Four Mexican tourists dead in Phichit van crash; Six injured

[webfact]

Four Mexican tourists dead in Phichit van crash; Six Injured
By Teeranai Charuvastra
Staff Reporter


Scene of the van crash that killed four Mexican tourists Thursday night in Phichit province.

PHICHIT — A van crash in Phichit province last night killed four Mexican tourists and injured six others Mexicans, police said today.

The victims were family members on a vacation in Thailand and were en route to the historical city of Sukhothai when the crash took place at around midnight, according to an officer at a local police station.

The van apparently slammed into a tree next to the highway. Rescue workers took nearly an hour to pull the injured tourists from the van wreckage.

“They just arrived in Thailand last night, at Don Mueang Airport, and rented a van,” said Police Lt.Col. Surawat Surawatmontri, an officer at Pho Prathap Chang Police Station.

Full story: http://www.khaosodenglish.com/detail.php?newsid=1452830403


-- Khaosod English 2016-01-15

[trogers]

The biggest mistake - rented a mini van!

[Hawk]

Visit Thailand, enjoy your stay as it can be fatal.

[Confuscious]

"Surawat speculated that the crash may have occurred because the tourist who was driving at the time was exhausted."

They were driving the van themselves?

Stupid as stupid can be.

Som nam naa

[DavisH]

Straight from Mexico and tired, rent a vehicle in the middle of the night, drive on the other side of the road (Mexicans drive on the right side)..in the dark. That was a disaster waiting to happen. RIP to the occupants. I think I'd take my chances with a Thai driver in these circumstances. There's no way I'd do such a thing if I went to Mexico/US.

Edited January 15, 2016 by DavisH

[ratcatcher]

Visit Thailand, enjoy your stay as it can be fatal.

Good try, but missed by a mile.

This was a Mexican tourist driving a rented van filled with other family members. Could just as easily have happened in England or India or Timbuktu.

Nothing to do with the well known risks of driving in Thailand or Venezuela or Russia or Poland etc etc.

Descansa en paz.

[Hawk]

Visit Thailand, enjoy your stay as it can be fatal.

Good try, but missed by a mile.

This was a Mexican tourist driving a rented van filled with other family members. Could just as easily have happened in England or India or Timbuktu.

Nothing to do with the well known risks of driving in Thailand or Venezuela or Russia or Poland etc etc.

Descansa en paz.

Actually I was thinking of all those foreigners who die in Thailand, by falling off buildings, drowning, dieing in boat accidents, getting murdered, etc, not just the odd car/bus/motorcycle death that happens now and again. Edited January 15, 2016 by Hawk

[jaywalker]

Straight from Mexico and tired, rent a vehicle in the middle of the night, drive on the other side of the road (Mexicans drive on the right side)..in the dark. That was a disaster waiting to happen. RIP to the occupants. I think I'd take my chances with a Thai driver in these circumstances. There's no way I'd do such a thing if I went to Mexico/US.

VERY, VERY, VERY true.

I did it. Almost had a head on collision in the middle of the night.

I'm from Florida. Had my car at a buddy's house in the country. I had been driving in Thailand 18 months or better, and grabbed my Florida ride at about midnight, jet-lagged out the wazoo with a 12 hour time change.

I drove about 3 or 4 miles down the wrong side of the road with no traffic, sober as a judge, came to an S-curve that I knew like the back of my hand, and had no idea why the guy was in my lane, headed straight for me.

He hit the ditch (drove off to his right - he was OK), I yanked it to the right and I was still on the pavement, and that's when it hit me. I was driving on the WRONG side of the road.

I felt lower than whale-shit over that one, and I am SOOOOO happy the guy I ran off the road didn't get hurt!

[biker Bob]

RIP

[Borzandy]

"Surawat speculated that the crash may have occurred because the tourist who was driving at the time was exhausted."

They were driving the van themselves?

Stupid as stupid can be.

Som nam naa

Sorry, why stupid, I don't agree with you. When I have to use a van, I drive it myself, I never ever hire a Thai driver.

[SOTIRIOS]

....terrible....

[flyingdoc]

R.I.P

[NickJ]

Sad and stupid at the same time......

[Johnpound46]

"Surawat speculated that the crash may have occurred because the tourist who was driving at the time was exhausted."

They were driving the van themselves?

Stupid as stupid can be.

Som nam naa

It never seizes to amaze me how callous many TV-members can be. "Stupid as stupid can be". They were driving the van themselves, so they fully deserve what they got, is that what you mean? And then another stab: som nam na. Really? What a sick comment.

[hobobo]

Straight from Mexico and tired, rent a vehicle in the middle of the night, drive on the other side of the road (Mexicans drive on the right side)..in the dark. That was a disaster waiting to happen. RIP to the occupants. I think I'd take my chances with a Thai driver in these circumstances. There's no way I'd do such a thing if I went to Mexico/US.

VERY, VERY, VERY true.

I did it. Almost had a head on collision in the middle of the night.

I'm from Florida. Had my car at a buddy's house in the country. I had been driving in Thailand 18 months or better, and grabbed my Florida ride at about midnight, jet-lagged out the wazoo with a 12 hour time change.

I drove about 3 or 4 miles down the wrong side of the road with no traffic, sober as a judge, came to an S-curve that I knew like the back of my hand, and had no idea why the guy was in my lane, headed straight for me.

He hit the ditch (drove off to his right - he was OK), I yanked it to the right and I was still on the pavement, and that's when it hit me. I was driving on the WRONG side of the road.

I felt lower than whale-shit over that one, and I am SOOOOO happy the guy I ran off the road didn't get hurt!

