Statement of the week: Tourists and expats should not travel through Thailand by night bus
Road safety in Thailand is in the spotlight worldwide due to the tragic bus accident that killed 19 people.
Tourists and expats should ask themselves whether they still want to travel with a night bus. It's life-threatening. And many bus accidents don't even make the news. Did you know that on the same night with the fatal bus crash that killed 19, two other tour bus accidents occurred? The night before there was also a bus accident with 22 injuries, including a number of foreign tourists.
When you list the accidents with fatalities and/or injuries, you quickly see how dire the situation is. It is not for nothing that embassies warn of the dangers of road participation in Thailand. The British government explicitly warns against traffic in Thailand. In Thailand, a country of 50.000 British residents and more than 870.000 British visitors per year, there were 2011 road accidents in 68.582 resulting in 9.205 deaths, including both Thais and tourists. And to illustrate the danger with the night buses once again, here is the balance of 2013 so far (source: Channel 3):
- January 6: Songkhla – 2 killed and 40 injured
- January 9: Chumphon – 2 killed and 20 wounded
- February 6: Chumphon – 5 dead and 35 wounded
- February 15: Chiang Rai – 2 killed and 15 injured
- February 17: Phrae – 2 dead and 30 wounded
- March 20: Singburi – 3 killed and 14 injured
- April 8: Phitsanulok – 6 killed and 51 injured
- April 9: Kalasin – 3 killed and 35 wounded
- April 23: Ayutthaya – 1 killed and 40 injured
- April 24: Branch 2 killed and 59 injured
- May 6: Phrae 3 killed and thirty wounded
- June 7: Chiang Rai 1 killed and XNUMX injured
- July 23: Saraburi 19 killed and 18 injured
Do you still want to travel through Thailand by night bus? Or do you think it's okay? Respond to the statement of the week: Tourists and expats should not travel through Thailand by night bus.
I myself regularly participate in traffic in Thailand and can only say that this is a dangerous undertaking.
Will not take a night bus soon, but what is the alternative, the train is also regularly next to the rails.
What is the alternative ?? A minivan? they drive like mad dogs through traffic, resulting in many accidents with these minivans, please illustrate the balance sheet for this year. With the plane ? if you are a backpacker or if you are traveling on a budget, this is not an alternative either.
The train ?? yes if you have a lot of time you can go by train but my opinion is that the train is quite uncomfortable and very slow,
Public transport in Thailand is done with tour buses, there are probably 1000s driving on Thai roads every day, I don't want to justify the driving behavior of these drivers, but I think it's relatively easy given the number of buses that drive around here. In addition, the death toll of 19 is exceptional.
We have to wait a few more years and then we can enjoy the Thai high-speed train, speaking of trains…. given what happened in spain ???? are we now going to shout in Europe of do we still have to take the train ?????
It has been said more than once in this blog and illustrated with prices and examples that you can regularly do the long distance in Thailand, for example Bangkok-Chiang Mai, CHEAPER by plane than by bus or train. So ideal for backpackers. Actually, it's old hat. In Europe, too, certain routes are much cheaper to fly than by train or bus - but quite apart from the time savings. Traveling as a single in a car eg Amsterdam-Paris is the most expensive transport option anyway. That the Thai drivers of minibuses and the larger VIP buses sometimes drive crazy is also known far beyond Thailand. So does everyone know what he's doing before he starts? I wish everyone a safe return home.
The plane is not “cheaper” than the train or bus, but it is relatively cheap and it saves your travel time. I took the night bus from Krabi to Bangkok once and thought it was a disaster. We also got a flat tire. Fortunately, the driver pulled the bus aside, but I didn't sleep a wink the entire ride. If I had to travel such a distance again, I would take Nok Air or Asia Air and fly to my destination in an hour.
Hi Khan Peter,
To be honest, we prefer to go with our own car, but outside of that I don't want to think about sitting in a train and not at all in the HSL.
We all know that the word MAINTENANCE is not mentioned in the Thai dictionary.
And this concerns MAINTENANCE in the broadest sense of the word.
Can anyone imagine an HSL having an accident?
Really don't think about this.
Good thing the newly derailed train was moving at a snail's pace, otherwise the suffering would have been incalculable.
but what I really can't see for a while is the difference between day and night, except that one is dark and the other light.
it still happens with the same equipment.
