CHAIYAPHUM — 30 June 2026, Fifteen passengers were injured after a double-decker coach crashed into the rear of a parked 18-wheel lorry on the roadside. The bus driver maintained he had not fallen asleep at the wheel, claiming he simply failed to notice the parked vehicle in time.
The collision occurred at about 01:00 on Tuesday on Highway 201 (Chaiyaphum–Bangkok Highway), inbound to the city centre, directly in front of a local company premises, about 3.5 km from Chaiyaphum city.
Pol. Lt. Col. Chaiporn Promsena at Mueang Chaiyaphum Police Station received the report and officers, emergency medical teams and rescue workers from the Sawang Khunatham Chaiyaphum Foundation and Chaiyaphum Hospital were dispatched to the scene.
Upon arrival, authorities found the coach, travelling from Bangkok to Si Chiang Mai district in Nong Bua Lamphu province, with its front end completely crushed and its windshield shattered after crashing into the rear of the lorry. The truck, registered in Ang Thong province, had been parked on the shoulder near a U-turn.
Rescue workers spent considerable time freeing passengers trapped inside the coach before transporting 15 injured people to Chaiyaphum Hospital. Most suffered injuries to their arms, legs, knees and waists. Other passengers declined medical treatment and waited for a replacement vehicle to continue their journey.
A 65-year-old passenger said the coach departed Bangkok’s Mo Chit Bus Terminal at 20:30 on Monday without any rest stops or driver changes before the crash. He said most passengers were asleep when the collision occurred and believed the coach had drifted into the left lane before striking the stationary lorry.
The 48-year-old coach driver said he was carrying 35 passengers from Bangkok and failed to notice the parked lorry before the collision. However, he insisted he had not fallen asleep at the wheel.
Meanwhile, the 33-year-old lorry driver said he had parked his vehicle, which was carrying steel bars from Lopburi province, for about 30 minutes before hearing a loud impact from the rear. When he got out to inspect the situation, he discovered that the double-decker coach had slammed into his trailer and alerted police.
Pol. Lt. Col. Chaiporn said that after the scene had been examined and the injured transported to hospital, officers removed both vehicles from the road to prevent secondary accidents. Investigators will summon both drivers for further questioning to determine the exact cause of the crash before proceeding with legal action.
