Commuter van crash kills four, injures 10 on elevated Bangkok expressway

[TechnikaIII]

What an awful photo to print.

That looks like blood all down the side of the van.

Surely a more respectful picture, if one really is needed, could have been published.

It needs to be seen, so that some may actually be able to connect the two:

1. A crumpled van

2. A human life

Thais have their heads up their <deleted> when it comes to the dangers in these things, and still, so few ever where seat belts.

"Suddenly the van lost balance" .. at 120 kmph on a curve??

In a civilized country, that driver would be locked up for a very long time.

[Thian]

What an awful photo to print.

That looks like blood all down the side of the van.

Surely a more respectful picture, if one really is needed, could have been published.

It needs to be seen, so that some may actually be able to connect the two:

1. A crumpled van

2. A human life

Thais have their heads up their <deleted> when it comes to the dangers in these things, and still, so few ever where seat belts.

"Suddenly the van lost balance" .. at 120 kmph on a curve??

In a civilized country, that driver would be locked up for a very long time.

And did the police check his cellphone or Line? Was he playing with it? And who pumped and mounted the tire? Somchai around the corner?

It's time the public transport get regulated and the drivers get special training.

[spermwhale]

"The driver denied he was driving recklessly."

Case closed. If you can't trust the word of a minivan driver who just caused a crash that killed 4 people and injured at least 10, whose word in Thailand can you trust? He probably wants a reward for not running away from the scene.

If it was at night, there is a good chance that the driver was either intoxicated, overly tired, had a few bottles of Red Bull inside of him to keep him awake, or a combination of any of the three. We can expect to see stories like this on a frequent basis until something is done to address the abominable lack of laws, inspection of vehicle safety and enforced standards for drivers. The only fortunate part of this incident is that there weren't more fatalities of innocent bystanders or drivers/passengers in other vehicles on the road.

Actually if you read that he had to fix a tire for an hour he was probably trying to make up for lost time. One of the passengers said he was driving extremely fast after replacing the tire.

[Doc46]

The driver should have been killed,,,, not the passengers,,, now he can go back on the road and do it again,Gutless government won't stop the maniacs ,what a disaster.

[northernphil]

Same-same yet again . And this is the last time I reply to the carnage these mini buses cause , like many of us on TV enough is enough. Every week we read about this , only good news I hope for is that the driver will never drive again. All so sad.

[amdy2206]

More statistics in Thailand's aim to become 'number 1' in road deaths in the world. Look out Number 1, we are catching you! (UNFORTUNATLY SARCASM DOESN'T WORK IN THAILAND). I wish all the injured victims (as that is what they are - victims of stupidity, carelessness and Thainess) a speedy recovery a d best wishes to them all.

[ChrisY1]

And the good general claims that fatalities are on the decline.

The good general is Thai.......he can lie as good as the rest of Thais........and can talk underwater and still be believed!

[Bangkok Barry]

What an awful photo to print.

That looks like blood all down the side of the van.

Surely a more respectful picture, if one really is needed, could have been published.

Yep. Have to hide reality. Blood is spilled when people speed and crash. Deal with it.

[nottocus]

I hope they arrived on time!

Dead on time.

[DrTuner]

I drive this road all the time. That curve is pretty much the only one in the whole road and driving it 120kph in a van is asking for it. Not tight, but long.

[springheeled jack]

another fatal crash another idiot on the road this man was responsible for the passengers in his charge yet he is doing over 100 miles per hour people like him should not be allowed on the road he should be put away for life,

[Radar501]

Highway Police standing in a group on the side of the road ambushing motorists for licence, registration and helmet/seatbelt checks is all well and good.

They meet their monthly quotas of bookings very quickly, which leaves more time for the more important duties like huddling around the TV at the office, eyes glued to the Man U - Chelsea game.

The motoring public knows very well that the BIB are rarely out and about monitoring the moving traffic, and, therefore, incapable of detecting and stopping the reckless driving which is so common on Thailand's highways.

The very worst drivers, including some minivan kamakaze pilots, only encounter the highway police when it all goes horribly pear shaped such as that described in the unfortunate and avoidable incident above.

[GaryAdriaenssens]

I guess Prayut has another topic on his list of "to do things"! Hopefully he realizes this is an urgent one before more innocent people loose their lives! Yes, I know, probably wishful thinking again.

[Ulic]

Common sense would dictate you slow down but as we see regularly here in Thailand common

sense is rarely common.

[Tonawatchee]

The driver's supervisor needs to teach them about the benefits of customers arriving alive. If this happens on a regular basis, these folks will want to ride with them again. Illustrations of this concept should be in the driver's job description booklet.

[dcpo]

RIP to the unfortunate people killed. People not arriving home to the family that night - always a very sad outcome.

An aspect not covered well in these responses - how many passengers were wearing seat belts?.

I'd wager none. This is a problem - belts do save lives, but Thai people are not educated/forced to wear them.

