PATTAYA, Thailand – A major head-on collision between a car and a pickup truck on Jomtien Beach Road just after midnight on June 13, resulted in multiple injuries and two wrecked vehicles.
The crash involved a modified Nissan Frontier pickup truck carrying twelve government officials and village health volunteers from Pichit Province. Nine passengers sustained injuries ranging from abrasions to head lacerations and impact-related pain. All injured parties received initial first aid before being urgently transported to nearby hospitals.
Ekachai Suksomwai, the 62-year-old pickup truck driver, recounted that he was returning the visitors to their Jomtien hotel when the speeding Honda Civic driven by Mr. Zheng Xiong, a 26-year-old Singaporean, crossed into the opposite lane and collided with the pickup truck. Xiong also sustained injuries. Ekachai credited the survival of the passengers to the protective grace of Luang Phor Ngern, a revered monk from Wat Bang Klan in Pichit.
Pol. Capt. Phuttharak Sornkamhan, Deputy Inspector of Pattaya City Police Station, stated that surveillance footage will be reviewed, and blood alcohol tests for both drivers conducted to determine the accident’s cause and ensure an impartial investigation.
