Minivan, bus and road accidents

[Takiap]

Well, we can only hope for the best I guess, but I do have my doubts. A minivan gets caught speeding, 200 baht to the policeman, and the driver is free to continue speeding. Perhaps they should rather confiscate the vehicles. I'm sure once the minivan companies have lost a few of their vehicles they'll soon clamp down on their employees. Also, why should the government need to finance tracking devices and etc? The minivan companies should have to do this themselves.

[Spitfire]

It's a glaringly noticable and high profile example of the usual 'couldn't give a shit' attitude that prevails everywhere. Driving on the roads here is a good microcosm of the wider attitude in general towards much. You are exposed to all the worst qualities and attitudes of all whilst behind the wheel.

As long as there is no personal responsibility comprehended or exercised by anyone then this recklessness will sadly continue.

I also agree that the owners of the minivans, who are almost never the drivers, bear responsibily and are culpable for pressuring the drivers to meet unrealistic and dangerous time schedules through fear of loss of job and being a general indifferent good-for-nothing tyrant etc.

There's no freaking way I'd ever get in a minivan here.

Unlikely that any real progress will be made and little point in passing new laws that won't be enforced and that nobody in the general public cares about anyhow, rather like most of the rest of the laws.

[m_right]

If I could find a decent alternative I wouldn't take them any more. I'm looking harder since my last trip added to my grey hair. I tried to find my seat belt but it had been disabled.

[jackichen]

This is true that the accident will continue there is no safe place on the roads.. but we can make less chance of a road side accident by obeying the rules of traffic or by some good means of transport we should always be active minded or we should work for our safety
but i agree with you it is not easy to save our self on the road...

[ahosweden]

I dont ever take the vans, and just now 10 min ago my reason was proved legit once again.

My girlfriend leaves from hua hin and changes van at Victory monument in bangkok to continue to her city near ayatuya, as they go the driver start driving more and more crazy, clearly smelling of alcohol and while driving taking what they thought was drugs , she said
The van was full of people and when it got to the point that they feared for their life, belive it or not, started to complain about hes driving and told him to stop the van.

The driver refused to stop, driving off the highway and onto the smaller roads near the old airport, at this point someone started screaming and the driver pulled out a big knife and started making treats, and somewhere the vans speed got so low that people opened the door and escaped, i dont have any more details then that, all i know now is that everyone took taxi from the location and is OK but shocked.
They called the police.

I have no more information then this now, she called from the taxi so it was a short call.

This is not the first time something like this has occured im sure..

Sry if my grammar and spelling is a bit off, hope you can read anyway

[Lung Per]

Can someone confirm this?

[hhfarang]

Can someone confirm this?

I doubt that. Confirmation would have to come from someone else in the van and the chances of them being on this board is remote. I doubt an incident like this will make the news. If they all did, the daily news would take a year to read. Yaba is a continuing and rapidly growing problem in this country... sounds like the culprit here, maybe mixed with alcohol.

[Homer]

What is the result of this calculation for 2011 data?
# one way mini van trips between HH and victory monument with accidents
divided by
# one way mini van trips between HH and victory monument

Can't imagine the data exists.

[charlesh]

Having had the pleasure of going from HH to BKK in a mini van with 17 other people I vowed never again. Seat belts - non existent. If you like being up and close to sweaty labourers then you will find this mode of transport acceptable. The slow bus is a better option and at least you can get out through the windows unlike the sardine can mini van.
While waiting at Vic Monument I did tend to glance at the state of the tyres on some and was left bewildered with what appeared to be rather bald slick being evident on some. Says a lot about the regular maintenance too if ever done and then by who? And that's all irregardless of the poor bugger who drives and has to make at least 2 return trips from HH to BKK to get his pay!

[STEVE G]

What is the result of this calculation for 2011 data?
# one way mini van trips between HH and victory monument with accidents
divided by
# one way mini van trips between HH and victory monument

Can't imagine the data exists.

