Eleven Dead in Motorway Smash Between Pattaya & Bangkok

[Rimmer]

Off topic post removed

[lvr181]

As for the poster who claims the seat belts would not have helped in this tragedy, I can only add that the wearing of them may have stopped injuries PREVENTING them from trying to escape?

[Just1Voice]

"But the tires were just fine, brand new in fact, when I bought the bus."

"Ahhh, and when was that?"
"Not sure. Five maybe six years ago.:

[LUSHGOAT]

Another moron driving I see these mini bus drivers all the time shouldn't be allowed to drive, only wheel barrows.

R.I.P to the deceased and Condolences to their families.

[2unique]

Jeab

Thanks for supporting my argument of total denial..100% driver fault for not knowing how to handle a blowout...one does not flip a van unless going too fast and not know what do when a tire blows....the driver was obviously going too fast to handle a blow out...speed and poor reactions causes a car to flip..they don't turn over by themselves...driver 100% at fault for not knowing how to drive under road conditions...

The driver was a 52 year old female teacher - so admittedly would probably not know what to do in a blow out situation however I doubt she was racing the minvan..... as regards the blow out, not many people have trained for that!! And even at 70 to 80 kmph they are pretty terrifying.

Edited June 11, 2016 by 2unique

[sugarcane24]

There needs to be stricter controls on these mini buses, i.e. compulsory registration as commercial vehicle, annual checks & random checks of vehicle safety & operation, compulsory seat belts, passenger limit. Plus,there driver payment system needs to change, to force speed reductions by drivers. Some years back,was 1 of 12 passengers hurtling along on Bangna Express @ 170k p/h. Told driver to slow just laughed, reported to Police station & nothing occurred.

The Prayut Gov't needs institute program to more strictly control the minibus industry, it's a disgrace. Prayut espouses the principles of caring for Thai people, well, 11 Thai people senselessly lost their lives, so, Khun Prayut prove you care....do something!!

The last thing i would want to wear in an overturned and on fire minibus would be a seatbelt.

Real tough penalties for both drive and company if they are found at fault would save far more lives.

Some years ago, a friend told me that his niece who lives in Britain who was the only one not not wearing a seatbelt in a car she traveled in with other young people was catapulted through the windscreen when the car crashed because the driver failed to negotiate bend in the road. Apart from a few bruises and scratches she was unhurt. The others in the car perished in the fire when the car burst into flames. The police nevertheless fined her for not wearing a seat belt - the law is the law!

[whaleboneman]

What about installing tachometers in all public and merchandise transport vehicles? ...and having compulsory or random checks.

I'm guessing you don't know what a tachometer is for?

a device that measures speed

Ah, so my guess was right.

[lvr181]

There needs to be stricter controls on these mini buses, i.e. compulsory registration as commercial vehicle, annual checks & random checks of vehicle safety & operation, compulsory seat belts, passenger limit. Plus,there driver payment system needs to change, to force speed reductions by drivers. Some years back,was 1 of 12 passengers hurtling along on Bangna Express @ 170k p/h. Told driver to slow just laughed, reported to Police station & nothing occurred.

The Prayut Gov't needs institute program to more strictly control the minibus industry, it's a disgrace. Prayut espouses the principles of caring for Thai people, well, 11 Thai people senselessly lost their lives, so, Khun Prayut prove you care....do something!!

The last thing i would want to wear in an overturned and on fire minibus would be a seatbelt.

Real tough penalties for both drive and company if they are found at fault would save far more lives.

Some years ago, a friend told me that his niece who lives in Britain who was the only one not not wearing a seatbelt in a car she traveled in with other young people was catapulted through the windscreen when the car crashed because the driver failed to negotiate bend in the road. Apart from a few bruises and scratches she was unhurt. The others in the car perished in the fire when the car burst into flames. The police nevertheless fined her for not wearing a seat belt - the law is the law!

Oh really. You believed that?

[kennalder]

How about compulsory dash cams in every bus, mini or otherwise, with monitors placed so a majority of the passengers can see them? Passengers can voice disapproval for dangerous driving and there is a permanent record of the trip.

[Happy Grumpy]

How about compulsory dash cams in every bus, mini or otherwise, with monitors placed so a majority of the passengers can see them? Passengers can voice disapproval for dangerous driving and there is a permanent record of the trip.

