A fully loaded bus bound for Bangkok from Surat Thani overturned in Chuporn , injuring seven foreigners.The other tourists on the bus were all adamant that the driver Punayawee Somsiri, 50, was drunk.
However, the driver challenged police to check him out and even denied that he was driving at the time of the accident. He said it was a friend of his behind the wheel called Chatchawan who was driving. He didn’t know his surname.
Punayawee said that Chatchawan fled the scene of the accident.
He admitted that earlier he had collected 13 tourists from Pak Nam Ta Pee then another 33 at Phun Phin station and was taking them to Bangkok.
Then his friend took over the driving, he said, but being unfamiliar with the road he had an accident at some road works then fled.
But the tourists told a different story. They said Punayawee had been guzzling beer all the way and the bus was swerving from side to side and going too fast at times.
Channel 3 evening news said that the driver challenged the police to test him but there was no indication in their Facebook account of the incident what the result of this was.
The accident happened between kilometre markers 481 and 482 on the Asia Highway in Hat Phan Krai sub-district.
This is another disturbing case of people’s lives being put at risk by irresponsible bus company employees. In the unlikely event that the driver’s friend was indeed driving, why was this allowed to happen? How many more accidents like this will it take before ALL cowboys are removed from driving duties ?
Source: Channel 3 evening news