Chinese tour bus crash on Kata hill

A Chinese tour bus has collided with a pickup truck then ended up dangling precariously down the hill. 33 Chinese tourists have luckily escaped from serious injury.

Karon Police were notified about the incident on Patak Road in front of the Kata power plant at 11.05pm last night (June 12).

Emergency responders arrived at the scene to find a white tour bus emblazoned with ‘Eakkarin Nirat’ in amongst the banana trees off the side of the road. 33 Chinese, who were mostly uninjured, were in panic inside the tour bus. Three metres away was a damaged Toyota pickup truck.

The bus driver, Chaipohn Samerpak, told police that they were heading from Chalong. When they came to that section of the hill, he claims the tour bus brakes failed. The bus collided with the parked pickup truck before careering over the side of the hill.

Chinese tourists were helped from the bus and then transferred to another vehicle to a hotel.

Police have conducted an alcohol breath test with the driver but nothing was detected. However police are continuing their investigation to find the cause of the accident.