Goes back to my post of a couple of days ago. Until education makes road safety something to be taken seriously, this type of accident will occur. It's not the first time (Big Buddha hill for example) and it wont be the last.

I know we are guests in Thailand, and many people will say "if you dont like it, then leave" but this is not about this. We have every right to help improve the environment where we live, whether we are guests or not. That's our duty as caring human beings.

Posted by Discover Thainess on July 3, 2015 07:47

Once again "Discover Thainess" with you 100 percent on your comment....

Posted by Robert on July 3, 2015 08:09

No one should be transported on the back of a lorry. There is no safety.

It's the equivalent of sitting on the roof of your car.

These huge companies should have a bus, but of course it comes down to no one enforcing the law in every sense. Driving standards, vehicle standards etc.

Another pickup was flipped over by the Bypass and airport Road traffic lights this morning.

Posted by Tbs on July 3, 2015 08:12

Here in Khaolak area we have the same situation. Open lorries full of workers and last time I counted 15 persons on the flat bed of a pick-up.
But what to do when the police here is only checking motorbike drivers without helemts. They don't even stop song-teows with school children sitting on its roof!

Posted by OJ on July 3, 2015 09:52

We are not so much guests as customers so we have every right to comment on issues like this.

Posted by Tamvong on July 3, 2015 09:57

Returning from Surin, I was suddenly overtaken by vehicles with sirens, but also by dozens of onlookers, much too fast, and mostly without a helmet.
Whether sober or not, you do not know.

They all followed the sirens in deep sorrow to miss something in their boring existence.

Very disturbing and dangerous. I was glad to be back home.

Posted by Georg The Viking on July 3, 2015 10:21

Daily you see uncountable lorries and van's packed with construction workers, some times lorries so very packed that people only can stand. It is a 100% illegal way of human transport. It is a disgrace.

Posted by Kurt on July 3, 2015 11:32

When shall the Police do their job and stop this terrible form for transporting migrant workers, I see this form for transport every day here in Phuket, it is a shame for Thailand, POLICE, DO YOUR JOB, stop this terrible transport. It is forbidden by law to transport peoples like this.......
4 persons on a mototbike, no helmets, Police sit drink their coffe when they passes, but if 1 farang without helmet, he or she will be stopped at once and the fine goes in the Policemans pocket many times.

When shal Thailand change to the better

Posted by Fed up expat on July 3, 2015 12:03

Singapore still allows it for economic and filling the roads up. Not going to change here do think anyone transporting passengers should be made to take a more stringent driving test.

Posted by Michael on July 3, 2015 12:39

No one cares for these burmese people's safety. They are treated like third citizen. The safety measures are only highlighted when these kind of terrible accidents happened. The driver only will drive carefully if the workers are Thai.

Posted by Laxmanpala on July 3, 2015 13:12

The fact that Burmese are transported around in dump trucks is a pretty good indicator of where they rank on the human scale in Thailand.

Posted by Herbert on July 3, 2015 15:12

When shall the Police do their job

===

The Police will do their job when they will value their salary , and there will be material risk of being sacked because failure to perform in accordance to their duties.

Neither former nor later is not even on horizon so far.

Posted by Sue on July 3, 2015 16:19

What a nonsense to attach such mode of transportation to Burmese workers and generate prolific conclusions out of that - as if Thai construction workers around the country are transported in air con buses.

All (or the most) of construction workers here are transported like this.

1st because of cost
2nd because an enforcement in general, except for special cases of interest, is non-existing
3rd because popular culture and morals are in line with that

Posted by Sue on July 3, 2015 16:43

Transport costs. In Thailand transport is organized mostly cheap (not the individual public transport on Phuket though) and dangerous (also the individual public transport on Phuket though).

Safety does come with a price tag. A society has to decide what level of safety it wants. Could be all transport only in Mercedes-Benz vehicles with at least 20 airbags. That just costs.

Thailand does not care for being last in Asia, nearly worldwide. Dead people every day.

On the bright side, the potential for safety gains for little money is still huge in Thailand.

Posted by Lena on July 3, 2015 17:31

I am beginning to wonder if there are payments being made at the highest levels of government between Thailand & Myanmar for these workers to be so abused. I have never seen or heard any evidence that the Burmese Government has voiced any complaint or concern to the Thai authorities about the treatment of their nationals.

Dysfunctional ASEAN again!

Posted by Logic on July 3, 2015 19:36

Logic,

it's not true : Myanmar embassy and government on highest levels stood well behind Koh Tao suspects .

Also in regard of various guest workers registration programs, they lobbied quite a lot, but yes, not sufficiently, and with some quite corrupt interests, but still - for benefits for workers.

It is not that easy to claim rights when few millions of your population are mostly unqualified/semiqusoifyed guest workers..

Yes, there is a general sympathy between establishments, and most probably a lot of vested interests in various firms, but if you carefully look after Myanmar government policies and actions in regard of thrift citizens in Thailand, they are not that bad - definitely, they could be much worse.

Posted by Sue on July 4, 2015 07:26

@Sue: of course they had to stand behind the Koh Tao suspects; that garnered much publicity right around the world & they had to be seen to act.

But in general the attitude towards supporting their poor is quite lacking.

I worked in Myanmar for 9 years (2001-2010) & an awful lot there is not as portrayed.

I was there during the so-called monks uprising enduring curfews & hearing local truths from work colleagues. Many that marched as monks were non monks dressed as monks. It was 'smoke'.

I was there in the aftermath of cyclone Nargis, when tens of thousands died in the Irrawaddy delta, when the Myanmar government denied access to the media & aid agencies.

The much feted good lady Aung San Si Kyi has failed to live up to expectations.

It is a country where monk led hatred, sanctioned & supported by the Myanmar government, is leading to the plight of the Rohingyas.

I have many former Myanmar colleagues still connected to me by Facebook & email. The country has not progressed much despite the opinions (or false hopes) of the outside world.

Posted by Logic on July 4, 2015 16:31