UDON THANI – A fatal accident occurred after the driver of an 18-wheel lorry looked away for just a moment to take a phone from his 5-year-old daughter. As he turned back, his lorry crashed into the back of a parade float decorated for the Uthai Thani Rocket Festival
That truck pulling the parade float was parked on the roadside while its group was having lunch. The crash killed the 70-year-old driver, known as Por Yai Biem, and injured three other people.
Police and rescue workers arrived at the scene on the Uthai Thani–Manorom road, just a kilometre from town. They found the float, which was on its way to the Uthai Thani Rocket Festival, had been hit hard from behind by the lorry.
The impact was so strong that Mr. Por Yai Biem died at the scene. Two others had minor injuries, while one person suffered a serious cut and was rushed to Uthai Thani Hospital.
The force of the crash pushed the parade truck into a gold Honda sedan parked ahead. Thankfully, nobody was inside the car at the time.
Parade Float Headed to Rocket Festival
Nattachai Khunu, 26, who travelled with the group from Roi Et, said they were heading to join the annual rocket festival at the Thap Salao reservoir, with the event set for 21–22 June. After passing Wat Tha Sung, they stopped for lunch.
As they finished and were getting ready to leave, Por Yai Biem walked to the back of the truck to check everything. That was when the freight truck slammed into the back, hitting Por Yai Biem and throwing him underneath.
The freight truck driver, Mr. Krisana, 51, told police he was on his way to pick up rice in Nakhon Sawan, with his wife and young daughter along for the ride. His daughter, sitting in the back seat, handed him a phone to play cartoons.
He looked away to take the phone, and by the time he looked up, it was too late to stop. He insisted he had not been drinking.
Police carried out a breath test and continued their investigation. The crash caused heavy traffic delays until the scene was cleared. Police said they will review all details before taking further action under the law.
Freight truck accidents in Thailand are a significant issue, often linked to poor driving practices and systemic factors. Thailand has one of the highest road traffic death rates globally, with an estimated 20,000 fatalities annually, many involving large vehicles like freight trucks.
A leading cause of truck accidents, that drivers often exceed limits on well-paved roads designed for speed. Long driving hours lead to accidents, such as a 2024 case where a truck driver, on his fifth 300km journey in 33 hours, fell asleep, causing a fatal crash.
Uthai Thani Rocket Festival
The Rocket Festival, known as Bun Bang Fai, is a traditional merit-making ceremony celebrated in Northeastern Thailand (Isan) and Laos, typically held in May or June to mark the beginning of the wet season.
While Yasothon is the most famous location for this festival, Uthai Thani, a province in Central Thailand, also hosts rocket festival activities, though on a smaller scale compared to the grand celebrations in Isan provinces like Yasothon, Kalasin, or Roi Et.
The festival in Uthai Thani likely follows the same traditional structure as in other regions, involving homemade rocket launches to petition Phaya Thaen, the rain god, for a bountiful monsoon to support rice farming. It may include parades, traditional music, dance, and community festivities, though specific details about Uthai Thani’s event are limited.
The festival is rooted in animist and Buddhist traditions, aiming to ensure a good rainy season for rice cultivation. Rockets are launched to “seed the clouds” and honour Phaya Thaen, with the belief that neglecting this ritual could lead to drought or poor harvests.
