Kathu Police Capt Yingyong Chuykit told The Phuket News that their investigation concluded that the accident happened because of the driver's recklessness.
The tour bus carrying Chinese tourists crashed at the bottom Patong Hill little before 9pm on Monday night (Feb 22). The bus driver's lost control of the vehicle then scraped the side of the temple wall before slamming into the light pylon. (See story here)
The 17 injured tourists and bus driver, 40-year-old Jeerasak Kimbuathong, were taken to hospital where the driver was later pronounced dead.
“The bus was operated by Phuket Smile Travel and it had full insurance cover. The auto insurance company will pay for any damages once officials get all the damage estimations to them,” Capt Yingyong said.
“The 17 tourists that were taken to hospital that night suffered only minor injuries and they were discharged from the hospital soon after receiving treatment. I’m sure that they have left the country already.
“The bus company did not pay any compensation for the injured, however, they took care of all their medical expenses,” he added.