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Chinese father dies in Koh Larn motorbike cliff fall

A 51-year-old Chinese tourist was killed and his adult daughter injured after their rented motorbike went off a bend and fell down a cliff on Koh Larn, near Pattaya, on August 6.

The crash happened at about 4pm on the downhill roadway from the island's wind turbine viewpoint. The victim's daughter, a Chinese woman aged about 30, was taken to Koh Larn Hospital after receiving first aid at the scene.

Motorcycle found below high cliff

Emergency services were alerted to the crash after reports that a motorcyclist had lost control on a curve and gone over the cliff edge on the road leading down from the viewpoint.

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Rescuers from Sawang Boriboon Thammasathan Pattaya City were sent to the scene, where they found a Honda Click 125 motorcycle below the cliff. The bike carried Bangkok registration.

The man who died was named as Wan Xuechun, 51, a Chinese national. He was found at the foot of the cliff and was pronounced dead at the scene.

Daughter taken to Koh Larn Hospital

Police said initial inquiries indicated that Wan and his daughter had rented the motorcycle and ridden up to the wind turbine viewpoint.

While travelling back down the hill, the rider reportedly lost control on a bend before plunging over the cliff. The father died at the scene, while his daughter was injured.

Rescue workers gave the woman initial treatment before taking her to Koh Larn Hospital. Her condition was not disclosed.

Police are continuing a detailed investigation into the cause of the crash. The rescue team was assigned to transfer Wan's body to hospital for safekeeping while relatives are contacted.

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Pictures courtesy of Amarin

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7 August 2026

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riverhigh Silver Member

riverhigh

Advanced Member
23 minutes ago, spidermike007 said:

Perhaps some restrictions should be put into place for bike rentals? Most who rent them have no skills, and little experience riding. It is a formula for disaster. Nobody expects to return from a vacation in a wooden box.

Agree in principle but there are economic and Thai cultural considerations. Thai children are allowed to ride motorbikes without licenses. The reason for this is that if not allowed to ride a motorbike they will not go to school.

VocalNeal Star Member

VocalNeal

Advanced Member
6 minutes ago, golli said:

No you are supposed to have a bike license and a International Drivers permit but most renters will give you a bike without any license. Definitely won't be covered by any insurance.

Doesn't look like much of a road. More a cobbled sidewalk. Why was he riding a scooter on a footpath. Wet cobblestones and scooters don't mix?

Captain Flack Star Member

Captain Flack

Global Moderator

Posted breaking forum rules removed.

@Iron Tongue rule 17.News articles are collected from recognised sources and may be consolidated or rewritten with AI assistance. Respectful discussion of the article content is welcome. Disrespectful comments about the articles, the use of AI, or the news team (e.g. “clickbait,” “slow news day,” mocking grammar, or AI taunts) are not permitted. Posts breaching this rule will be removed, and posting suspension or account closure may result. If you see an error in an article, please use the report function.

riverhigh Silver Member

riverhigh

Advanced Member
35 minutes ago, jacko45k said:

Boy that comment has been made quite a few times.

I think a car licence lets you rent anything here... nobody ever showed much interest in my M/C endorsement when I used to rent here.

For clarification purposes:

" A motorcycle endorsement is an official notation added to your driver’s license that legally allows you to operate a motorcycle on public roads. It proves you’ve met the state’s requirements for motorcycle training, testing, and safety. In this guide, we’ll explain what a motorcycle endorsement is, how to get one, and why it’s essential for every rider"

While this endorsement may mean a lot to you as an American, please keep in mind that you are riding a motorbike in Thailand and that Thai officials may not be aware of this particular state requirement. Just saying.

shackleton Platinum Member

shackleton

Advanced Member

Its always the same reasons coming up when there is a motor bike incident

Blame the Vendor or the person involved does not have a licence

Or not wearing a helmet driving to fast

The Thai authorities need to start enforcing stricter rules on people riding motor bikes

L- Lifeline Silver Member

L- Lifeline

Advanced Member

What a tragedy for the victim and his entire family

RIP

Ralf001 Star Member

Ralf001

Advanced Member

Scoot rental joint will want new for old replacement.

Bangkok Barry Star Member

Bangkok Barry

Advanced Member
1 hour ago, spidermike007 said:

Perhaps some restrictions should be put into place for bike rentals? Most who rent them have no skills, and little experience riding. It is a formula for disaster. Nobody expects to return from a vacation in a wooden box.

I very much doubt that it was a rental. The bike carried Bangkok registration.

Bangkok Barry Star Member

Bangkok Barry

Advanced Member
19 minutes ago, Ralf001 said:

Scoot rental joint will want new for old replacement.

1 hour ago, jcmj said:

This is exactly what can happen when you rent a bike to anyone, with or without experience, just to make a few baht. I guess tourists don’t read the news or just think they can wing it. This is not the place to do that.

