The Transport Ministry has ordered the operator of the ill-fated bus which crashed into two lorries killing seven people and injuring 53 others in Prachin Buri on Monday to issue a public response and warned it could face legal consequences, according to Deputy Transport Minister Surapong Piyachote.
He said the Department of Land Transport (DLT) has launched a fact-finding probe which will also calculate compensation for victims and their families.
The DLT said it has has supplied local police with information about the bus and is monitoring the case closely.
The company which operates the bus has been ordered to give statement to the DLT.
"If it broke the land transport law, it will be subject to legal punishment," he said.
Seven people were confirmed killed and 53 injured early Monday morning when their bus crashed into two lorries in an accident blamed on malfunctioning brakes.
Pol Lt Col Siwaphas Phuripaschaiboonchu, inspector at Wang Khondaeng police station, said the bus was travelling from Rayong to Nong Khai. It rear-ended the two trucks on highway 304 in Na Di district around 2am.
He said seven people were confirmed dead at the scene, including the bus driver and his relief driver, while the 53 passengers who suffered injuries were rushed to local hospitals.
Na Di district chief Somjai Phutthasena said the death toll could climb further.
A preliminary investigation found the accident could have been due to malfunctioning brakes on the interprovincial bus, Pol Lt Col Siwaphas said.
The bus was operated by 407 Pattana Co, which has a poor safety record.
Trucker Lamsant Phuangphu said he was following behind the bus as it descended a hill at an unusually high speed before hitting the two lorries in front of it. Mr Lamsant said he and other motorists stopped to help passengers escape the bus, which caught fire after the crash.
On Feb 26, an accident on the same stretch of road claimed the lives of 17 local government employees from Phon Charoen district in Bung Kan, and injured 40 others. They were on a study trip to Rayong when the bus overturned.
The road is notorious for the many S-shaped bends along it, which make it difficult for vehicles to negotiate.