Perhaps a joystick so the passengers can drive it.

There'd be far less deaths.

[ableguy]

There needs to be stricter controls on these mini buses, i.e. compulsory registration as commercial vehicle, annual checks & random checks of vehicle safety & operation, compulsory seat belts, passenger limit. Plus,there driver payment system needs to change, to force speed reductions by drivers. Some years back,was 1 of 12 passengers hurtling along on Bangna Express @ 170k p/h. Told driver to slow just laughed, reported to Police station & nothing occurred.

The Prayut Gov't needs institute program to more strictly control the minibus industry, it's a disgrace. Prayut espouses the principles of caring for Thai people, well, 11 Thai people senselessly lost their lives, so, Khun Prayut prove you care....do something!!

Stop dreaming this is Thailand, anyone with half a brain would never use this form of transport, or taxis, or buses, or motor bike taxis or trains, come to think of it there is no form of public transport I would ever use.

[sandyf]

I drove back on the motorway from Pattaya yesterday. The speed at which some drive, the lack of lane awareness, tailgating and swerving in and out of lanes, makes it surprising that this sort of horrendous accident doesn't happen even more often.

Sounds like you were following my brother in law. Although we did come up the motorway yesterday afternoon it was just me and the wife and she was driving . She has calmed down a bit since she has been to the UK.. I live on the outskirts of Chonburi not far from where the accident happened.

I have had many white knuckle rides in these minibuses but in this case I think it was more bad luck than bad driving. Poor maintenance can bite you in the xxse at any time, could have been the day before or today. People in the vehicle were unlucky it was yesterday. Of course we all know how bad the drivers are so they are automatically blamed rather than the condition of the vehicle. I admit I would be one of the first to jump to the same conclusion.

[thailand49]

Until the Thai leaders actually embrace there is really a problem nothing will ever change. How does the leaders make changes when they themselves come from the same system of learning how to drive.

I have been saying for years " it isn't that Thais do not know how to drive " they just have been condition and desensitized to the problem. This is why you hear so many Thais say " This is Thailand " When you take a simple rule like you got to stop at a flashing red light and then proceed with caution and just fly through because you are in a bigger vehicle. You are going to have problems down the road with other simple rules.

When the people who can change things the most like Government leaders, Police, Hospital, Emergency, teacher, etc.. they preach safety like Helmets but come and go to work without, you got a problem. It is basically practice what you preach!

Driving is a privilege not a right like it is here in Thailand. You got to have a technical system to monitor every driver in this nation, a education and penalty system that is applied to every inch to this nation not a system of Up to you?

As for commercial drivers their education, testing and enforcement must be different from public sector and here it is not! These drivers are carrying dangerous good in larger vehicles and the most important resource in this nation and that is people whether Thai or not. And yet they abuse the road as if they are serving themselves.

Sure you can put a speed device on any vehicle for example and reduce the speeding but what do you do with the driver who has a negligence habit of waving in and out of traffic under the speed limit or taking a 40 mph turn at 70 mph, when the top speed of the vehicle is at 90mph. What do you do when the transport vehicle maintenance hasn't been serviced and the driver or drivers do not even have a idea how to inspect or too afraid to report because he will lose his job. What do you do when the employer needs drivers and do not or can't do a background check on the drivers.

I can go on and go with what is wrong with the system and give them a list of simple items as to how to lower their ranking within a year but unless they want to help themselves nothing is going to change. You can't use a band Aid approach when the cut is so large it needs stitches.

[sandyf]

There needs to be stricter controls on these mini buses, i.e. compulsory registration as commercial vehicle, annual checks & random checks of vehicle safety & operation, compulsory seat belts, passenger limit. Plus,there driver payment system needs to change, to force speed reductions by drivers. Some years back,was 1 of 12 passengers hurtling along on Bangna Express @ 170k p/h. Told driver to slow just laughed, reported to Police station & nothing occurred.

The Prayut Gov't needs institute program to more strictly control the minibus industry, it's a disgrace. Prayut espouses the principles of caring for Thai people, well, 11 Thai people senselessly lost their lives, so, Khun Prayut prove you care....do something!!

