BANGKOK – A bus accident in Prachuap Khiri Khan has led police to charge the driver for negligence after he fell asleep, causing his bus to veer off the road and crash. Two passengers died and more than 13 others were injured in the early-morning incident.
According to police, CCTV footage shows the bus losing control and slipping into a drainage ditch on Phetkasem Road in Huai Sai subdistrict around 4 a.m. Sparks flew, but luckily, the vehicle did not catch fire.
Rescue teams arrived quickly, helping five people with serious injuries and eight with minor injuries. They sent everyone to Prachuap Khiri Khan hospital, but two passengers did not survive.
The driver, 51-year-old Mr. Thosaporn, told police he had taken over from the first driver in Hua Hin and was heading toward Surat Thani. He admitted to dozing off, which caused the crash. Police charged him with reckless driving, causing death and injury.
They said further charges could follow if drugs are found in his system.
Dr. Busakorn Sawadsan, President of the Prachuap Khiri Khan Red Cross, visited the injured at the hospital. She gave out care packages and support to the victims. Five are still in serious condition, with three in intensive care and two in surgery.
Eight others are being monitored, while the rest have been cleared to go home. The provincial transport office provided transport for passengers who needed to return to their hometowns.
Meanwhile, at Khao Phap Pha Viewpoint in Trang, about 40 to 50 double-decker buses operators gathered to protest. They want the Department of Land Transport to lift the ban on double-decker buses from using seven high-risk routes, including Phetkasem Road at Khao Phap Pha.
Operators say this ban creates hardship for people travelling from the southern border provinces to the Andaman coast, forcing detours of up to 300 kilometres. Local businesses, like restaurants and tuk-tuk drivers, are also struggling as fewer tourists visit.
Operators point out that in the past decade, there have been no double-decker bus accidents on this stretch. The Thai Double-Decker Bus Operators Association plans to take their appeal to the administrative court on June 6.
