4 dead, 30 injured in tram accident at Khon Kaen zoo

[sawadee1947]

...and the driver ran away as usual claiming that the brakes went faulty???

[Psychic]

This is a disgrace.

Whether it was the driving or a mechanical fault, it was not an accident.

Vehicles taking children around an attraction should be inspected daily. There should be no possible way of causing a 300 meter accident scene as speeds should never exceed 20 kmh.

Seat belts should be mandatory and if the slopes are that treacherous these trams shouldn't be on them but they could at least build some emergency pullouts.

Anywhere else this would cause consternation. But after reading about it we turned on the news last night and....nothing.

5 dead on a zoo ride is just another blip in the endless stream of vehicular deaths here.

[razer]

From Day 1 living here I have had this concern about the BTS ... not overturning but collision because of failed brakes or some other maintenance or control room problem

[Minnehaha]

Failed brakes are said to be cause of the accident,

Nothing to do with excessive speed then?

They really can't take responsibility for anything, can they.

Disgusting cultural trait.

First - it is an article written well or not well by someone. And it is the only information we have to do on, so that is a caveat.

second - who said it was the brakes? what evidence is given? the driver claims... etc.?

third - take the 10 minutes to ask the zoo when the last time the brakes were inspected, serviced, etc.?

To me, the complaint is a failure of critical thinking. It is evident in the author, obviously. And so also his editor. From what we can gather it is probably evident in the a)lack of controls of the tram and its driver upkeep of the tram, including inspection and service of brakes.

Lack of critical thinking.

When working in Vietnam, a friend (long time expat from Australia) was asked by a visiting foreigner: "What do you do?" He expected to hear a job title, but this Aussie thought for a moment and said "I check for reasonableness. I apply critical thinking and advise people, usually in the local environment. That is my career in a nut shell."

[realfunster]

Jeeze, zoo's are becoming dangerous places, a Chinese tourist was killed on a faulty zip line at CM zoo last week or so.

I didn't hear about that incident - however, a quick Google led me to Khaosod.

Not impressed by the reason reporting the event was suppressed....

[FangFerang]

Most trams in the West use air brakes, which are closed except when under pressure, meaning if the air fails, the vehicle stops.

I guess they never heard of air brakes.

[Emster23]

I wonder when the last time was when they checked the brakes?

No, let me correct that

I wonder if the brakes were ever checked.....

[biplanebluey]

Failed brakes are said to be cause of the accident,

Nothing to do with excessive speed then?

They really can't take responsibility for anything, can they.

Disgusting cultural trait.

Failed brakes do generally result in excessive speed.

Shoot first, aim later, Thai bashing ... "Disgusting cultural trait"

As always all the excuses in the world.One says its the brakes that failed then its the problem of a stuck accelerator pedal. How do you know what to believe? There will never be an investigation because they already know what caused the accident,and they have a choice.!!!!!!!!

My condolences to al family and friends of those who were injured and killed

[Transporter]

Why is someone allowed to build a zoo on the side of a mountain with very steep and twisting paths and roads and then not have to carry out independent safety inspections of the passenger carrying vehicles. I have hired the golf buggies here before the zoo fully opened and again a few months ago and the brakes on them are far worse now than they were a couple of years ago. You have to push the pedal very hard to make it stop. So bad that my wife refused to drive it after a few minutes because she couldnt stop. My son tried and said the same. I have driven cars without servo assistance so am used to having to press the pedal harder but my point is that the vehicles hired to the public are not maintained at this zoo. I would imagine the same of the trams.

The zoo should be closed until a full inspection of all vehicles and other safety aspects is carried out. The owner should be held accountable for the deaths and injuries and must have public liability insurance to cover it all surely?

I wonder if the raised walkway is safe with the glass panels?

[losworld]

From Day 1 living here I have had this concern about the BTS ... not overturning but collision because of failed brakes or some other maintenance or control room problem

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/politics/426541/airport-rail-link-maintenance-delays

I also recall reading a short time ago that all the bts maintenance for overhaul to be done this year will be delayed a year or two. I recently rode the bts and I don't recall the loud screaching on the rails when I rode it in the past. Probably another accident waiting to happen.