Wasn't it also on this blog that only 467 tour buses had a certificate?
Was this nit on a number of 6000??
This is not the case with the bus that had the battery and tank under its seat!!!
Louise
Not for some dear Louise, but if a train journey has to be made anyway: rather in a slowly chugging, unmaintained goatee falling over on narrow gauge in Thailand, than in a booming modern advanced and with all kinds of safety systems, Spanish aerodynamic HSL modernity : see the news of yesterday and today, but also, for example, that of July 12 in France. Would there have been proper maintenance in these countries according to European standards, or due attention on the part of the driver? Have a good look through the dictionary.
Morning Kuhn Rudolf,
In my opinion my reactive misread something.
HSL here is asking for trouble.
Greetings,
Louise
Have often done such a bus ride at night to Udon Thani. Never had any problems. It's bad what happened, but could also happen in Europe.
Freek de Jonge once said in a conference: “If I had nothing, I would take everything; and when I had everything, I gave it all away”. In short: if you want to travel in Thailand you run risks, whether you cycle, take a moped, a taxi, a minivan, the bus, the train or the plane. At times you will not see me participating in traffic unless there is no other way. Those are the evening hours, the long weekends with days off, Songkran. Then I stay home. Thailand seems to have one of the best traffic control systems in the world BUT: the Thai don't really stick to the rules and the enforcement of the rules is lick-me-vest.
Most accidents on Thai roads are related to speeding, whether or not in combination with alcohol consumption.
Freek. You're absolutely right. Excellent observation and solution. Several Thais in my family do not travel on Thai holidays. 1-*2 days in advance and afterwards stay away from the major roads. Thais with a bit of brains know that a large part of their countrymen drive like crazy. Especially on the routes from Isaan to and from Bangkok, there is a lot of traffic every day. If you travel through the country a week after those holidays, you will see meters of road sprayed with the white paint that the police use to mark the places of the crashed cars. I chill a few bottles of wine and enjoy those days at home. Freek on your health. Good on you.
Been driving in Thailand for 15 years now, also great distances, ISAN-Phuket, it will knock off but so far I have not had a problem, think it also has to do with your attitude, ie your
adapt to the habits of the population, drive defensively, stand aside rather than stiff
drive on, and importantly, don't trust yourself in Thai traffic, don't start.,
A good driving hours decision with the appropriate enforcement and serious repercussions for AND the boss of the company AND the driver in question. Furthermore, a bus with two drivers who take turns every 4 hours. Can the passengers enjoy a bathroom break and a quick snack or drink and then continue with a fresh driver. Two drivers will cost something extra, but a funeral or cremation is a lot more expensive. Looking forward to your REACTION
All night buses I've been on had 2 drivers.
Both in Thailand, Laos and Vietnam.
It is nice to know that there are 2 drivers on board. Even better 3, or 4. The important point is, what training did those drivers have and what did they do just before, speak drunk before they started their shift? But there are also drunken flying captains boarding and flying hindered. In this part of the world, the clocks tick slightly differently than in Europe. However, that does not mean that things can go wrong with us.
In response to the statement, I would like to say that the night buses are not in themselves more dangerous than other transport during the day or at night. Traffic in Thailand is dangerous, because many Thai drivers have little understanding of traffic rules or have long forgotten them.
I have noticed during bus rides that unauthorized drivers often drive the buses. Driving from Bangkok, they know through mutual contact where police checkpoints are. Once they pass it, the authorized driver gets out and another often takes over. I regularly drive along the Phetkasem Road. There are often police checks, but buses are always allowed through without checks.
I have been driving through Thailand myself for years. No problem!!
Also take the night bus regularly, in Thailand and Laos. No problem either.
It is very bad what happened, but this can also happen in Europe.
How many thousand (yes!) buses run in Thailand per day/night?
What is the alternative…. the high-speed line in Spain, perhaps?
Where I was terrified was in China during a taxi ride in Guangjou, in Mumbai – then still Bombay – also a taxi, both times the drivers drove like crazy through the city for nothing and not stopping anyone.
In São Paulo I was in a taxi and I had to constantly wake up the taxi driver at a traffic light because he kept falling asleep.
The only "real" accident I ever had was in Indonesia on a drive from Bukittingi to the south.
In Thailand? I keep hearing those wild west stories, but so far I've had good drivers for the most part when I've driven from Hua Hin / Pranburi to Bangkok in a minivan. Will it all be me?
