Minivan, bus and road accidents

[Big Boy]

NAKHON SI THAMMARAT seems to feature an awful lot in these reports. I don't remember if I asked before, but is there reason? Somebody once told me it was to do with drugs, but is that really likely?

[buksida]

Five injured in tour bus accident
Five passengers received minor injuries when their tour bus ran off Phetkasem highway and crashed into the median ditch in Bang Saphan district late on Monday night, police said.

The accident occurred about 11.10pm near the Bang Saphan intersection at kilometre marker 383 in tambon Rom Thong.

Preecha Chansingkhon, 68, the bus driver, told police the bus left Bangkok early on Monday night with 27 passengers and two crew on board, heading south for Nakhon Si Thammarat.

Nearing the Bang Saphan intersection, a bicycle cut in front of the bus, crossing to the other side of the road. He swerved to the side to avoid hitting the bicycle, and the bus crashed into the centre ditch and toppled onto its side, Mr Preecha said.

Three men and two women passengers were slightly injured. They were admitted to Bang Saphan Hospital.

Two power poles were brought down by the bus. Damage was estimated at 200,000 baht.

https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/ge ... s-accident

[Nereus]

Woman vendor killed in Korat accident

https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/ge ... t-accident

NAKHON RATCHASIMA: A food vendor was killed when her motorcycle and sidecar loaded with supplies she had bought at a market was hit from behind by a car in Chok Chai district on Monday morning.

Pol Capt Pasit Jitpraser, a Chok Chai police investigator, said the accident occurred about 5.45am between kilometre markers 25-26 on the Nakhon Ratchasima-bound side of the Chok Chai-Nakhon Ratchasima road, near an entry to the Ramkhamhaeng University campus.

Witnessed told police that Kannika Ramjabok's motorcycle-combo was knocked over by a Mitsubishi Cedia. Ms Kannika was thrown to the ground, suffered a fractured skull and died at the scene.

The 63-year-old victim was a food vendor returning home to Nong Sano village after buying supplies at a market in Chok Chai district.

The car driver, Nopporn Trakanpanya, 34, from Buri Ram's Muang district, was detained by police for questioning.

The woman's body was taken to Chok Chai Hospital mortuary.

Police at the scene where a car hit a motorcycle and sidecar in Chok Chai district of Nakhon Ratchasima on Monday. (Photo by Prasit Tangprasert)

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How the hell do "accidents" like this happen. Wide open straight section of road. Early morning, maybe the poor old lady did not have any lights on her cart.

[Nereus]

Khlong Tan blackout, traffic paralysed by morning accident

https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/ge ... g-accident

Much of Bangkok's Khlong Tan area was blacked out for many hours when an 18-wheel trailer truck knocked down five high-voltage power poles on Sukhumvit 71 road early on Tuesday morning, causing a traffic jam that lasted into the afternoon.

The accident occured about 12.33am near Khlong Tan intersection in Suan Luang district. It totally blocked the out-bound lane of Sukhumvit 71, causing a massive traffic snarl.

Pictures of the trailer-truck, the toppled electricity poles and traffic brought to standstill were posted on the JS100 Radio webpage. Five power poles were brought down in the accident.

The Metropolitan Electricity Authority sent repair crews to the area. About 5.30am, one traffic lane was reopened, allowing small vehicles to pass.

Repair work was difficult, but by mid-afternoon the road had been reopened and power restored in all areas.

Five power poles lie fallen on Sukhumvit 71 road, brought down by an 18-wheel trailer-truck, near Khlong Tan intersection in Suan Luang district shortly after midnight on Tuesday morning. (Photo: Nutthawat Wicheanbut)

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[PeteC]

Pick-up truck mows down rescuers who were helping another victim

https://www.nationthailand.com/news/30391069

Rescue officials were mowed down by a black pick-up truck while they were trying to resuscitate an accident victim on the street.

At 9.30pm on Thursday (July 9), Ruam Katanyu Foundation in Lopburi province were informed of a motorcycle accident in Ban Mi district. The site of the accident was close to the office of Sawang Ariyo, another rescue agency, so officials from both agencies responded to the situation and were working on trying to resuscitate the man.

Then suddenly a black pickup truck showed up to mow down six rescue officials and the injured person. The victims were immediately taken to hospital, but four succumbed to their injuries, including one Ruam Katanyu official, two Sawang Ariyo staff, one of whom was pregnant, as well as the man injured in the motorcycle accident.

The pickup driver has been arrested and is being investigated.

[VincentD]

Not the first time rescue workers have been mowed down by errant pickup drivers. In Lopburi.

[Dannie Boy]

Not the first time rescue workers have been mowed down by errant pickup drivers. In Lopburi.

There was no mention of it, but I wouldn’t be at all surprised to hear that the driver of the pickup was under the influence of alcohol or some form of narcotics

[Big Boy]

I've been watching a crazy accident on Thai News today, and I've only just twigged what happened. You see a lorry pull across a junction on a duel carriageway, and about 10 yards behind you see a bus inching it's way out from the junction. A load of motorcycles speed down the road between the bus and lorry, and then just fall off their bikes for apparently no reason. It's on the news because 3 of the motorcyclists died.

I've been puzzling over the accident all day. I've just seen it................... the lorry was towing the bus with a very long tow rope.

[PeteC]

^ Yes, here's the story: https://thethaiger.com/news/central-tha ... l-thailand

[PeteC]

Here's more photos. No mention if during the hours of darkness or not: https://www.nationthailand.com/news/30392729

[HHTel]

The rules in the UK for towing:

When one vehicle is towing another with a rope or chain the maximum distance allowed between them is 4.5 metres. If the distance between the two vehicles exceeds 1.5 metres then the rope or chain must be made clearly visible within a reasonable distance from either side to other road users.

On the continent it is illegal to tow with a rope. It has to be with a tow bar.

I found out this to my cost when I went to France to help my cousin collect his car that had broken down. I went with everything I thought I needed. Large sign in French for the back window 'Vehicle under tow'. I lasted 10 mins on the road before being stopped by a gendarme who pointed out it has to be a tow bar.
Eventually managed to cobble something together with the help of a local workshop.

Rules in Thailand: I doubt there is any.

[buksida]

There is an entire slot on the Thai news every morning which goes on for about an hour. All it covers is the previous day's road accidents from various dashcam and CCTV footage. Saw this one on there and, being a biker, was shocked. It is literally Russian roulette on the roads here - who gives a rats about Covid with that sort of carnage on a daily basis.

[Big Boy]

Yes, Mrs BB loves that programme

Unusually, we had Thai TV on most of the day, and I think the accident was shown regularly on every Thai channel. Mrs BB couldn't explain tow rope to me, and I wasn't seeing it (thinking snipers).

It was only late afternoon, when one programme was suggesting a ginormous tow rope is acceptable so long as you tie red flags along its length that I realised what had happened.

[europtimiste]

At the speed they were driving, a tow bar would have same result.

[Big Boy]

Yes, but it is unlikely the tow bar would have been even close to the length of the tow rope, and maybe it would have been thicker/more visible.