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Bangkok: Four US tourists injured when taxi overturns after driver fell asleep at wheel

Image: Thairath

BANGKOK: Four American tourists are in hospital after the taxi that picked them up at Suvarnabhumi airport overturned when it hit a break down truck.

They were on their way to a downtown Bangkok hotel.

The 62 year old driver who was also injured said he fell asleep at the wheel.

Police called to the scene of the accident on Route 7 into Bangkok at Lat Krabang found a highway police break down truck on the left of the road and an overturned taxi some 100 meters further down the road.

The driver and four tourists who were heading for a Bangkok hotel were given emergency treatment at the scene before being taken to Wipharam Hospital.

Tawee Thongsuknork, the driver of the taxi, told police that he was in a central lane and fell asleep at the wheel causing him to lose control and hit the breakdown truck that was parked on the hard shoulder. The taxi then flipped and came to rest further down the road.

Police said that the highway vehicle was on duty preparing the road for a procession that was due along the route.

Police have initially charged the taxi driver with negligent driving causing injury to others as they await the results of other checks.

Source: Thairath

-- 2016-05-21

[richard_smith237]

A couple of weeks ago I had an AOT Camry (to the airport) - The driver was quite erratic, accelerating, breaking repeatedly... it was an awful journey.

I positioned myself so I could see the drivers face in the rear-view mirror and noticed that looked like he was falling asleep so I chose to tell him to concentrate and stay awake. We got to the airport safely, but it was an uncomfortable journey.

I complained to AOT... the issue here is that I doubt much if anything will be done.

And so, with this taxi driver and many other drivers servicing the public, there is imply no accountability... To be honest, I'm surprised there are not more accidents with Taxi drivers falling asleep at the wheel, perhaps the slow speed of Bangkok's traffic can account for lives saved.

[KhunBENQ]

Forgot his pink pills to make it through the 24h shift?

Edited May 21, 2016 by KhunBENQ

[IMA_FARANG]

In thailand. many taxi drivers do not own the taxis thay drive.....they are driving for a vehicle owner.

Many drivers drive more than one shift....especially if they need the money for their family.

i have even met taxi drivees in Bangkok who are policemen......driving a taxi on weekends or when not on shift as police.

[scorecard]

In thailand. many taxi drivers do not own the taxis thay drive.....they are driving for a vehicle owner.

Many drivers drive more than one shift....especially if they need the money for their family.

i have even met taxi drivees in Bangkok who are policemen......driving a taxi on weekends or when not on shift as police.

Or actually on duty but with an agreement with their superior that they can work elsewhere for 50% of the extra take.

Reported numerous times years ago with cops (in police uniform) working as guards at jewelry shops.

[scorecard]

Save money for years.

Take months to agree a plan book and pay for a holiday.

Fly 10 - 12 hours, get in a taxi and 20 minutes after landing in a roll-over and off to hospital.

Great start to vacation.

[balo]

Looking at the picture they would be very lucky to get away with this without major injuries, The few times I take a taxi in Bangkok I am always watching the driver , and I try to sit in the front seat , just in case.....

[Crash999]

I had a similar experience years ago taking a taxi to the airport. Driver kept nodding off so I kept talking to him and keeping him engaged. When we arrived I told him how dangerous it was and that he better take a nap rather than have an accident. Scary stuff.

[recycler]

I make regular use of taxis in many countries in the region and it is nowhere as bad as in Thailand. I once had a taxi driver in BKK that fell asleep at every single traffic light. Thailand is also the only country where I have repeatedly had attempts to rip you off by not using the meter, or charging some explainable sum out of the blue.

[macksview]

Looking at the picture they would be very lucky to get away with this without major injuries, The few times I take a taxi in Bangkok I am always watching the driver , and I try to sit in the front seat , just in case.....

yep, i am a front seat sitter, mrs can sit on back seat and dream of some horrible food.

i watch some bkk drivers very closely, fatigue, over dilated pupils etc.

blo*dy lottery every trip.

[oldlakey]

even as a one finger typer my brain cant keep up with it

So here is the A I am missing in my last post

[Minnehaha]

So the breakdown truck was on the road, parked.

