The six-wheel tours bus, carrying its driver, a guide from CNR Co and the 27 tourists, crashed off the road at 8am near the Phuket Orchid Farm, snapping a power pole and riding over the crash barrier, before ending upside down in the trees below.
One woman tourist, said to be around 60 years old, was rushed to Bangkok Hospital with life-threatening injuries. The remainder, including the driver and guide, were reported to have slight injuries and were taken to either the Bangkok Hospital or Vachira Phuket Hospital for treatment.
At Vachira Hospital, the driver, Sarawut Tonegaew, who received treatment for injuries to his head and right thigh, explained that he had picked up the tourists from Kamala to drive them to Rawai Pier, where they were due to take a boat trip to Koh Hey.
The bus was privately owned, and was rented just for the trip.
Coming down the hill before the straightaway leading to the Chalong Circle. Mr Sarawut discovered he had no brakes. "I tried to stop the bus by driving it into a drain running along the left side of the road."
Instead of stopping the bus, however, this manoevre backfired, sending the bus hurtling out of control, veering across the road and through the crash barrier.
Mr Sarawut stressed that he was not drunk, and was doing no more than 30 kmh at the time of the accident. No other vehicles were involved in the accident.
Initially Patak Rd, from Kata to Chalong, was closed to all traffic. Police have now reopened one lane.