Edited July 6, 2015 by losworld

[wabothai]

It is interesting that we never hear the truth about what really happened.

We would not bash if we all would know that indeed it was brake faillure.

There are ways to cause less deaths and damage when the driver is knowledgable. he does not have to steer into another bus.

Most likely he was f......g around with his telephone.

[Pimay1]

If the accelerator was stuck, simply turning off the ignition would have shut down the engine. Something doesn't add up.

What does not add up is how you have converted "failed brakes' to "stuck accelerator."

No worries, this is part of the Thai Visa Method of Operation.

I will log in later to see 10 pages of heated debate about the best way to stop a vehicle with a stuck accelerator.

Not that it ever was .. but hey .. this is Thai Visa ... perhaps this should be the forum motto ...

"If you haven't heard a good rumor by noon ... START ONE"

When you log on later, read post #25. You can then commence removing your head from your ass. Perhaps the forum motto should be don't make uniformed posts whereby making a fool of yourself. Or in the words of another Kentuckian, "Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt." Abraham Lincoln.

Thai PBS:

As tourists were disembarking from the first tram, the second two-carriage tram which also carried about 30 tourists was descending from the hilltop station and, for reason yet to be investigated, the accelerator got stuck causing the tram to pick up speed uncontrollably and finally crash into the first one.

[fareastguy]

Ahhh yes the old "faulty brakes" excuse again... never lack of maintenance !!

[PETERTHEEATER]

Re Post #1

?..........because I always use my clutch to slow down......

Please explain how this is achieved.

[mikemac]

A tram ? They usually crawl along at a snail's pace. Just when I thought they had run out of ways to kill people they come up with this one !

"Due to the zoo’s hilly terrain and large area of about 3,000 acres, visitors usually take the tram or rent a private golf cart to travel around." ?????

I think I would prefer to take my chances with the wild animals and walk around the 3,000 acres rather than to risk it in a tram.

[Nobb]

They have no one trained enough to inspect and certify these rides. No OSHA in Thailand because these vendors would incur down time. What is better down time or the loose of 4 dead and 30 injured. Thailand has to catch up to the rest of the world on travelers safety.

[lostinisaan]

If the accelerator was stuck, simply turning off the ignition would have shut down the engine. Something doesn't add up.

Turning off the ignition would have been what a Normal person would do. Thai only know one thing - Brakes!

Maybe turning off the ignition and taking out the key, to make sure that the vehicle continues to drive straight before it crashes?

An American friend's grandmother died in her Toyota in an accident, after the accelerator pedal was stuck. She wasn't the only one and Toyota was sued and they've all won their law case.They finally agreed to pay more than one billion dollar in compensation.

Source:http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/27/business/toyota-settles-lawsuit-over-accelerator-recalls-impact.html?_r=0

Now please continue and blame people for not knowing within a nano second what to do. And sometimes it's only an blink of an eye to make the right decision.

I was quite often in a situation where I had to decide to hit a motorbike, or the me approaching car, speeding from the other side.flashing his/her lights at me.

Thank Buddha that I always found a way to not collide....there's not enough time to make the right decision, believe me, Of course would it be easier to hit a motorbike driver and maybe kill him/her/them, than getting killed in a frontal crash, but...............

That's not rational thinking anymore, when you're in such a situation and i don';t like it when you call Thais not normal. And I'm married to such a- in your eyes not normal- Thai.

I know plenty of good drivers, some of them are relatives and they drive all the way from Phuket to Sisaket, twice a year. I sat next to him and was surprised how good he drove.

But some people on this forum are always bashing Thais for being stupid, bashing them for not being able to speak English, while the same people who're usually doing that, can't even order a freaking noodle soup when alone, some of them living here for 20 years.

Just curious who the stupid, aeeh apologies, not normal people sometimes are.

Edited July 6, 2015 by lostinisaan

[Just1Voice]

If the accelerator was stuck, simply turning off the ignition would have shut down the engine. Something doesn't add up.

Turning off the ignition would have been what a Normal person would do. Thai only know one thing - Brakes!

