CHIANG RAI – On Thursday, Police Lt Arisa Katasai from Mae Sai Police Station got a report about a fatal accident near Huay Khrai Market in Huay Khrai Subdistrict, Mae Sai District, Chiang Rai. She went to the scene with the Doi Tung rescue team.
When they arrived, they found a man’s body pinned under a black Toyota Yaris with Bangkok licence plates. The man’s black Honda Scoopy motorcycle, registered in Chiang Rai, was about ten metres behind the car.
A black Toyota pickup truck, also registered in Chiang Rai, was parked by the side of the road in front of the market.
Police identified the victim as Mr Suk, 54, from Mae Korn Subdistrict, Mueang District, Chiang Rai. He was found lying under the Yaris, and rescue workers recovered his body. His helmet was still wedged under the car.
Mrs Paweena, 77, who was driving the Yaris, explained in a shaky voice that she had just finished some errands in Maesai. She was driving past Huay Khrai Market as usual when a motorcycle hit the back of a pickup truck that was reversing.
The impact sent the motorcycle and rider in front of her car, and she could not stop in time. The man ended up trapped under her car. The left side of her car was dented. Mr Rachan, the driver of the black Toyota pickup, said he had stopped at the market to shop.
He was reversing from the curb when he saw, through his reversing camera, a motorcycle coming up.
He quickly put the car in gear to go forward, but the motorcycle struck the back of his truck before he could drive off. The right rear of his pickup was dented, and there were blood stains from the victim.
Initial investigations suggest that Mr Suk had taken his motorcycle to the market to buy cigarettes and some food. On his way home, just as he reached the front of Huay Khrai Market, his motorcycle crashed into the back of the pickup.
The impact threw him off his bike. Before he could recover, the Yaris hit and fatally pinned him.
Residents say the area in front of the market is always busy, with cars parked along the curb and people coming and going all day. Many drivers travel through quickly without slowing down. This spot has seen several accidents and deaths.
Locals urge drivers to slow down when approaching the entrance of Huay Khrai Market in Maesai. Stay alert, especially when the road gets crowded near the market.
In 2024, Thailand recorded 17,447 road traffic deaths, with 14,144 (approximately 81%) involving motorcycles. This translates to an average of about 38.7 motorcycle deaths per day nationwide.
Chiang Rai’s population is approximately 1.3 million, about 1.9% of Thailand’s 69.6 million (based on 2023 estimates). If motorcycle fatalities were distributed proportionally, Chiang Rai might account for roughly 1.9% of the 14,144 motorcycle deaths in 2024, equating to approximately 268–270 deaths annually.
Studies indicate that rural areas, such as much of Chiang Rai, have a higher severity of motorcycle accidents due to factors like poor road infrastructure and lower helmet use (only 10–19% of roads meet safety standards for vulnerable users). This suggests Chiang Rai’s actual motorcycle death toll could be higher than the proportional estimate.
A 2019 study from Chiang Rai Rajabhat University highlights motorcycle accidents as a major public health issue, with factors like poor road conditions, reckless driving, and weak law enforcement contributing.