Why do you think it was a rental? The bike carried Bangkok registration.

dddave Ruby Member

dddave

Advanced Member
2 hours ago, jcmj said:

This is exactly what can happen when you rent a bike to anyone, with or without experience, just to make a few baht. I guess tourists don’t read the news or just think they can wing it. This is not the place to do that.

Not just Thailand. In Bermuda, non-residents are not allowed to rent cars, only motorbikes. It's a popular honeymoon destination and every year a litany of stories about newly-weds dying in motorbike accidents on the islands curvy roads.

So touchy is the issue that the Bermudian Govt. classifies road death stats as State secrets.

Captain Flack Star Member

Captain Flack

Global Moderator

Post breaking forum rules removed.

@Bangkok Barry rule 17.News articles are collected from recognised sources and may be consolidated or rewritten with AI assistance. Respectful discussion of the article content is welcome. Disrespectful comments about the articles, the use of AI, or the news team (e.g. “clickbait,” “slow news day,” mocking grammar, or AI taunts) are not permitted. Posts breaching this rule will be removed, and posting suspension or account closure may result.

Ralf001 Star Member

Ralf001

Advanced Member
1 hour ago, Bangkok Barry said:

Why do you think it was a rental? The bike carried Bangkok registration.

Your eyes painted on ?

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Bangkok Barry Star Member

Bangkok Barry

Advanced Member
35 minutes ago, Ralf001 said:

Your eyes painted on ?

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No mate. Maybe you can tell me if it's legal to rent a motorbike with Bangkok plates on Koh Larn. Whatda' think?

flaming dragon Gold Member

flaming dragon

Advanced Member

I have a vision (no pun intended) of the daughter playfully cupping her hands over the father's eyes as he entered the curve.

Ralf001 Star Member

Ralf001

Advanced Member
35 minutes ago, Bangkok Barry said:

No mate. Maybe you can tell me if it's legal to rent a motorbike with Bangkok plates on Koh Larn. Whatda' think?

Yeah, nah I cannot tell you.

Best you call the police or land transport department.

ThailandGuy Advanced Member

ThailandGuy

Member
5 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

Perhaps some restrictions should be put into place for bike rentals? Most who rent them have no skills, and little experience riding. It is a formula for disaster. Nobody expects to return from a vacation in a wooden box.

Why not have 50cc bikes available in Thailand for all the tourists? Nobody with common sense in that country to jump into that gap which could be a big commercial hit! No issues with insurance and licenses. No issues with speeds they can't handle.

VBF Ruby Member

VBF

Advanced Member
(edited)
4 hours ago, riverhigh said:

For clarification purposes:

" A motorcycle endorsement is an official notation added to your driver’s license that legally allows you to operate a motorcycle on public roads. It proves you’ve met the state’s requirements for motorcycle training, testing, and safety. In this guide, we’ll explain what a motorcycle endorsement is, how to get one, and why it’s essential for every rider"

While this endorsement may mean a lot to you as an American, please keep in mind that you are riding a motorbike in Thailand and that Thai officials may not be aware of this particular state requirement. Just saying.

That is similar in UK but I always thought that in Thailand there were separate licences for cars and motorcycles - is that not the case? I certainly recall friends who had 2 Thai licences for that reason I thought.

My point is, that If that is the case, one would think that a renter would know to look for a correct licence or some sort of endorsement on the licence submitted.

(Example, in UK, all licences look the same, but there are specific categories notated - these categories cover all motorised vehicles and you're either licensed or you're not.

Here's a screenshot of mine showing that I am licensed to drive mopeds, cars and light vans only. Of course, I'm not sure if these are UK only or international.

image.png

Edited by VBF

kimamey Ruby Member

kimamey

Advanced Member
5 hours ago, ftpjtm said:

I've rented motorbikes on Koh Larn dozens of times, and have been on that pathway. It's incredibly steep and dangerous. I fell once and have the scar on my arm to prove it, and helped a Chinese girl get out from under her motorcycle after falling on that trail.

I've never seen a motorcycle rental shop offer helmets, and don't think I've ever seen a motorcycle rider wearing a helmet on Koh Larn. They also don't check licenses. We once rented motorbikes on Koh Larn for our 13 and 14 year old nephews without a problem. Fortunately they were better at handling a motorcycle than me

I don't normally ride a motorcycle but I did wonder about the the road in question. If it is steep could the brakes have faded? Also, given what some roads are like in Thailand, is it littered with bumps and potholes? On the roads it's bad enough for cars, but for bikes the risk of being thrown off is much greater if avoidance isn't possible.

I've been driving a car long enough to know how to deal with long descents in either a manual or automatic. The only time I've ridden bikes is on the flat so I don't know what sort of engine braking there is.

Liverpool Lou Star Member

Liverpool Lou

Advanced Member
6 hours ago, newbee2022 said:

No, not the motor bike but the driver.

Police should check the brakes!

No, they should check the qualification of the person who rode the motorbike, the chances are that the brakes are in a much better condition than his riding ability that could have killed his daughter was.

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