LAMPANG — A tour bus carrying 38 foreign tourists overturned while descending the Khun Tan mountain pass in northern Thailand on Saturday night, injuring more than a dozen people, including two critically, police said.
The Sri Thawong Tour bus, traveling from Chiang Mai to Bangkok, lost control after hitting an oil slick around 8:45 p.m. on the Lampang–Chiang Mai highway in Wiang Tan subdistrict, Hang Chat district.
The vehicle flipped onto its side, blocking all southbound lanes and causing a major traffic jam.
All passengers were foreign nationals, mostly from Arab countries. Two were in critical condition and 12 others sustained injuries, authorities said.
A bus hostess told police the driver struggled to regain control after skidding on the slick surface. “The bus swerved and overturned across the road,” she said.
Rescue efforts were hampered when an emergency vehicle responding to the crash collided with a pickup truck, injuring several more people and causing delays in both directions.
Police, rescue units, and utility workers cleared the road and cut power after a toppled pole blocked the lane. Stranded passengers were escorted to a highway service center while waiting for a replacement bus.
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