PATTAYA, Thailand – A Toyota SUV was badly damaged after catching fire on a road in east Pattaya on Thursday morning, July 9, with the driver saying she was thankful the blaze did not happen while she was taking her grandchild to school. The fire broke out at around 8 a.m. on Chaiyapornwithi Road near the entrance of a local street approaching Mapprachan reservoir. Pol. Lt. Col. Nattikan Yodsoi of Banglamung Police was passing through the area when he spotted thick smoke and flames coming from the engine compartment of a black Toyota Corolla Cross SUV parked on the roadside.
Traffic was temporarily stopped as emergency teams were called. Staff from nearby tire and motorcycle repair shops attempted to control the flames using fire extinguishers and water, but the fire spread quickly and turned into a large blaze. Firefighters from Pattaya City and the Sawang Boriboon arrived and brought the fire under control within five minutes. The engine compartment was completely destroyed, while parts of the passenger cabin were also damaged.
The driver, 56-year-old Rada Saisuk-anun, said she had just finished dropping off her grandchild at school and was driving home when she noticed smoke coming from the front of the vehicle. She immediately pulled over and asked for help. Within minutes of stepping out of the vehicle to check the problem, flames suddenly erupted from the engine area and spread rapidly. Rada said she had owned the SUV for around four to five years and the cause of the fire had not yet been determined. She described herself as extremely lucky that the incident did not occur while she was still driving her grandchild to school. Authorities are investigating the cause of the fire.