Maybe turning off the ignition and taking out the key, to make sure that the vehicle continues to drive straight before it crashes?

An American friend's grandmother died in her Toyota in an accident, after the accelerator pedal was stuck. She wasn't the only one and Toyota was sued and they've all won their law case.They finally agreed to pay more than one billion dollar in compensation.

Source:http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/27/business/toyota-settles-lawsuit-over-accelerator-recalls-impact.html?_r=0

Now please continue and blame people for not knowing within a nano second what to do. And sometimes it's only an blink of an eye to make the right decision.

I was quite often in a situation where I had to decide to hit a motorbike, or the me approaching car, speeding from the other side.flashing his/her lights at me.

Thank Buddha that I always found a way to not collide....there's not enough time to make the right decision, believe me, Of course would it be easier to hit a motorbike driver and maybe kill him/her/them, than getting killed in a frontal crash, but...............

That's not rational thinking anymore, when you're in such a situation and i don';t like it when you call Thais not normal. And I'm married to such a- in your eyes not normal- Thai.

I know plenty of good drivers, some of them are relatives and they drive all the way from Phuket to Sisaket, twice a year. I sat next to him and was surprised how good he drove.

But some people on this forum are always bashing Thais for being stupid, bashing them for not being able to speak English, while the same people who're usually doing that, can't even order a freaking noodle soup when alone, some of them living here for 20 years.

Just curious who the stupid, aeeh apologies, not normal people sometimes are.

Well, I'm happy to hear that you know such good drivers. I know a couple myself. But let's face facts, I'd say roughly 95% of all Thai drivers haven't a clue as to how to drive sensibly, including my wife, despite the constant reminders by me on how to do so. Back up for that? How about the world's 2nd highest traffic accident death toll. Actually, if they counted the deaths of those who die in the hospital AFTER an accident, they'd probably be #1 in the world. It's not "bashing" when you are stating common knowledge. You've been on TVF for a while, so how many "brakes failed" excuses have you read over the years? 9 out of 10 accidents are reported as that. Instead of brakes failed, why not change that to "brain failed".

But this article isn't about Thai road drivers. It's about drivers in a zoo operating a tram. Accelerator stuck? Possible. Brakes failed? Possible. But I can assure you the driver had more than a "split second" to make a decision, such as swerving out of the way of the other tram. Proof? He hit it with such force that it caused a 300 meter slide from the point of impact. It took more than your "split second" for that to happen. Whether brakes or accelerator, it appears to me he panicked and totally lost it, costing the lives of 5 people.

Edited July 6, 2015 by Just1Voice

[Jimlove]

How sad to read that tourists are not even safe in a Zoo driving around in a tram ... Is there no end to the unsecurity here ...

RIP to all families of those who lost their lives

[laislica]

Re Post #1

?..........because I always use my clutch to slow down......

Please explain how this is achieved.

I assume the poster is using driver shorthand for:

Press the clutch,

Select a low gear,

Slowly release the clutch to connect the engine to the road wheels.

This is what one is supposed to do when road signs inform that there is a steep hill to descend and may even suggest that one engages a low gear.

In the case of this incident, it would appear that the vehicle was not already in a sufficiently low gear which would have dramatically limited the maximum speed and prevented a run away situation.

Please also be aware that if the vehicle had begun to run away, the selection of a low gear would cause such a high differential speed between the clutch plates, that the clutch would most likely slip and fail to engage and therefore not provide any breaking forces.

By this time, too late to do anything I expect.

Driver training to ensure that they have selected the appropriate gear when starting to descend is what is required now, along with regular inspections by suitably certified engineers.

RIP and condolences to all involved in this tragedy.

[KamalaRider]

Right before I graduated, I had a Benz, a so called /8 and I encountered a problem with the left front brake cylinders.

Knowing that I couldn't afford to buy two new cylinders, ( because you have to change both) I was asking a friend and we "fixed the brakes", by taking the pads out, some WD 40, an iron, a of of power and it worked again.

But only for three weeks. I was doing 140 km/ h when coming back from a party. I had two friends with me and when I was close to the city, I only stepped "smoothly" on the brake pedal....

