At least 20 passengers were hurt when a speeding No.18 bus struck a roadside power pole in Bang Phlat district of Bangkok around noon on Saturday.
Police investigating the scene at the entrance to Charan Sanitwong Soi 76 found the air-conditioned bus jammed against the concrete high-voltage power pole. About 20 passengers, mostly students, sustained minor injuries.
The driver, identified only as Chang, fled after the incident.
A police investigation found that the bus, which runs between Victory Monument and Tha-it, was travelling at a high speed as it raced with another No.18 bus along the route.
At a point where the road narrows from three lanes to two because of electric train line construction, the driver lost control of the bus and it struck the power pole, Thai media reported.
Police were trying to find the driver. The bus was operated by Patchara Co.
