Those who have lived here long enough are fully aware of the reputation of KBV’s drivers, and comments made on both The Phuket News website and Facebook page in relation to this news story should make the owner of KBV Visa Run and government officials fully aware of the reputation they do have, which, being frank, is diabolical.
But what did come as a surprise was that following the accident the driver of the van was charged with reckless driving causing death and injury and fined a measly sum of B150,000 for causing the death of those three passengers – or perhaps we should say “manslaughter” of those three passengers.
That same driver may well have been behind the wheel of another KBV Visa Run vehicle the very next day after he, or someone on his behalf, paid the fine. Who knows?
That penalty, if you can really call it that, makes it clear that any road accident that results in the death of a passenger, be they foreign or Thai, means very little according to Thai law. In this case each death was worth just B50,000.
Now let’s step over to the UK and look at a road accident that happened there in May 2014.
The driver of a bus was taking a group of 50 pensioner day trippers on a day out when he lost control on the bend of a steep hill. That accident resulted in the deaths, or should we say the manslaughter, of two of his passengers.
This driver was also charged and found guilty of causing death by dangerous driving. But the big difference here is that on August 22 this year the driver was sentenced to five years in prison.
It may have taken some 27 months for this case to be settled in court, but at least, according to one of the deceased person’s relatives, justice was served.
So a jail term of five years for causing two deaths by reckless driving compared to B150,000 for causing three deaths by reckless driving, is there really any justice in that?