PRAN KRATAI — 22 January 2026, Three people were killed early Thursday when a sport utility vehicle carrying Chinese passengers left the road and slammed into a tree in northern Thailand, police said, with investigators finding 23 mobile phones believed to be linked to a transnational scam network.
Police were called at 06:20 to the Pran Kratai–Wang Prachop road in Moo 4 of Ban Lan Krathing, Wang Khuang subdistrict, Pran Kratai district, Kamphaeng Phet province. A black Toyota Fortuner registered in Bangkok was found heavily damaged at the front and right side after hitting a tree.
All three occupants were killed at the scene, trapped inside the wreckage. They were identified as the Thai driver, Phanthip Selamat, 57, from Pha Khao district in Loei province, and two Chinese nationals who were passengers.
A search of the vehicle uncovered 23 smartphones packed in a shoulder bag. Officers also found evidence suggesting the phones were configured with separate devices and numbers tied to major overseas cities, including Miami and Texas in the United States, indicating use consistent with call-centre or scam operations.
Immigration police said the vehicle had previously been flagged as part of a watchlist linked to cross-border labour smuggling. In November 2025, it was reported to have entered Kamphaeng Phet province and evaded tracking by authorities.
Investigators believe the driver was hired to transport foreign nationals to a neighbouring country. Police are checking whether the licence plates are genuine and are analysing data from the seized phones to identify other members of the network.
CCTV footage from the area shows the vehicle travelling at a modest speed before veering straight into the tree without braking, police said.