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Two Phuket Tourists Killed in Shocking Hit Run to End Seven Days of Danger

Thursday, April 16, 2015
PHUKET: Two Chinese ending a holiday on Phuket were struck and killed last night by a hit-run driver who only stopped a kilometre down the road because a trapped body impeded the car's progress.

The nightmare began when Tanuwat Chamnit, 56, anxious to get back to Bangkok after a Songkran holiday in Chumpon province, sped through an orange flashing light at an intersection.

Crossing the road in front of his car were four Chinese, returning to their wayside stop hotel after a late supper around 11pm in Prachuap Khiri Khan province.

The Chinese had finished a holiday on Phuket and then six of them hired a car to travel north to Hua Hin.

Police Superintendent Colonel Ampon Amornluchpreecha told Phuketwan: ''Police found a body that had been dragged down the road more than a kilometre.

''The car, with its windscreen shattered, was found at a repair shop. The driver faces very serious charges.''

Chang Ching, 26, a Chinese visitor from Yunnan province, said four of the party of six crossed the road to eat and as they were walking back, the car struck, killing his mother Shi Chang Wang, 48, and dragging his uncle, Chang Hong, to a horrible death.

The Chinese were among the last of the victims during the Seven Days of Danger in Thailand, a road safety campaign designed to try to reduce the high number of deaths and injuries that accompany the long Songkran New Year festival.

Phuket was one of a handful of provinces to escape without any fatalities. Surin was worst, with 16 deaths.

Last year on Phuket there was one death.

Nationwide, there were 364 deaths on the roads and 3559 people admitted to hospital for treatment.

On Phuket, there were 57 crashes recorded with 58 admitted to hospital.

Of 3908 people charged with offences, 1711 were for no helmet; 17 for dangerous driving; 230 for no seat belt; 485 for drunk driving; 1095 no licence; 213 for jumping red lights; 114 for proceeding in the wrong direction; six for overtaking dangerously and 37 for driving while talking on a mobile telephone.

Comments

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"1095 no licence!" It's the 25% of the people charged on Phuket. Unbelieveble! Can you think how many people are driving without licence nationwide?

Posted by james on April 16, 2015 13:44

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Whilst this is a tragic event so is every traffic death all 364 of them so why print this one, are Chinese more important than other deaths.

Posted by Welcome To Paradise on April 16, 2015 13:47

Editor Comment:

Some deaths are more unusual than others. Some deaths also cause greater alarm because of greater negligence. All lives, though, are equally valuable and all needless deaths are to be regretted.

I will ask you a question in return. Are you as bigotted as your question makes you sound?

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@ Welcome to Paradise

Could it be the grave indifference the driver displayed by not stopping until 2km down the road and only to dislodge and dispose of the body ?

Sure there are countless accidents in Thailand every day but most drivers are not so cold blooded.

There was the Red Bull heir that drove hundreds of meters with the dead police officer jammed under his car and the son of a Minister who's Porsche was found 15km from the accident site with half the torso of a 15y old Burmese girl crashed in through the windshield and deposited on the passenger seat.

Both of them got away scot free but since this driver is not an "influential person", one can expect the book to be thrown at him.

Not that he does not deserve it, it's just that everyone regardless of nationality or social status should be subjected to the same punishment and level of justice.

Posted by Herbert on April 16, 2015 14:08

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Stop insulting your readers if you can?

Posted by Verbally Abused By Ed on April 16, 2015 14:13

Editor Comment:

I promise not to insult any reader unless a reader happens to insult the intelligence of all readers, grotesque strangely named contributor.

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I've returned for a short family holiday in Phuket (Karon Beach). From what I have seen these past 4 days, the police could take those numbers in an afternoon or evening at the traffic lights on Patak Road alone. The number of people (farang & Thai) with no helmets must be as high as 30%. The number racing through red lights could easily be 3 to 4 per light change (mostly young Thais). Dangerous driving - plenty. Speeding either to beat the lights or racing off dangerously when they turn to green too numerous to count. Licenses!?

Posted by Logic on April 16, 2015 15:37

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(moderated)

Posted by Ex-Pet on April 16, 2015 15:50

Editor Comment:

We don't permit unwarranted, irresponsible criticism, ex-pet.

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''The car, with its windscreen shattered, was found at a repair shop. The driver faces very serious charges.''
I hope this driver does not get the mandatory 500Baht fine.

Posted by Robin on April 16, 2015 15:54

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Songkran must reduce death fatality, since the figures for Road deaths in Thailand is 26,312 a year.(2010)
That averages to 72 per day, so in theory with the 7 days, 140 people were not killed over Songkran.

Still it goes to show how appalling driving standards and enforcements by authorities is.

Posted by Tbs on April 16, 2015 16:07

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Tbs,
The same issue was raised a few months ago in another article. From memory there was a difference in the way fatalities were being counted as one was, deaths on the spot at the accident scene and the annual figure which included deaths that may occur days, weeks or months later resulting from these accidents.

Posted by manowar on April 16, 2015 17:01

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Cold and callous act may justice be swift, the 7 day danger is highly progressive for Thailand as raises awareness of the road toll risk and consequences Ed may recall the 1034 road toll campaign in Australia by a newspaper from memory it snowballed into a huge campaign indeed the toll dropped significantly.

Posted by slickmelb on April 16, 2015 21:07

Editor Comment:

Indeed. 1034 was a great campaign by the late Harry Gordon on the Sun News Pictorial that drove legislation for seat belts and other innovations that saved thousands of lives. Thais are beating smoking but not the killers on the roads.

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Please be cognizant that the roadway fatality numbers are artificially suppressed, skewed, and would be much higher if Thailand bothered to abide by W.H.O. standards. They don't.

They only count deaths at the scene of the accident, not up to 30 days after the collision as per World Health Organization Protocols. But Thailand seems to brazenly ignore them.

I would guess you would need to add on another 15-20% for a greater degree of accuracy. An article from April, 2015 stated that there are 80 deaths a day on Thai roadways, so you could figure at least a hundred.

My question is, how many a day do you think it would take to foment progressive change on deadly Thai roadways? I say at least 200 deaths per day would do the "trick," to make authorities rise from their extended "slumber."

Happy, happy "hunting," whatever you hunt..

Posted by farang888 on April 16, 2015 23:51

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This article shows that the Thai Government still has a long way to go to make Thailand roads more safe.
Why I see on Phuket only Police Highway Patrol cars driving in front of VIP cars, using their claxon to push me out of the way because they are speeding?
Why are these police Highway patrol cars not patrolling the Phuket roads when they not service Vip's? Patrol the roads, that could be a good start as police force work. Contribution to road safety.

Posted by Kurt on April 18, 2015 09:36

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Ed you recall that campaign better than I, amazed how informed you are, well if they ever release the real road toll figures Id back the Phuket wan 1034 campaign anytime.

Posted by slickmelb on April 18, 2015 22:08


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