A well-known artist who painted for a resort in north Phuket has died after the motorbike he was riding collided with a tour bus in the Thalang district. The Phuket News reports that 53 year old Chakrapop Thuaisiri died in the collision, which happened on the Srisoontorn Road on Tuesday night, August 15.
The accident occurred near the entrance to the Tawan Place housing estate in Moo 4, in the sub-district of Srisoontorn. It’s understood the victim’s bike was hit by a tour bus that was transporting tourists to their hotel after a visit to the FantaSea cultural show in Kamala.
Thalang Police were notified of the accident at around 11.40pm and arrived on the scene with a rescue team from the Kusoldharm Foundation, and medical workers from Vachira Phuket Hospital. A heavily damaged Honda Wave motorbike was found in the right-hand lane, with Chakrapop’s body laying nearby.
Parked at the side of the road was a tour bus from the Go Go Bus company, which had sustained damage to the front right corner, with the windscreen cracked in the same area.
According to the bus driver, named as 44 year old Sitthichai Phuhat, conditions were wet at the time as it was raining, and the road was slippery. He says he was transporting 10 tourists back to their hotel when he saw the motorbike approaching, driving in the wrong direction, near the right-hand lane. Sitthichai says he couldn’t avoid hitting the bike.
Thanyapisit Muangchan from Thalang Police says an investigation into the accident is ongoing.
Meanwhile, the Phuket News reports that data from the national road safety agency, the Thai RSC, shows that so far this year, 94 people have died in Phuket road traffic accidents, and 13,534 have been hospitalised.
SOURCE: The Phuket News
