"The driver was drunk" say tourists as Bangkok bound tour bus overturns in the south injuring seven

 

Picture: video schreenshot

 

CHUMPHON: -- A fully loaded Bangkok bound tour bus from Surat Thani to Bangkok overturned in Chumporn injuring seven foreigners Channel 3 evening news reported.

 

The other tourists on the bus were all adamant that the driver Punayawee Somsiri, 50, was drunk.

 

But the driver challenged police to check him out and even denied that he was driving at the time of the accident. He said it was a mate of his behind the wheel called Chatchawan who was driving. He didn't know his surname.

 

Punayawee said that Chatchawan fled the scene of the accident.

 

He admitted that earlier he had collected 13 tourists from Pak Nam Ta Pee then another 33 at Phun Phin station and was taking them to Bangkok.

 

Then his mate took over the driving, he said, but being unfamiliar with the road he had an accident at some road works then fled.

 

But the tourists told a different story. They said Punayawee had been guzzling beer all the way and the bus was swerving from side to side and going too fast at times.

 

Channel 3 evening news said that the driver challenged the police to test him but there was no indication in their Facebook account of the incident what the result of this was.

 

The accident happened between kilometer markers 481 and 482 on the Asia Highway in Hat Phan Krai sub-district.

 

Source: Channel 3 evening news

 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2017-02-24

 

3 minutes ago, webfact said:

They said Punayawee had been guzzling beer all the way

I have seen cynics on here criticizing the use of the words 'drink driving' by reporters, on numerous reports.

Well, now you have it first hand !

anyone that uses public transport of any kind in this country needs their head looked at

3 hours ago, Thaiwrath said:

I have seen cynics on here criticizing the use of the words 'drink driving' by reporters, on numerous reports.

Well, now you have it first hand !

I havn't seen that myself and frankly don't understand why two words like "drink driving" should be critized.....

What really puzzles me about this story is the passengers on the bus are determined that the driver was "guzzling" booze all the way while driving the bus and swerving all over the road........could not one of them have called the police?.....not a mention if any of them tried to take some action.

Thai Public Transport drivers drunk. Thats not exactly news to most of us is it?

I wasn't driving, my mate was, but he has done a runner. Seriously? And I don't know his name. Classic.

In total contradiction to what the witnesses said.

The only thing that puzzles me is why the Police didn't apparently breathalyse him immediately.

One does not have to search too hard to see why Thailands roads are the second most dangerous in the world.

 

1 minute ago, darksidedog said:

Thai Public Transport drivers drunk. Thats not exactly news to most of us is it?

I wasn't driving, my mate was, but he has done a runner. Seriously? And I don't know his name. Classic.

In total contradiction to what the witnesses said.

The only thing that puzzles me is why the Police didn't apparently breathalyse him immediately.

One does not have to search too hard to see why Thailands roads are the second most dangerous in the world.

 

Obviously he hadn't had his compulsory pre-shift alcohol test.

Oops -  wrong country!

did anyone report the drunk bus driver guzzling beer and swerving all over the road,

or, did they sit there and do nothing other than hoping for the best?

Private charter bus (semi-legal) not a regular service, probably Khao San Road-bound. Far riskier than a regular service run under government concession. Not that your average tourist would know this.

Doing something I can understand,  as for calling the police, on the bus as a tourist, some unknown province, like every tourist has the number, speak Thai, and posted on the bus.

I remember being in a minivan from Bangkok to Koh Samed, and the driver was driving like a nutter. It was mostly, if not all, foreigners in the van, and people were shouting at the driver to drive more carefully. He ignored the first few yells until some burly foreigner lent over the front seats and told him to quit it in no uncertain terms. Strangely enough he started driving carefully. 

 

Amazing what can happen when people speak up. 

3 hours ago, Thaiwrath said:

I have seen cynics on here criticizing the use of the words 'drink driving' by reporters, on numerous reports.

Well, now you have it first hand !

It was tourists fault as everything is. Ask the police chief of pattaya

Call me skeptical if you want to, but that story about his "mate" driving the bus doesn't wash with me. 

 

I have sat in the Queen's hotel in Phun Phin and watched  bus drivers down a few cold ones while the buses were  being loaded. I was waiting for the train ,wouldn't catch me on any of those buses. Also I believe those buses are grossly underpowered this means it takes them a while to get up a good speed and they hate slowing down.

