Twenty-three people, mainly foreign tourists, were confirmed injured in a road accident involving six vehicles on Patong hill road in Phuket on Sunday night, police said.
The crash happened about 8.30pm when the driver of a passenger bus carrying 21 Chinese tourists and three tour guides lost control while going down the hill road.
The bus reportedly crashed into two vans, one of which then hit a songthaew bus. The tour bus finally crashed into a road barrier and a large water pipe and stopped just short of a 10-metre deep ravine.
A motorcycle was found pinned under the front of a van.
Pol Col Thassanai Olarikdej, chief of Patong police station, said the bus, with Nakhon Si Thammarat licence plates, was taking the Chinese tourists back to a hotel when the driver lost control.
The bus hit two vans, one of which crashed into the songthaew bus carrying three Japanese passengers. A following motorcycle was knocked over and pinned under the front of another van.
The bus driver, Prachuap Sirikhun, and the motorcyclist, identified as Asawadee Jehsawa, were seriously injured. The songthaew bus driver, Suriyont Chonlathee, suffered a broken wrist.
The other injured were 17 Chinese and three Japanese tourists, who were released after receiving treatment.
Phuket transport authorities said the bus was equipped with a GPS device and it was travelling at 56kph when the accident occurred. It was possible the driver was not familiar with the road.
An investigation was under way.
Early stories had different casualty figures.
The motorcycle trapped under the damaged van. (photo from Facebook "Siang Prachachon Khon Phuket" Phuket's Voice)