Parents warn about Thai roads after inquest into coach death teenagers

Bruno Melling-Firth, Conrad Quashie and Max Boomgaarden-Cook were on a coach bound for the northern town of Chiang Mai when it made a wrong turn and pulled across a six-lane highway into the path of an oncoming bus in the early hours of June 28 2011.

The students, all 19 and from south London, were just days into a nine-week trip, along with a fourth friend who escaped the accident with minor injuries.

Jack Beagley, now 20, said they had booked their flights, but no other transport, and had been in Bangkok for four days when they bought their coach tickets to Chiang Mai from an internet cafe for the equivalent of £5 to £10. He added they still probably would have taken the same trip if they had known the risks, but would have “thought twice about buying the cheapest tickets”.

Mr Boomgaarden-Cook died of a severe head injury, Mr Melling-Firth died of multiple injuries, and Mr Quashie died of a head injury.

Coroner Dr Andrew Harris recorded narrative verdicts and said he would write to the Foreign Office to suggest it publishes the same extensive warnings about bus travel as it does about motorcycle travel.