What then happened was the worst nightmare somebody can imagine.We overturned three times right opposite the cemetery and a wall finally brought the completely destroyed car to a stop, sitting on its roof.

It took a while that we could crawl out of the wreck and both of my friends suddenly stood next to me and we all in a sudden started laughing when we looked at the wreck.

I could have killed my two friends by being so stupid, but when you're short of money,you might try things out that aren't appropriate.

Van, bus and other drivers in this country usually don't know who's doing the service, so I assume that it could happen that parts won't get replaced and many accidents do happen through a non functioning master cylinder, a broken tube, a blasting tire, etc...

I've learned my lesson though, still got my first rear brake shoes on my Mitsu L 200 and 270,00 km on the clock, because I always use my clutch to slow down.

I apologize for my long post, but thought it's necessary to mention that I almost killed two friends of mine, because I had not enough money to buy new parts.

And we all know how things in this country work, regarding mechanics who know nothing and safety. Drive safe.

Once more, I feel very sorry for the victims, the injured ones and their relatives and friends.

One HUGE objection to your effort to rationalize, you endangered your friends and yourself apart from secondary's, these guys and companies here in Thailand jeopardize people who either trust them or who can't afford other means of transportation.

[Johnniey]

How sad to read that tourists are not even safe in a Zoo driving around in a tram ... Is there no end to the unsecurity here ...

RIP to all families of those who lost their lives

I'd be more scared of being attacked by an escaped lion.

RIP is for the deceased , not the families and not something Buddhists say.

[DILLIGAD]

All this in a country advertising that it wants "quality" tourists.

Fat chance!

[lostinisaan]

If the accelerator was stuck, simply turning off the ignition would have shut down the engine. Something doesn't add up.

Turning off the ignition would have been what a Normal person would do. Thai only know one thing - Brakes!

Maybe turning off the ignition and taking out the key, to make sure that the vehicle continues to drive straight before it crashes?

An American friend's grandmother died in her Toyota in an accident, after the accelerator pedal was stuck. She wasn't the only one and Toyota was sued and they've all won their law case.They finally agreed to pay more than one billion dollar in compensation.

Source:http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/27/business/toyota-settles-lawsuit-over-accelerator-recalls-impact.html?_r=0

Now please continue and blame people for not knowing within a nano second what to do. And sometimes it's only an blink of an eye to make the right decision.

I was quite often in a situation where I had to decide to hit a motorbike, or the me approaching car, speeding from the other side.flashing his/her lights at me.

Thank Buddha that I always found a way to not collide....there's not enough time to make the right decision, believe me, Of course would it be easier to hit a motorbike driver and maybe kill him/her/them, than getting killed in a frontal crash, but...............

That's not rational thinking anymore, when you're in such a situation and i don';t like it when you call Thais not normal. And I'm married to such a- in your eyes not normal- Thai.

I know plenty of good drivers, some of them are relatives and they drive all the way from Phuket to Sisaket, twice a year. I sat next to him and was surprised how good he drove.

But some people on this forum are always bashing Thais for being stupid, bashing them for not being able to speak English, while the same people who're usually doing that, can't even order a freaking noodle soup when alone, some of them living here for 20 years.

Just curious who the stupid, aeeh apologies, not normal people sometimes are.

Well, I'm happy to hear that you know such good drivers. I know a couple myself. But let's face facts, I'd say roughly 95% of all Thai drivers haven't a clue as to how to drive sensibly, including my wife, despite the constant reminders by me on how to do so. Back up for that? How about the world's 2nd highest traffic accident death toll. Actually, if they counted the deaths of those who die in the hospital AFTER an accident, they'd probably be #1 in the world. It's not "bashing" when you are stating common knowledge. You've been on TVF for a while, so how many "brakes failed" excuses have you read over the years? 9 out of 10 accidents are reported as that. Instead of brakes failed, why not change that to "brain failed".

But this article isn't about Thai road drivers. It's about drivers in a zoo operating a tram. Accelerator stuck? Possible. Brakes failed? Possible. But I can assure you the driver had more than a "split second" to make a decision, such as swerving out of the way of the other tram. Proof? He hit it with such force that it caused a 300 meter slide from the point of impact. It took more than your "split second" for that to happen. Whether brakes or accelerator, it appears to me he panicked and totally lost it, costing the lives of 5 people.

