11 hours ago, MyFrenU said:

Guns don't kill people,minivan drivers kill people then?

Indeed!

Guns, knives, swords, cars, vans etc, don't kill.

People do.

"..unable to save the female guide who was reportedly stuck in her seatbelt as the van sank.."

 

Seat belts save take lives.

11 hours ago, MyFrenU said:

They should ban these minivans now in Thailand,they are just lethal!

 

That'll be one of those minivans proposed to replace passenger buses just yesterday would it?

3 minutes ago, csabo said:

"..unable to save the female guide who was reportedly stuck in her seatbelt as the van sank.."

 

Seat belts save take lives.

 

Saved mine.

1 minute ago, dageurreotype said:

 

Saved mine.

 

 

Yeah I was just kidding.  I wear mine every day.  It sticks sometimes though.  This story is making me think I should get that looked at.  Be safe everyone!

"They suspect the driver either nodded off or had swerved to miss a trailer and lost control..."

 

That's quite a supposition 

3 hours ago, craigt3365 said:

Highway 36 is like a raceway.  People passing on the left, trying to sneak by on the right.  It's absolute insanity.  Too many trucks and too many drivers trying to pass them anyway they can.

 

It'd be great if Thailand started roving police patrols like other countries do.  Pass on the shoulder and get an immediate 5,000B fine.  Sadly, these van drivers are some of the worst.

I agree. I hate it and will not travel on it at night.

22 minutes ago, csabo said:

"..unable to save the female guide who was reportedly stuck in her seatbelt as the van sank.."

 

Seat belts save take lives.

You appear to be basing that on a sample of one from several billion...any other pearls of wisdom to share?

Ive riven such a Toyota van and they are a handful,etc etc,

Coming soon to court near you.A defamation action from Toyota

Brits hired a minibus , pity one of them didn't drive it they might of arrived at their destination.

13 hours ago, Lannig said:

I beg to differ. I've driven such a Toyota minivan once and they're a handful. High centre of gravity and therefore high sensitivity to wind and turbulence caused by passing trucks. They react very strongly to potholes, one has to be very careful and hold on really tight to the wheel.

Furthermore they offer very little protection to shocks and exiting the vehicle in an emergency is quite difficult due to cramped seats and the sliding door.

We don't get to see these models on the roads in Europe AFAIK, probably for a good reason. They wouldn't pass safety certifications, at least not with the number of passengers seen riding them in Thailand.

I agree 100% that the Toyota mini vans are a handful. That is why the drivers have to

slow down and use a little common sense. You can't drive when overtired, you have to

drive for the road conditions and passing blind over hills and around corners just has

to stop. 

8 hours ago, Artisi said:

Yes,  testing in Thailand is very strict, tell me your name, thank you, pass. 

And by the way, I ride a push bike sometimes but never as fast as my old car. 

 

A pushbike?

 

are you mad?

 

admittedly though, they do have skippy cup holders.

32 minutes ago, Father Fintan Stack said:

Improving road safety in Thailand is a total fantasy.

 

I'm pretty confident that we will see Thailand topping the World's most dangerous road statistics in the not too distant future.

it usually sits around second as it is.

14 hours ago, MyFrenU said:

Guns don't kill people,minivan drivers kill people then?

 

Guns are easier to carry.

Terrible accident and an awful way to die for the tour guide.  All the usual calls for vehicle bans and drivers to be properly trained but neither of those things will happen.  Thailand accepts these incidents as normal everyday events, sad but true

2 hours ago, dunroaming said:

Terrible accident and an awful way to die for the tour guide.  All the usual calls for vehicle bans and drivers to be properly trained but neither of those things will happen.  Thailand accepts these incidents as normal everyday events, sad but true

 

Definitely a terrible way to go... Poor woman

 

but.... Change does happen, however slowly, step by step.... Helmets are becoming more common.... And last night I heard that some 500 Phuket police officers were getting riding lessons, after accidents with their new high powered 300 cc bikes....

 So deficiencies are being recognized and being worked on..... Just from the top, down... And however illogical.

 

unfortunately I predict a slow "trickle down" effect

9 hours ago, Orac said:

Sadly, I fear, the only lesson that will be learnt from this is not to wear a seatbelt.

