Pattaya-
Eighteen Chinese tourists were uninjured but shaken up after a tour bus slammed into a tree near the Bali Hai Pier this morning, with the bus driver blaming brake failure.
Captain Natthaphon Sangsri of the Pattaya City Police was notified of the accident on Saturday morning (September 23rd) down a hill near the Bali Hai Pier in South Pattaya.
Police and emergency responders arrived at the scene to find the damaged tour bus stuck between two trees. Eighteen Chinese tourists were found panicked and shaken up by the accident but no one was injured.
The bus driver was identified by Pattaya police as Mr. Kamsaen Srichum, 43. He first refused to go to the police station and argued with police, claiming the accident wasn’t his fault and that he shouldn’t be held responsible.
Kamsaen told police that he was taking the Chinese tourists to the Bali Hai Pier to bring them to the boats heading to Koh Larn, a popular tourist island. Suddenly, the brakes failed and Kamsaen says he decided to crash into a tree to stop the bus and to avoid further damage or injuries by letting the bus go out of control at the pier. Kamsaen stressed that in his view he helped prevent any injuries and that the brake failure wasn’t his fault.
Kamsaen was taken to the Pattaya Police Station regardless and Captain Natthaphon stated that CCTV would be reviewed as well as the condition of the bus to determine if Kamsaen’s statements were correct before any determination of possible legal challenges took place.
