WANG NAM KHIAO — Two women were killed and 14 others injured after a passenger minivan plunged off a mountain road in northeastern Thailand when the driver reportedly fell asleep at the wheel, police said.
The accident occurred on Monday, Jan. 5, 2026, on Highway 304 at kilometre marker 243, a winding mountain section in Udom Sap subdistrict, Wang Nam Khiao district, Nakhon Ratchasima province.
Police Lt. Col. Nakhon Thanomsap, an investigator at Udom Sap police station, said officers were alerted to the crash and rushed to the scene with traffic police and rescue workers.
Authorities found a white Toyota minivan, registered in Bangkok, overturned at the bottom of a ravine more than 10 metres below the road. The vehicle was severely damaged, with its wheels pointing skyward.
Fourteen injured passengers were rescued from inside and around the vehicle and taken to Pak Thong Chai Hospital and Wang Nam Khiao Hospital. Two female passengers were pronounced dead at the scene.
Nakhon Ratchasima provincial police commander Maj. Gen. Narongsak Phromtha later visited the site with senior officers to oversee the response. The crash occurred on a steep and hazardous stretch of road between Khao Yai National Park and Thap Lan National Park, an area known for frequent accidents.
Police said the driver, identified as Danai Prachit, told investigators he had departed from Pattaya in Chonburi province at 5 a.m. to transport passengers to the new bus terminal in Nakhon Ratchasima. At about 10 am, while driving uphill, he reportedly became drowsy and lost control of the vehicle, which struck a guardrail before tumbling down the slope and rolling several times.
Investigators believe the driver may have been fatigued due to lack of rest. The minivan has been impounded for inspection, and legal proceedings will follow, police said.