One person was killed and dozens more were injured in a horror bus crash in Thailand.

The double-decker tour bus operated by Piya Rungrueang Tour Co Ltd., was transporting passengers from Bangkok to the Su-ngai Kolok district of Narathiwat province when it rear-ended a pick-up truck that had suddenly braked on the road on June 30.

The bus then struck an oncoming van and veered off the side of the road.

Police in the Cha-Am district along with rescue volunteers and medics arrived at the scene in Phetchaburi at around 11 pm.

They said 46 bus passengers and five van occupants suffered minor injuries. The bus driver Hasan Useng, 62, had a slightly wounded right leg while the pick-up truck driver Payap Songsri, 49, had a broken left leg and was trapped inside his damaged vehicle.

Payap was rushed to the Cha-am Hospital, but his passenger Prapai Palakawong Na Ayuthaya, 46, was found dead inside the truck.

Officers said both the bus and van had sustained severe damage due to the crash.

Police Lieutenant Colonel Sunthorn Pramsang from the Cha-Am police station said: 'The rescue teams have arranged for the 46 bus passengers to be taken to a safe location, where they could wait for another bus to continue their journey.

'We are investigating the incident to determine the cause of the crash and gather more evidence for prosecution.'

Bus driver Hasan said: 'The pickup truck in front of me suddenly stopped, so I tried to apply the brakes as well, but I was already too close. I had to steer the bus off the road, but there was an oncoming van which I crashed into on the other lane.'

Thailand has one of the world's worst road safety records. Ministers have set the goal of reducing fatalities from 32.7 deaths per 100,000 people to 12 per 100,000 people by the year 2027.

However, a lack of road safety education in schools along with notoriously easy driving tests, police failures to enforce road laws, and chronic under-investment in infrastructure, all appear to hamper the efforts.

One person was killed and dozens more were injured in a horror bus crash in Thailand.

The double-decker tour bus operated by Piya Rungrueang Tour Co Ltd., was transporting passengers from Bangkok to the Su-ngai Kolok district of Narathiwat province when it rear-ended a pick-up truck that had suddenly braked on the road on June 30.

The bus then struck an oncoming van and veered off the side of the road.

Police in the Cha-Am district along with rescue volunteers and medics arrived at the scene in Phetchaburi at around 11 pm.

They said 46 bus passengers and five van occupants suffered minor injuries. The bus driver Hasan Useng, 62, had a slightly wounded right leg while the pick-up truck driver Payap Songsri, 49, had a broken left leg and was trapped inside his damaged vehicle.

Payap was rushed to the Cha-am Hospital, but his passenger Prapai Palakawong Na Ayuthaya, 46, was found dead inside the truck.

Officers said both the bus and van had sustained severe damage due to the crash.

Police Lieutenant Colonel Sunthorn Pramsang from the Cha-Am police station said: 'The rescue teams have arranged for the 46 bus passengers to be taken to a safe location, where they could wait for another bus to continue their journey.

'We are investigating the incident to determine the cause of the crash and gather more evidence for prosecution.'

Bus driver Hasan said: 'The pickup truck in front of me suddenly stopped, so I tried to apply the brakes as well, but I was already too close. I had to steer the bus off the road, but there was an oncoming van which I crashed into on the other lane.'

Thailand has one of the world's worst road safety records. Ministers have set the goal of reducing fatalities from 32.7 deaths per 100,000 people to 12 per 100,000 people by the year 2027.

However, a lack of road safety education in schools along with notoriously easy driving tests, police failures to enforce road laws, and chronic under-investment in infrastructure, all appear to hamper the efforts.