Stop dreaming this is Thailand, anyone with half a brain would never use this form of transport, or taxis, or buses, or motor bike taxis or trains, come to think of it there is no form of public transport I would ever use.

It's you that has your head in the clouds, some of us have little option.

I have said many times in respect of other matters, you cannot get western standards for Thai prices. If you cannot live with that you shouldn't be here. I am not saying it is right but I accept it and live with it.

[Foexie]

Mini bus industry is Mafia out of control.

Seems that it was a school mini bus returning to Mini Buri following a seminar in Rayong District.

The driver was a 52 year old woman, and she survived.

A witness, in a following vehicle, is reported as saying "the right rear tyre of the mini bus exploded, causing it to crash into the central reservation before overturning and bursting into flames".

FINALY !!!!

Somebody who is sober and opens his eyes.

All those who are NAGGING again about speeding, bad roads, minivans, etc, i don't know where you found enough information to do this about this accident. Guess it's the same bunch again who Always do the same thing inhere.

Ok the Thai traffic isn't safe and you maybe need to have 4 pair of eyes but in my country last year we had 727!!!!!!! peoples dead in traffic.

We have stricked rules, speed and alcohol limits and many controles, technical controles of every vehicle,... and still so many accidents

Only thing i can find is the same what theoldgit posted inhere.

Tire exploded, 52y old lady schoolteacher was driving the minivan.

So this also means it was a rented or a school minivan because otherwise it wouldn't be a teacher driving the bus..

Like she would have been driving 150 kph crazy as hell trough the busy traffic. Maybe even not 120! Possible she just did 90 kph.

A tire can explode. Maybe there was a screw or nail on the road.

And maybe this time the 4 survivers are lucky they didn't wear the safetybelts so they got out of in time of the vehicle.

Although i'm 99% sure, by looking of the pictures and reading the article, the driving lady and (some) passengers did wear theirs because of their little injuries and that the bus wasn't going 150kph because of the little structural damage on the bus.

Who of you can tell?

And maybe she wasn't experienced enought or to surpriced to catch up the reaction of the van after the tire blown up. Those who already had an exploding (front) tire knows how scary and difficuld it is to keep even a sedan on the road.

But every day i see in my country somewhere the leftovers from a blown up (truck)tire. Winter and summer.

And trucks are limited on 95kph here in my country and every truck needs to go to the technical controle every 6 months from the moment it's on the road from the first km.

For me there are to many maybe's in this story to blame something or somebody.

[neilyboy]

Once again, a tragedy like this shines the light on 2 glaring inadequacies in Thailand - education and regulation.

I grew up with a simple mantra for driving - Speed Kills. It really is as simple as that.

TV adverts like this one have had an effect on me. Could they be used to good effect in Thailand?

[media]

[/media]

As another member posted in another thread, sharply and so sadly true :

"I just don't understand why some folk can't grasp it. Despite what Thais like to think, Thailand is a 3rd-world country, full of 3rd-world people with a 3rd-world education and culture. Why would you expect something other than exploitation, corruption and incompetence? Whatever were you thinking? It's the wild wild east for God's sake."

[Jedsada3]

What a tragedy!

RIP

[RWA]

In all fairness to those crazy minibus drivers and their suspect vehicles, the fact (missed by many) is that this terrible accident involved a people-carrier from a private Bangkok elementary school.

It was further reported elsewhere, that the school's director was driving this vehicle and was among the four injured survivors.

right ... so how many seats in this minivan?

11 dead and four survivors, incl. a woman-teacher driver ... ?!!!

[maewang99]

I traveled in one of these vans with a 100% lunatic driving. 100%. My Ben Rye. Thai culture.

[kennw]

There needs to be stricter controls on these mini buses, i.e. compulsory registration as commercial vehicle, annual checks & random checks of vehicle safety & operation, compulsory seat belts, passenger limit. Plus,there driver payment system needs to change, to force speed reductions by drivers. Some years back,was 1 of 12 passengers hurtling along on Bangna Express @ 170k p/h. Told driver to slow just laughed, reported to Police station & nothing occurred.

The Prayut Gov't needs institute program to more strictly control the minibus industry, it's a disgrace. Prayut espouses the principles of caring for Thai people, well, 11 Thai people senselessly lost their lives, so, Khun Prayut prove you care....do something!!