Last week, for the first time, I was a little worried about the driver's driving behavior on the way to Hua Hin. This minivan driver kept an estimated distance of two meters at a speed of 60-80 km/h. But this was the first time in almost two years.
It's all relative. We cannot rule out traffic accidents. I hate to have it, but the aim of the Netherlands and other Western European countries to reduce the number of accidents to zero is utopian. Where people are, mistakes are made.
You just have to remember that 90% of the time everything goes well!
I have been coming to Thailand for a number of years now and have regularly used 'the scheduled buses' (Korat-Bangkok and vice versa) and always without any problems.
Last year I participated in Thai traffic for the first time and I literally couldn't believe my eyes.
I've seen bus drivers (not just bus drivers, but that's what the statement is about) who are or are overtaking in a totally blind corner. Also a number of those bus drivers, who flash the lights on a 1 lane road (also with a solid line) and then overtake. It doesn't matter whether or not there is an oncoming car, it just has to pull over.
Yet I have also seen many normal driving bus drivers, who neatly keep their speed and did not fly past everything and everyone on the right lane. It is indeed different with many drivers of minivans, who fly past you on all sides, and trucks, which drive without lighting and/or drift across the road from left to right.
Traffic in Thailand in general is a very dangerous business.
Like vehicles of ANY kind driving around here (driving behavior) that they don't get in Western Europe.
Just be honest: the situation in Thailand is much, much more dangerous.
I myself prefer to drive my own car (base Hua Hin).
I have already done trips to the north and south (from Chang Mai – Phuket-Ko Chang).
The hair on my head has regularly stood straight.
At dark I try to drive as little as possible (unlit vehicles and drunkenness) + the knowledge if you as a Farang have "something" you are probably screwed. The bus is an advantage for that.
However, for buses and minivans (I have already traveled with both) I have a heavenly fear.
I have been irresponsibly overtaken several times by those disco buses and hasty minivans.
Everyone has their own opinion of course, but when I see them in my mirror I anticipate them by driving safely (when possible).
Well, then we tourists will not get further than Bangkok, because I think that is still safe with the airport link.
Why are only tourists and expats mentioned in the statement? Everyone is at the same risk, right?
If I do travel by bus, it is the day bus, but also not without danger, many drivers are overtired or have no experience, even drivers without a driver's license are my experience, I prefer to travel by domestic flight or by train if the possibility is there.
During every stay in Thailand – permanent base in Hua Hin – I travel to Chiang Mai, Phuket or elsewhere for a few weeks. And every time I am happy that I have arrived safely, even though I have not experienced any disasters yet. However, I prefer to travel with the Governmental Bus from one or another bus terminal. You pay a little more, but in my opinion it is a lot safer than, for example, a bus from Chiang Mai to Kohsan Road for 320 Baht! (yes, that exists) Get on in a dark parking lot along the highway and carts but…
Incidentally, if you consider how many buses drive or race from A to B at night, the number of accidents is not too bad, nevertheless this year already 50 deaths and dozens injured; you will fit in!
My Thai wife and I almost always travel with government buses (999buses) sometimes with Sombat tours. Recently even a display in the bus on which you could read the speed, not above 90 km per hour. I don't think these companies are driving dangerously. We travel both during the day and at night. Since we live on Samui, flying is not really an alternative, Bangkok airways to and from Samui is much too expensive. I also took a bus from khao san road once, I wondered why this VIP bus was so cheap. So I will never do that again.
There are of course a lot of buses driving around there at night and there is little or no control. Add to that a touch of organized corruption... yes, then something goes wrong! Even with motorbikes, things happen there. ;-b
I personally prefer not to go on the road during public holidays or long weekends, as the mentality of the vast majority of Thais is quite nonchalant regarding alcohol consumption and rest periods in traffic. In this case it was not the fault of the driver of the tour bus, but of the truck driver who fell asleep,
My wife's family, so mine too ;-), lives in a village about 12km from Sawang Daen Din. We often did the night route Bangkok-Sawang Daen Din and never had any complaints about any carelessness on the part of the drivers! We are now going back in December and have decided to take the plane. After all, we had more problems with the comfort in the buses than with the safety. I am tall and always have too little room for my long legs and the price of the plane is really not too bad. Everything is also done in a few hours. In Udon Thani we rent a car at the airport to bridge the relatively quiet distances. It will take some getting used to, but provided defensive driving we hope to make it in one piece. And strangely enough, I have access to an excellent navigation system with very detailed road maps. Hopefully someone with experience can give me some tips! Are there any Thailand bloggers who know this process or think they can help me in another way? We will be really grateful to them!
