British tourist, 41, injured when minivan overturns on way to Thai island

A British tourist was seriously injured when a minivan carrying 10 tourists to an island overturned along a highway in southern Thailand.

Katherine Elden, 41, was onboard the white minibus operated by R.P.T. Transport Co, Ltd., on the way to a ferry pier when it flipped over on Highway 401 in Surat Thani province, on July 6.

She had severe injuries and was rushed to hospital for treatment.

Police Captain Pariwat Petcharat of the Phunphin Police Station said officers arrived at the scene, where the vehicle was found lying on its side.

He said: 'This bus picked up tourists from Surat Thani railway station and was travelling to a ferry pier in Don Sak district when it was caught in the accident. The driver is being questioned as we investigate the cause of the crash.'

Ten people were taken to the Phunphin Hospital.

Eight of them were discharged. They were named as German nationals Marie Geppert, 4, Tim Geppert, 6, Jens Geppert, 37, Maren Geppert, 38, Swiss tourists Charlotte Scheirlinckx, 19, Rosalie Scheirlinckx, 51, Marie Frank, 40, and an American national, Curtis Gray, 54.

Two other tourists, British national Katherine Elden, 41, and American Jennifer Lynn Werth, 52, were shifted to the Surat Thani Hospital for further treatment.

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.