No, as far as I'm aware there are now about four companies running minibuses on that route and at least two of those are going about every twenty minutes so in all there must be over a hundred trips a day.

[usual suspect]

Having just drove back from Issan last week..during that journey I opted to hog the 'middle' lane at around 95K's.(our truck was well laden) What DID get my attention was the speed of traffic in the 'Fast' lane from BKK to HH was way,way higher than what speedier vehicles were doing on the North/East side of BKK.
Now this was a Friday afternoon, so the BKK Hi-So's in their flash motors may have contributed to that number of idiots aiming their vehicles South..but the mini-vans were just plain crazy..Police presence anywhere along this road?? Nah..only when a 'driver' has killed others (& only got caught 'cos he could'nt slip his Nike's back on in time to sprint away from the accident) will the charge of 'dangerous driving' ever come to light.
If the Police DID have to power to impound minivans for blatant reckless conduct..tea money would have that van rolling again by night-fall.. T.I.T.

[hhfarang]

Everyone should keep their camera phone handy and put 1584 in your contacts list so that when one of these Vans races up behind you doing 140 kph and drives one foot from your rear bumper to intimidate you out of their way (like they seem to do to me on every trip between HH and BK) or if you are a passenger in one driving erratically, you can report them.

Public transport vans face Bt5,000 fine for speeding beyond 90kms per hour
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- From April 1 onwards, public transport vans that are speeding beyond 90kms/hour on tollways, expressways and motorways would be find at Bt5,000, Land Transport Department chief Somchai Siriwattanachoke said.

In the Wednesday press conference by the department, Transport Co Ltd and the Bangkok Mass Transit Authority, Somchai said the RFID technology to detect speeding public transport vans at tollways, expressways and motorways.

The first-time offender would be fined at Bt5,000, the second-time offender would be fined at Bt10,000 along with the public transport licence revocation. Currently there were some 9,000 public transport vans installed with the RFID.

Those spotting speeding or reckless-driving transport vans were encouraged to report to the department's centre for public transport vehicle passengers' protection at 1584 around the clock.

-- The Nation 2012-03-28

[usual suspect]

Good one HHF..lets see if April 1st brings about a change..or 1584 is an 'April fool' ?

[GLCQuantum]

Took a minivan the other day from the bus stop by the old Boat location. They seem to be under very strict orders to keep under 90 for the journey. I caught some of the conversation the driver was having with a guy up front and he was complaining that 90 isn't fast enough and every other car doesn't have the same restrictions as him. He didn't seem to comprehend the fact that it's imposed because he has a van full of passengers. Nevertheless he stuck to 90 (and complained) the whole way, for fear of being hit with a five grand fine.

Saying this many other minivans were still flying past us so other companies are obviously not imposing it as forcefully. Credit to this company for being strict and following the rules - a rarity in Thailand.

I shall stick to using this company in the future... as some common sense seems to have been installed.

[Uktom]

Took a minivan the other day from the bus stop by the old Boat location. They seem to be under very strict orders to keep under 90 for the journey. I caught some of the conversation the driver was having with a guy up front and he was complaining that 90 isn't fast enough and every other car doesn't have the same restrictions as him. He didn't seem to comprehend the fact that it's imposed because he has a van full of passengers. Nevertheless he stuck to 90 (and complained) the whole way, for fear of being hit with a five grand fine.

Saying this many other minivans were still flying past us so other companies are obviously not imposing it as forcefully. Credit to this company for being strict and following the rules - a rarity in Thailand.

I shall stick to using this company in the future... as some common sense seems to have been installed.

This is really good to hear. Probably the first positive thing I have heard about the minivans from HH to BK in the several years being here. I have used them a few times in the past but have wisened up and will never get in one again. The fact that the seatbelts do not exist or do not work is an instant nono, let alone all of the other crazy factors. If I have to travel now it is either by the train or using the bigger buses. They are more comfortable anyway. I would feel safer crashing in a huge bus than crashing into the back of on in a speeding minivan.