The last thing i would want to wear in an overturned and on fire minibus would be a seatbelt.

Real tough penalties for both drive and company if they are found at fault would save far more lives.

At least a seatbelt give you a chance to survive the initial trauma so you can then try to make an escape before the fire takes hold.

[chrissables]

There needs to be stricter controls on these mini buses, i.e. compulsory registration as commercial vehicle, annual checks & random checks of vehicle safety & operation, compulsory seat belts, passenger limit. Plus,there driver payment system needs to change, to force speed reductions by drivers. Some years back,was 1 of 12 passengers hurtling along on Bangna Express @ 170k p/h. Told driver to slow just laughed, reported to Police station & nothing occurred.

The Prayut Gov't needs institute program to more strictly control the minibus industry, it's a disgrace. Prayut espouses the principles of caring for Thai people, well, 11 Thai people senselessly lost their lives, so, Khun Prayut prove you care....do something!!

The last thing i would want to wear in an overturned and on fire minibus would be a seatbelt.

Real tough penalties for both drive and company if they are found at fault would save far more lives.

Some years ago, a friend told me that his niece who lives in Britain who was the only one not not wearing a seatbelt in a car she traveled in with other young people was catapulted through the windscreen when the car crashed because the driver failed to negotiate bend in the road. Apart from a few bruises and scratches she was unhurt. The others in the car perished in the fire when the car burst into flames. The police nevertheless fined her for not wearing a seat belt - the law is the law!

Thanks for posting!

I am not trying to say this accident was not sad, but you quote also proves i do have a point.

Quite often the law and the people who enforce them are total <deleted>

[tigermoth]

School bus mini van?? They should be inspected monthly and certainly have governers installed so their speed cannot exceed 70kph.

[Norvid]

Thailand the land of killing roads.

[navara]

There needs to be stricter controls on these mini buses, i.e. compulsory registration as commercial vehicle, annual checks & random checks of vehicle safety & operation, compulsory seat belts, passenger limit. Plus,there driver payment system needs to change, to force speed reductions by drivers. Some years back,was 1 of 12 passengers hurtling along on Bangna Express @ 170k p/h. Told driver to slow just laughed, reported to Police station & nothing occurred.

The Prayut Gov't needs institute program to more strictly control the minibus industry, it's a disgrace. Prayut espouses the principles of caring for Thai people, well, 11 Thai people senselessly lost their lives, so, Khun Prayut prove you care....do something!!

The last thing i would want to wear in an overturned and on fire minibus would be a seatbelt.

Real tough penalties for both drive and company if they are found at fault would save far more lives.

There is a traffic Law: max speed for mini vans 90 kms/h fine: 5000 Baht and 10.000 Baht for the operator It is also prohibited for the driver to make a phone call during driving. STILL I SEE THEM CHASING OTHERS AT 120++

[leither69]

I understand why there is no outrage in Thailand. I (people) become anethsticed because they see it every day (although I am horrified by it) I see the same posts day in and daybout on TV and nothing changes.

[lvr181]

My Thai friend is a nurse who deals with road trauma victims on a daily basis - mainly motorcyclists. Yet when we get in a car I have to ask her to use the seat belt! Inwardly, I wonder about her attitude.

Yup - many Thai people (and their leaders) have become de-sensitised to road trauma. And the Government is unwilling or unable to clearly think through how road deaths and injuries can be DRAMATICALLY lowered for the benefit of the country and its people. They talk about it but rarely do anything of lasting effect.

[spidermike007]

Just another, in the continuing parade of failures, of this administration. One might be led to think the phrase "moving Thailand forward" could include at least the slightest effort to improve traffic safety, and decrease the carnage on the nation's highways. But, alas, it does not. The staggering indifference toward the general population (people who are not rich and influential) continues. How about some driver training programs? If so many police are available for inconvenient road checks, why not for traffic safety?

I am always astonished at the utter lack of highway patrol, on the nation's highways. The only time I see them is after an accident, never before. I do not ever see anyone pulled over for speeding, reckless driving, illegal lane change, DUI, etc.

Unless, and until the government takes responsibility for this horrendous problem, this carnage will continue, and families will continue to be devastated by it.

