Hua Hin Bound train crash

[poosmate]

Train-truck collision wounds 42

RATCHABURI: -- Forty-two passengers, 19 Thais and 23 foreigners, were wounded when an express train hit a 10-wheel truck loaded with rubber wood at a railway crossing in Ratchaburi's Pak Tho district on Tuesday, reports said.

The Bangkok-Surat Thani express train taking a large number of Thai and foreign tourists, mostly destined for the resort town of Hua Hin in Prachuap Khiri Khan province, when it rammed into the 10-wheel truck at Ban Pho Kaew railway crossing.

Forty-two passengers, 19 Thais and 23 foreigners, were injured. They were admitted to Pak Tho hospital.

The truck driver was also wounded. He was admitted to Ratchaburi hospital.

Source: Bangkok Post 2011-07-19
http://www.bangkokpo...ision-wounds-42

[Spitfire]

Forty-two passengers, 19 Thais and 23 foreigners, were wounded..........

Like the choice of words with these reports.

Sure it'll be the usually problem of no-one (train driver too) paying attention to barriers/lights/noise/danger etc and just blazing on though is fine or, as the crossing are unmanned, just recklessness on behalf of those that feel waiting is not for them.

This, disaster at train crossings, seems to be a regular theme in the news but there seems a reluctance to do anything about it all and acceptance of such occurrences have brought about ambivalence of such happenings.

[usual suspect]

..and a twin line high-speed North-South rail link past HH is on the cards...OMG!

[margaretcarnes]

I just found a vid of the 'aftermath' of the crash and amazed to see they had filmed inside the hospital casualty department as well. Shouldn't be surprised I know, given the Thai penchant for morbidity, but some of the farang being filmed didn't look too happy about it. Fortunately most of them seemed to be walking wounded. Very lucky indeed.

[Roel]

This one Mags?
http://www.livingthai.org/40-foreigners ... iland.html

[margaretcarnes]

Thanks Roel that's the one.

[GLCQuantum]

Just watched that link. It really is awful...

(sung to the tune of 'Row Row Row Your Boat')

Here comes the Thai rescue,
we simply don't have a clue...
blood and guts pays us lots,
So we'll just film you

[Spitfire]

I often think, despite however well intentioned they may be, the local "Rescue" pickups etc that monitor the airways for accidents to react to should perhaps say "collect" on on the side door instead of "Rescue" after seeing some comical "Rescues" during my time here, despite the seriousness of the topic.

[usual suspect]

You all joke about these 'Rescue' teams, but when ya REALLY need to be cut out of a wreck & they are the only crew to respond.. you tend to be thankful..I've yet to thank the team that got me out of the crumpled mess that was my truck. They worked as a team, knew the drill of using a back-board, and worked well.
(Maybe I got a good crew..?)

[GLCQuantum]

The Thai rescue team were the first ther after I had a bike accident(even though a police station was 5 minutes away)bundled me into the ambulance, no neck support - nothing. I had multiple broken bones, cracked vertebrae and cuts here there and everywhere. They could have done a lot more damage to me than help but fortunately they didn't. They work as a 'volunteer' for a reason. They get paid a nice little sum for the photos and videos by the police. You REALLY think these guys spend their evenings after the factory working because they are great human beings that want to make a difference.

With all the above said, unfortunately with the incompetance of the police and the time it takes for them to turn up to anything that they're not sure if they are being 'paid' for, these muppets sometimes save our lives in the process of getting what they require.

[Takiap]

It had nothing to do with barriers................Simply spirits with a sick sense of humor

[VincentD]

Sure it'll be the usually problem of no-one (train driver too) paying attention to barriers/lights/noise/danger etc and just blazing on though is fine or, as the crossing are unmanned, just recklessness on behalf of those that feel waiting is not for them.

The train (unfortunately) has right of way. The fault is not the driver's, as the signals are set by the station. Also, considering the combined tonnage of the train and the type of brakes used, you can't expect the driver to stop on a dime either.
People who use these crossings typically just don't care.

This, disaster at train crossings, seems to be a regular theme in the news but there seems a reluctance to do anything about it all and acceptance of such occurrences have brought about ambivalence of such happenings.

I believe they're moving away from manned level crossings and will be installing automatic barriers (the ones that just come down no matter what) so I see more accidents happening with people being bonked on the head by the barrier rather than the train (which may not be such a bad thing). I don't think it's so much reluctance as opposed to budget constraints. Note that the railways have been running in the red since way back when.

[charlesh]

The train driver would have not been able to pull up even at 8o km/hr. The truck driver was perhaps trying his luck at beating the train. You know what Thais are like - Me , me , me, I'm important!
Loved the bit where the filming went on on even during the khap, khap, khap interruption. The cops are more interested in standing around like dress dummies than actually doing anything. As for the "rescue" blokes - training hmmhh??
The crossing was also a problem - loved the weathered warning signs.
Keystone cops would have been proud of the event.