Seven died in passenger van crash on Asian Highway

[gemguy]

All too many of the drivers speed excessively while recklessly maneuvering their vehicles regardless of what the other drivers and their vehicles are doing.

Good and skillful driving, according to their Thai mindset, is not safe driving or defensive driving rather "race car" style driving successfully accomplished....... without an incident.

Never mind that they came this close to having an accident .....several times along the way....... while commonly having a somewhat fearless attitude relative to their high risk driving style along with a me first attitude that often relies on the other drivers seeing what they are doing and reluctantly giving way or accommodating the other driver's dangerous driving maneuvers .......or commonly forced to act or there will be an accident caused by the reckless maneuver of the other driver.

I witness it everyday.

Often I can see a potential situation developing in front of me and just up ahead while the Thai drivers almost never react accordingly to the developing potentially dangerous situation just ahead, rather they drive right up and right into the situation before having to abruptly react at the last 1 or 2 or 3 seconds....or they will hit another vehicle in close proximity.

Meantime all the other drivers are more or less doing the same thing with everyone trying to get the upper hand on the situation and carry on executing their agenda first...... until all them, at the last second are forced to give way or make a quick maneuver or come to a reluctant stop.

Several times I have seen just that happening while the Taxi cab that I am in gets passed that point of near accident and then I turn and look behind me to see a cluster of motor vehicles and motorbikes, more or less jammed together and jockeying for position, trying to get the upper hand on one another while all the more vehicles and motorbikes continue to drive right up and right into the cluster bomb and making it worse.

None of them think to slow down and keep their distance and leave some room to alleviate the situation rather they simply add to the problem and fight their way through with no one wanting to give way to the other person unless forced to.

Everyday ...all over Thailand it is occurring minute by minute.... hour by hour.

Cheers

Edited June 27, 2015 by gemguy

[Maggusoil]

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.

You're right. I forgot momentarily about the reputations of these vans and took one from Ko Chang back to Bangkok last year. Someone mentioned speed governors. Perfect. Idiots. Never again.

Never ever travel in a mini bus or van in Thailand. On a road trip from Udon Thani to Bangkok, to resue someone from the Songkran cush, most of the vehicles that overtook me were these vans all driving like maniacs.

[mango66]

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.

but most of all them are !!

So its not really wrong what was said !!

Sad that not all of them also killed !!

[jackanapes]

there has to be a stop to this madness on the roads sheer lunacy seven people dead seven lives lost in an instant because of a driver who wanted to make up for lost time you cant change the nature of the beast .

[mango66]

All too many of the drivers speed excessively while recklessly maneuvering their vehicles regardless of what the other drivers and their vehicles are doing.

Good and skillful driving, according to their Thai mindset, is not safe driving or defensive driving rather "race car" style driving successfully accomplished....... without an incident.

Never mind that they came this close to having an accident .....several times along the way....... while commonly having a somewhat fearless attitude relative to their high risk driving style along with a me first attitude that often relies on the other drivers seeing what they are doing and reluctantly giving way or accommodating the other driver's dangerous driving maneuvers .......or commonly forced to act or there will be an accident caused by the reckless maneuver of the other driver.

I witness it everyday.

Often I can see a potential situation developing in front of me and just up ahead while the Thai drivers almost never react accordingly to the developing potentially dangerous situation just ahead, rather they drive right up and right into the situation before having to abruptly react at the last 1 or 2 or 3 seconds....or they will hit another vehicle in close proximity.

Meantime all the other drivers are more or less doing the same thing with everyone trying to get the upper hand on the situation and carry on executing their agenda first...... until all them, at the last second are forced to give way or make a quick maneuver or come to a reluctant stop.

Several times I have seen just that happening while the Taxi cab that I am in gets passed that point of near accident and then I turn and look behind me to see a cluster of motor vehicles and motorbikes, more or less jammed together and jockeying for position, trying to get the upper hand on one another while all the more vehicles and motorbikes continue to drive right up and right into the cluster bomb and making it worse.

None of them think to slow down and keep their distance and leave some room to alleviate the situation rather they simply add to the problem and fight their way through with no one wanting to give way to the other person unless forced to.

Everyday ...all over Thailand it is occurring minute by minute.... hour by hour.

Cheers

we have daylie to battle with this monkey drivers !

Thats Thai people, their mind and behavier !!

[ratcatcher]

ASIAN HIGHWAY ?

Yes, Fred, Asian Highway.

see here:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asian_Highway_Network#Routes

Signage on Thai main highways is in blue and white.

AH 1 from Aranyapratet across to Mae Sot into Myawaddy.

Many other routes :https://www.google.co.th/search?q=asian+highway+1&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&gws_rd=cr&ei=N7aOVdyzBtiJuAT23oC4BQ

[minikev]

I don't like to say bad stuff about Thai's in general but it has to be said there is a major problem with the drivers of these minibus type vehicles. I cannot count how many times one creeped up in my rear view mirror trying to overtake or undertake at stupid speeds. How sad that these people died, each person is someones son, daughter,father, mother.

