February 27, 2025
BANGKOK – The bodies of the 18 people who died when the bus in which they were travelling overturned in Prachin Buri province on Wednesday were transported to Bueng Kan province for funeral rites.
The double-decker bus had 49 people on board, including the driver, and was travelling from Bueng Kan to Rayong province when it overturned while travelling downhill in Nai district, Prachin Buri, at 3.09 am.
17 victims died at the scene and 31 people were injured, some seriously, while another victim passed away later at Kabin Buri Hospital, police said.
The 18 bodies arrived at Wat Pa Wiwek Thammakhun in Bueng Kan’s Phon Charoen district at around 8pm Wednesday. A provincial officer said funeral rites for 13 bodies will be held there on March 1.
Four bodies will be transported to Wat Ban Euad and one to Wat Nong Kung at the request of relatives who wish to hold the funerals there, he added.
Phon Charoen district chief Montri Jaruthamrong said the province and related agencies will provide compensation of 1.05 million baht in total to the families of each of the deceased.
The injured victims will be compensated for medical expenses by the insurance, which has a total coverage of 10 million baht, he said.
The issue of double-decker buses being unsafe for road travel was raised by the Thailand Consumers Council (TCC) in December last year, according to a Nation TV report.
The council called for a ban on double-decker buses after a Bangkok – Loei tour bus slid into a roadside forest in Loei province on December 27, killing the bus driver and injuring 35 passengers.
The TCC said that due to their height and elevated centre of gravity, double-decker buses have six times the risk of overturning than normal buses.
A 2014 study by the Department of Highways revealed that seven interprovincial routes reported frequent accidents involving double-deckers. They are:
- Tak – Mae Sot
- Phitsanulok – Phetchabun
- Kabin Buri (Prachin Buri) – Pak Thongchai (Nakhon Ratchasima)
- Ang Thong – Sing Buri – Chai Nat
- Rangsit – Sara Buri
- Krabi – Phang Nga
- Chiang Mai – Mae Hong Son
According to the Department of Land Transport, there are some 6,300 double-decker buses running on Thai roads. The data on years of service, maintenance records, road safety tests, and insurance of these vehicles are not readily available for the public to check before booking a trip, the TCC warned.
The council called for a gradual phasing out of double-deckers, with a focus on routes with dangerous slopes, as well as the establishment of an online database or mobile application to allow the public to check vehicle information.