Danish man dead as taxi overturns on way to Pattaya

[webfact]

Danish man dead as taxi overturns on way to Pattaya

 

Picture: Thai Rath

 

BANGKOK: -- A Danish passenger in a Bangkok taxi died yesterday when the vehicle overturned in Kamphaeng Phet.

 

His Thai girlfriend and the driver survived.

 

Police think the driver fell asleep at the wheel.

 

Cops and medics who arrived at the scene in Don Taeng sub-district found the taxi on its roof in the opposite lane. Dead in the back of the cab behind the driver was 51 year old Thomas Barch, reported Thai Rath.

 

Driver Surasak Jandaeng, 51, from Pathum Thani had head injuries while the Danish man's girlfriend Daeng Sukkun, 26, broke her arm. Both were taken to a local hospital then transferred to Kamphaeng Phet Hospital.

 

The driver told police that he had left Bangkok at 5am and reached Tak at 10am. He was taking the couple to Pattaya.

 

Police believe he fell asleep at the wheel before coming round and losing control of his vehicle as he was too close to the car in front.

He entered the central reservation, hit a power pole and overturned in the oncoming lane.

 

The accident happened between kilometer markers 395 and 396 on Pahonyothin Road.

 

Source: Thai Rath

 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2017-04-28

[worgeordie]

 

"The driver told police that he had left Bangkok at 5am and reached Tak at 10am. He was taking the couple to Pattaya."

he was taking them the very long way around ?,  RIP Danish guy. never got to the promised land.

regards worgeordie

[CelticBhoy]

"The driver told police that he had left Bangkok at 5am and reached Tak at 10am. He was taking the couple to Pattaya."

 

Bangkok to Pattaya via Tak. That's the route most of us would take I'm sure  . . .  

[kwonitoy]

I had a driver from the limo service at the airport nodding off and weaving all over the motorway from the airport to pattaya, I yelled at him to wake up and he got pissed at me.

All the rest of the way I had my eye on him and when he closed his eyes I clapped  my hands, he got angry every time and said he wasn't tired or sleeping. Must save face.

[AGareth2]

tragic

but was he wearing a safety belt?

[tracker1]

Im sure he was traveling at the legal speed Flippin vehicles RIP

[taichiplanet]

1 hour ago, AGareth2 said:

tragic

but was he wearing a safety belt?

a lot of the times the belts can't be used because the buckle is missing. i've gone fishing around for them behind the seat (god knows what germs i picked up!).

[Andrew65]

42 minutes ago, taichiplanet said:

a lot of the times the belts can't be used because the buckle is missing. i've gone fishing around for them behind the seat (god knows what germs i picked up!).

You're damn right there, always the front passenger seat for me! (I usually travel alone, so no one behind is going to fly forward either).

[Airbagwill]

3 hours ago, worgeordie said:

 

"The driver told police that he had left Bangkok at 5am and reached Tak at 10am. He was taking the couple to Pattaya."

he was taking them the very long way around ?,  RIP Danish guy. never got to the promised land.

regards worgeordie

"he was taking them the very long way around ?, "

 

What do you mean?

[catman20]

3 hours ago, kwonitoy said:

I had a driver from the limo service at the airport nodding off and weaving all over the motorway from the airport to pattaya, I yelled at him to wake up and he got pissed at me.

All the rest of the way I had my eye on him and when he closed his eyes I clapped  my hands, he got angry every time and said he wasn't tired or sleeping. Must save face.

Loved to of been in the taxi with you.it sounds very funny.

[chrisinth]

3 hours ago, tracker1 said:

Im sure he was traveling at the legal speed Flippin vehicles RIP

5 hours from Bangkok to Tak? that is moving, on that leg anyway. I could only imagine a few scenarios for that sort of route. Either:

a. Girlfriend leaving Bkk to pickup boyfriend in Tak and then on to Pattaya.

b. Boyfriend leaving Bkk to pickup girlfriend in Tak and then on to Pattaya.

c. Both leave Bkk together and the taxi driver is on the meter.

[JohnnyBKK]

I always check if the driver falls asleep, 1 out of 3 times they are half asleep while driving. More than once I had to wake up them while they were driving. They always get angry. Stupid dudes.

[wirat69]

2 hours ago, Andrew65 said:

! (I usually travel alone, so no one behind is going to fly forward either

Usually difficult to fly in any other direction!!!

[elgordo38]

4 hours ago, kwonitoy said:

I had a driver from the limo service at the airport nodding off and weaving all over the motorway from the airport to pattaya, I yelled at him to wake up and he got pissed at me.

All the rest of the way I had my eye on him and when he closed his eyes I clapped  my hands, he got angry every time and said he wasn't tired or sleeping. Must save face.

Its my wish to die in my sleep just not behind the wheel of a car. 

[Andrew65]

Just now, wirat69 said:

Usually difficult to fly in any other direction!!!

