Bus drivers usually cause accidents
Thailand buses
by Hans Bosch
There is another reason to warn tourists about journey in Thailand. That is the large number of accidents involving interprovincial buses. As many as 4000 serious accidents take place every year, more than 10 per day. In three quarters of the cases they were caused by the driver and in 14 percent by a defect in the bus. Only 11 percent say the road is unsafe. Every year, 12 million passengers in Thailand take the bus, spread over more than 8000 buses and 300 routes. Which often reach the corners of the country, but at what price? Nearly 2000 of them come home in a coffin, while an estimated 10.000 end up in a hospital.
The drivers often fall asleep behind the wheel. By law, they must take a half-hour break every four hours of driving. Drivers are only allowed 8 hours behind the wheel per day. But who controls that in Thailand? There is a huge shortage of drivers and co-drivers, especially on Sundays and public holidays. Moreover, there is a lot wrong with issuing permits. These are valid for 7 years and allow the holder to outsource the routes to subcontractors. This is the case in 80 percent of the routes. To earn money, they have to drive day and night and as quickly as possible. There are drivers walking around who haven't had a day off in years and have to sleep next to or in their bus. No wonder that the concern for the safety of the passengers has little effect.
As a result, almost three quarters of passengers on the northern and northeastern routes are dissatisfied with the service offered and the way in which the bus companies want to earn their money. In comparison, only 30 percent are dissatisfied on the southern routes. The question now is how many calves still have to drown before this well is filled in.
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When I read this like this I compare it with the drivers etc, in Indonesia. There the drivers consider the roads as a race track and they are declared crazy by everyone because of their driving behaviour. Haven't been on a bus in Thailand yet> that will come at the end of May, but I'll prepare myself. Hopefully the roads are a bit better than in Indonesia.
I regularly go by bus from Bangkok to Korat, but I can't say that I feel unsafe.
To be honest, I find traveling by bus quite pleasant in that country.
Only if you are in a small village with a main road that connects two large towns, you often have a problem getting away. It can sometimes take a few days before a bus finally arrives that has space. I find the latter a major drawback. Several times I hired a local Thai entrepreneur to take me by car to the next big bus station, because I just couldn't get out of that place.
As a tour guide in Thailand, I regularly used the bus services of Nakhonchai Air. An excellent organization with beautifully decorated buses, wide seats (VIP), 5-position massage chairs, etc. A real bus stewardess brings refreshments. Even the toilet may be there. The drivers, in spotless white shirts, drive about 60 to 80 km per hour where possible. On the road from Phitsanulok to Lamphung/Lampang we drove very carefully.. right on time in Chiang Mai. The ticket price is a bit higher, but safety above all !!
In short: kudos to this organization. A timetable can be found on the internet.
Living about 50 km from Cha-aam, I sometimes want to take a minibus to Bangkok. Although I own a car, I find it difficult to drive in Bangkok and find a parking space, so I take a one-way ticket BKK for 180 baht. But every time I resolve not to do it again, namely those minibus drivers take the crown in breaking all possible rules, they are really kamakaze drivers and really do everything that God has forbidden, I believe that it is even worse than the bus drivers of the major bus lines.