My thoughts exactly

At least the driver couldn't jet away this time

18 hours ago, MyFrenU said:

They should ban these minivans now in Thailand,they are just lethal!

Sorry Sherlock,,,It's not the Vans,,,,It's the Incompetent Drivers,,,,

Aren't the dead always mentioned 1st.and injured 2nd and then uninjured,Pedantic i know,but this is standard practice.

I propose 2 NEW DRIVING LAWS

 

1; No televisions on buses

2; No road runner cartoons ever to be shown in Thailand

3; No road runner cartoons ever to be used as a driving instruction manual

I cant count.

 

WHY go by mini-van?  please don't...  RiP

Accidents happen?

If someone you were close to was killed in this way - would you make the same flippant comment? Think before you trivialise.

16 hours ago, whatproblem said:

I will never sit in a minibus in Thailand ,no way what so ever or my son ,they pass me on the way to school as if their lives depend on how quick they get there ,the children's lives mean nothing to them 

Comment noted for future reference.....and when you kids get into high school ....will they be be able to overtake the electric powered wheelchair?

11 hours ago, Father Fintan Stack said:

Improving road safety in Thailand is a total fantasy.

 

I'm pretty confident that we will see Thailand topping the World's most dangerous road statistics in the not too distant future.

Oh dear....another one

10 hours ago, farcanell said:

 

Guns are easier to carry.

pretty well says it all...really...a man is scared of a toaster and feels the need to "defend" himself. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tourists should be warned against minivans. It's been many years since I sat in a minivan , but I do travel by bus , I just feel safer in a big bus. 

Edited August 4, 20169 yr by balo

On 8/4/2016 at 5:13 AM, Enoon said:

 

Here's the situation in the UK:

 

"To drive a minibus which has 9 or more passenger seats for hire or reward you will normally need passenger carrying vehicle entitlement (PCV) (category D1 or D). To obtain this you must meet higher medical standards and take a further driving test."

 

I'm sure that the standards in Thailand are just as stringent, and that both drivers and enforcement agencies strive to their utmost to maintain them.

 

BTW, I drive a 3.5 ton Iveco tipper truck and a Mercedes Sprinter van in the UK (but not with the same "enthusiasm" that I drive my small hatchback).

 

 

 

"I'm sure that the standards in Thailand are just as stringent, and that both drivers and enforcement agencies strive to their utmost to maintain them."

 

Is this a joke?

 

On Wednesday, August 03, 2016 at 6:24 PM, Lannig said:

I beg to differ. I've driven such a Toyota minivan once and they're a handful. High centre of gravity and therefore high sensitivity to wind and turbulence caused by passing trucks. They react very strongly to potholes, one has to be very careful and hold on really tight to the wheel.

Furthermore they offer very little protection to shocks and exiting the vehicle in an emergency is quite difficult due to cramped seats and the sliding door.

We don't get to see these models on the roads in Europe AFAIK, probably for a good reason. They wouldn't pass safety certifications, at least not with the number of passengers seen riding them in Thailand.

Bol locks. I have an ancient toyota bus which i thrash the living shit out of through every twisty road in the land. Its great fun getting a 4 wheel slide on when rallying up the 107 and round the mae hong son loop. Its very seldom that anyone else can keep up with me and ive never crashed..... or even come close ...... but ive almost been hit by countless morons who cant control a vehicle above 30kph. Why cant thais manage to not crash in there things?

1 hour ago, tomyumchai said:

Bol locks. I have an ancient toyota bus which i thrash the living shit out of through every twisty road in the land. Its great fun getting a 4 wheel slide on when rallying up the 107 and round the mae hong son loop. Its very seldom that anyone else can keep up with me and ive never crashed..... or even come close ...... but ive almost been hit by countless morons who cant control a vehicle above 30kph. Why cant thais manage to not crash in there things?

At 55, I've driven millions of km on roads on most continents, on many kinds of cars ranging from luxury sedans to bare-bones pick-ups and I think I can tell the difference and claim that these minivans have really poor control and stability characteristics (among other safety flaws)

Now if you can't tell the difference, then I would be concerned riding with you behind the wheel.