Please do something Thailand. A test, monitor hours driven, drug test, or just show all the horrific accidents to the absolute cocks that drive these coffins because for some reason they think there is glory for being first at the traffic lights and they are so stupid that they don't realise that the people driving safely catch them up every few kilos.

Mix the many many miles the vans drive with worn brakes and parts with the bad gas conversions and very tired stupid drivers and you have a lethal mix.

I feel for the families of the people that died (again).

[Jay Sata]

The problem is the police and courts do not take the issue seriously.

If the traffic laws were enforced properly with driving bans and serious fines these accidents who be

less common.

Why are Thais always in such a rush when they takento the roads?

[doesitmattter]

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).

I have driven about 250,000 km in Thailand. Spread over 14 years and about 7 cars that I have owned here. So, obviously I DO drive here.

I said not all Thai drivers are bad, you actually confirmed this when you said that in your opinion 70% drive like idiots.. I can only assume that you agree the other 30% do not!

I think the percentage that are idiots is less than 70, more like 30.. but that doesn't matter.

Thanks for your reply.

Indeed with 250k you have driven enough to give your opinion.

Your previous post did appear like there are no idiots here, but at least you agree with me as well that there are quite some idiots driving here.

Does it matter how many idiots there are? Not really indeed.

Drive safe technologybytes!

BTW, I drove about 120k in about 10 years in Thailand.

[wabothai]

Many times fast driving is just show and be better than you. My experience.

[flyingdoc]

Let's wait for the facts! R.I.P all who perished.

[ableguy]

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.

Do you seriously think anyone would pay attention to your suggestion, get real this is Thailand.

[Jay Sata]

Let's wait for the facts! R.I.P all who perished.

You will be waiting a long time!

They don't bother with inquests in Thailand.

It will all be forgotten next week and the van will be back on the road in a fortnight.

[neal david]

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

hate to say it .... but that will never happen .... and the simple reason is .... just because no one gives a hoot about road safety here ... every time i ride in ones of those death traps ...they frighten the shit out of me ..... and the bib ... and all the other <deleted> .... really dont care .... all they want is there photo taken or to be one the tv .....

there really is no place in this world for thailand ................... thai-ness my arse .......

[ratcatcher]

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

hate to say it .... but that will never happen .... and the simple reason is .... just because no one gives a hoot about road safety here ... every time i ride in ones of those death traps ...they frighten the shit out of me ..... and the bib ... and all the other <deleted> .... really dont care .... all they want is there photo taken or to be one the tv .....

there really is no place in this world for thailand ................... thai-ness my arse .......

Stunning post!

You continue to ride in these death traps that scare the shit out of you and you continue to live in a country that you absolutely detest.

Farang-ness Uranus.

[GinBoy2]

There is a reason I relish the rise of low cost air carriers within Thailand.

Red flagged they may be, but I cant remember the last time one crashed, yet I've long since run out of fingers and toes counting bus carnage incidents!

[CarolJadzia]

I've been in Thailand 13 years. whenever I see one of these silver or white van come up behind me I always try and get out the way. They will pull right up to your rear bumper and if they don't flash their lights for you to get out of the way, then they sit on your tail. They cannot, will not, not any of them, take time and wait for a good time to overtake. It's like a game to them. It must be loss of face or machismo arrogance. They have to get round you any way any how. And then you meet up with them at the next traffic lights. Just hard to imagine where they get these drivers from. I'm not talking a bout some of the vans. I mean all of them, they are all the same. Why don't they have woman driving these vans?

Not just the mini buses!

[ChrisY1]

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.

Unfortunately, for many of these mini bus passengers, they do not really have much option.....they have to travel....!

The alternatives to these mini buses, rail and large buses, are not very convenient.....there's travel to the bus or rail station....constantly waiting for suitable departure times.....

But you're quite right when you say that passengers tolerate these idiot drivers.......so stupidly, they never say anything!

Edited June 27, 2015 by ChrisY1

[ChrisY1]

how to not to die on a mini van

1. say to driver you are a policeman under cover for the army

2.film him, stare at him and post video on you tube.

3. post his name on YouTube

4.fasten your seat belt

And.......take a picture when he pulls the gun!!

[CarolJadzia]

I agree with Chris,

Problem is for many they do not have a choice about using these mini buses.

They don't kill as many as die on Motorcycles but I totally agree they are scary to travel in.

A trip from Koh Samui to Khao Sok national park in Surat Thani had us transferred in a mini bus due to the usual bus having broken down. I hated every mile.

As it was a replacement for the bus and had to try and make the connection the driver drove like a demented baboon.

Similarly a combined ticket to get us from the train station in Surat Thani to Ko Samui had us transferred to a mini bus from the ferry to lodging last leg.

I work hard to respect Thai ways of not getting angry.

But it was very hard when the vehicle you are in forced a motorcycle off the road by trying to overtake a line of cars when there was no room and oncoming vehicles.

Luckily the rider did not come off. He passed us at the next set of lights.

