CHIANG RAI- A celebratory Songkran trip turned into a nightmare in northern Thailand on Wednesday evening after a pickup truck, driven by a man with a blood-alcohol level four times the legal limit, careened off a curve and plunged into a roadside ditch.
The accident, which occurred in the Phaya Mengrai district of Chiang Rai, left three young men dead and two others fighting for their lives. This tragedy adds to the rising toll of road casualties during Thailand’s “Seven Dangerous Days” of the Songkran holiday.
Local police and rescue teams were alerted to the scene on Highway 1152 in the Tung Chao Nuea village area. Upon arrival, emergency responders found a bronze Toyota pickup truck lying at the bottom of a two-meter-deep roadside embankment. According to Manager Online, the vehicle had failed to navigate a sharp curve on the four-lane highway.
The force of the impact was devastating. Two passengers riding in the open bed of the truck—identified as Mr. Amorntep and Mr. Phadungkiat, both 21—were killed instantly. A third victim, a 21-year-old woman identified as Ms. Piyada, who was sitting in the front passenger seat, later succumbed to her injuries at the hospital.
Alcohol and Speed: A Lethal Combination
Preliminary investigations by the Phaya Mengrai police suggest that the group was returning from Songkran festivities. However, the driver’s condition was the primary factor in the tragedy.
- Drunk Driving: A breathalyzer test revealed the driver had a blood-alcohol concentration of 202 milligrams percent—significantly over the legal limit of 50 mg%.
- Excessive Speed: Skid marks and vehicle damage indicate the truck was traveling at a high speed, making it impossible to control at the curve.
- Overcrowding: The vehicle was carrying six people in total, including passengers in the rear “cab” and the open truck bed.
Two other passengers, aged 18 and 21, remain in critical condition under close medical supervision.
Road Safety Concerns Mount in Chiang Rai
This latest incident highlights the ongoing struggle to reduce road fatalities during the Thai New Year. Statistics from the first four days of the holiday period (April 10-13) in Chiang Rai showed 22 recorded accidents and two deaths. However, this single crash has more than doubled the province’s death toll for the week.
Authorities are once again urging the public to avoid driving after consuming alcohol and to strictly observe speed limits. Despite increased police checkpoints and public safety campaigns, the combination of “festival spirit” and reckless driving continues to claim lives on rural highways.
As the Songkran holiday concludes, families in Chiang Rai are left mourning young lives cut short by a preventable disaster. Police have confirmed that the driver will face multiple legal charges, including reckless driving causing death and driving under the influence.
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