Thread: Bus crash 14 dead and many injured

Thailand: Bus crash kills 14 and splits vehicle in half





The collision split the front of the bus into two, with parts of the tree wedged in it

Fourteen people have died in Thailand after a double-decker bus veered off the road and smashed into a tree.

Photos online show the bus leaning on its side and its front split in half, with parts of the tree wedged in it.

Thirty-two others were injured following the crash in Prachuap Khiri Khan, a coastal province in the country's south.

Thailand has one of the world's highest road accident rates, leading to thousands of deaths every year.

Many attribute this to poor safety standards on the country's busy roads.

In 2022 alone, 15,000 people lost their lives on Thailand's roads, according to the country's Road Accidents Data Centre. In the UK, which has a slightly lower population, that number stands at 1,700.

In 2021, traffic-related incidents made up almost a third of total deaths in the country, the World Health Organization said.


The cause of Monday night's crash has not been confirmed, but police suspect the driver may not have had enough sleep, AFP reported.

He was badly injured but survived. Authorities are also checking his blood alcohol levels, the news agency said.

Police are still verifying the identities of those who died from the crash.

Prachuap Khiri Khan is popular among tourists for its beaches, caves and hiking trails.

Rescuers spent "several hours" pulling the dead and the wounded out of the bus, said the Sawang Prachuap Dhammasathan Foundation, which supported the operation.

Pictures posted on the foundation's Facebook account showed more than a dozen rescuers attempting to remove the tree which was pressing on the bus. Some smashed the vehicle's windows open with a hammer.

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The number of fatalities has fallen in the past three years, but Thailand is still ranked in the top 10 worst countries for road safety.

Despite this, there is little public demand for improved safety, and the issue rarely arises during election campaigns.

Some have attributed this to the fact that most of the victims - more than 70% of fatalities - are motorbike riders, typically among the poorest sectors of society, and most occur on rural roads.

Helmet-wearing is almost universally unenforced in Thailand, unlike in neighbouring Vietnam and Indonesia, and alcohol is often a cause of the accidents.

Governments in Thailand are more often swayed by campaigns backed by wealthier urban residents.

Roads in Thailand are good enough to drive fast on, but often poorly lit and marked, making accidents more likely.

Speeding is only very occasionally penalised, the fines are low, and often not collected at all.

It is also rare for Thai drivers to be disqualified from driving.




Thailand: Bus crash kills 14 and splits vehicle in half - BBC News

The accident happened in Prachuap Khiri Khan but the bus was travelling between Bangkok and Na Tawi (or Na Tawi and Bangkok). Na Tawi is in Songkhla province in the south.

At 1:00 AM, on December 5th, 2023, Huai Yang police officers received an accident report of a coach bus colliding with roadside trees on the Phetkasem Road, Thap Sakae District, Prachuap Khiri Khan. There were 14 casualties and many injuries reported.


The rescue teams rushed to the accident scene and found a Bangkok-Nathawi coach bus, crashed on the roadside in severe condition. The rescue teams evacuated the surviving passengers and performed first aid before transferring them to the Thap Sakae and Prachuap Khiri Khan hospitals.

Initially, relevant officials said that there were 49 passengers and bus staff on the coach bus. The incident occurred at the Hatwanakorn National Park in Prachuap Khiri Khan when the coach bus suddenly crashed into the roadside trees resulting in 14 deaths and many injuries, said the rescue teams.


The police officers pledged to investigate the exact cause of the incident for further legal processing.


As of press time, the exact cause of the accident was under investigation and the names of the deceased had not been released to the public as relevant authorities needed to contact the family members of the victims.


This accident comes only days after a Bangkok bus accident damaged eighteen vehicles and injured four people, leading to calls by the bus company to improve safety procedures.

Tragic Coach Bus Crash in Prachuap Khiri Khan Claims 14 Lives, Multiple Injuries Reported - The Pattaya News

The cause of Monday night's crash has not been confirmed, but police suspect the driver may not have had enough sleep, AFP reported.

He was badly injured but survived. Authorities are also checking his blood alcohol levels, the news agency said.

Check the brakes as well, obviously. They might have failed.

It’s not easy to confirm from those pics but I assume it was a locally made Thai coach which means that it will not conform to the standards legislated in more civilised countries. Many of these buses are fabricated according to a crude template which fails to include effective deformation zones transmitting impact energy away from strengthened passenger compartments. From the damage sustained in that collision it looks jerry built, the front has simply disintegrated.
The country is truly a death trap.

Thai Engineers Investigate Factors Behind Fatal Coach Bus Crash in Prachuap Khiri Khan that Killed 16 People

On December 5th, 2023, automotive engineers, the Thai Department of Land Transport, and relevant agencies performed a field inspection of a Bangkok-Nathawi coach bus that had crashed into the roadside trees at the Hatwanakorn National Park in Prachuap Khiri Khan.

The engineering teams thoroughly investigated the road conditions along the bus line, signs of braking on the bus wheels, street lights, and other related factors.

The team of expert engineers from relevant agencies was in the process of investigations, after the inspection, they would analyze the evidence and data further to determine the exact cause of the accident.

As for the coach bus’s speed during the accident, it was reported by the engineering teams that it was 88 KM/Hour which was under the legal speed limit, however, other factors would be considered such as if the driver dozed off while driving.


As of press time, the driver was in serious condition and could not give any details to the police.

Meanwhile, Mrs. Radklao Inthawong Suwankiri, the Deputy Spokesperson for the Prime Minister’s Office, expressed condolences to the victims’ families and friends of the tragic accident.


Mrs. Radklao stated:


“The Thai government has always given importance to road safety campaigns whether during long holidays or not. Furthermore, the Thai Ministry of Transport has strict measures to reduce fatality rates during long holidays. For example, all coach buses must install a GPS to monitor the drivers’ behavior and regularly maintain the vehicles.”


“The Thai government would impose a new law on the height of vehicles to be no more than 4 meters high before completely prohibiting double-decker coach buses in under 5 years,” concluded Radklao.

Update: Thai Engineers Investigate Factors Behind Fatal Coach Bus Crash in Prachuap Khiri Khan that Killed 16 People - The Pattaya News

Bangkok-Nathawi Coach Bus Tragedy: 16 Dead, Driver Reportedly Admits Dozing Off

On December 20th, 2023, Thai national media gave an update on the recent coach bus accident on the Bangkok-Nathawi line, Thap Sakae, Prachuap Khiri Khan, on December 5th. As a result, there were 16 casualties and many injuries reported.


According to a report by Huai Yang police officers, the coach bus driver, whose name was withheld by police, reportedly confessed to dozing off which led to the tragic accident. However, no illegal substances or alcohol content was found in the driver’s blood system, said police.

Initially, the Huai Yang police pressed charges with careless driving causing the death of other persons. As for the wreckage of the coach bus, it was examined for evidence. The details could not be disclosed to the public, said the police.

Mr. Decha Rueang-on, the Prachuap Khiri Khan disaster prevention and relief official, publicly revealed during the provincial conference that relevant agencies have taken serious action to prevent future accidents, especially during the New Year’s holidays. Many drivers will travel pass through Prachuap Khiri Khan to southern Thailand, said Decha.


Prachuap Provincial Transport officers will strictly inspect the coach buses’ condition and the drivers’ readiness. Also, the passengers must fasten their seatbelt always, remarked Decha.


Update: Bangkok-Nathawi Coach Bus Tragedy: 16 Dead, Driver Reportedly Admits Dozing Off - The Pattaya News

Stupid boy should have been on yaba like the rest.