LAMPANG – Police have arrested a 27-year-old man for vehicular manslaughter after he killed a Buddhist monk collecting alms while drunk. Police report the man’s blood alcohol level of 221 mg, 201mg over the legal limit.
According to police, he had been drinking in Lamphang city, then drove his pickup truck back towards Ko Kha District. He told officers a lorry turned in front of him, and when he tried to swerve out of the way, he lost control.
The pickup overturned and then hit a Buddhist monk, who was out collecting alms. The monk died at the scene.
Pol Lt. Udom Tajaijai, an investigator from Ko Kha police station in Lampang, was alerted to the fatal crash. He said the incident happened on the Lampang-Tak road, right by a Bangchak petrol station in Sala subdistrict, Ko Kha, Lampang.
The call for help came in at 6.45 am. Police contacted doctors at Ko Kha Hospital, as well as emergency responders.
When they reached the scene, they found the body of a monk. He was later identified as Phra Boonsom Sawkaew, 69, originally from Bang Duea subdistrict, Bang Pa Han district, Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya. He had been staying at Wat Bot Kong Kham in Sala subdistrict, Ko Kha, Lampang.
Near the spot, a black Isuzu pickup from Lampang lay overturned, wheels facing up. The driver, Mr Wutthiphong, 27, was drunk and injured his hand. He admitted he had been drinking in the city and was on his way home to Ko Kha.
A lorry reportedly made a U-turn just ahead, so he swerved to avoid it. The pickup then flipped over and hit the monk walking along the roadside, killing him instantly. Police breathalyzed the driver and found his alcohol level at 221 mg. Officers detained Mr Wutthiphong and have begun legal proceedings.
There have been several reported incidents of monks in Thailand being killed by vehicles while collecting alms, a traditional morning ritual where monks walk through communities to receive food offerings.
In April 2025, in Nakhon Sawan Province, an 82-year-old retired teacher, Ms. Rattana Butpradit, was killed while waiting to offer alms to monks. A red car and a silver pickup truck, speeding side by side, lost control on a curve, and the red car struck her.
The pickup driver was apprehended, but the red car’s driver fled. This incident indirectly relates to alms collection, as it involved someone preparing to give alms to monks.
In April 2024, in Pathum Thani Province, a 69-year-old monk, Areesak Pathumya, was killed, and two others were injured when a delivery truck driven by a 21-year-old who fell asleep at the wheel crashed into a group of monks during their alms round in Klong Luang district.
The driver, who had been awake since midnight delivering goods, lost control, leading to the fatal collision
Drunk Driving in Thailand
Thailand has long struggled with drunk driving, which plays a big part in its high rate of road accidents. In 2018, the World Health Organization reported that Thailand had the ninth-highest road traffic death rate globally, with 32.7 deaths per 100,000 people. Alcohol contributed to around 26 to 28 percent of these deaths.
Motorcycles are the main vehicles involved, featuring in about 80 percent of crashes. Drunk driving adds even more risk for riders. A study from 2023 found that 57.7 percent of people who drink admitted to driving after drinking.
Those who binge drink face twice the risk. Much of the problem comes from weak enforcement, as many drivers caught under the influence only get suspended sentences or minor penalties. This approach does little to stop repeat offences.
In 2024, stricter rules arrived. The legal blood alcohol concentration (BAC) limit was lowered to 0.02 percent for drivers under 20, those with a provisional licence, or people without a licence. The limit remains 0.05 percent for everyone else.
If drivers refuse a breathalyzer, police can now carry out urine or blood tests. Despite these updates, patchy law enforcement, particularly in popular tourist spots like Pattaya, and cultural attitudes towards drinking continue to hold back progress.
Penalties for first offences vary from fines of 5,000 to 20,000 baht and up to a year in jail, while repeat offenders face harsher punishments, including losing their licence. Still, accident numbers spike during holiday times like Songkran and New Year, which shows ongoing difficulties in reducing drink driving and keeping roads safer.
