The Department of Land Transport (DLT) is initiating legal action against five parties related to the tragic tour bus fire that claimed 23 lives on Vibhavadi Rangsit Road in Pathum Thani province this past Tuesday.
The gas-powered bus, organized by Wat Khao Phraya Sangkaram School in Uthai Thani for a school trip to Ayutthaya, caught fire after one of its front tires burst. This horrific incident resulted in the deaths of 20 students and three teachers.
On Friday, Department director-general Jirut Wisaljit reported that police investigations found the bus had 11 fuel gas cylinders, of which only six were registered, leaving five unaccounted for in official records.
The following parties have been identified as responsible for the incident:
1. Bus operator Shinabutr Tour – The department has conducted inspections on all vehicles owned by this company and has provided the police with the findings to support the case.
2. Bus owner Panisara Shinabutr – The DLT has suspended her public transport operator license. If it’s determined that negligence contributed to the incident, her license will be revoked.
3. Bus driver Saman Chanphut – His driving license has been suspended, with potential revocation if he is found responsible for the accident.
4. Bus inspectors – Two unnamed officials from the department’s Sing Buri office, who were responsible for inspecting the bus, have been reassigned to inactive roles at the department’s headquarters while an investigation is ongoing. They face serious disciplinary action if their negligence is determined to have played a part in the tragedy.
5. Gas canister installer – Alternative Resource Engineering Ltd has been named as the company that installed the compressed natural gas (CNG) canisters on the bus. This company could lose its permit as a result.
The bus involved in the incident was a 41-seater chartered passenger vehicle registered under the license plate 30-0423 Sing Buri.
Initially registered on February 19, 1970—54 years ago—it underwent re-registration on October 26, 2018, following modifications to its chassis frame and changes in dimensions.