When will consumers be appraised of the names of the companies that employ these drivers, so that we can make an educated choice if we ever face the need to book a bus ? Is that defamation ? Think not,  nobody accuses the bus company that they train their drivers to drive like morons or encourage them to guzzle copious amounts of beer while driving way too fast....If an airliner has a mishap,mnobody hesitates to mention them.

56 minutes ago, dotpoom said:

I havn't seen that myself and frankly don't understand why two words like "drink driving" should be critized.....

What really puzzles me about this story is the passengers on the bus are determined that the driver was "guzzling" booze all the way while driving the bus and swerving all over the road........could not one of them have called the police?.....not a mention if any of them tried to take some action.

And you are from planet ???????

3 hours ago, smedly said:

anyone that uses public transport of any kind in this country needs their head looked at

 

I think that the Jomtien<>Airport bus is safe and reliable. I've certainly never seen a driver acting drunk on one.

 

The minivans are the really dodgy things and I would always avoid those.

The passengers should have forced the driver to pull over and called the Police and let them investigate before the accident.

So he let his "Friend" take over the driving, but did not know his surname......have to say it make a change from brake failure, swerve to miss a buffalo, tyre blowout......etc...etc....

"Challenged the police to test him". Like it isnt something they should do as part of the procedure anyway.

 

It isnt Pattaya that gives Thailand a bad image,

4 hours ago, Thaiwrath said:

I have seen cynics on here criticizing the use of the words 'drink driving' by reporters, on numerous reports.

Well, now you have it first hand !

Yeah, but can you trust them? They are farangs, after all...

1 hour ago, gr8fldanielle said:

did anyone report the drunk bus driver guzzling beer and swerving all over the road,

or, did they sit there and do nothing other than hoping for the best?

Isn't your in principle good idea a bit unrealistic? Assuming that none of the tourists speak enough Thai to explain in a phone call to a police station in an unknown location, what happens and where exactly you are, seems impracticable.

And there are enough examples what happens if you start arguing with a bus driver over his reckless driving, speeding, or being under the influence of whatever...

1 hour ago, djayz said:

Call me skeptical if you want to, but that story about his "mate" driving the bus doesn't wash with me.

Jeepers, you guys are so on the ball today!  

Why did no one stand up to the driver and say something?

I understand that Thai's never speak out, even when their life is being threatened like this, but the foreigners should have had the balls to confront him.

Edited February 24, 20179 yr by MichaelJohn

I don't believe him!

1 hour ago, darksidedog said:

Thai Public Transport drivers drunk. Thats not exactly news to most of us is it?

I wasn't driving, my mate was, but he has done a runner. Seriously? And I don't know his name. Classic.

In total contradiction to what the witnesses said.

The only thing that puzzles me is why the Police didn't apparently breathalyse him immediately.

One does not have to search too hard to see why Thailands roads are the second most dangerous in the world.

 

What the real driver is also saying is that he readily gave his 'mate' the wheel, regardless of whether the 'mate' is an employee of the bus company or not.

 

No further comment needed.

The more it happens, the more the Thai people become "numb" to the news of it, and the more it is accepted as just another day's news, tomorrow's fish n chips.

Once they establish whether the "driver" was drunk, he should be locked up for a minimum of 10 years...as an example to everyone else. No excuses accepted. The drivers job is to safely transport passengers from point A to point B, and any intervening places SAFELY. This it would appear he did not do!

1 hour ago, darksidedog said:

Thai Public Transport drivers drunk. Thats not exactly news to most of us is it?

I wasn't driving, my mate was, but he has done a runner. Seriously? And I don't know his name. Classic.

In total contradiction to what the witnesses said.

The only thing that puzzles me is why the Police didn't apparently breathalyse him immediately.

One does not have to search too hard to see why Thailands roads are the second most dangerous in the world.

 

 

I agree with your post but would like to add that I have read many posts on other TV threads which claim that traffic related fatalities in LOS are only counted as such if the person(s) die at the scene of the accident.  If true, then I strongly suspect that Thailand is actually #1 in the world for traffic fatalities per capita.

2 hours ago, dotpoom said:

I havn't seen that myself and frankly don't understand why two words like "drink driving" should be critized.....

What really puzzles me about this story is the passengers on the bus are determined that the driver was "guzzling" booze all the way while driving the bus and swerving all over the road........could not one of them have called the police?.....not a mention if any of them tried to take some action.

also WHY did they stay on the bus.