Nineteen people were killed and 30 others injured when a bus taking people on a community study tour overturned on a downhill road in Nadi district of Prachin Buri early on Wednesday.
The bus was one of three taking 129 people from Bueng Kan province, beside the Mekong River, to Rayong.
The Prachin Buri road safety centre reported that the accident occurred around 3.20am near kilometre marker 210.5 on Highway 304. The driver lost control on a downhill section, the bus plunged off the road, down the slope and overturned.
“It was a downhill road and the brakes failed, and the driver lost control of the vehicle before it overturned,” said Pol Col Sophon Phramaneehe.
There were 49 people on the bus, all Thai, including the driver, he said.
Reports said 17 people died at the scene and two others were pronounced dead later at a hospital.
The injured were taken to Nadi and Kabin Buri hospitals.
The crashed bus was one of three taking people on a 5-day Community Waste Bank Development Project study trip organised by Phon Charoen municipality in Bueng Kan.
Police were investigating the cause of the accident.
Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra expressed her condolences to the victims’ families and said an investigation was taking place.
“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 said in a post on X.
“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.”
Road accidents and fatalities are common in Thailand due to weak enforcement of vehicle safety standards and poorly maintained roads. The country ranked ninth out of 175 World Health Organization member countries for road traffic deaths, according to its 2023 report.
Last year, a tour bus carrying children on a field trip caught fire due to a gas cylinder leak, killing 23 people, including 20 students.
