PATTAYA, Thailand – A Greek tourist who drove a pickup truck onto Jomtien Beach in Pattaya to test its capabilities became stranded in the sand early on October 24, prompting a rescue operation as the rising tide began reaching the vehicle’s rear wheels. Pattaya City special affairs officers received a report of a vehicle stuck on the beach at 3.36 a.m. and rushed to the scene near the Dongtan Curve area in Nongprue, Banglamung district. A crowd of tourists gathered to watch as the silver Mitsubishi Triton remained trapped on the sand, unable to climb back onto dry land.
The driver, identified as 58-year-old Greek national, reportedly tried repeatedly to accelerate out of the sand but could not free the vehicle. The pickup was a two-wheel-drive model, which proved unable to manage the soft beach surface. With seawater rising and beginning to cover the rear wheels, the driver sought help from Pattaya City officials. Municipal officer Chanchai Waidee initially went to assist but found that additional equipment was needed. A private towing service was then contacted to pull the pickup back onto the beach. The recovery operation took more than 30 minutes before the truck was finally hauled onto dry land.
A 46-year-old woman, Urai, who identified herself as a friend of the driver told officials that he had recently bought the second-hand pickup and driven it onto Jomtien Beach to test whether it had enough power to pull a jet ski out of the sea. The attempt failed, leaving the vehicle stuck on the beach as the tide rose. Authorities said the driver could face a fine for driving the vehicle onto the beach. Officials are expected to invite him to explain the circumstances before determining any further action.