Ronald and Dirk B. Have you seen well. A drawn line (also 2 lines) is an ultimate invitation for EVERY Thai driver to overtake. If you are then oncoming traffic, you may leave the road, otherwise your vehicle will become your coffin. I'm guessing those Thais who do this are 50% not sober. I've said that a few times here in this blog, that I witnessed drinking parties where afterwards people get behind the wheel drunk. In my own Family someone had to drive home drunk. The day after, his Hi-Lux was pulled out of the ditch with 120.000 Baht damage. He himself had nothing. I think this is the nicest way to unlearn it - when those people (only) harm themselves. You don't have to count on the police for that. Tip and rule of thumb: after 17:00 AWAY FROM THAI ROAD. Stay healthy people.my
I drive quite a lot, also at night through Thailand.
is it safe? yes, but one must take into account the condition of the roads and road markings, although a lot has changed here in recent years.
the technical condition and lighting of trucks in particular are downright poor and, given the low speed at which they travel, are often involved in accidents. A mandatory MOT would not be surprising.
Night buses, usually no problems, bus accidents also happen in Europe. Remember the night buses from NL to Spain, these were also regularly in the ditch.
Here they are state-owned companies and in my opinion that is safer than private companies.
Hello Toosk,
Had a chuckle after reading your reactive.
An APK inspection here in Thailand??
Are the roads empty, buses stay in terminals and the tourist has problems getting from A to B.
We sometimes say it to each other when another car tries to hide us in a black smoke screen.
This then does not run on petrol but simply on oil and is a danger to the view of the road.
Greetings,
Louise
Traffic is dangerous all over the world. There are crazy people everywhere!
As far as bus travel in Thailand is concerned, I have not had any bad experiences. It probably also has to do with the company you are traveling with.
I myself have seen that the driver of 'Nakonchai air' bus company, has to stop every x hour and register with a journey log in a room along the road. He even had to undergo an alcohol test.
I did drive a VIP bus! You can sleep there like in Business class on an airplane, and by the way, you really got airplane service there! Great society. It was on the Bangkok-Ubon Ratchatani route.
The plane is the fastest and with Thai Airways, very comfortable and direct v
The night buses were created to take people who use them to their destination quickly and without wasting time (you can sleep during the ride). This is the case in Europe and also in Thailand. The intention is that the drivers have sufficient rest before the start. We know the tachograph, previously with discs, now digital. Driving times are recorded and checked. What no one knows is what happens outside that time.
You can come from a wedding and leave immediately for a bus or truck ride. It is the sense of responsibility of the driver(s) that counts. The time pressure that is imposed is also important. One must arrive at that hour.
After many trips in Thailand, I have experienced 1 time that a bus broke down. Once I managed to call a driver to his boss to say he was ill and asked for a replacement. He then had to keep driving for some time until someone was found to take over the wheel. The second driver has to rest in the meantime so that he can continue driving after a good night's sleep. I will continue to take the bus. I only flew cnw bkk once when Bangkok was flooded in 2011.
A long time ago 1 time by bus from Bangkok to Khemmarat, and never again!! They won't get me on a bus here with a horse. Since then we drive ourselves and I feel a lot more comfortable, despite the chaotic Thai traffic.
The bus accident was caused by a truck driver who fell asleep.
What can the bus driver do about that?
A long time ago I did everything with the night bus in Thailand. I then had 2x problems and then it was never for me again.
The first time the bus had a flat tire and we drove straight into the rice field. Fortunately only wet feet and no injuries. The second time there was a little guy in the aisle of the bus doing permanent maintenance on the engine in an open hatch while driving. I called him Speedy Gonzalez until with a loud bang everything came to a stop at the bottom and the bus came to an unpleasant stop. After several hours we were picked up by a bus with only wooden benches and open windows that transported us for the last few hundred kilometers.
After that I only flew in Thailand, first with Thai Airways and later with Nok Air and that suits me very well.
and I forgot, recently a cousin and his friend visited us in Bangkok. They had come from Chiangmai together by bus. For the way back, the friend accepted an acquaintance's offer to go back by minibus and my cousin took the bus.
