Memories and prayers are shared at a small-town funeral for the victims of horrific Thai bus fire

LAN SAK, Thailand — At a Buddhist temple in central Thailand, Wichan Seubsaichan recalled his 9-year-old son as a well-mannered boy who loved school and sports, and enjoyed participating in many activities since he was a toddler.

The boy, Reutthawat, had been asking him for a new pair of soccer shoes.

On Thursday, Wichan laid a brand-new pair of shoes, a soccer ball, and colorful sporting t-shirts along with a tray of food and beverages on top of a silver and blue patterned coffin, in front of which stood a portrait of a beaming wide-eyed boy in a white tunic with a purple brocade sash running across his chest.

Reutthawat was one of 23 students and teachers from the town of Lan Sak in Uthai Thani province who died in a horrific bus fire while on a school field trip earlier this week. Funeral rites began on Thursday at the Buddhist temple compound in the students' hometown that also housed their school, and their royal-sponsored cremation will be held next week.

Among the mourners attending the ceremony, marked by the chanting of prayers by Buddhist monks, was Surayud Chulanont, former prime minister and head of King Maha Vajiralongkorn’s Privy Council, who presented a wreath on behalf of the monarch.

The tragedy has prompted outrage and sadness across Thailand over the lack of enforcement of vehicular and road safety standards that contributes to thousands of deaths each year.

Thailand is infamous for having one of the highest rates of traffic fatalities in the world. More than 2,600 children aged 10-19 are killed every year in road crashes, according to the Ministry of Public Health.

Six teachers and 39 elementary and junior high school students were on the bus that caught fire Tuesday on a highway in suburban Bangkok. It spread so quickly that only 22 passengers were able to escape. Three girls remain hospitalized, one with serious burns on her face who risks losing her sight.

Wichan said when he heard news of the accident, he immediately made the six-hour drive back to his hometown from northern Phrae province, where he works as a driver. Reutthawat was not listed as being on the bus that caught fire, and that gave him hope.

“Yesterday, I was told that he had not been identified, so I was still hopeful that my son survived,” he said haltingly before bursting into tears. He learned the truth after having traveled onward to Bangkok where relatives of the victims gave DNA samples to help identify the badly burned bodies.

It was a double tragedy for Wichan, who lost not only his son, but also his own 8-year-old half-brother Natthapong Chamkrasae, who had never traveled far from home before.

Police are investigating whether the fire was caused by negligence have already filed initial charges against the bus driver, including reckless driving and failing to stop to help others.

The driver claimed a front tire had malfunctioned, making the bus bump into a car before skidding along a concrete highway barrier. Sparks from the friction might have set off highly flammable natural gas canisters that fueled the bus, police said.

The bus had 11 gas canisters installed, but a permit to hold only six, according to police. Many Thai vehicles run on compressed natural gas to save money. The bus, which was more than 50 years old, had been modified to run on CNG, said the Department of Land Transport.

“I can’t stress enough about the safety of vehicles,” Wichan said with a firm voice, his eyes red and brimming with tears. “I want them to stop using all natural gas-fueled vehicles … They’re cost-effective for the operators, but they’re not safe at all.”

Oy Kaewprasert, who was also working in another province when her 6-year-old son Theerapong Pienkasiwit perished, described him as a cheerful boy who loved to travel, and who was becoming adept at reading Thai, his favorite subject.

Speaking at the temple with tears rolling down her face, she called for better safety inspections of vehicles. “They shouldn’t be negligent like this,” she said.

The bus company owner has insisted that he followed safety regulations. While he has not been charged, the police have said they are seeking negligence charges against all responsible, and his company’s operating license has been suspended.

The Department of Land Transport is implementing urgent inspections of all natural gas-fueled buses. The department will also upgrade its safety guidelines to require crisis management training for drivers and safety inspections when such vehicles are to be used by schools, said Seksom Akraphand, the agency’s deputy director-general.

On social media, parents have expressed apprehension about sending their children on school field trips, and some even called for such activities to be canceled altogether.

Despite the tragedy he has suffered, Wichan feels otherwise.

“Both my son and my brother died. My brother had never had a chance to go anywhere. This was the first time, and he died,” he said. “For children that do not have an opportunity, to be able to travel for just one time to learn things, it is a very valuable experience for them.”