Eleven employees of an electronics firm were injured last night when their company shuttle bus skidded off the road and into a ditch in Ayutthaya province at about 8pm.
The shuttle was transporting 30 workers for Minebea Thai Co. Ltd., which operates under the Japanese multinational MinebeaMitsumi, to Tha Ruea District. Bus driver Banja Soodsawang told police he was trying to pass the car in front of him when he lost control due to bumps on the road, Khaosod reported.
Fortunately, all 30 employees had their seatbelts fastened, which meant the injuries suffered were relatively minor. After four injured passengers were transported to Uthai Hospital and seven others to Rajthanee for examinations, doctors determined they were all able to go home.
The driver, meanwhile, was hauled in by Uthai police for further questioning, in order to determine what, if any, legal consequences might follow.
Though all the passengers were able to safely return to their homes last night, Thailand has a long and troubling history of road deaths and injuries far worse than our neighbors.
According to a report last year from World Atlas, Thailand has an average of 36.2 road deaths per 100,000 citizens — making it the “country with the highest road traffic death rate” in the world.
World Atlas noted that, “poorly maintained road networks and a lack of resources to enforce road safety laws and get medical assistance” contributed greatly to that alarming statistic.
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