Phuket to Penang visa run van hits sign, goes off-road as driver asleep at wheel

Tanyaluk Sakoot

 

The visa run van from Phuket to Penang struck a hospital sign and was brought to a halt beside the road after the driver fell asleep at the wheel. Photo: Katrin Vesna / Facebook

 

PHUKET/PHATTHALUNG: -- A visa run van from Phuket with hit a roadside sign and was brought to a halt on the verge of a highway in Phatthalung, Southern Thailand, in the early hours of this morning (Feb 7) after the driver drifted off to sleep behind the wheel.

 

The minivan, operated by Phen Pet Visa Run in Chalong, in the south of Phuket, was carrying foreigners on a visa run to Penang, Malaysia, when the accident happened.

 

Capt Manop Suwanmanee of Srinakarin Police Station in Phatthalung Province confirmed the accident occurred at about 3:40am.

 

“The driver, Theerpong Thanrot, said he drifted off to sleep while driving. The van hit a sign for Srinakarin Hospital before he brought the van to a stop on the grass beside the road,” Capt Manop told The Phuket News.

 

Full story: http://www.thephuketnews.com/phuket-to-penang-visa-run-van-hits-sign-goes-off-road-as-driver-asleep-at-wheel-60938.php

 

-- © Copyright Phuket News 2017-02-07

Never did that run. But I was aware of a daily van service phuket to penang for about 800 baht.  The one to hat yai was more frequent and was 350 baht, but now more like 400-450 baht.

 

"...There were no injuries in the accident and Mr Theerapong was fined B500 for reckless driving,” Capt Manop said....."

 

Well, the no injuries part was good news.   Caveat Emptor 

Reckon they're going to have to put that in for valet service to get rid of the stains after that.

 

Really, really glad nobody was hurt during this.

Are they paid per trip? I assume so why else would the drive like Vin Deisel on drugs..

He was obviously to early on the road before the package from Mr. Heisenberg was in the mail.

so the brakes weren't to blame this time.

Time to shut down these dangerous vans as well as the other mini vans.

Looks like too many drivers are driving way too many hours, and cannot stay awake.

Geezer

If they could just figure out the right dosage of popular stimulants.... enough to stay awake but not so much as to turn into a maniac.... fine line

The OP says "the van hit a sign for Srinakarin Hospital before he brought the van to a stop on the grass beside the road"

This kind of reporting obviously dismisses the fact that the driver completely lost control of the van and went into a ditch. The only grass beside the road is in the ditch, because there is no grass verge! It is made to sound like the driver was in control and was able to determine it's path and speed. Utter BS.

Maybe he thought that his was the first driverless bus in Thailand?

6 hours ago, 4evermaat said:

Never did that run. But I was aware of a daily van service phuket to penang for about 800 baht.  The one to hat yai was more frequent and was 350 baht, but now more like 400-450 baht.

 

"...There were no injuries in the accident and Mr Theerapong was fined B500 for reckless driving,” Capt Manop said....."

 

Well, the no injuries part was good news.   Caveat Emptor 

"...There were no injuries in the accident and Mr Theerapong was fined B500 for reckless driving,” Capt Manop said....."

2 hours ago, Stargrazer9889 said:

Time to shut down these dangerous vans as well as the other mini vans.

Looks like too many drivers are driving way too many hours, and cannot stay awake.

Geezer

The vans are not dangerous - it's the drivers who need to be shut down (and locked up for a few weeks and never allowed to drive again)! You're listening too much to the PM.

 

Wake your ideas up, man!    

4 hours ago, chrisinth said:

Reckon they're going to have to put that in for valet service to get rid of the stains after that.

 

Really, really glad nobody was hurt during this.

I've done this run a couple of months ago, and it was a run from hell. Never again, I'd rather fly and contact the visa run people in penang to obtain my visa. And it ain't much dearer. 