I'm really sorry and after checking some other websites, I can't believe that there's a problem with the accelerator pedal...

On most websites it's about malfunctioning brakes.Four women and a 2 year old child. Where's god when people need him?

When i read this one, I started to have my doubts about it. The guy was just too fast, otherwise the people would still be alive.

. Four women and a 2-year-old child have died in a freak accident at a zoo in Thailand when two passenger trams collided and one overturned. The incident occurred at Kao Suan Kwang Zoo in Khon Kaen province 500km north of Bangkok.

It is believed the deadly crash occurred when the accelerator pedal jammed on one vehicle, causing it to slam into the other, police spokesman Pichit Deeya told Chiangraitimes.

Two people died at the scene, the other three of their injuries at local hospitals. All the dead are thought to be Thai nationals. According to some reports, the dead child was male, whereas others reported female.

I can't even imagine how they had to go, squeezed to death...yes and i have to agree that it was the driver's fault and nothing else. I'm out of words when reading more and more, sorry..

.Rest in peace. Could have been one of our beloved ones....let's hope that not more have to go.

P.S. In this article it's the accelerator pedal, at most others the brake. But it seems to be the driver's fault..

http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/thailand-5-passengers-killed-2-trams-collide-kao-suan-kwang-zoo-1509415

Another article:

Among the dead was a 2-year-old girl. About 10 other children were injured, ranging in age from 3-12, Pichit said.

How bad were these kids injured? Oh my god. About 10 other children could also be 30 children.

And these news are from Seattle....

http://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/zoo-tram-accident-in-northeastern-thailand-kills-5-people/

Edited July 6, 2015 by lostinisaan

[atyclb]

you miserable racist Thai bashers should be ashamed of yourselves - accidents happen everywhere.

one would assume your post is sarcastic.

things like this happen recurrently in a society where competence is a rare commodity. be it competence in maintenance, competence in driving ability, competence in accurate investigating, etc etc. other issues as lack of accountability, introspection, corruption just compound the matter.

[Lord Lucan]

Failed brakes are said to be cause of the accident,

Nothing to do with excessive speed then?

They really can't take responsibility for anything, can they.

Disgusting cultural trait.

They really can't take responsibility for anything, can they.

Not when it's easier to place the blame on an inanimate object, such as breaks.

Or even brakes or was it tea breaks to blame?

[Johnniey]

All this in a country advertising that it wants "quality" tourists.

Fat chance!

Quality tourists never go to Khon Kaen.

[Thunder26]

Why is it that Thailand can not seem to grasp the concept of maintenance and safety?

Because they are too greedy when it comes to money. First invest the absolute minimum and then forget about the maintenance, it is unnecessary cost for them. Profit margins at any cost are more important. This attitude relates to almost all businesses in Thailand.

[Thunder26]

you miserable racist Thai bashers should be ashamed of yourselves - accidents happen everywhere.

I disagree with you completely. What do you expect people to say in such situations? "Never mind, accidents happen, just a few people died. May be next time no one will die." ??? Let's be serious. The accident happened in a family oriented place with plenty of children. This kind of thing should never happen and the safety measures must be taken to a very high level. If the zoo couldn't do that, then it deserves to be criticized!

Also Thailand is doing pretty bad internationally when it comes to the road fatalities. I mean it is in the top 3. If this doesn't sound worrisome then I can't see the difference between you and a brainwashed Thai who believes Thailand is the best place in the world.

Do not misunderstand me because I also want Thailand to be the best in the world, but by not having a critical mind Thailand will never progress. Having this attitude that accidents happen everywhere not just Thailand is plain stupid. Accidents shouldn't happen in the first place and Thailand must try harder as they fail really badly in this area.

[kingalfred]

Anyone in Bangkok will see the number of buses that regularly break down in service. They are never serviced,it's a case of "fix it when its broken" . Prevention ain't in their vocabulary. Health and Safety for vehicles used by the public. Zero!

Edited July 6, 2015 by kingalfred