CHIANG RAI – On Tuesday, Mae Sai police received a report at approximately 10 PM of a serious crash involving a big bike that left the road and plunged into a roadside drainage channel.
The incident happened on the second ring road in Mae Sai, Chiang Rai, near the front of the Heuan Him Doi restaurant. Rescuers from Piyamit Mae Sai joined officers at the scene and found a man lying unresponsive beside a motorcycle.
The big bike was a red Honda CBR650F without a number plate. It was badly damaged, the engine had cut out, and the indicators were still blinking. Debris was scattered across the area. Next to the bike, officers found a black wallet containing tens of thousands of baht.
Documents in the bag identified the rider as Mr Boy, 32, a resident of Koh Chang Subdistrict, Mae Sai, Chiang Rai.
A preliminary check of the scene suggested the rider had been travelling fast from the Ban Uea Arthorn Mae Sai traffic lights along a two-lane stretch. He appeared to change lane too late, lost control, left the carriageway and hit the roadside verge. The impact threw both the rider and the bike about 10 metres. He suffered fatal injuries and died at the scene. A duty doctor attended to confirm the death.
Phanarint Konkaew, 20, who first spotted the motorcycle in the drainage channel, said he was riding home from work with a friend when he saw a blinking indicator light in the channel beside the road. They went to look, realized there had been a crash, and saw a man lying still near the big bike. They then called the police.
Manop Baenyatan, owner of Lung Yai Zaeb Nua Khrua Isan, said his shop is about 500 metres from the crash site. He heard the sound of big bikes passing the front of his shop several times that day and thought someone might have been testing a bike.
He had not heard that kind of noise in the area before and did not expect that one of those bikes would later crash with a fatal result. After the on-site investigation, the authorities transferred the body to Mae Sai Hospital to await relatives for religious rites.
Big Bike Accidents in Thailand
Thailand’s road network keeps the country moving, yet it is also one of the most dangerous in the world. Motorcycles, especially high-capacity “big bikes” such as sport touring models over 400 cc, account for a huge share of deaths. In 2024, more than 14,000 people died in motorcycle crashes, close to 80% of all road fatalities nationwide.
Speed is the main factor. It plays a role in about half of all motorcycle collisions, turning a quick ride into a deadly risk. This piece sets out the scale of the crisis, the key causes, recent figures, and why change cannot wait.
Thailand ranks ninth globally for road traffic deaths. An estimated 18,000 people lost their lives in 2021, roughly 50 per day, and the trend has stayed much the same into 2025, with only slight dips during holiday periods.
Motorcycles dominate the numbers. Around 82 to 83% of road deaths involve two-wheelers, and most victims are young men aged 15 to 29.
Holiday travel is especially deadly. During New Year’s, from 27 December to 5 January 2025, there were 2,467 crashes and 436 deaths. Speeding was the top cause, and motorcycles were involved in 83% of cases.
Big bikes raise the stakes. Many are ridden by speed-seekers, expats, and tourists. Machines like the Yamaha R7 or custom builds costing more than 200,000 baht can pass 200 km/h. Thailand’s busy mix of scooters, trucks, cars, and pedestrians leaves little room for error, so minor mistakes can be fatal.
The economic impact is severe. Road crashes drain about 6% of Thailand’s GDP each year, more than 400 billion baht, through lost work, medical costs, and the human cost carried by families.
