Video of Thai bus driver dangerously overtaking truck causes outrage

[thhMan]

Bus company owners should also suffer the consequences as they know this happens and only offer up petty investigations.

[smedly]

I don't think there is a day goes by were a serious accident involving a bus is not in the Thai news

[stickylies]

Move aside! I am bigger than you...

Him big! AKA Thainess

[stickylies]

Is there an "inactive post" for bad bus drivers?

no they are simply downgraded to minivan duties

[stickylies]

Ha Ha Ha....You think this is bad here in Thailand, try driving in Cambodia....10 times worst then here.

Anecdotal evidence doesn't match up to the statistical evidence. Among 200+ countries, only Libya is worse than Thailand.

wait til burma provides (honest) statistics. quite some carnage there too considered the much lower presence of cars.

[StasD]

bus flashed so not dangerous)

[lvr181]

This is very normal very these coach companies. Get to the destination as quickly as possible.

This guy needs jail time. What a message that would send, huh?

Jail time? Nah, too much paperwork for Police. Police thought, "he will be dead soon, who cares". Maybe no money in it for us by doing that ?

I sometimes wonder if it is the fatalistic attitude or karma attitude or mai pen rai of Thai peoples that they allow the terrible road trauma to continue? Certainly advanced western cultures seem to have come to grips with reducing road trauma.

[blu]

companies are to blame.. drivers are paid per run..and if late lose pay

[Rawnthai]

Why is this news? I've lived in Thailand for 17 yrs and seen this same action at least 100 times by busses and 1000's of times at other auto drivers. Thailand didn't 'pay under the table' gain that '2nd most deadly traffic' reputation.

[Lex Talionis]

He flashed his lights for chrissakes! What the hell do you want?

[blu]

companies are to blame.. drivers are paid per run..and if late lose pay

[SABloke]

Bus drivers here are the worst! They just change lanes like they own the road, There are times I actually wish someone would go into road rage mode, pull them out and beat the crap out of them.

I have similar thoughts about the bus & Van drivers.

I have similair thoughts about 50% of all drivers in this country. I often have an Ally Macbeal moment and beat the driver that just tried to kill me with my tyre iron

[fstarbkk]

What's to investigate and meet about?! The evidence speaks for itself.

Immediate dismissal and criminal charges for reckless endangerment of dozens of people. At the very least, lifetime ban from driving a commercial vehicle.

[Ulic]

Unfortunately very standard driving here in Thailand. Over hills, around corners. Everyone

who rides a scooter in Thailand has been forced to the edge of there lane by oncoming

traffic. This happens every boarder run I have been on.

[Brer Fox]

Nothing much different in Vietnam. Here is a strong competitor for the idiot bus driver competition.

http://www.thanhniennews.com/society/bus-driver-penalized-for-driving-on-wrong-side-on-highway-near-hanoi-60081.html

Take note of the penalty outcome in Vietnam. A substantial financial penalty by Vietnamese standards and the two month ban will also be a heavy loss to family income. Compare this to the Thai penalty "serious meeting and investigation". Small wonder Thailand reigns supreme in the work rankings for road deaths. Virtually no deterrent in Thailand. Cynics might say Thailand is deliberately trying to reduce the population.

[Puccini]

...those uber violent section 112 violations and drug possession seem to be the only offences meriting custodial sentences here...

1. Section 112 of what law?

2. What is an "uber violent violation"?

[cumgranosalum]

Unfortunately road design in Thailand actually encourages that sort of thing.

[olafthailand]

Bus drivers in Thailand...

[Paul Kernell]

It's Thailand! Flashing your light and tooting your horn will make everything OK. If bus drivers get the sack for dangerous driving , who'll drive the buses!

[kevc]

Makes you think twice thought Nakornchaiair had the best drivers seems it's only the uniforms that are the best. There was no excussfor this if he seen there was a car coming towards him he should've dropped back. If you want to keep your reputation Nakornchaiair sack him as next time he does it you may be paying out for a lot of funeral sxpenses.

[oldsailor35]

The poor bus driver was only doing his job. That is to get from A to B as quickly as possible.

[Artisi]

Nothing much different in Vietnam. Here is a strong competitor for the idiot bus driver competition.

http://www.thanhniennews.com/society/bus-driver-penalized-for-driving-on-wrong-side-on-highway-near-hanoi-60081.html

Take note of the penalty outcome in Vietnam. A substantial financial penalty by Vietnamese standards and the two month ban will also be a heavy loss to family income. Compare this to the Thai penalty "serious meeting and investigation". Small wonder Thailand reigns supreme in the work rankings for road deaths. Virtually no deterrent in Thailand. Cynics might say Thailand is deliberately trying to reduce the population.

Seems they are succeeding quite well with the population reduction.

[cumgranosalum]

companies are to blame.. drivers are paid per run..and if late lose pay

If that is true the directors of said companies should either be prosecuted or sued.

[jackinthebox]

Compared to the school minivans around here hes driving perfectly well

An aside driving to Monaco many years ago in my MG i drove through France on their 3 lane roads (the middle one is fair game for the brave) well until you are faced with a truck flashing its lights you then move over fast!

France hat this rural roads with 3 lanes (one in the middle for both directions, aka "Suicide-lane") back in the 80ies. It looked simple

but obviously it was too dangerous. So they changed the system entirly to "2lanes / 1 lane" in turns. That's how it looks today:

[seedy]

Troll / Flaming / Off Topic post Removed

Keep the Personal Attacks off this Forum

[cumgranosalum]

3 lanes were dangerous, but the thinking that stopped it was the realisation that REGARDLESS of how many lanes you have oncoming traffic needs to be separated by effective barriers....in most cases this is ARMCO.....Thailand has 4 lane roads with no barriers - they are just putting up a CONCRETE barrier on the road to Amata City - whilst this may keeping the opposite flows of traffic apart, it does nothing for those who collide with it. Thailand also still thinks it's a good idea to have substantial trees along central reservations.......as well as no defined nearside edges to most roads.

[jpinx]

Many years ago I used to do "eye in the sky" traffic reporting from a helicopter and I can tell you that the only safe road is an empty road. Three lanes, all going the same direction, nice day, could not believe that one numpty took out the cars either side of him and then rolled! I used to chat with the traffic cops in between reports and they tell some pretty amazing stories about human stupidity,,,,,,

[cumgranosalum]

Many years ago I used to do "eye in the sky" traffic reporting from a helicopter and I can tell you that the only safe road is an empty road. Three lanes, all going the same direction, nice day, could not believe that one numpty took out the cars either side of him and then rolled! I used to chat with the traffic cops in between reports and they tell some pretty amazing stories about human stupidity,,,,,,

of course anything is possible...however the rule is that out-of-control cars moving in more or less the same direction are likely to cause much less damage than cars travelling towards each other.

[Aigle91]

uh okay, there is no loss of life, not in a corner, the car has doubled in a straight line, it has ample room to grow, and the road is clean ...

It is widely extended to three.

I had the case with a good car, just have to push and continue driving

[BSJ]

just because it happens everyday somewhere in LOS doesn't make it right!