Five killed when a van crashed into a ten-wheel truck in Korat

[Najinsky]

One issue is the schedule set by the tour companies. If the driver doesn't make it back in time they miss the next day's work so they drive at insane speeds. It's a particular issue with the Ko Chang to BKK and Ko Samui to BLK routes, but many other routes too.

The other issue is they think they are great drivers and can cope with anything.

RIP to the victims.

[slapout]

Death either accidental , natural, murder or whatever is too much of a revenue generator for some to be concerned. flowers, caskets, those providing food/drinks/etc, temples/monks, clothing to be purchased, tranport fees, village wide party time, gambling, etc.

Police seem to enjoy security duty at the chosen spot to morn or whatever term is used. family get to devide spoils, less unemployment and health care cost, real estate changes hands, thus commission paid,

The pulpit is being usyilized but the congregation is dozing or playing games on their electronic widgets.

[PaPiPuPePo]

Passengers, Thai or falang, need to start speaking up together and demanding that their drivers slow down. Some of them will.

On a tour van once with all falang, including myself and GF, that happened and the driver slowed down. However, I know many of these drivers will ignore the passengers and do whatever they want. Complaints to central offices do no good at all. None of them are ever fired.

A group of us had an egregiously bad apparently hopped-up van driver on the way to Swampy one time. Finally people spoke up and he did nothing, I talked to him in my basic Thai and then of course got pushed by the others to amp it up, which I did while being cautious for obvious reasons. About 1km from SVB right after my latest admonition the van slowed down and stopped by the side and I thought the guy was going to come around back and try stomp me, turned out one tire/wheel was bad so we limped in at about 15kph. But this I think is why a lot of people say nothing, most of those guys are pretty rough characters.

[speedtripler]

There is a very simple reason that successive governments do absolutely nothing to improve driver skills. Politicians are driven around by drivers who have shown they at least are competent enough to drive VIPs, so they don't care about how others drive, The only thing that will change it is if one of the VIPs is killed by a maniac driver. Fair chance of that happening I suppose.

The problem is powerful people who could change the laws are driven in tinted limos on empty roads which the police closed 5 minutes earlier so they probably don't even know what its like to be in a traffic jam or even stuck at a red light for a few minutes because someone will change it to green as they're approaching....

I imagine when you get to that level... Traffic problems are the least of your worries...

[mikemac]

I hope the General shows his power and stops this ASAP. Those minivan drivers have no respect for anybody.

The General/PM has shown no power on any pressing issue, and clearly has no interest in doing so.

The PM deserves a lot of criticism for things he done/not done but I think you are being a bit hard on him for not doing anything about the idiot mini-van drivers.

If it was possible to do anything about these kamikaze pilots, why didn't the Shin regime do something when they were in power ?

[speedtripler]

I hope the General shows his power and stops this ASAP. Those minivan drivers have no respect for anybody.

The General/PM has shown no power on any pressing issue, and clearly has no interest in doing so.

The PM deserves a lot of criticism for things he done/not done but I think you are being a bit hard on him for not doing anything about the idiot mini-van drivers.

If it was possible to do anything about these kamikaze pilots, why didn't the Shin regime do something when they were in power ?

Because they didn't care either when they were zipping across town in the police escorted motorcade...

It doesn't take a genius to police these minivans... How about speed limiters or tachographs or confiscate the van if the driver breaks any traffic rule?

If anyone important cared, it would be fixed already...

[Gweiloman]

I hope the General shows his power and stops this ASAP. Those minivan drivers have no respect for anybody.

The General/PM has shown no power on any pressing issue, and clearly has no interest in doing so.

The PM deserves a lot of criticism for things he done/not done but I think you are being a bit hard on him for not doing anything about the idiot mini-van drivers.

If it was possible to do anything about these kamikaze pilots, why didn't the Shin regime do something when they were in power ?

Are you saying that it's not possible to do anything about these idiots?

[mikemac]

I hope the General shows his power and stops this ASAP. Those minivan drivers have no respect for anybody.

The General/PM has shown no power on any pressing issue, and clearly has no interest in doing so.

The PM deserves a lot of criticism for things he done/not done but I think you are being a bit hard on him for not doing anything about the idiot mini-van drivers.

If it was possible to do anything about these kamikaze pilots, why didn't the Shin regime do something when they were in power ?

Are you saying that it's not possible to do anything about these idiots?

Does not look that way. Either that or the people who have run the country ever since these suicidal maniacs have been on the roads do not care about them. Which makes sense because the powers that be don't travel the country in mini-vans so why should they care ?

I will not use them and I tell anyone who will listen not to use them.

[farangmick]

People who talk about speaking up, I agree but many Thais really don't care and want to be fast at their destination.

Also those van drivers make more money when they go fast (more rides).

It will be real hard to get them to slow down. A previous government wanted to put in GPS trackers in those vans. Sadly this was one of their good idea's but it never happened. I think the only way is more policing laser-guns and such (yes I know nobody likes it) But without more enforcement people wont change.

Its not that people in the West are better drivers, there is just far more effective policing and without it people would drive a lot worse.

Drivers in western countries are MUCH better drivers, but I`m convinced that is because they have to do driving schools before they are let out in the traffic.

Seen Italian drivers? Every Fiat is a Ferrari at heart. Germany has the right idea. Get your kicks on the autobahn, then you can relax around town.

