Three people were injured, two seriously, after an elderly driver reportedly lost consciousness and drove an electric sedan into the Guanyin Shrine on Yaowarat Road in Bangkok's Chinatown on Thursday, 1 October 2026.
The crash was reported at 1pm at the shrine within the Thian Fah Foundation complex. Emergency responders treated the victims at the scene and took them to hospital.
Officers from Phlapphla Chai 2 police station cordoned off the area after the vehicle struck people who were paying respects inside the 68-year-old shrine.
Driver reportedly lost consciousness
Witnesses told police the driver was an elderly man with an underlying condition related to high blood pressure, according to Pol Lt Col Atthapol Darok, deputy chief of Phlapphla Chai 2 police station.
The man reportedly lost consciousness while driving and accidentally pressed the accelerator, sending the electric vehicle into the shrine.
Initial reports said three people were injured. Two of those hurt sustained serious injuries.
Police had not provided further details on the identities or nationalities of the injured people.
Statue spared but shrine damaged
Some items and structures at the shrine were damaged in the crash. However, the Guanyin statue remained intact after the sedan came to a stop at its base.
The shrine is on Yaowarat Road, the main thoroughfare through Bangkok's Chinatown, an area regularly visited by overseas tourists and foreign residents for its temples, markets and food businesses.
Pictures courtesy of Khoasod
Emergency crews take victims to hospital
Rescuers removed the injured people from the crash scene and transported them for medical treatment.
Police are continuing to handle the case and are continuing the investigation into the reports that the driver had lost consciousness before the collision.
Caution video shows the collision
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2 October 2026
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