The minibus crashed into a tree and the friend and another passenger were killed instantly. Except locally, I never go on the road for long distances after I used to take a hotel taxi from Bangkok to Pattaya. On the way, the driver suffered an epilepsy while overtaking and a truck came towards us on the then 2-lane road. Just before a fatal collision we flew off the road and we survived.
Also on Phuket late in the evening on the way from Phuket Town to Patong where we stayed in the only hotel (Patong Beach Hotel) there was a road block that we could just avoid. Two thugs on motorbikes followed us and rode along on both sides of the bus, brandishing pistols. We then drove as fast as we could and survived that too.
I weigh 200+ so don't fit on the bus, my wife does everything by bus, the first time I met her 8 hours late, last time she arrived 2 hours late, will you be at the airport with your rented car waiting for a place for loading and unloading passengers only
train is a good way to travel, just like the plane, but a few crashes there too Thai Airways Surat Thani Air Asia Phuket I happened to be in Thailand both times it happened,
I relax when I drive a car so I rent a pickup when I'm in Thailand the family car doesn't fit me in,
My wife comes by bus to Bangkok for 2 days of shopping and then we drive home during the 5-6 hours we are on the road so we see a lot of accidents, near accidents not just buses, all Thais should be banned from driving motorized vehicles they are extremely dangerous.
I have been traveling regularly with my wife and sometimes with our daughter and granddaughter through Thailand since 1992.
I always make sure I have a private minivan with a driver and only want to travel when it is light. After 19.00 pm no more transfers etc. on the Thai roads for me. Incidentally, this applies to all holiday countries where we go. Whether that be Asia, Africa or South America: when the sun has set no more transfers.
I think this is Dutch again, you shouldn't take the night bus, not even a mini-van, not even the train, well then walk is that safer, NO, then stay in the Netherlands is my reaction I am responding because I have been there for 6 years live in thailand and travel back to Amsterdam every 2 months and there I have been driving TAXI for 30 years, yes at the TCA with a thorough education from before, but if you see and experience the traffic there "well arranged" but with the majority I do not want to get in from what is now called Taxi-Chauffeur, fortunately there will be a new regulation in the Taxi-metier as of June 1 and that is the TTO and hope that road safety in the Netherlands will also be increased by this, so if you are not advised here to travel with the (Specific) night bus, then stay in the Netherlands. So my advice is to find a reliable Taxi driver in your own area and let you through there
to Bangkok or wherever, which, given the Dutch prices here, requires a small investment for us. My hometown is Prasat and I go to Suvannaphum for 4.000 bath, which is worth it to me.
Yes, of course this is bad, but it happens everywhere in the world, perhaps more in Thailand than in the Netherlands, but that is a reason not to travel (specifically by night bus). Read the number of bus or car accidents in European countries Don't forget Train accidents as long as there is traffic there will be fatalities due to traffic. Solution: don't travel. I solved it by looking for a private Taxi driver and so far I have found it, but yes, that costs a little more, but compared to the Dutch rates, it is a bargain. I have been living in Thailand Prasat for 7 years and go to Amsterdam every 3 months for 3 months to act as a taxi driver, I have been doing that for 36 years, but what you experience there with the current taxi driver who calls himself a taxi driver, I still have that in Thailand. not experienced.
Gerrit, just like you, I have a private taxi driver who drives me and our family when I can't take my own car, such as to the airport or a hospital in Bangkok. And I know the so-called taxi drivers in Amsterdam all too well.
We have been taking the sleeper train from Hua Hin to Hat Yai for several years now.
The more you drive to the south, the more you get the impression that the train is running next to the tracks, but we are certainly not a candidate for the future planned super express train.
Traffic in Thailand is dangerous.
Roads with big holes. Drunk fellow road users.
Crossing water buffaloes. And so on for a while.
If I occasionally travel by car myself, I count the accidents.
I go to and from the airport in Phuket with a friendly meter taxi.
Furthermore, I FLY everything within Thailand. If you're a bit handy with
the internet can do this at a low cost. Sometimes even cheaper than with a bus.
I really do not understand holidaymakers who go by train or bus. You save
hardly any money and you waste a lot of time and you arrive broken.
Go flying with Nokair, Airasia or Thai Orient. Cheap and
so laid back!!!