2 hours ago, joebrown said:

The OP says "the van hit a sign for Srinakarin Hospital before he brought the van to a stop on the grass beside the road"

This kind of reporting obviously dismisses the fact that the driver completely lost control of the van and went into a ditch. The only grass beside the road is in the ditch, because there is no grass verge! It is made to sound like the driver was in control and was able to determine it's path and speed. Utter BS.

Yeah .. it was the sign that did the damage - if the sign hadn't been there then there wouldn't have been an accident and everything would have been OK.

1 hour ago, jarda said:

I've done this run a couple of months ago, and it was a run from hell. Never again, I'd rather fly and contact the visa run people in penang to obtain my visa. And it ain't much dearer. 

 

 

Yes, I fly now...

Maybe when he gets the next size up minibus limited to 90 kph and has GPS he will stay awake ...............er ,maybe.

No problem! Just very tired.

Recently was in a van and driver was a nice guy but constantly on the right lane overtaking others.make laws passenger Vans max speed 80 km and left lane only i might be able to get some sleep but now with speeding maniac behind the wheel impossible to sleep because of the stress being stuck in the back of his van.i fine arriving 15 minutes later at my destination 

13 minutes ago, Destiny1990 said:

Recently was in a van and driver was a nice guy but constantly on the right lane overtaking others.make laws passenger Vans max speed 80 km and left lane only i might be able to get some sleep but now with speeding maniac behind the wheel impossible to sleep because of the stress being stuck in the back of his van.i fine arriving 15 minutes later at my destination 

Now. Science and maths aren't these guys strong points, that's why they are van drivers .. but you're 100% right, it's the difference between just 20 minutes later arrival and not arriving at all.

Easy to stop the carnage, scrap these suicidal runs by allowing people to attend immigration and pay the appropriate fee to be issued with a visa or extension, a change to actually welcome people to the kingdom instead of making people jump through hoops and all the sillyness that goeas with it. But then how many Hiso's are involved with this lucrative business....

3 minutes ago, Lokie said:

Easy to stop the carnage, scrap these suicidal runs by allowing people to attend immigration and pay the appropriate fee to be issued with a visa or extension, a change to actually welcome people to the kingdom instead of making people jump through hoops and all the sillyness that goeas with it. But then how many Hiso's are involved with this lucrative business....

Yes they should stop with any border runs but many Thai people have to ride Mini vans also and to make the roads more safe for us all make mini Vans drive max 80 km and only on the left lane.very simple and good result.

1 minute ago, Destiny1990 said:

Yes they should stop with any border runs but many Thai people have to ride Mini vans also and to make the roads more safe for us all make mini Vans drive max 80 km and only on the left lane.very simple and good result.

I agree but still the question of ill trained incompetent suicidal, lunatic drivers under influence of heaven knows what and/or lack of sleep 

9 hours ago, soalbundy said:

so the brakes weren't to blame this time.

He was too sleepy to think to blame the brakes, which were actually the real problem.

Self driving vehicles can't come soon enough for Thailand.

6 hours ago, Ulic said:

Self driving vehicles can't come soon enough for Thailand.

Perhaps some drivers think they already have them? 

On ‎7‎/‎02‎/‎2017 at 10:24 AM, 4evermaat said:

Never did that run. But I was aware of a daily van service phuket to penang for about 800 baht.  The one to hat yai was more frequent and was 350 baht, but now more like 400-450 baht.

 

"...There were no injuries in the accident and Mr Theerapong was fined B500 for reckless driving,” Capt Manop said....."

 

Well, the no injuries part was good news.   Caveat Emptor 

LOG books, log books, log books, logbbbbbbbbooooooks, I thought I dreamt that the empowered one was going to start log books.

17 minutes ago, kiwikeith said:

LOG books, log books, log books, logbbbbbbbbooooooks, I thought I dreamt that the empowered one was going to start log books.

Thais and (log)books Gets me skeptical. .what can u do with a log book when the driver craches with 130 km against a three? Will the log book absorb some of the inpact?

We have done this run a couple of times and it is hair-raising!!!!!!

 

The drivers seem to drink an inordinate amount of red bull to keep awake,  I am surprised that there are not more accidents.

 

Never again.