I hope you bought him a new car and compensated him for stress etc US-style!

[Geordie59]

"Surawat speculated that the crash may have occurred because the tourist who was driving at the time was exhausted."

They were driving the van themselves?

Stupid as stupid can be.

Som nam naa

I'm not too sure why a tourist driving in Thailand is so stupid.

Now if you said that about those who hire motorbikes I might see your point.

[soalbundy]

They escaped the drug violence to die on holiday in Thailand

[TheRascal]

Som nam naa

6 dead and it "serves them right".

Wow.

[lee b]

Som nam naa

6 dead and it "serves them right".

Wow.

4 dead but totally get your point there. As far as I know there is only 1 steering wheel in a van.

[manarak]

RIP - driving long distance after a long flight - fatal mistake.

[gandalf12]

They should have stayed in Bangkok the night, maybe two depending on how tired they were then drove North in the day light. Still very sad RIP

[Crossy]

Flame / troll post removed.

[Jingthing]

Very sorry to hear about this tragedy.

I know we don't see very many Mexican tourists in Thailand.

Viva Mexico.

[swerver]

"Surawat speculated that the crash may have occurred because the tourist who was driving at the time was exhausted."

They were driving the van themselves?

Stupid as stupid can be.

Som nam naa

Yes stupid as stupid can be.

Because Thais drive on the WRONG side of the road according to the Mexicans, ands not only the Mexicans.

In addition the Mexican driver was sitting on the wrong side driving the Van.

In a nutshell everything was WRONG as far as the Mexicans are concerned.

They learned the hard way and had to come to Thailand to learn it.

[wabothai]

A lot of questions need to be answered.

Why to Sukothai after a very long flight (if so).

Trip booked by travel agency?

Had a hectic time schedule?

Etc.

[elgordo38]

Straight from Mexico and tired, rent a vehicle in the middle of the night, drive on the other side of the road (Mexicans drive on the right side)..in the dark. That was a disaster waiting to happen. RIP to the occupants. I think I'd take my chances with a Thai driver in these circumstances. There's no way I'd do such a thing if I went to Mexico/US.

VERY, VERY, VERY true.

I did it. Almost had a head on collision in the middle of the night.

I'm from Florida. Had my car at a buddy's house in the country. I had been driving in Thailand 18 months or better, and grabbed my Florida ride at about midnight, jet-lagged out the wazoo with a 12 hour time change.

I drove about 3 or 4 miles down the wrong side of the road with no traffic, sober as a judge, came to an S-curve that I knew like the back of my hand, and had no idea why the guy was in my lane, headed straight for me.

He hit the ditch (drove off to his right - he was OK), I yanked it to the right and I was still on the pavement, and that's when it hit me. I was driving on the WRONG side of the road.

I felt lower than whale-shit over that one, and I am SOOOOO happy the guy I ran off the road didn't get hurt!

The worst part about driving in Mexico after dark is that there are few to no fences and the livestock like to wander out and lay on the warm asphalt and wham.

[Rimbuman]

Visit Thailand, enjoy your stay as it can be fatal.

Good try, but missed by a mile.

This was a Mexican tourist driving a rented van filled with other family members. Could just as easily have happened in England or India or Timbuktu.

Nothing to do with the well known risks of driving in Thailand or Venezuela or Russia or Poland etc etc.

Descansa en paz.

Actually I was thinking of all those foreigners who die in Thailand, by falling off buildings, drowning, dieing in boat accidents, getting murdered, etc, not just the odd car/bus/motorcycle death that happens now and again.

Yes, it comes to the point that it is getting really silly isn't it?

[Rimbuman]

Straight from Mexico and tired, rent a vehicle in the middle of the night, drive on the other side of the road (Mexicans drive on the right side)..in the dark. That was a disaster waiting to happen. RIP to the occupants. I think I'd take my chances with a Thai driver in these circumstances. There's no way I'd do such a thing if I went to Mexico/US.

VERY, VERY, VERY true.

I did it. Almost had a head on collision in the middle of the night.

I'm from Florida. Had my car at a buddy's house in the country. I had been driving in Thailand 18 months or better, and grabbed my Florida ride at about midnight, jet-lagged out the wazoo with a 12 hour time change.

I drove about 3 or 4 miles down the wrong side of the road with no traffic, sober as a judge, came to an S-curve that I knew like the back of my hand, and had no idea why the guy was in my lane, headed straight for me.

He hit the ditch (drove off to his right - he was OK), I yanked it to the right and I was still on the pavement, and that's when it hit me. I was driving on the WRONG side of the road.

I felt lower than whale-shit over that one, and I am SOOOOO happy the guy I ran off the road didn't get hurt!

The worst part about driving in Mexico after dark is that there are few to no fences and the livestock like to wander out and lay on the warm asphalt and wham.

Thailand is not different, when you drive in the mountains in rural area's is the same and don't move. You have to honk and shout to get them out of the way.

[bazza40]

The three factors in vehicle accidents are speed, alcohol and fatigue. Perhaps stupidity should be added in as factor number four. Driving on a road they had never seen before, in the dark, with an unfamiliar right-hand drive vehicle? Not to mention no knowledge of Thai driving habits? A disaster waiting to happen.

I can still remember a police traffic guy giving a road safety lecture who said " When it comes to an argument between a vehicle and a tree, the tree almost always wins".

[springheeled jack]

what a way to go just arrived in Thailand still travelling and crash your dead the driver was obviously suffering from jet lag fell asleep at the wheel proved to be fatal rip to the unfortunate people who lost their lives.