CHACHOEUNGSAO – There have been two incidents involving drivers falling asleep at the wheel and causing accidents resulting in injuries to foreign tourists on March 13, 2024.
The first incident occurred on highway 41 towards Bangkok at kilometer 10 in Bang Wua sub-district, Bang Pakong district, Chachoengsao province. A Toyota Fortuner SUV with Bangkok license plates collided with the rear of a 10-wheeler truck, causing severe damage to the front of the SUV.
Two Danish tourists, Mr. Peter, 46 years old, and Ms. Sandra, 25 years old, suffered injuries. They received medical treatment at the scene of the accident before being taken to Chularat 11 Hospital.
Mr. Rittichai Arya, 34 years old, the driver, admitted to falling asleep while driving the tourists to Suvarnabhumi Airport, leading to the collision with the truck. On March 14, the two visitors are still unable to return to their country while recovering.
In another incident, police in Bang Pakong district, Chachoengsao province, were called at 13:00 to an accident on the expressway at kilometer 45+900 towards Chonburi, in Bang Pakong sub-district. When they arrived, they found a blue Scania bus with Bangkok license plate 32-3241 parked in the middle lane and badly damaged.
The driver, Mr. Nawapol Dokphrom, 34 years old, was injured, as were 29 Chinese tourists. The emergency services provided first medical aid before taking the 30 injured to Chularat 11 Hospital (18 patients) and Bang Pakong Hospital (12 patients).
Nearby, a trailer truck with 22 wheels was also rear-ended on the right side, causing significant damage. Mr. Nawapol, the bus driver, confessed to falling asleep while driving the Chinese tourists to Pattaya, resulting in the collision with the trailer truck in the left lane.
According to the Ministry of Transport, there are an average of around 40 road deaths per day in Thailand, and many more suffer minor to serious injuries. According to the Road Safety Master Plan 2022-2033, the target is to reduce the number of road deaths to 12 per 100,000 population by 2033, in line with the goals of the UN Decade of Action for Road Safety.
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