Van drivers should be made to insist that all belts are in use (dream on, I know). 14 people in a van like that - sardines, nothing more.

Thais are so uninterested in seat belts most public vehicles and taxis hide them away so you can't use them even if you want to. Totally crazy. Without a seat belt all the driver needs to do is slam the breaks on and you could be killed. There doesn't even need to be a crash. I suppose that since travelling most places in the back of truck or with 3 other people on a motorbike is the reality for a significant proportion of the population here, just being inside the vehicle probably makes people feel invulnerable.

[dcpo]

What an awful photo to print.

That looks like blood all down the side of the van.

Surely a more respectful picture, if one really is needed, could have been published.

Actually, I think it's a great picture. The more graphic the photos are, the more it might begin to register into the minds of people that ignorant driving is wrong, and that they should be more careful.

It's a plausible theory but there's no evidence that this kind of shock strategy works.

[chilli42]

I can't think how many times I have been passed on the expressway by all manner of vehicle at speeds that are far beyond the technology and skill of the driver to control. it as if a large percent of Thai drivers have a mental block that holds out common sense and basic physics.

[balo]

I stopped taking minivans a few years ago . Only bus or train . I am surprised foreigners living here still gambling with their lifes.

[Guy360]

I stay as far away from these mini-vans as I can. The drivers are insane.

[jacko45k]

All passenger vehicles and heavy load trucks should be fitted with speed governors and relegated to the slow lanes of the road. These transport companies think this is just the cost of doing business.

And a dash cam too I think, with current speed recorded.

I am sure many here have had one of these things sitting on our back bumper, or attempting to squeeze between your off side and the crash barrier. If these buses are owned by a specific company, their licence/operations should be suspended until they are checked out to an authorities satisfaction, as happens when an aircraft crashes. Silly of me to think this applies here.

[SABloke]

I stopped taking minivans a few years ago . Only bus or train . I am surprised foreigners living here still gambling with their lifes.

So why do you? ''Only bus...'' Edited November 4, 2015 by SABloke

[Maggusoil]

What an awful photo to print.

That looks like blood all down the side of the van.

Surely a more respectful picture, if one really is needed, could have been published.

Actually, I think it's a great picture. The more graphic the photos are, the more it might begin to register into the minds of people that ignorant driving is wrong, and that they should be more careful.

I hate them. A recent mini bus trip to Pattya the driver was on the phone most of the way down. I was sitting in the front seat on the way down and made it obvious I was videoing the driver with my phone. He got the message and stopped.

The driver on the way back was tailgating everything that got in his way at over 90kph.

Hafl of these mini van drivers are out of control. It is absolutely disgusting. Thaivisa could do well to open a petition function for us to get some numbers up to petition government to take some real action on this.

[duckmandon]

Thais just don't care about anyone but themselves, so it is easy to see that this happens everyday & not a soul cares. The van driver should be banned from driving for life & sent to prison for a long time because he has just killed 4 people. The company should be fined & made to pay large compensation to the victims families.

[tomyumchai]

All passenger vehicles and heavy load trucks should be fitted with speed governors and relegated to the slow lanes of the road. These transport companies think this is just the cost of doing business.

lol! and what do you think will happen to those speed govenors within hours of them being fitted? all that black smoke you see coming from fast moving vehicles is because the speed govenors and diesel limiters have been wound up to the max.

[tomyumchai]

another fatal crash another idiot on the road this man was responsible for the passengers in his charge yet he is doing over 100 miles per hour people like him should not be allowed on the road he should be put away for life,

100mph? you need to take a look at those little letters on the speedo. kph is not the same as mph. if he was doing 100kph round that curve they should have made it.

[farangmick]

What an awful photo to print.

That looks like blood all down the side of the van.

Surely a more respectful picture, if one really is needed, could have been published.

Actually, I think it's a great picture. The more graphic the photos are, the more it might begin to register into the minds of people that ignorant driving is wrong, and that they should be more careful.

Usually agree with your posts, but I think that Thais are immune to blood and gore. The driver and passengers should have paid for more powerful amulets. Or they were bad people in a previous life. Not my belief, but it seems to be the attitude of people I know, fortunately not my wife.

[farangmick]

Overall glad to have left a nanny state. But I often wish that Thailand could treat death by dangerous/careless driving and defective brakes/tyres as seriously as they do in the UK.

[balo]

I stopped taking minivans a few years ago . Only bus or train . I am surprised foreigners living here still gambling with their lifes.

So why do you? ''Only bus...''

Even if accidents also happens with buses it's still a lot safer than mini-vans . Pattaya-Bangkok bus from Jomtien is a safe ride.

[ToS2014]

Recently returned from Surin. Countless times (seemingly one every 10 minutes) my wife said 'click like' for every incredible vehicle action/driver decision. A deep breath is always in order at the next rest stop/bathroom break. A deeper breath for making it to my destination safely. RIP for those lives lost in this accident, and also to those future lives shortened by senseless driving.