Preparing for a "procession".

Translation issues are common, and can usually be figured out with a bit of imagination.

This one, not so much.

Maybe he hit a car on side of the road.

[luckizuchinni]

An attempt at humor that some found offensive and responses to that post have been deleted.

[malcoml]

I took a taxi from Pattaya to Bangkok with some friends who were first time tourists to Thailand.

The driver began acting strange about half way and then pulled the car over. He then explained to me that he had been driving non stop since NYE (it was about the 6th of Jan) and was so tired. I said you have not been home since NYE, no every day and night driving.

We were in sort of a rush and were not much interested in sitting on the side of the road for an hour so he moved to the passenger seat and I moved to the divers seat and I drove until the edge of Bangkok.

Some of the looks I got from passing cars was incredible.

That's my true story about being cabby for the day.

I should have drove round the city and pulled up next to Thai people shouted 500 baht at them and if they say no just drive off.

[mesterm]

Save money for years.

Take months to agree a plan book and pay for a holiday.

Fly 10 - 12 hours, get in a taxi and 20 minutes after landing in a roll-over and off to hospital.

Great start to vacation.

Welcome to Thailand khappp

[dopenhagen]

there are more accidents than is being let on, they have a special task force to clear crashed taxies due to the signal value of a wrecked taxi, however could happen everywhere, I have had incidents from San Francisco to Cebu with Taxis... so not isolated to Thailand... the entire Taxi system is flawed... can't wait for self driving cars to become the standard !

[Tomtomtom69]

Just as an aside, why not use the freaking Airport Rail Link? Why does anyone even use a taxi anymore from Suvarnabhumi airport when the ARL is much faster and more practical, not to mention cheaper and less likely to be in an accident? I thought most taxi drivers at Suvarnabhumi would go out of business once the ARL opened (especially for trips downtown), I guess I was wrong.

Seriously, if I was a tourist coming to Thailand I'd either catch the train or rent a car. No taxis for me. Way too stressful to start a vacation on.

Edited May 21, 2016 by Tomtomtom69

[Tomtomtom69]

I took a taxi from Pattaya to Bangkok with some friends who were first time tourists to Thailand.

The driver began acting strange about half way and then pulled the car over. He then explained to me that he had been driving non stop since NYE (it was about the 6th of Jan) and was so tired. I said you have not been home since NYE, no every day and night driving.

We were in sort of a rush and were not much interested in sitting on the side of the road for an hour so he moved to the passenger seat and I moved to the divers seat and I drove until the edge of Bangkok.

Some of the looks I got from passing cars was incredible.

That's my true story about being cabby for the day.

I should have drove round the city and pulled up next to Thai people shouted 500 baht at them and if they say no just drive off.

You did the right thing but how did you even get noticed by other drivers? Did you stick your head out the window and start waving? Whenever I'm driving, I look straight ahead and even when sitting in traffic, i've never seen people glance in my direction (albeit I've never driven a taxi) but still. Most certainly cars passing at 120km/h shouldn't be looking at other cars to see who's driving, what a weird thing to do.

[oldlakey]

Absolutely pathetic dear oh pray I am off for a beer

[1BADDAT]

Just as an aside, why not use the freaking Airport Rail Link? Why does anyone even use a taxi anymore from Suvarnabhumi airport when the ARL is much faster and more practical, not to mention cheaper and less likely to be in an accident? I thought most taxi drivers at Suvarnabhumi would go out of business once the ARL opened (especially for trips downtown), I guess I was wrong.

Seriously, if I was a tourist coming to Thailand I'd either catch the train or rent a car. No taxis for me. Way too stressful to start a vacation on.

airport link is not convenient if you have 2 weeks worth of luggage. It is usually super crowded and nowhere to store large bags.

[RWA]

I had a similar experience years ago taking a taxi to the airport. Driver kept nodding off so I kept talking to him and keeping him engaged. When we arrived I told him how dangerous it was and that he better take a nap rather than have an accident. Scary stuff.

me too

I took a cab from Don Muang to Pattaya, at 3am.

