MAE HONG SON – A terrible crash occurred again between the Chiang Mai and Pai routes on Thursday night, injuring 13 Danish visitors and killing the Thai driver. Many individuals commented and criticised Thai authorities on social media for failing to improve road safety for citizens, including foreign visitors.
“As a side note, you’d think that given this keeps happening with the same company on the same highway, authorities would take an interest in its safety practices, but alas, this is Thailand,” one message stated at Facebook Chiang Mai News in English.
This refers to the deadly accident on November 10, 2023, when a van going at 83 km/h crashed on the Chiang Mai-Pai highway in Pa Pae, Mae Taeng District, Chiang Mai, killing two foreign visitors. One is a French woman, while the other is a Dutch man.
According to Mae Hong Son Tourist Police, the latest incident occurred on February 8, 2024, at 9:45 p.m. when the van of Prempracha Transport Company Limited, carrying 13 foreign tourists from Chiang Mai, lost control and overturned on a sharp bend near Mae Ya-Mae Ping checkpoint in Mae Hi sub-district, Pai district, Mae Hong Son province.
The Thai driver, Mr. Barami Panjachaya, 50, succumbed to his injuries at Pai Hospital at 00:12 on February 9.
All 13 passengers aged 19-28, Danish nationals, suffered injuries. Four of them are in serious condition. Several rescue teams, including the emergency medical team from Pai Hospital, police officers, tourist police and Mae Hong Son Immigration Police, immediately rushed to the aid of the injured and transported them to various hospitals.
Nine people remained hospitalized, 4 in Chiang Mai and 5 in Pai. They were coordinated and assisted by interpreters from Mae Hong Son Provincial Police to facilitate communication and provide necessary amenities to tourists.
Pai District Administrative personnel, together with Pai Provincial Police and Border Patrol Police officers, inspect the accident site on Highway 1095 between the 82 and 83 km markers in Mae Hi, which is a downhill slope. There is a left-right alternating curve along with a downhill slope. As a result, it may cause an accident involving a vehicle travelling at high speeds.
On February 15, the Pai District Road Safety Operations Centre will hold a meeting with key agencies and public transport companies in the area to discuss various actions.
The number of accidents involving tourist vehicles is similar to the number of road accidents in Thailand as a whole. In 2023, there were 14,094 reported fatalities and 808,165 injuries. By 9 February 2024, there were 1,688 fatalities and 98,046 injuries.
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