At least 18 people were killed and 23 injured in eastern Thailand on Wednesday after a tour bus lost its brakes and overturned into a ditch, police reported.
“It was a downhill road and the brakes failed, and the driver lost control of the vehicle before it overturned,” said Colonel Sophon Phramanee. He added that all those who died were adults on a study trip.
The bus, carrying 49 passengers—all Thai, including the driver—crashed in Prachinburi province, 155 km (96 miles) east of Bangkok. Social media footage showed rescue workers assisting victims near the overturned vehicle with its undercarriage exposed.
Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra expressed condolences and confirmed an investigation was underway.
“If it is found that there is a violation of the use of vehicles that do not meet the standards or are involved in reckless use of vehicles, legal action will be taken,” she stated in a post on X.
She also stressed the need for stricter vehicle inspections: “Inspection of vehicles must be safe and pass the specified standards before they are put into use to prevent accidents and reduce losses like this again.”
Thailand has a high rate of road accidents due to weak enforcement of vehicle safety standards and poorly maintained roads. A 2023 World Health Organisation report ranked the country ninth among 175 member nations for road traffic deaths.
In a similar incident last year, a school bus caught fire due to a gas cylinder leak, killing 23 people, including 16 students.
