(26 March) Bus companies have been asked to refrain from operating double-decker vehicles on hilly roads, following a deadly accident involving such vehicle in Tak province on Monday.

The accident, which killed more than 30 passengers, occurred when the bus driver lost control of the vehicle as it descended down a slope and slammed into roadside barrier before plunging down into the gorge below. 

It was the latest addition to the series of frequent deadly road accidents in Thailand; less than a month earlier, a double-decker bus also crashed in Prachinburi province and killed 15 victims, most of them young schoolchildren on a field trip.

In the wake of the Monday accident, Mr. Asdsathai Rattanadilok na Phuket, Chief of Land Transport Department, said during a conference with transport authorities across the country that double-decker buses should no longer be allowed to travel on dangerous hilly roads or steep slopes. 

According to Mr. Asdsathai, the tall vehicles are not appropriate for curves and slopes as they can easily lose their balance, therefore double-decker buses should only be reserved for normal roads, and their traveling speed should be restricted.

20,000 of the registered public or chartered buses are double-decker, Mr. Asdsathai said, adding that the ban will be initially enforced by individual companies.

"In the first stage, we will try asking for cooperation from operators for 2-3 months," Mr. Asdsathai explained, "If the situation does not improve and accidents still happen, the Department will consider enacting a direct notice".

One possibility to enforce the ban is to amend the existing traffic legislation to reflect the new regulation, the director said.

Meanwhile, Transport Minister Chatchart Sittipan, told reporters during his visit to the accident site in Tak province that experts from the Department of Land Transport are investigating the issue, particularly to determine whether the bus carried more passengers than the laws permit. 

He named three possible causes for the accident: firstly, the driver might have been inexperienced; secondly, the vehicle might have poor maintenance; and thirdly, the road might have been poorly designed. 

Nevertheless, in the meantime the Ministry of Transport will install more lighting equipment and warning signs around the slope to avoid further incident, Mr. Chatchart said. 

(25 March) Faulty brakes are said to be the cause the charted bus accident in Tak province which killed more than 30 people.

The bus was traveling with three other vehicles that were hired by the regional authority of Tha Sai Luat subdistrict in the province to transport 30 officials and 160 local residents to a field trip in Laos, police said. 

According to witnesses, when the convoy reached a descending slop of Route 105 in Mae Tho subdistrict at around 20.30 last night, the fourth bus, with around 50 passengers onboard, lost control and slammed into a roadside barrier before plunging down into 100-metres deep gorge below. 

More than 20 police force units and rescue teams later arrived at the site of the accident, where they struggled to retrieve the dead and the injured from the bus wreckage amid the darkness and difficult terrain. 

At least 30 people lost their lives in the accident, medical workers at Somdet Prachao Taksin Hospital said, adding that more of the dead were women. 

Mr. Thammanoon Khatbho, a 41-year old resident of Bangkok and driver of the doomed bus, told police he regularly maintained and repaired the bus, and claimed to have good knowledge of the area, as he frequently traveled in the province.

When the bus started down the 4-km long slope, Mr. Thammanoon said, he attempted to slow the bus down, but the brakes did not respond. The driver reportedly intended to collide with a large truck in front of him to stop the vehicle, to no avail, causing the bus to crash into the barrier and fall into the gorge. 

It is not immediately clear whether the police have pressed any charges against Mr. Thammanoon, but officers stress that the incident is currently under investigation.

Thailand is known for its notoriously poor safety record in public transportation, especially concerning inter-provincial travels which involve double-deck buses and public vans.  

The accident also occurred less than a month since the bus crash in Prachinburi province which killed 15 victims, most of them young schoolchildren. 

In the February accident, the driver was found to lack the proper license for operating a public or chartered vehicle.

Related Story: 'Unlicensed' School Bus Driver Slams Into Truck, Killing 15