As a matter of principle, I never ride a bus. The drivers all drink Red Bull or the like
stimulants and when it wears off they are unconscious within a short time. Taking the bus is
a life-threatening decision. The train is narrow-gauge and crashes regularly, partly due to poor maintenance of rails and wagons. You better fly if your life is worth anything.
Hello, I have been traveling every year by night bus from Pattaya to Kalasin and vice versa for 20 years.
I always travel with chan tours, this trip must be carried out with 2 drivers, but I have noticed several times that the entire trip was done by 1 driver, fortunately this has always gone well, but it is asking for problems. The thai thinks when he drinks a red bull that he is awake again, I think there should be more control on these things.
The plane is not an option, because there is no airport in Kalisin, so next time, hoping for a blessing, we will take the bus again.
Regards, Frank
“The statistics are frightening. In 2011, nearly 10.000 people died on Thailand's roads. In Britain, which has a similar population, 2000 died in traffic. It is clear: the traffic in Thailand is very dangerous. Many Thai have received the driver's license as a gift. Nowadays you have to take an exam, but that is very little. The cause is, among other things, a poor education, but it is also 'normal' in Thailand to be drunk behind the wheel. Motorcyclists, usually without a helmet, are the biggest casualties at 70%”.
Quote just pulled from SIfaa.
Bus or car and/or motorbike, traffic is very dangerous in Thailand.
And whoever doesn't see that….
“In the land of the blind, the one-eyed is king”
Regards,
Dirk
Exactly Dirk B:, with regard to your last sentence: given the purport of many reactions, there are many who adopt and express themselves as such: the Thai are blind to their own reality and the knowing farang is called one-eyed.
It's all okay. Many traffic accidents involving buses and trains also occur in Europe. 78 dead in Spain two days ago by train.
Because a major train accident with many deaths has now happened in Spain, is it not too bad in Thailand? Include the density of the European rail network and the frequency of the trains in the equation and suddenly things look 'something' different……….
You can also exaggerate!
Why is it that when something serious has happened in Thailand, it is often trivialized with 'well, that also happens in the Netherlands/Europe', but the other way around, people will hardly ever say that.
A murder, fire, robbery and traffic accidents in the Netherlands, well what does it matter because they happen in Thailand anyway. 🙁
To stay with the subject of the article, because whether the (night) bus and or train is safe or not is not the point of consideration for me, but I simply do not feel like making long journeys in such a way. Don't even think about traveling by bus or train from Bangkok to, for example, Chiangmai or Surathani or even further.
Everyone has their own fun, but I don't understand what's so fun about that.
If a Thai wants to get his driver's license, without taking driving lessons first… the day is usually within an hour and a half for each other, and most of the time is spent on paperwork.
I often laugh at the driving behavior of an average Thai!
They are true performers…when they have to back up,they turn their heads 90c to the view from behind.
They only use their rear-view mirrors to check whether there is still a nose hair left behind after shaving.
I wish everyone a lot of fun during the night hours with such a death rider.
Regardless of financial or longer driving times, my choice is… plane or train.
I travel a lot in Europe with a coach, and what I have seen in some countries, especially in the southern countries, is not bad either.
I also traveled a lot by bus in Thailand, and personally I think you shouldn't paint it too black.
Of course things happen.
The buses we used were manned with 2 drivers, who relieved each other on time.
The road behavior of most drivers was also just good. They continued to drive, but in a calm and comfortable manner.
You can't really participate or be part of any form of traffic anywhere in Thailand.
So yes then you should avoid the whole country go with the flow and try to drive as little as possible yourself if you are not used to it.
On July 2: A train accident in the German state of Hesse injured 26 people.
On July 12: Six people were killed in a train derailment in Bretigny-sur-Orge, France
On July 24: A train accident in Spain killed 78 passengers.
And then on 28-7: At least 38 dead in a serious bus accident in Italy.
Plus that dozens of people were injured in the last 3 accidents.
For the time being, the accidents can be attributed to improper maintenance, or the use of improper material, and/or the poor state of safety equipment, or human error.
Would there really be a different context in Thailand?
Or shall we include those from countries in Southern and Eastern Europe?
