even when EVERYONE knows the solution! How ignorant can these people be?!? For years now, Thailand has had the 2nd highest fatality rate, yet they shake their hands at the sky while standing on the crippled bodies of trafficked humans, wondering why their standing in the international community is so poor.

[wvavin]

Contribution to traffic accidents: Highway with U-turns, Drink & drive, High speed beyond their handling capabilities, drugs, etc. Of course, we must not forget the all time reason of a failed brake.

[Cabra]

"Ahh Dare I say it" Speed..Speed..Speed.

R.I.P.

[SupermarineS6B]

Very sorry for the people who perished, but this only confirms my fear of mini vans and their vulnerability. I never travel in a mini van, and if i'm forced to, i sit at the back for the obvious reasons. Buses or trains, occasionally aeroplanes, but apparently they're not too safe anymore......... RIP.........

[bendare]

When will they hold their hands up and say, lets sort out our road safety

This IS a rhetorical question, right?

Obviously

[Larry001]

Absolute disgrace this countries road record. An indictment on the Government and police as much as it is on Thai culture and attitude.

[magnacarta]

no rip from me,they know the risks.up to them to demand change

[Larry001]

Firstly, of course, RIP the victims concerned.

If you read the story, its a bit contradictory. The woman who was asleep suggested that the driver may have been going faster to make up time, but she was asleep so really we don't know.

The policeman who said that the driver may have been sleepy while driving fast was not stating a fact, only a theory.

The fact is, from the story as its been presented, we just do know know what happened, so it's not really fair at this stage to be blaming the driver.

Accidents like this do happen in other countries too, I totally agree that road safety is an issue here but I think we also have to also understand that not every driver is an idiot and not every crash is the fault of the driver.

To say the driver would have run away if not dead is also very stupid, not all drivers run away.

Accidents like this are extremely rare in Australia. Can't remember when l read about the last passenger bus crash in Aust.

[Larry001]

These roads are paved with the blood of innocents at the hands of the reckless, even when EVERYONE knows the solution! How ignorant can these people be?!? For years now, Thailand has had the 2nd highest fatality rate, yet they shake their hands at the sky while standing on the crippled bodies of trafficked humans, wondering why their standing in the international community is so poor.

Extremely ignorant and stupid

[gandalf12]

Speed governors on all these crash master vans would go a long way to stopping the carnage.

As would mandatory maximum driving hours for the drivers the same as bus drivers.

And the addition of a montioring device to record speed, hours driven and amount of time spent as rest periods. All available and doesnt cost a lot either

[Jim walker]

And the next excuse will be that there were more passengers than seatbelts available in the van, when will Thais ever start to take responsibility for their own safety and the safety of their children on the dangerous Thai roads.