Bus crash in Ayutthaya leaves 40 Thai and foreign passengers injured

[Naroge]

Usually the most reliable and safest of all the bus companies...

I only and frequently take NCA (Nakornchai Air Bus) but seems like they've had a lot of crashes lately. I usually only take them from Bangkok to Khon Kaen (and vice-versa). They've always seemed professional. It's a 6 hour journey and they switch drivers half-way. Anybody else have negative/positive incite about NCA?

Only positive experience. They always have two drivers that switch after maximum four hours.

The crash last week was in fact Nakon Chai Tour and not NCA.

[Naroge]

8.30 pm start--accident at 4.30 am, did he have any rest breaks or was he pushing on tired and in bad driving conditions?

8 hours straight driving a bus is hard tiring work.

NCA always use two drivers that take turn.

[leeneeds]

A single bus weighing in at between 11-14 tons

50 - 60 km an hour is roughly 14 meters a second ,

as so many have stated above, conditions , weather , tries , alertness , and skill knowledge.

travel by bus is a lottery , that more and more the odds of crashing are gaining on the

safe arrival column

[Kabula]

If there is an accumulation of motor oil on the road, from lack of rain, combined with heavy rain accumulation, a bus will lose traction and slide. Wind speed is a factor to consider as well. Especially, if the direction is towards the side of the bus. I doubt most Police Officers and posters are trained in accident reconstruction. And the tires don't even have to be worn.

[sanukjim]

"Blame it on the rain..."

Roads do get slippery, but driving to conditions is not taught at all in Thailand. Also possible that the bus had old/bald rubber.

Looks like the same co. involved in a crash a week or two ago where they vowed they would scold he driver responsible for killing his passengers. There have been so many bus wrecks lately, I can not recall which one.

They are proberly they had The NCA Gold Class and not the Silver or Bronze.

[Asiantravel]

So, nothing to do with a 60 year old (whose reflexes would almost certainly be slower than a younger man) driving through the night with probably only a short break, if at all, getting into adverse weather conditions and rather than stopping to wait it out, carried on then lost control and was unable to recover himself in time?

regarding your comment " driving through the night with probably only a short break " the buses from this company carry 2 drivers and from past experience of travelling on them they actually change drivers in or near Ayutthaya.

If the bus departed Chiang Mai at 8:30 PM and if this crash happened about 4:30 AM that's eight hours of driving.They would have stopped for a short break in Lampang which is about two hours after leaving Chiang Mai.

I don't understand what is happening and it's very disappointing that NCA has had two crashes within a short space of time after they have had such an exemplary record for safety compared to other bus companies for very many years.

I have used them regularly over the past 9 years to travel to both Issan and Chiang Mai and have always felt very safe with their consistently high standard of driving.

[ginjag]

So, nothing to do with a 60 year old (whose reflexes would almost certainly be slower than a younger man) driving through the night with probably only a short break, if at all, getting into adverse weather conditions and rather than stopping to wait it out, carried on then lost control and was unable to recover himself in time?

60=ancient. Put them all out to pasture or a Logan's Run solution. At least he didn't scarper like most of them do but stayed to face the music.

Maybe hurt his leg and couldn't FLEE

[moe666]

NCA has just about the best maintained fleet of buses in Thailand.

Hard to believe it was poor tyres, more likely driver error, not driving properly due to weather conditions.

I always thought they were the best, but lately they have had allot of accidents and death. I wonder if the government keeps

tracks of accidents and death per bus company? Also, I would never take an overnight bus with any bus company in Thailand.

Never travel at night and your chances of surviving are good. At night, your chances go down!

Can you give us a list of all of the wrecks and deaths associated with this company say over the last 5 years.

[Scouse Twoccer]

"Blame it on the rain..."

Roads do get slippery, but driving to conditions is not taught at all in Thailand. Also possible that the bus had old/bald rubber.

Looks like the same co. involved in a crash a week or two ago where they vowed they would scold he driver responsible for killing his passengers. There have been so many bus wrecks lately, I can not recall which one.

They are proberly they had The NCA Gold Class and not the Silver or Bronze.

Proberly [sic], you're right, if what you posted made any sense.

[Asiantravel]

Usually the most reliable and safest of all the bus companies...

I only and frequently take NCA (Nakornchai Air Bus) but seems like they've had a lot of crashes lately. I usually only take them from Bangkok to Khon Kaen (and vice-versa). They've always seemed professional. It's a 6 hour journey and they switch drivers half-way. Anybody else have negative/positive incite about NCA?

Only positive experience. They always have two drivers that switch after maximum four hours.

The crash last week was in fact Nakon Chai Tour and not NCA.

I think diddygq might have been referring to the one in February in which unfortunately the driver was killed

http://bangkok.coconuts.co/2014/02/18/nakhon-chai-air-driver-killed-after-bus-crashed-tree

Edited March 28, 2016 by Asiantravel

[Enoon]

"Blame it on the rain..."

Roads do get slippery, but driving to conditions is not taught at all in Thailand. Also possible that the bus had old/bald rubber.

Looks like the same co. involved in a crash a week or two ago where they vowed they would scold he driver responsible for killing his passengers. There have been so many bus wrecks lately, I can not recall which one.

If you're talking about the Chai Nat accident of a few days ago, in which nobody was killed, the photographs of the incident show it to be a NakhonchaiTour bus and not a NakhonchaiAir bus as is wrongly stated in some reports. 2 different companies.

To further confuse there is also a 3rd company: Nakhonchai, that operates a lot of provincial services in Korat.

