Tragic Deaths of 20 Schoolchildren Spark Urgent Calls for Road Safety in Thailand

Photo : AFP

Thailand is in mourning following one of its deadliest road accidents in history, where a bus fire tragically claimed the lives of 20 school children and three teachers just three days ago. The incident has raised urgent questions about road safety in the country, with investigators uncovering a series of safety failures that turned the bus into what some have described as a “bomb on wheels.”

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Video footage captured moments after the bus collided with a concrete barrier shows flames erupting from beneath the vehicle, rapidly engulfing it in an inferno. Passengers seated at the back were left with little chance of escape as the fire spread. Investigations revealed that the bus, which had been converted to run on compressed natural gas (CNG), was fitted with six legally installed gas cylinders in the rear. However, five additional cylinders were discovered illegally installed under the front of the bus.

The crash reportedly caused a pipe connected to one of the illegally installed cylinders to break, leading to a gas leak that ignited the fire. Eyewitness accounts suggest that passengers could not open the rear emergency exit, although the reasons for this remain unclear. In response to the disaster, the Thai government has ordered inspections for all public and private buses operating on CNG—over 13,000 in total—and suspended long-distance school bus trips.

The bus involved in the tragedy had a convoluted history; it was described as a "franken-bus," having undergone multiple alterations since its initial registration in 1970. Originally a double-decker, the bus was converted into a single-decker to comply with height regulations aimed at preventing rollovers. The upper deck was still occupied by passengers, while the lower deck housed gas cylinders.

Despite Thailand's gradual implementation of stricter safety regulations over the last 15 years, many buses, particularly older models, fall short of these standards. Sumet Ongkittikul, a transport specialist at the Thailand Development Research Institute, pointed out that most bus manufacturers in the country cannot meet the international safety benchmarks established by the UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE). Consequently, existing regulations primarily apply to new buses, leaving a vast number of older vehicles on the road without adequate safety measures.

The new UNECE regulation UN R118, which mandates the use of non-flammable materials in bus interiors, was introduced in Thailand in 2022. However, this law does not extend to buses manufactured or modified before then. It is believed that using less flammable materials could have mitigated the devastating impact of the fire.

In the aftermath of the accident, the bus owner has been charged with causing death through negligence. Police allege that the owner attempted to remove the illegally installed gas cylinders from other buses in his fleet shortly after the fire. The company’s license to operate buses has been suspended as authorities investigate further.

Thailand's dire road safety record raises the question of whether this tragic incident will finally lead to meaningful reforms. The country has consistently ranked among the top ten nations globally for per capita road fatalities, with an average of over 17,000 road deaths annually over the past decade. In stark contrast, countries like the UK, with a similar population, experience fatalities ten times lower.

Road behavior in Thailand often exhibits dangerous practices, such as exceeding speed limits and frequent weaving in and out of traffic. Commercial vehicles are typically overloaded, poorly designed, and inadequately lit. Furthermore, motorbike riders often neglect to wear helmets. Some experts attribute the high number of accidents to systemic corruption within law enforcement and a cultural belief in karma, which tends to dismiss traffic incidents as mere misfortune rather than issues rooted in unsafe practices.

While graphic warnings about the dangers of drinking and driving are common, a sustained national campaign focused on road safety has yet to materialize. This neglect is thought to stem from the perception that traffic fatalities primarily affect lower-income groups, contrasting with policymakers who are less impacted, as they typically travel in high-end vehicles equipped with superior safety features.

In light of this recent tragedy, Transport Minister Suriya Jungrungreangkit announced the formation of a special committee to investigate all aspects of road safety in the country. However, the announcement has been met with skepticism regarding its potential efficacy. For the families of the victims, the hope is that this tragic event may finally serve as a catalyst for genuine reform in Thailand’s road safety laws and practices, breaking the cycle of ineffective measures that have historically plagued the nation.

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