Capt Jaruwat Jiamnaka of the Patong Traffic Police issued the call for caution this morning after a tour bus and a pickup truck sideswiped each other on the busy road at about 10am.
The pickup truck was travelling downhill into Patong and the tour bus was climbing the hill out of Patong when they struck each other.
"There were no injuries in the accident, and both vehicles were soon moved out of traffic's way," Capt Jaruwat explained.
Another tour bus arrived soon after and carried the tourists on with their journey, he added.
"I don't know what nationality the tourists were, but they were all safe," he said.
However, that accident paled in comparison to the multi-vehicle wipeout that happened in front of Wat Patong about 3:40pm this afternoon when a tour bus, two passenger vans, several passenger cars, and a pickup truck and a motorbike were all involved in a series of collisions at the bottom of the hill at about 3:40pm.
The two vans collided head-on in front of Wat Patong. Several passenger cars were involved in collisions immediately nearby.
The pickup truck and the motorbike collided on the small road that joins the Patong Hill road partway up the hill, but the tour bus remained skewed across the road heading out of Patong at the bottom of the hill, where a six-wheeled truck sat in front of it jammed into a power pole.
Three people were reported as injured in the collisions, police reported.
All the wrecks strewn across the main road caused havoc for traffic for hours after.
Meanwhile, Patong Police have confirmed that the driver of a runaway six-wheeled truck that struck several cars before slamming head-on into another truck in front of Wat Patong late yesterday afternoon (Jan 22) has been charged with reckless driving and operating an unsafe vehicle.
The driver, Boonloam Boonprom, who claimed that the brakes of the truck failed while he was descending the hill into Patong, was charged with reckless driving causing injury and reckless driving causing property damage, and operating a vehicle unfit for use on public roads, confirmed Lt Chanat Hongsittichaikul of the Patong Police.
Boonloam and Suthut Aompana, the driver of the truck that Boonloam's six-wheeler slammed into head-on, both had to be cut free from the wrecks and taken to Patong Hospital.
Mr Suthut’s injuries were given as “serious”.
A third person injured in the accident, 17-year-old motorbike rider Inthira Yudee, was also taken to hospital. The extent of her injuries were not reported. (See story here.)
The slew of accidents spurred Patong Traffic Police Capt Jaruwan to repeat his call for caution: "Please drive safely and be careful on the road over Patong Hill. Accidents happen on this road many times."