PHAYAO – Police officers were left in shock after a woman from Chiang Rai, clearly intoxicated, drove her pickup into a policeman’s motorcycle, splitting it in two and dragging the rider for several dozen metres. The rider was a skilled police investigator from Chiang Kham Police Station, who died at the scene with multiple fractures, severe head injuries
Early evening on 6 October, Pol Capt Phisit Thaowalya, duty investigator at Chiang Kham Police Station, received a report of a collision between a car and a motorcycle. The crash occurred on the road between Chiang Ban subdistrict and Ban Noen Samakkhi subdistrict in Phayao.
He notified Pol Col Thanat Chummano, Superintendent of Chiang Kham Police Station, then attended the scene with a doctor from Chiang Kham Hospital and rescue teams from the Siam Ruam Jai Phayao Foundation, Chiang Kham headquarters.
At the scene, officers found a black Isuzu pickup with heavy damage to the front left. The driver, Ms Wimon Siri, aged 41, from Mae Sai district, Chiang Rai, was drunk and incoherent.
Not far away lay the body of Pol Sub Lt Taweepong Srikakul, an investigator from Chiang Kham Police Station. His clothes were torn almost entirely off. His motorcycle was found in the middle of the road, broken into two pieces.
A hospital doctor conducted an initial examination. The officer had already died, with multiple broken bones and a severe head wound. Rescue workers moved the body to Chiang Kham Hospital for a post-mortem, then planned to release it to the family for religious rites.
Police detained the pickup driver for a blood alcohol test, as she was heavily intoxicated. She was then taken to Chiang Kham Police Station for questioning.
Early enquiries indicated the pickup was speeding on the stated road. It struck the rear of the motorcycle with force. The rider was thrown onto the front of the pickup and dragged for more than 30 metres, dying at the scene. Officers sent the driver for a blood alcohol test, then began a detailed interview. Legal action will follow.
Drunk driving (also called drink-driving or DUI) remains a significant public safety issue in Thailand, contributing to a high rate of road fatalities. The country has one of the highest road traffic death rates globally, with alcohol impairment involved in about 14-25% of accidents.
Despite stricter enforcement and updated laws in 2025, enforcement can be inconsistent, and many offenders face fines rather than jail time. Tourists and locals alike are subject to these rules, with police checkpoints common, especially during holidays like Songkran and New Year’s.
Police Called to Drowning
On the same evening, 6 October, Mueang Phayao Police received a report of a person falling into the Ing River near Ban Dok Bua, Tha Wang Thong subdistrict, Mueang Phayao. Witnesses saw the incident from the riverbank.
Police called in the Natee Phayao Underwater Unit and Kong Ruea Chum, alongside Luecha Foundation, Buddhistyan Rescue, Suban Mettatham Rescue, and Phayao Rescue (Dok Khamtai) to search.
The Natee Phayao Underwater Unit and Luecha Foundation volunteers reached the scene quickly. A good Samaritan pointed to the spot where the missing person had been walking along the bank with a dog. The dog slipped into the river, and the owner jumped in to help, then disappeared underwater.
Teams deployed boats and diving gear, then searched the river. After about 40 minutes, they found the body underwater. The dog was trapped in tree roots 15 to 20 metres from where the fall occurred.
The deceased was identified as Pol Lt Col Weerapon Samranjai, Deputy Superintendent (Investigation) at Mueang Phayao Police Station. Colleagues and residents described him as dedicated and well-respected in the community.
When the body was brought ashore, fellow officers and onlookers were moved to tears. A doctor from Phayao Hospital carried out an initial examination. The body was then released to the family for religious ceremonies.