...it's what happens when the back seat passenger is not belted-up too.

 

As far as the vehicle rolling goes, I've been in a "roll-over machine" at work with HSE training, the belt holds you tight into the seat vertically also, when the vehicle inverts, possibly preventing or lessening head injuries.

[bino]

17 minutes ago, Airbagwill said:

"he was taking them the very long way around ?, "

 

What do you mean?

 

Worgeordie and others are assuming that the passengers entered the taxi in Bangkok at 5 AM with the driver, and went on the long route to Tak and then back to Pattaya.

 

The way I read it is that the driver drove from Bangkok to Tak in the wee hours by himself to pick up the passengers there, where sweet Daeng had taken her big big honey to meet the family and to discuss sinsod arrangements.

[petermik]

R.I.P. to the gentleman,looking forward no doubt to a good vacation,we never know what may happen next

[eifel36]

 I wouldn't wonder whether they entered the cab in BKK or Trat, but what is a taxi on the way to Pattay, from Trat or BKK, doing in Kamphaeng Phet and why do the injured persons get transferred to Kamphaeng Pet hospital?

[Freespirit]

I have driven long distances in Thailand and its worth the price of a small can of coffee, or one of those caffeine based sport drinks to stay awake. 10 or 12 baht can safe your life and others. Always works for me. I recommend one every 4 hours and a 30 minute break.

It's a cheap life saver. R_d  B_ll , M_50 etc not sure were allowed to name them, but I'm sure you know which one's I mean. You only get one life buy the taxi driver one, it might save yours.

[Spaniel]

10 minutes ago, eifel36 said:

 I wouldn't wonder whether they entered the cab in BKK or Trat, but what is a taxi on the way to Pattay, from Trat or BKK, doing in Kamphaeng Phet and why do the injured persons get transferred to Kamphaeng Pet hospital?

Better read the OP again.      The city is Tak north of Kamphaeng Phet, not Trat.      The route as written in the OP does seem a bit strange.

[Dukeleto]

21 minutes ago, wirat69 said:

Usually difficult to fly in any other direction!!!

Not if you are rammed up the rear by another vehicle at 200 KPH which is quite within the realms of possibilities in Thailand.

[TheFishman1]

I once was in a taxi the driver looked sleepy I made him stop for coffee I used the bathroom when I came out he was sleeping I grab my stuff ended up in a bus and I didn't pay him one Bht TIT

[ddavidovsky]

Note to self: if taking transport at an early hour, consider how much sleep the driver will have had the night before.

[docshock13]

11 minutes ago, eifel36 said:

 I wouldn't wonder whether they entered the cab in BKK or Trat, but what is a taxi on the way to Pattay, from Trat or BKK, doing in Kamphaeng Phet and why do the injured persons get transferred to Kamphaeng Pet hospital?

BKK-Tak-Pattaya

[thecyclist]

4 hours ago, kwonitoy said:

I had a driver from the limo service at the airport nodding off and weaving all over the motorway from the airport to pattaya, I yelled at him to wake up and he got pissed at me.

All the rest of the way I had my eye on him and when he closed his eyes I clapped  my hands, he got angry every time and said he wasn't tired or sleeping. Must save face.

I had the same denial-although not the anger-with a truck driver I hitched a ride with:He started nodding off and weaving after over 20 hours(Pattani to Bangkok)at the wheel.He guaranteed me that he was fully in control and definitely not sleeping.The only person highly alert in that cabin was me.

[scubascuba3]

Maybe best to wear a helmet in taxis to/from Bangkok and Pattaya. I'm actually bringing a helmet in hand luggage on my next trip. I might wear it.

 

 

[daveAustin]

Quote

the driver survived

Why is that; that those in the wrong get to stay on? It's either completely random or life is some kind of mediocre purgatory to the astral plane. RIP fella.

[JAG]

7 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said:

Maybe best to wear a helmet in taxis to/from Bangkok and Pattaya. I'm actually bringing a helmet in hand luggage on my next trip. I might wear it.

 

 

That should get the driver really wound up!

 

[daveAustin]

29 minutes ago, Freespirit said:

I have driven long distances in Thailand and its worth the price of a small can of coffee, or one of those caffeine based sport drinks to stay awake. 10 or 12 baht can safe your life and others. Always works for me. I recommend one every 4 hours and a 30 minute break.

It's a cheap life saver. R_d  B_ll , M_50 etc not sure were allowed to name them, but I'm sure you know which one's I mean. You only get one life buy the taxi driver one, it might save yours.

Have travelled the length of Thailand on numerous occasions and do similar, though stop every 200k / 2hrs, whichever the greater. Have a pee, load up on coffee or lipo till the next PTT. Feel rough on the comedown over the coming days, but it's worth it. Sadly these taxi drivers are all money, money, money and every lost minute is lost satang.

[anfh]

Why would anyone in Tak order a taxi to come from BKK to collect them anyway ???????