The driver was falling asleep on the Bang Na highway, going from left to right in quite a speed, not responding to my talking to him, scaring a living shit out of me.

I managed to ram his gear off and pull the hand brake along with the steering wheel, whilst the car pulled hard to the right highway barrier, till it stopped, at last.

No way to get the driver awake, I must pushed him out of his seat, then pull him to the back seat and actually drive myself to Pattaya. There was not any other traffic whatsoever.

I parked him at the bus station in Naklua and left him to his sweet dreams.

I didn't pay a fare (he really won't wake up) but I filled his tank on the way in Chonburi instead.

It was, at the end, sort of hilarious trip

(hope he didn't die there or something, after I left him alone ...?)

[SOTIRIOS]

...in broad daylight....???

...hope they tested the driver....or did they just take his word for it...

[fishhooks]

With due respect, this topic will go absolutely nowhere as far as any conclusion.

I have travelled and lived here on and off for 46 years and I can confidently say, the most risky thing anyone will do here is be a driver or passenger in any type of vehicle on a Thai road.

For whatever reason and I say this with absolutely no knowledge of why, it is just not in the culture for a huge proportion of the driving population to take care on the roads, for their own sake or others.

I would really like to have an answer for my own knowledge or satisfaction, however I'm sure I will never have such.

[atsiii]

"Procession?" Gee, I guess we know who was heading to/from the airport for his 'date.'

At any rate, if the government really wants to increase safety, then making seat belts available in all seats of all taxi's and minivans would be a great place to start. I can't say how many times I've gotten into a taxi only to find the rear seat belts have been tucked away and are inaccessible. Why? The seat belts are installed and present, so why not let people who want to wear them do so? After all, the taxi driver almost always has one on. And the way many of these taxis drive, it makes me very nervous not to have a seat belt on.

If it is just yourself, you can get into the front passenger seat which will have a seat belt. But I'm almost always with my wife, so if we are heading out onto the BKK highways, I've actually taken to looking in the back seat to see if seat belts are available before accepting a taxi ride. It's a pain in the butt. And it's such a simple thing: the shoulder restraints are there, but they shove the clasps down into the seats. Why?

[wanderluster]

i can only hope that they all have very good travel medical insurance...

[PeCeDe]

Can't get over how the taxi driver just nonchalantly says, "I fell asleep," as if it's a legit. reason for crashing! I can hear him under his breath saying, "why the ticket?" Gee-whiz.

All the best to the US tourists, what a desperately unpleasant way to start a vacation.

[wvavin]

I am not surprised this driver is running short of the pill supply.

[Siamwhiteelephant]

Oh, the odds … Odd that on the highway between Suvarnabhumi Airport and downtown Bangkok, the taxi driver falls asleep at exactly the wrong fraction of a second to stray across two lanes and hit a police breakdown truck. It was probably the only parked vehicle on that long stretch of highway, too . It’s no wonder the police “await the results of other checks”.

[Siamwhiteelephant]

Some posters here and in similar news articles comment that drivers who fall asleep at the wheel and survive to relate it are simply excusing themselves having crashed or are just saying it’s a legitimate reason for crashing, and probably meaning that the driver is shirking any responsibility. If the claim of falling asleep is true, aren’t they just saying what happened? That could hold, unless there’s more context indicating they’re not taking any responsibility. Drivers falling asleep at the wheel happen all over the world. Let’s not be quick to judge; I have first-hand experience.

It is a legitimate reason, because there may be no other reason for such a crash. Yet, it is a terrible and devastating problem arising from diverse circumstances ranging from the foolishness of a driver to a melange of underlying ill fortune at the time stacked against a driver.

[arrowsdawdle]

In thailand. many taxi drivers do not own the taxis thay drive.....they are driving for a vehicle owner.

Many drivers drive more than one shift....especially if they need the money for their family.

i have even met taxi drivees in Bangkok who are policemen......driving a taxi on weekends or when not on shift as police.

Many lease the taxi from the owner, who may be a fleet owner or a driver that does one 12-hour shift himself and leases his car to another driver for the second 12-hour shift.