Dozens of tourists run for their lives after bus catches fire in Thailand

This is the dramatic moment dozens of tourists ran for their lives after a bus they were travelling on burst into flames.

The coach packed with suitcases was travelling from Chiang Rai to Chiang Mai, in northern Thailand yesterday (April 9) afternoon.

Mid-way through the journey driver Rath Chantamon, 55, noticed smoke coming from the right rear wheel before he stopped the car and had a look.

He was trying to put out the fire from the bus engine when it began rapidly spreading. The panicked driver immediately told all the passengers to get off.

Thirty-nine passengers ran screaming from the burning bus but the flames continued burning causing thick black smoke and traffic jams.

Firefighters from Doi Saket district came to the scene and spent more than 40 minutes to stop the fire.

Chantamon said that he had no idea what started the big fire.

He said: “I didn’t know why but I think the fire came from the engine and spread into the luggage compartment before it burned the whole bus.’’

Passengers and the driver were being interviewed as part of their investigations.