One dead, 26 injured in bus crash at notorious Phuket hill

PHUKET: A bus crash on Phuket’s notorious Patong Hill has left one motorcyclist dead and 26 people injured police have confirmed.

accidents, death, police, transport, patong,

Chutharat Plerin

Thursday 29 June 2017, 09:40PM

The crash happened at 8pm tonight. Photo: Eakkapop Thongtub

Maj Ekkarat Plaiduang, chief of the Patong Traffic Police has confirmed to a The Phuket News reporter that the incident happened at around 8pm tonight (June 29).

It was said that the Nakhon Ratchasima-registered bus, which suffered suspected brake failure, careered into a motorcyclist as he was heading to Patong and prior to crashing close to the Suwankiriwong Temple curve leaving the driver of the bike dead.

The injured parties were all either workers or passengers on the bus, two Thai nationals and 24 Chinese tourists.

It was intially reported that 33 people were injured, however, Maj Ekkarat confirmed the number was 26.

Further details will follow.

Comment on this story

Concernd | 30 June 2017 - 12:11:59

For a Tunnel 
The assumable best secure way to Patong 
How many more ancients have to happen over the hill to Patong which most likely would not happen if there would be a tunnel?
A tunnel will help most likely to assure unfit vehicles and inexperienced steep hill drivers will arrive save in Patong 
Block and don’t allow unfit truck busses and vehicles over the hill
Finance the Tunnel with like they do in Bangkok the Highways Expressways toll

Pauly44 | 30 June 2017 - 10:32:32

Well of course they say it's due to brake failure, but what they fail to understand or acknowledge is it's excessive load on the brakes from going too fast that caused it, do they even know what low gear is?? Thai transport nutters at it again!

Kurt | 30 June 2017 - 08:41:50

I guess there are no sales/export of thai busses, seen the quality of the brakes? 
A simple Patong Hill already is to much, as many tourists experience.
Has Phuket trauma professionals to help the tourists emotional to overcome such a experience during their holiday?

peter rawai | 30 June 2017 - 07:58:52

its about time they did proper annual safety check on all these buses, not just talking about doing it and claiming they are done

Doneit | 29 June 2017 - 23:45:04

Well it's finally happened!!! Someone has been killed by a bus that was probably not road worthy or by an inexperienced driver. Another case of the so called authorities just don't care.

Andy | 29 June 2017 - 22:56:32

Brake failure my rs, Bus driver brain failure as ever.

simon01 | 29 June 2017 - 21:52:03

And the carnage goes on and still year after year nothing is done to stop it and the deaths keep on mounting. However there has been a huge amount of helmet fines in patong over the last two weeks with dozens of officers haning round street corners at night jumping out on tourists. Shame they were not at Patong Hill to stop all the badly maintained buses, trucks, cars from being on the roads. Oh well.

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