12 Malaysians killed in Thailand bus crash

PETALING JAYA: Twelve Malaysian tourists and a Thai guide were killed after their bus crashed in northern Thailand today, police said.
The bus was carrying 23 people, of whom 21 were Malaysians.
The other two were the Thai bus driver and a tour guide.
The bus had earlier hit a car in the Doi Saket district, near the northern city of Chiang Mai, provincial police chief Major General Montri Sambunyanon told Reuters.
The driver of the bus had reportedly tried to escape and the road chase by the other vehicle caused the bus driver to speed up and lose control of his vehicle.
The 10 other people on the bus, including the Thai driver, were also injured in the crash and are being treated in hospital in Chiang Mai city, Montri said.
Two people from the other vehicle were injured as well.
According to the Bangkok Post, the incident happened on the Chiang Mai-Chiang Rai Highway (Highway No.118) in the Ban Pan Fan village of the Pa Miang sub-district in Doi Saket at about 12.30pm Malaysian time.
The Chiang Mai registered bus was heading from Chiang Rai province to Chiang Mai.
Bangkok Post reported that rescue workers rushed the injured to several local hospitals.
Tourist police, translators and officials of the Chinese consulate-general in Chiang Mai reached the victims to offer help.
Thailand has one of the highest road accident death rates in the world, according to its public health ministry, with reckless and drunk driving among the top reasons for road accidents.
Malaysians are the second largest group of visitors to Thailand.
More than 293,000 arrived in November, accounting for 11.5% of tourist arrivals, according to the tourism ministry.