And it is about time that they start imposing massive fines on the companies that operate public transportation vehicles, when people are killed, if it is due to the driver, or the vehicle. Massive. And perhaps they could imprison the owners of companies with multiple offenses? Men who pocket big profits, and are unwilling to put much of it back into their fleets? They could and should be held responsible, when there is a deficiency within the vehicle. If not them, who?

[Kiwiken]

Just another, in the continuing parade of failures, of this administration. One might be led to think the phrase "moving Thailand forward" could include at least the slightest effort to improve traffic safety, and decrease the carnage on the nation's highways. But, alas, it does not. The staggering indifference toward the general population (people who are not rich and influential) continues. How about some driver training programs? If so many police are available for inconvenient road checks, why not for traffic safety?

I am always astonished at the utter lack of highway patrol, on the nation's highways. The only time I see them is after an accident, never before. I do not ever see anyone pulled over for speeding, reckless driving, illegal lane change, DUI, etc.

Unless, and until the government takes responsibility for this horrendous problem, this carnage will continue, and families will continue to be devastated by it.

And it is about time that they start imposing massive fines on the companies that operate public transportation vehicles, when people are killed, if it is due to the driver, or the vehicle. Massive. And perhaps they could imprison the owners of companies with multiple offenses? Men who pocket big profits, and are unwilling to put much of it back into their fleets? They could and should be held responsible, when there is a deficiency within the vehicle. If not them, who?

And where would they get the money to improve traffic Policing and Law enforcement when most of that and other budgets is siphoned into a Military machine which sole purpose is the protection of the State from the Nations biggest threat namely the Thai People.

Edited June 12, 2016 by Kiwiken

[NoshowJones]

What about installing tachometers in all public and merchandise transport vehicles? ...and having compulsory or random checks.

I'm guessing you don't know what a tachometer is for?

It is not a tachometer, it is a tachograph which is used in Western countries, indicating a vehicles speed at any time, and the drivers rest periods.

[spidermike007]

Just another, in the continuing parade of failures, of this administration. One might be led to think the phrase "moving Thailand forward" could include at least the slightest effort to improve traffic safety, and decrease the carnage on the nation's highways. But, alas, it does not. The staggering indifference toward the general population (people who are not rich and influential) continues. How about some driver training programs? If so many police are available for inconvenient road checks, why not for traffic safety?

I am always astonished at the utter lack of highway patrol, on the nation's highways. The only time I see them is after an accident, never before. I do not ever see anyone pulled over for speeding, reckless driving, illegal lane change, DUI, etc.

Unless, and until the government takes responsibility for this horrendous problem, this carnage will continue, and families will continue to be devastated by it.

And it is about time that they start imposing massive fines on the companies that operate public transportation vehicles, when people are killed, if it is due to the driver, or the vehicle. Massive. And perhaps they could imprison the owners of companies with multiple offenses? Men who pocket big profits, and are unwilling to put much of it back into their fleets? They could and should be held responsible, when there is a deficiency within the vehicle. If not them, who?

And where would they get the money to improve traffic Policing and Law enforcement when most of that and other budgets is siphoned into a Military machine which sole purpose is the protection of the State from the Nations biggest threat namely the Thai People.

Funny man. No doubt, the military is getting, far, far more money than it needs, or deserves. But, running a civil society has to be first and foremost, if Thailand is serious about not only improving life for it's people (remember the motto "Moving Thailand Forward"?) but maintaining it's place within ASEAN, and the world. Many of the ASEAN countries are making remarkable progress. Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam and the Philippines specifically, are making huge efforts to improve infrastructure, IT, their highways and ports, and traffic safety. In the Philippines, when a truck or car is seen belching enormous clouds of smoke from it's exhaust, it is immediately removed from the roads. Has anyone ever seen such a thing here? Speeding tickets are common there, and the police are equipped with radar guns.

Eventually the elite here will have to be taken down. They allow corruption to continue, they encourage poor education, and discourage reform of the educational system. In general the elite here are a detrimental, and corrosive influence, and seem determined to keep the people poorly educated, and without enough money to live well. Those vermin will eventually have to be taken down. They are doing nothing to ensure their survival, other than amass enormous amounts of money. They are simply not giving anything back to Thai society, much the same with this government.

Hopefully, eventually the Thai people will have their say. Hopefully. Eventually. Who knows how long that will be. They deserve far better than they are getting.