Hong Kong policeman’s fatal fall from baht bus sparks safety outcry

Pattaya Tourist Police are offering comprehensive support to the widow of a Hong Kong policeman who tragically lost his life after falling off a baht bus on Pattaya Second Road on July 22. The shocking incident has catapulted road safety in Pattaya into the national spotlight.

The grieving widow is receiving assistance from police to navigate the investigation and manage claims for damages. The baht bus in question is insured under the Motor Vehicle Accident Victim Protection Act and additional voluntary insurance, with death cases covered up to 500,000 baht per policy.

The deceased, Chi Fai Lam, will be repatriated to Hong Kong for funeral rites, a process being coordinated by the Pattaya Tourist Police and the Chinese Embassy. Meanwhile, the baht bus driver has been detained and questioned by investigators from the Pattaya City Police Station. The driver faces charges of reckless driving causing death and failing to stop to provide assistance or identify oneself to the police after causing damage.

This incident has prompted swift action from local police. The Pattaya Tourist Police, in collaboration with the Pattaya City Police Station, is set to meet with baht bus operators to reinforce safety protocols and prevent future tragedies, reported Pattaya Mail.

ORIGINAL STORY: Chinese man dies after falling off baht bus in Pattaya (video)

A Thai baht bus driver in Pattaya denied any knowledge of an accident in which a Chinese man fell from his vehicle and later died.

Locals in Pattaya condemned the baht bus driver, later identified as Thongchai Thonglueng, for his alleged cruel behaviour after he left the 48 year old Chinese man, Chi Fai Lam, lying in a pool of blood on Pattaya Sai 2 Road on the morning of July 22. Witnesses rushed the Chinese national to hospital but he succumbed to his injuries.

Security camera footage showed the Chinese man falling from the dark blue baht bus but the driver sped away without checking on him. The vehicle’s registration plate was identified as 10-6324, and the driver was later identified to be Thongchai.

Thongchai was summoned to Mueang Pattaya Police Station for questioning that afternoon. He insisted that he was unaware his passenger fell from his vehicle.

Thongchai explained that he picked up seven to eight passengers from the Dolphin Roundabout and dropped them off at Pattaya Walking Street. He checked the passengers in his rear-view mirror and saw that no one remained. He claimed he did not know when the Chinese man boarded his vehicle or when he fell off.

A witness, 56 year old motorcycle rider Sriprai, told Matichon that many people shouted at the baht bus, asking the driver to stop but he ignored them and sped away.

Police did not reveal the next steps in their investigation and did not clarify what legal action would be taken against Thongchai.

A similar accident was reported in the Isaan province of Udon Thani in April when a 76 year old Vietnamese woman fell out of a tuk tuk and later died in hospital. The Thai tuk tuk driver also claimed he was unaware that his passenger fell from the vehicle, only realising the accident had occurred when he reached the passenger’s destination.