The summary of accidents is not a basis for a comparison. It has rightly been said here before that the density of the rail network and the frequency at which trains run can be taken into account. 5-6 x per hour from Rotterdam to Amsterdam or only 2 x per day from Bangkok to Aranyaphratet is simply not comparable. In Germany, trains regularly run on the route at speeds of over 200 km/hour. If the train in Thailand were to travel at more than 40 km/hour, it would spontaneously fall apart. In France far more than 350 km/hour. France has a train record of 583 km/h. Here the stagecoach is compared to a spaceship.
I have mentioned the list to show that expressing indignation about what is absolutely not good in the Thai "traffic infrastructure", or otherwise, which is frequently discussed in many reactions, is not justified when you see what is happening. can already go wrong in a Western context, with the use and deployment of all high-quality technology, such as in countries such as Germany and France, the same in Spain and Italy. Precisely by taking these countries as an example, you make it clear that comparing and pointing to Thailand is not possible. (Any comparison is flawed anyway.)
Even with all the ingenious know-how available, things don't go as planned and intended, quite apart from what people achieve with it.
Not that I'm saying it's all going and is that good, not at all. But how can you want to react so angry when your own failure is so visible?
The month of July 2013 is not yet over or I can add another train accident to my earlier list, namely that: In Switzerland, two passenger trains collided head-on in the canton of Waadt. Firefighters found the lifeless body of the missing train driver on Tuesday. 26 people were injured. This has been officially confirmed by the Swiss police.
It was commented that in Thailand a train falls apart if it goes faster than 40 km per hour; in our high-class Europe, high-quality trains crash into each other at high speeds, tunnel walls or walls.
But yes, you can't compare if Thailand has the advantage!
A list is often not complete with such a sensitive subject as train accidents. That's why this link below, where you can see a little more, if what was already mentioned ? This link has fewer words but with a lot of convincing pictures. Have fun watching.http://goo.gl/cXd1RV
In Europe , those who are really responsible for this type of accident are predetermined and pay the costs of the victims .
In those accidents in Thailand, the foreign victims have to recover everything from their own insurance companies and everything is covered up.
Moderator: Your comment is off topic.
Oh yeah, I forgot that. Have we all forgotten the Fyra drama again??
That's fast…..
Do you remember, that was the Dutch-Belgian high-speed train that was made in Italy.
Despite European standards, regulations and quality, it fell apart half before it was put into use. Fortunately without causing serious casualties.
Apples are often compared with pears here.
One looks at the number of deaths, but not at the number of accidents.
In Spain, just 1 accident can kill dozens, but that does not mean that traffic in Spain is worse than in Thailand.
A better comparison would be to state the facts.
Relatively speaking, there are far fewer road users with a high percentage of alcohol behind the wheel in Western Europe than in Thailand. In Thailand, being dead drunk behind the wheel is simply “permissible”.
The fleet in Western Europe is much, much better maintained than those from Thailand.
The roads in Western Europe are much better maintained than those in Thailand. In Isaan it is a disaster to drive properly on roads with many holes.
In Western Europe, very few street dogs are on the road. In Thailand it is clearly different.
In Western Europe you have to do your best (months, sometimes years) to get a driver's license. In Thailand you can buy a driver's license within an hour, without ever having been behind the wheel.
In Western Europe it is very difficult to buy off a traffic violation. In Thailand, however, this is a daily practice. Long live corruption!!
There are far fewer traffic accidents per year in Western Europe than in Thailand.
So I can continue.
Take advantage.
Regards,
Chander
Chander, my compliments for your excellent story. You said it well. Every death is one too many, in Europe but certainly also in Thailand. See my earlier story in this blog about drinking before and while driving in Thai traffic. There is also a lot of partying and celebration in my area on a regular basis. I often find myself standing out for this reason, because I don't drink and get into my car drunk. The advantage is on my side. I also don't drive after 1 p.m. and certainly not in unfamiliar territory. And if possible, I fly domestic flights = faster = often cheaper = safer. It is nice to drive through this country by train/bus. Lots of unknowns to see, very interesting. But at night? No WAY.
Today before 1590 bath Phuket – Chiang Mai
flown. A flight of more than two hours. That is less 40 euros.
Can also be done by bus takes 23 to 24 hours. Need two days
to recover and not to mention all the dangers
on the road. By the way, I think you pay the same amount by bus
would have been lost. You just have to take the bus or the train or the car
if there really is no other option because, for example, there is no airport.
In all other cases, the choice is very simple as far as I am concerned