Behind the wheel of bus No. 8
The Bangkok Post's Spectrum spends a day with a driver and conductor of Bangkok's notorious Bus No. 8 and finds its not an easy job.
The Bangkok Post's Spectrum spends a day with a driver and conductor of Bangkok's notorious Bus No. 8 and finds its not an easy job.
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Sanor Duangsamrouy has been working on buses for 20 years, the past eight driving the notorious No 8 route. His wife, Kesarin Tanwuthisut, is his conductor. Photos by Thanarak Khoonton
Drivers and conductors on Bangkok's Number 8 bus route have a reputation of being the city's worst. Recently, a reporter with the Bangkok Post's Sunday Spectrum magazine spent a day with the Number 8 bus. Here is an excerpt in which a driver and a conductor describe what life is like for them. You can read the full, much longer story here: http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/investigation/406802/behind-the-wheel-on-hell-ride
Behind the wheel of bus No. 8
Nattha Thepbamrung
Sanor Duangsamrouy, 45, originally from Samut Prakan province, has been working on city buses for 20 years, the past eight driving the No 8 route.
His wife, Kesarin Tanwuthisut, 55, has spent the past seven years beside her husband on the bus as the conductor.
Kesarin Tanwuthisut, the conductor on her husband's bus for the past seven years, says the couple puts in very long hours to earn just 10% of the day's takings.
It’s not an easy life. They get up at 5.30am to prepare for work — usually starting at 6.30am — and return to their modest two-room flat located down a dark alley near the bus depot in Ramkhamhaeng Soi 58 near Happy Land, at about 10.30pm.
Mr Sanor agrees that the overall image of No 8 bus drivers is bad, adding that drivers chop and change on a regular basis.
“One rotten apple doesn’t spoil the whole barrel,” he said. “There are different drivers all the time. Most of the time the young ones aren’t patient in Bangkok traffic for too long and break the traffic laws or have a crude driving style. Also, there is not very strict screening of recruits.”
Sanor Duangsamrouy and Kesarin Tanwuthisut receive good feedback from regular passengers, but acknowledge that many drivers on route No 8 breach road rules in the race to get passengers.
He puts the commuter complaints and accidents down to cut-throat competition between bus companies and drivers for commuters. “The main reason there are complaints about speeding, breaking the traffic laws or poor driving habits is because drivers are racing each other to get customers. There are many buses and many private operators so they have to make as many round trips as they can a day.
Mr Sanor and Mrs Kesarin enjoy a short break in the small apartment they rent near the bus depot.
“There are good profits to be made on Route 8, more than many other routes. It passes a lot of important and crowded spots in Bangkok, such as Chatuchak market, Sampheng market, Victory Monument and Yaowarat.”
The most enjoyable time of the day for Mr Sanor, checking his amulets
Mr Sanor said he knew of no private bus company that paid its drivers a salary. Like most other drivers, he receives 10% of the day’s takings — normally about 5,000-6,000 baht — equating to a daily wage of 500-600 baht plus a 100 baht daily allowance and another 100 baht for gas.
He says while the company owners tell their drivers to obey the road laws, it is virtually impossible to do if they are competing for customers.
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