On our next visit to our friends in Koh Sok we hired motorcycles and rode there ourselves. Statistically more dangerous but at least I am in control.

[rametindallas]

There is a reason I relish the rise of low cost air carriers within Thailand.

Red flagged they may be, but I cant remember the last time one crashed, yet I've long since run out of fingers and toes counting bus carnage incidents!

I cant remember the last time one crashed

Sept. 2007

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2007/09/17/headlines/headlines_30049197.php

The captain at the controls, he claimed, was an Indonesian who had failed his medical earlier this year and had been grounded for two months because he would fall asleep at the controls.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-482733/Phuket-air-crash-pilot-fall-asleep-controls.html

.

[Jessi]

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.

Yes I agree but in OZ we have driver education, defensive driving courses, road rules & laws.

Here in Thailand we have get out of my way because its me,me,me,me

I see the stupidity on Thai roads every day and it scares the sh!t out of me.

[paymaster]

Not saying the van driver is beyond blame here but I have narrowly missed rear ending trucks at night on several occaisions because of their either poor or non existing tail lights. Saved only by not travelling at speed.

[Lite Beer]

Seven killed as van crashes on highway in Ayutthaya
THE NATION

BANGKOK: -- A chartered van transporting vendors from Sukhothai to Bangkok crashed into the rear of a 10-wheel truck on Asia Highway in Ayutthaya's Bang Pahan district early yesterday morning, killing seven people and injuring three others.

The crash took place at around 3am on the inbound lane in Tambon Bang Nang Ra.

The seven killed - two men and five women - included the 38-year-old van driver Thawatpong, whose last name was not known late yesterday.

One of the injured victims told police they were all vendors from Sukhothai and were heading to the capital to pick up supplies. She said that the van had stopped once in Phitsanulok to change a tyre, adding that everybody was asleep when the crash occurred.

Police suspect that the driver was speeding and lost control, thus crashed into the rear of the 10-wheeler in front. Police were looking for the truck, which didn't stop after the crash occurred.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Seven-killed-as-van-crashes-on-highway-in-Ayutthay-30263272.html

-- The Nation 2015-06-28

[mr_lob]

They need WAY more 'highway police' - and some that actually do their jobs by catching and prosecuting dangerous drivers, rather than providing escorts for hi-so 'VIPs'

In my lifetime? Na

[Thian]

Why is it that we never see Thai police patrolling the highways? They must have tried it one day i guess.

Those white minivans all drive like selfish maniacs, sure the police knows that as well.

[CarolJadzia]

They need WAY more 'highway police' - and some that actually do their jobs by catching and prosecuting dangerous drivers, rather than providing escorts for hi-so 'VIPs'

In my lifetime? Na

Don't be too sure, there is much pressure and focus on Thailand to address the issues, I know they are long standing issues and TiT but there is huge pressure for change,

Each year hundreds die on the roads during the “seven dangerous days” of Songkran. This year was no different. At least 364 people lost their lives, making Songkran 2015 the most deadly since 2009.

These figures come as a blow to the military government, who recently stepped up their efforts to reduce traffic accidents for the UN Decade of Action for Road Safety. Under the UN mandate Thailand must halve its road death rate by the year 2020. Considering the current average stands at 26,000 deaths per year, this is no short order.

http://www.chiangmaicitylife.com/citylife-articles/far-from-safe-thailands-traffic-as-fatal-as-ever/

Also big bike sales are going up

Double-digit growth was also seen in Asia, where Ducati said it achieved an all-time sales record (up 11% with 5,787 units sold).

Performance was particularly strong in Thailand (up 22%) and in China, where sales volumes nearly doubled (up 97%) vs. 2013, the OEM noted.

http://www.webbikeworld.com/motorcycle-news/statistics/motorcycle-sales-statistics.htm

So the road traffic accident rates are going to keep going up while more and more pressure is applied to see them brought down.

Problem is there will also be knee jerk reactions as different ways are considered to address the situation.

[lvr181]

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.

Yes, condolences to families and friends of those who died and to those injured, a speedy and full recovery.

Maybe the "asleep" woman was aware of conversations before this incident happened?

Sure the policeman has a theory but, IF there are subsequent investigations as to the cause of the accident then the driver's culpability will be known. Or will mai pen rai be the attitude?

Usually the driver (either) is to blame. Not driving with due care and attention and not driving safely according to the conditions?

The "road safety issue" seems to be the lack of real enforcement of road rules by the Police, plus punishment by the authorities and the lack of education and responsibility by drivers.

As for run away drivers, unfortunately it is a too common occurrence, hence the understandable "sarcastic" comment by another poster.

[Cake Monster]

And the carnage on Thailands roads goes on.

[halloween]

They need WAY more 'highway police' - and some that actually do their jobs by catching and prosecuting dangerous drivers, rather than providing escorts for hi-so 'VIPs'

In my lifetime? Na

The accident occurred at 3am. Traffic Police know this is the most dangerous time for driver fatigue, that's why they were all asleep somewhere.