Tour bus driver fed up with being overworked dumps passengers by the road

[webfact]

Tour bus driver fed up with being overworked dumps passengers by the road

 

Picture: Daily News

 

KAMPHAENG PHET: -- A Bangkok to Chiang Mai tour bus driver was so fed up with his company who demanded that he keep driving that he dumped his passengers by the side of the road.

 

Driver Sakwarit Pawanthao, 40, stopped his bus on Pahonyothin Road in the Ban Song Tham district of Kamphaeng Phet on the way north, reports Daily News.

 

He left the wheel, crossed the road and disappeared while grumbling that he was overworked.

 

The passengers - both Thai and foreigners - waited and waited. Then someone called the local cops who managed to contact the bus company.

 

Passengers were demanding a vehicle to come and rescue them and take them on to Chiang Mai.

 

After a great deal of time the driver's help on the bus managed to locate the driver.

 

He got behind the wheel again but instead of taking the passengers to Chiang Mai he drove them all back to Bangkok. I was not known if he had been for a sleep in the meantime.

 

Police took no action saying it was the business of the tour company.

 

Source: Daily News

 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2016-12-30

[DM07]

Makin' a runner without anyone being hurt or killed!
This guy is my hero...somehow...


Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect

[Thaiwrath]

1 minute ago, DM07 said:

Makin' a runner without anyone being hurt or killed!
This guy is my hero...somehow...


Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect

 

Maybe he should have refused to take the bus from the depot in the first place ?

[halloween]

Total disinterest from the BIB of a bus driver complaining about being overworked. Must be part of the New Year road safety campaign.

[Somtamnication]

The negative was that he just left them.

The positive is that he knew he was tired and stopped. THAT is unheard of in Thailand. 

[smedly]

This guy is a hero, he, in one single act of bravery has just highlighted "on no uncertain terms" one of the biggest problems with the transport/bus industry, drivers being pushed to the point they cannot function safely and end up going of a cliff ....literally

 

Over worked requiring energy drinks/drugs to keep going - unfortunately absolutely nothing will happen because every solution to every problem on Thailands roads requires investment and some sort of level of standards and enforcement, exactly why this country is still 3rd world even though it thinks it's the hub of SE Asia in everything.....it isn't

[jackinthebox]

the annoying thing is that this looks like a "BorKorSor" (บ.ค.ส.)-Bus to me, wich is, ASAP, a state run company (www.transport.co.th) so it is not only " business of the tour company " IMHO

[colinneil]

Past time the so -called government did something to regulate bus/truck drivers hours.

What this man did was only partially correct as already stated he should have refused to leave the bus station 

 if he was tired. Good on him for high lighting the situation of companies over working drivers.

[craigt3365]

2 hours ago, halloween said:

Total disinterest from the BIB of a bus driver complaining about being overworked. Must be part of the New Year road safety campaign.

Understood, but what can they do?  Is there a law that they need to enforce here?  I don't think so.  It's up to the government to start implementing some safety standards with regards to public transport.  Then the BiB can start enforcing them.  Sadly, these transport companies are owned by "people of influence".  Untouchable.

[FritsSikkink]

28 minutes ago, craigt3365 said:

Understood, but what can they do?  Is there a law that they need to enforce here?  I don't think so.  It's up to the government to start implementing some safety standards with regards to public transport.  Then the BiB can start enforcing them.  Sadly, these transport companies are owned by "people of influence".  Untouchable.

There is the labour law which says you can only work that many hours per day / week

[craigt3365]

18 minutes ago, FritsSikkink said:

There is the labour law which says you can only work that many hours per day / week

But doesn't a report have to be filed with the police before they'll do anything?  Unless money is involved, of course. LOL

[roo860]

Another report says the driver was fined 5,000bt and license suspended for 30 days and company fined 50000bt for no GPS and tax. Same location was reported, another bus took them to Chiang Mai.
Company was Inthra Tour Company.

Sent from my SM-G920F using Thaivisa Connect mobile app

[leeneeds]

 

Putting a small cost increase on these long runs 3-5 baht per passenger to pay for the 

relief driver is a small ask to help towards  arriving  safely and at the  correct destination,

 

 

[ThaiTrav]

3 hours ago, DM07 said:

Makin' a runner without anyone being hurt or killed!
This guy is my hero...somehow...


Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect

100% Correct!!! This driver needs a pay bonus for having the guts to highlight this problem. It takes a lot of courage to admit when enough is enough and well done in the manner he did it. Sure a little inconvenience for the passengers but look at the alternative a crashed million plus baht bus and or dead passengers and dead driver . What he did was in fact extremely courageous to admit that he was too fatigued to endure on ,and it shows and highlights the pressure the operators place on the employees but as blatant as it is do authorities see it!!!

Shame the BIB can't do or want to get involved but really the operators need to be visited and safety records on hours need to be inspected as well as the roadworthy of the vehicles as you can see all that's cared about is the bus is kept mobile and on the road ,busy time money,money ,money!!........................but as this is Thailand nothing will be done and we will stay tuned for the next bus accident fatality within few days!!! Thanks in advance driver for your actions most likely saved their and your own life ." My Praise!"

[jamhar]

I'd be interested to know if the passengers on the bus considers the driver a hero.

 

Agree on relief drivers leeneeds. At least on the VIP buses.  I'd pay that, and would consider using buses again.

 

Happy Holidays everyone! :)

 

[meatboy]

could this be this weeks GOOD DEED story,i was expecting it to be,bus driver saves a bus full of passengers WHEN HIS BRAKES WORKED.

[jlwilliamsjr18]

This driver, just might have averted yet another accident (asleep at the wheel).  Personally, I applaud his actions.  BUT...it also exposes another problem that needs addressing.  The owners of these buses have no consideration for the long hours their drivers have to endure. They put unreasonable schedules on the routes, i.e the excessive speeds.   It's an industry that needs to change. 

[jacko45k]

4 hours ago, Thaiwrath said:

 

Maybe he should have refused to take the bus from the depot in the first place ?

Yes, hardly the tourist's faults that he was overworked, but they most certainly have had their time wasted and inconvenienced.

I think it should have been of interest to at least the Tourist police, were they not defrauded or kidnapped in a way, and was the image of Thailand not brought into disrepute?

[ThaiTrav]

7 minutes ago, meatboy said:

could this be this weeks GOOD DEED story,i was expecting it to be,bus driver saves a bus full of passengers WHEN HIS BRAKES WORKED.

Hahahahaahahaha  ........and they did work!!!

[alfalfa19]

4 hours ago, DM07 said:

Makin' a runner without anyone being hurt or killed!
This guy is my hero...somehow...


Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect

exactly. he did the right thing, if he was exhausted.   

[Sphere]

A positive "driver fled the scene" story.....

[AlQaholic]

2 minutes ago, alfalfa19 said:

exactly. he did the right thing, if he was exhausted.   

I'm sure he would have continued with the right incentive....say 50 Baht from each passenger.......

[Rc2702]

A thai person thinking about the safety of themselves and others around them. Fair play. 

[hawker9000]

Protect and SERVE...  completely lost on the BIB.   Somebody really ought to explain it to them.   Bus passengers stranded on the road - not their BUSINESS??!!   Oh, this'll look sweet on social media, and should do absolute wonders for the tourist trade..

 

But they're more worried about rounding up teenage hackers.  And geriatric bridge players WERE their business??!!   Yeap, sounds about right.

 

 

 

 

[Searat7]

The media should stop calling regularly scheduled interprovincial buses as "Tour Buses". They do this all the time when there is some kind of incident or accident.

 

Any long haul routes over a certain amount of time should require a second driver on the bus. I hope the government takes action on this soon. 

[soalbundy]

4 hours ago, Somtamnication said:

The negative was that he just left them.

The positive is that he knew he was tired and stopped. THAT is unheard of in Thailand. 

The passengers should be grateful, he may have saved their lives

[Rc2702]

1 minute ago, hawker9000 said:

Protect and SERVE...  completely lost on the BIB.   Somebody really ought to explain it to them.   Bus passengers stranded on the road - not their BUSINESS??!!   Oh, this'll look sweet on social media, and should do absolute wonders for the tourist trade..

 

But they're more worried about rounding up teenage hackers.  And geriatric bridge players WERE their business??!!   Yeap, sounds about right.

 

 

 

 

Rubbish. What crime was committed here? 

[ChakaKhan]

Is why i take the train to cm....but i agree..id much rather find another way to

cm then be shipped home in a box from a overworked driver that passes out

 

Put THIS guy in charge of the company....he is a human..not a machine....

[hawker9000]

1 minute ago, Rc2702 said:

Rubbish. What crime was committed here? 

He left stranded passengers on the side of the road, genius.

 

[Rc2702]

1 minute ago, hawker9000 said:

He left stranded passengers on the side of the road, genius.

 

I will say it again. What crime has been committed?