Five Phuket tourists die in Cha-am horror crash

[StrontiumDog]

http://www.phuketgazette.net/archive...ticle9955.html

Monday, February 21, 2011

Five Phuket tourists die in Cha-am horror crash

PHUKET: Five tourists returning home from a holiday in Phuket were killed yesterday morning when their minivan slammed into the back of an 18-wheel truck on a highway in Cha-am District, Petchaburi province.

The minivan driver, Uthen Faksaeng, 34, is in police custody and will be charged with causing death by negligent driving, police say.

The 10 passengers of the van were all employees of the Siam Commercial Bank branch at Pratunam in Bangkok. Mr Uthen told the Nation Channel he had been hired by the group to drive them to Phuket and back for a short holiday.

The accident happened around 5:30am at kilometer 1 on the Bangkok-bound lane of the Cha-am bypass road in Cha-am Municipality.

Mr Uthen said that he had been blinded by oncoming lights just before the accident and lost sight of the road.

When he recovered his vision, the minivan was hurtling toward the back of the truck and he was unable to brake in time to stop the crash, he said.

The front of the Toyota minivan was crushed in the collision, which threw some of the passengers out onto the road.

Three of the group, Thanakorn Bunlap, 28, Thirawat Thonglo, 30, and Saranrat Tangjit, 32, were killed instantly.

Rescue foundation workers had to use “jaws of life” cutting tools to free the injured passengers from the wreckage.

Two of them, Kanpapruek Chanmanun, 32, and Saratkon Usap, 30, died of their injuries in hospital.

The remaining five were not seriously injured.

Mr Uthen expressed regret over the accident.

Cha-am Police have taken him into custody and say they will charge him with causing death and injury by negligent driving.

[BobR]

Very sad. RIP

[StrontiumDog]

I presume by being thrown out of the van, that means they weren't wearing seat-belts?

[bobo746]

When he recovered his vision, the minivan was hurtling toward the back of the truck

thats the problem they only know one speed HURTLING

[Stinky]

When he recovered his vision, the minivan was hurtling toward the back of the truck

Translation; "when he woke up the minivan was hurtling toward the back of the truck"

[Mid]

another accident that IS NOT .

RIP to the innocent victims .

the correct action apart from the obvious of reducing speed ,

is to drive in relation to the left hand edge of the carriage way when oncoming lights are interfering with your vision .

[Tom Sawyer]

What? No apologists for the driver who ran into the back of another vehicle and was responsible for five deaths? Where is Moog and the rest of the Ms Na Ayuthya Fan Club when you need them most?

[English Noodles]

the correct action apart from the obvious of reducing speed , is to drive in relation to the left hand edge of the carriage way when oncoming lights are interfering with your vision .

Problem is if you do that then you will probably drive in to the back of a motorbike with no lights on carrying a family of 4.

[Bobcock]

I came back from Hua Hin last night in a minibus. Not my preference but it was necessary as the wife had said so.

The seat belts were all tied up neatly using cable ties. I cut them off and used them, doubtless there'll be mutterings about "Stupid Farangs" when he finds out.

The woman who sat in the front with her small son didn't have the same problem, she didn't care enoughabout her child to even bother putting a seat belt on him or herself.

We didn't crash I'm happy to say, but I doubt I'll be doing it again.

[Tom Sawyer]

The woman who sat in the front with her small son didn't have the same problem, she didn't care enoughabout her child to even bother putting a seat belt on him or herself.

She probably let him climb all over the driver too. There really are some brain dead people in Thailand (aside from many of the farangs). BF has a point sometimes - must admit. And it seems to cross all lines of class and privilege

[Mid]

Problem is if you do that then you will probably drive in to the back of a motorbike with no lights on carrying a family of 4.

did not say you drove on the extreme LH edge , rather that you use that as a reference whilst your normal reference is oblirated by oncoming lights .

[Orroz]

she didn't care enough about her child to even bother putting a seat belt on him or herself.

The safety mindset. It's one of the fundamental differences between east and west

[FarangRed]

Five Phuket tourists die in Cha-am horror crash

PHUKET: Five tourists returning home from a holiday in Phuket were killed yesterday morning when their minivan slammed into the back of an 18-wheel truck on a highway in Cha-am District, Petchaburi province.

The minivan driver, Uthen Faksaeng, 34, is in police custody and will be charged with causing death by negligent driving, police say.

The 10 passengers of the van were all employees of the Siam Commercial Bank branch at Pratunam in Bangkok. Mr Uthen told the Nation Channel he had been hired by the group to drive them to Phuket and back for a short holiday.

The accident happened around 5:30am at kilometer 1 on the Bangkok-bound lane of the Cha-am bypass road in Cha-am Municipality.

Mr Uthen said that he had been blinded by oncoming lights just before the accident and lost sight of the road.

When he recovered his vision, the minivan was hurtling toward the back of the truck.

Mr Uthen was unable to brake in time to stop the crash, he said.

The front of the Toyota minivan was crushed in the collision, which threw some of the passengers out onto the road.

Three of the group, Thanakorn Bunlap, 28, Thirawat Thonglo, 30, and Saranrat Tangjit, 32, were killed instantly.

Rescue foundation workers had to use “jaws of life” cutting tools to free the injured passengers from the wreckage.

Two of them, Kanpapruek Chanmanun, 32, and Saratkon Usap, 30, died of their injuries in hospital.

The remaining five were not seriously injured.

Mr Uthen expressed regret over the accident.

Cha-am Police have taken him into custody and say they will charge him with causing death and injury by negligent driving.

PHUKET GAZETTE

[Norton]

The accident happened around 5:30am at kilometer 1 on the Bangkok-bound lane of the Cha-am bypass road in Cha-am Municipality. Mr Uthen said that he had been blinded by oncoming lights just before the accident and lost sight of the road.

If non stop from Phuket he more likely fell asleep after all night 8+ hour drive.

[English Noodles]

https://teakdoor.com/thailand-and-asi...ie-cha-am.html

[billy the kid]

should be more regulation on bus drivers
thais takin the piss.
shock an disbelief are what greets the relations
of ones who holiday in thailand all too often.
and thais really don't give a fuck if you had a good time or a bad time.
or are dead.
long as you paid for it.

[English Noodles]

and thais really don't give a fuck if you had a good time or a bad time. or are dead. long as you paid for it.

And why should they? Do you think many people in the UK give a fuck if some Chink enjoyed their visit to London or not?

[sabaii sabaii]

Why is this in the Phuket forum and not Cha Am, where the accident happened or Bangkok where theyre all from ?

[Sailing into trouble]

No rules on drivers hours, I wonder if he had driven down to Phuket picked up his clients and was now on his way back. I lived in Canada and often drive over 1000km in a day. In Thailand I often feel exhausted after an hour. Feel exhilarated to have made it back safely.

[Tom Sawyer]

Do you think many people in the UK give a fuck if some Chink enjoyed their visit to London or not?

Nope - and to prove the point, they withdrew Thaksin's visa.