[springheeled jack]

here we go again he was travelling at speed in wet and misty conditions didn't see the ten wheeled truck until he hit it , in those conditions he should not have been travelling at speed and if his windscreen wipers were working he should have seen the truck this was a case of common sense not being applied RIP the other victims.

[emilymat]

I wonder if it some inbuilt brain issue when they get behind the wheel of a van, whereas before they have only driven a car.? They then drive the van like their car.

I say this because the Brits on this forum will be familiar with the term 'white van man' in the UK. This came about because (some of) those vans - like Ford Transits - were often driven aggresively and were excellent tail-gaters.

You only need an ordinary licence to drive one, as opposed to and HGV or PSV.

I also remember reading an article by some professor from the Road Rearch Lab (or similar) in which he suggested people driving forward control vehicles have less perspective on speed etc than those who drive vehicles where you have the bonnet and wheels in front of you. I have no idea.

[Sam Jones]

Police said that it was raining and misty at the time of the accident and the driver appeared to have driven the van in high speed, did not see the truck travelling in front of him and, therefore, rammed into its rear forcefully.

Happy to hear the moron driver is not gonna kill anymore in this lifetime - hope he rots in hell

RIP to the passengers that unfortunately had to be driven by a moron in Thailand ...

[nisakiman]

I guess if the truck driver had the lights on the van driver would see him before it was to late, but Thailand forbid the use of lights if its not completely dark outside (if you can see a car at more than 150 meters the lights shall be shut off). Special Thai rules, a part of thainess.

Is that really the law? That's insane! What on earth is the reasoning behind it?

In many countries it's mandatory to have running lights at all times. In fact I seem to recollect that Volvos I've owned have had always-on sidelights. What do they do with Volvos in Thailand? Re-wire them so the lights turn off?

Crazy.

[nisakiman]

People who talk about speaking up, I agree but many Thais really don't care and want to be fast at their destination.

Also those van drivers make more money when they go fast (more rides).

It will be real hard to get them to slow down. A previous government wanted to put in GPS trackers in those vans. Sadly this was one of their good idea's but it never happened. I think the only way is more policing laser-guns and such (yes I know nobody likes it) But without more enforcement people wont change.

Its not that people in the West are better drivers, there is just far more effective policing and without it people would drive a lot worse.

Drivers in western countries are MUCH better drivers, but I`m convinced that is because they have to do driving schools before they are let out in the traffic.

Seen Italian drivers? Every Fiat is a Ferrari at heart. Germany has the right idea. Get your kicks on the autobahn, then you can relax around town.

Ha! Yes, Italian drivers are something else. I've driven down through Italy many times, and the Autostrada Del Sol is chock full of wannabe Ayrton Sennas. It's terrifying. And as for the ring road round Milan....

[Asiantravel]

I wonder if it some inbuilt brain issue when they get behind the wheel of a van, whereas before they have only driven a car.? They then drive the van like their car.

I say this because the Brits on this forum will be familiar with the term 'white van man' in the UK. This came about because (some of) those vans - like Ford Transits - were often driven aggresively and were excellent tail-gaters.

You only need an ordinary licence to drive one, as opposed to and HGV or PSV.

I also remember reading an article by some professor from the Road Rearch Lab (or similar) in which he suggested people driving forward control vehicles have less perspective on speed etc than those who drive vehicles where you have the bonnet and wheels in front of you. I have no idea.

oh they certainly tailgate. But to compound the problem so many of them do so while they are talking on my mobile phone at the same time. Their reaction times are not quick enough to be able to do that at the same time.I have taken them a few times but I will never take them ever again. The last one I took was full of Thai's other than me and they were sleeping! How could they do that I thought when the driver was so erratic an two or or three times.

[Happy Grumpy]

Thais really do never learn.

See the news again tomorrow, and the next day, and........

There is no hope of change for the poor little things.

Edited October 9, 2015 by Happy Grumpy

[canarysun]

I really don't understand why it is that the Thais are obsessed with using these lethal mini vans when they have a choice of buses and trains.....??

The whole world is in a rush apart from me.......

F.J

[gk10002000]

that van must have been moving 60 mph faster than the truck to cause that amount of damage, which would have been crazy fast speed. Or the truck was stopped and the van plowed into the rear.

[Nice Boyd]

I really don't understand why it is that the Thais are obsessed with using these lethal mini vans when they have a choice of buses and trains.....??

The whole world is in a rush apart from me.......

F.J

Busses if u think they are safer, are not used on Tourist Visa runs

[Nice Boyd]

I guess if the truck driver had the lights on the van driver would see him before it was to late, but Thailand forbid the use of lights if its not completely dark outside (if you can see a car at more than 150 meters the lights shall be shut off). Special Thai rules, a part of thainess.

Is that really the law? That's insane! What on earth is the reasoning behind it?

In many countries it's mandatory to have running lights at all times. In fact I seem to recollect that Volvos I've owned have had always-on sidelights. What do they do with Volvos in Thailand? Re-wire them so the lights turn off?

Crazy.

I was pulled over on the KK bypass for having my lights on during the day,100 baht, I still drive with them on

[puukao]

new form to sign at airport:

your life is worth about 100 baht here, don't think any different

if driver kills you, it's OK...reincarnated and live again

if hurt, smile and pay all damages

if driver is dangerous, smile and give tip

enjoy your stay