The Singburi crash, which killed 3 people on the 8th March, was a chartered bus from none of the above companies.

All the NCA buses I have seen appear to be new, well maintained and represent something of a benchmark for the other companies to match.

Those who say that they are in poor condition are perhaps confusing them with NCT, whose buses seem to be "normal".

From the "Coconuts" article:

"Nakhon Chai has a reputation for safety as its buses typically include two drivers."

Note that it identifies the company as Nakhon Chai rather than correctly as NCA.

Edited March 28, 2016 by Enoon

[Enoon]

Usually the most reliable and safest of all the bus companies...

I only and frequently take NCA (Nakornchai Air Bus) but seems like they've had a lot of crashes lately. I usually only take them from Bangkok to Khon Kaen (and vice-versa). They've always seemed professional. It's a 6 hour journey and they switch drivers half-way. Anybody else have negative/positive incite about NCA?

Only positive experience. They always have two drivers that switch after maximum four hours.

The crash last week was in fact Nakon Chai Tour and not NCA.

I think diddygq might have been referring to the one in February in which unfortunately the driver was killed

http://bangkok.coconuts.co/2014/02/18/nakhon-chai-air-driver-killed-after-bus-crashed-tree

February 2014 is the date of the article.

Edited March 28, 2016 by Enoon

[atyclb]

i always make sure the bus/van i will travel on has seatbeltss. i always use them especially given the bus van crash incidents here

[kevc]

Second Nakornchai air accident in about one month their standards are slipping.

[prestburypark]

Yeah, You have to double your stopping distance in wet weather. This seems to be beyond most Thai drivers?

They couldn't count one thousand and one, one thousand and two...to use the 2 and 3 seconds rule for dry and wet conditions respectively.

I have tried to get my Mrs to do this, but she seems to believe it is more sociable (my guess) to drive right up the ass of the ..often only car in front of us.

I have to go through a whole flinching, braking ( passenger stamping foot down style) "darling your scaring me " routine before she backs off. Shame cos otherwise I am ok with her driving. Passing accidents, 3 cars rear ended she will say "they were too close".

One thousand, two thousand, TiT.

Edited March 28, 2016 by prestburypark

[Bangkok Barry]

So, nothing to do with a 60 year old (whose reflexes would almost certainly be slower than a younger man) driving through the night with probably only a short break, if at all, getting into adverse weather conditions and rather than stopping to wait it out, carried on then lost control and was unable to recover himself in time?

60=ancient. Put them all out to pasture or a Logan's Run solution. At least he didn't scarper like most of them do but stayed to face the music.

Too old to run

[Enoon]

Second Nakornchai air accident in about one month their standards are slipping.

As keeps being said: The previous incident was NahkonchaiTour not Air.

This is getting silly now

Out.

[tuanku]

So, nothing to do with a 60 year old (whose reflexes would almost certainly be slower than a younger man) driving through the night with probably only a short break, if at all, getting into adverse weather conditions and rather than stopping to wait it out, carried on then lost control and was unable to recover himself in time?

Read the article, the bus lost control, not the driver.

[asdecas]

So, nothing to do with a 60 year old (whose reflexes would almost certainly be slower than a younger man) driving through the night with probably only a short break, if at all, getting into adverse weather conditions and rather than stopping to wait it out, carried on then lost control and was unable to recover himself in time?

Do you have this week's lottery numbers too?

[jaywalker]

Anything other than "I was driving like an <deleted>" is the best excuse. I'm surprised he didn't blame the brakes failing and do a runner.

Brakes didn't fail this time but his amulets apparently did.

[tomyumchai]

they add detergants to diesel fuel to help keep the fuel system and engine clean. it usually burns off with the diesel. problem is all those black smoking sheds and modified pickups dump unburned diesel and the detergant all over the road surface. thats what those white foamy trails from the wheels are when youre driving in the rain. so the road gets slippery. our mountain road is like a skating rink in the wet.

[docshock13]

"Blame it on the rain..."

Roads do get slippery, but driving to conditions is not taught at all in Thailand. Also possible that the bus had old/bald rubber.

Looks like the same co. involved in a crash a week or two ago where they vowed they would scold he driver responsible for killing his passengers. There have been so many bus wrecks lately, I can not recall which one.

The old article you refer to mentioned Nakon Chai Air, NCA, but for some reason they had translated wrongly from Thai to English. The correct name in the old article was Nakon Chai Tour.

Ok. Thx for the correction/clarification.

[jippytum]

NCA is my favorite bus operator and has been for many years , Surprised to see reports of two incidents this month, Overall their previous safety record and service has been first class between Pattaya and northern Thailand.

[gk10002000]

I go speed limit. Mai bpen rai.

[lvr181]

It is patently obvious that too many drivers are not taught or do not understand the concept of driving too fast for the conditions. Therefore, it is always the road at fault or the brakes (providing you can find the driver). They may be contributory factors but not the cause!

[bheard]

NCA has just about the best maintained fleet of buses in Thailand.

Hard to believe it was poor tyres, more likely driver error, not driving properly due to weather conditions.

While I believe what you say, most likely driver error - IMO these cowboys always drive outside the limits of safety for a normal sane person, I'm not so sure about your assertation that the buses are well maintaianed.

I thought so too, but my GF told me they are often just tarted old buses, and after travelling in one of those white things recently I believe her. It was a rattly heap, uncomfortable, and definitely in need of some TLC.

[jerojero]

Lost control. Driving too fast. Idiot driver. 'nuff said.

[connda]

Same same...not different.