F1 Legend Salo Attack Probe Expands in Bangkok

UPDATE

Police Locate F1 Legend Salo After Bangkok Attack

Pictures courtesy of Khaosod

Bangkok police have located former Formula One driver Mika Salo following reports that he was injured in an apparent attack while crossing a road near a hotel in central Bangkok. Officers have now taken the Finnish motorsport veteran to Lumpini police station for further questioning as investigators work to establish exactly what happened.

At 12.20pm on May 26, Metropolitan Police Bureau commissioner Pol Lt Gen Siam Boonsom ordered Maj Gen Phanlop Aremla, deputy commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Bureau, to oversee the investigation on the ground. He was joined by Pol Col Rueethi Pandam, deputy commander of the Metropolitan Police investigation division, and Pol Col Yingyos Suwannawet, chief of Lumpini police station.

Police later found Mika Salo, 59, staying at a hotel in the Sukhumvit area of Bangkok. During initial questioning, Salo reportedly told officers he did not know what caused the injury to his leg while he was in the Sukhumvit area.

Lumpini police then escorted the former F1 driver to the station for formal questioning as part of efforts to clarify the facts surrounding the case. Authorities are continuing to investigate whether he was deliberately attacked or injured in another way.

The case gained international attention after Finnish media outlets including Ilta-Sanomat and Helsingin Sanomat reported that Salo had been slashed in the leg by a motorcyclist while crossing a pedestrian crossing near his hotel in Bangkok. Earlier reports stated the wound required 28 stitches.

According to the Finnish reports, Salo said he initially only felt a “slight bump” from a motorcycle passing very close to him while crossing the road. He reportedly continued walking for a few steps before people nearby shouted that blood was pouring from his leg.

Salo later looked down and saw his shoes covered in blood, according to the reports published in Finland. The incident prompted a city-wide effort by Bangkok police, with officers across 88 stations instructed to help identify the location where the injury occurred.

Khaosod reported that investigators are expected to continue interviewing Salo and reviewing evidence from the Sukhumvit area, including possible CCTV footage, to determine whether criminal charges or further action will follow.

Adapted by ASEAN Now Khaosod 26 May 2026

2 minutes ago, Georgealbert said:

Officers have now taken the Finnish motorsport veteran to Lumpini police station for further questioning as investigators work to establish exactly what happened

I'd be going to the hospital to interview the fictitious hospital staff who were saying that there were several people slashed by knives that evening

UPDATE

Mika Salo Says Bangkok Injury Was Probably an Accident

Pictures courtesy of Khaosod

Former Formula One driver Mika Salo has told Thai police he was not assaulted after suffering a serious leg injury near Bangkok’s Nana intersection on 19 May 2026. The 59-year-old Finn said he believed the wound was caused accidentally, possibly by a motorcycle number plate scraping his leg, according to information provided by hospital staff.

Police from Lumpini Police Station and Tourist Police invited Salo from his hotel on 26 May 2026 to give a statement about the incident. Officers said the former F1 driver had not initially filed a complaint because he was unaware of how the injury occurred until bystanders pointed out blood flowing from his left leg.

Salo told reporters he did not feel anyone attack him while walking near the Nana junction on Sukhumvit Road. He only realised something was wrong after members of the public alerted him to the injury. He then sought medical treatment, where doctors and nurses informed him the wound appeared consistent with a cut caused by a sharp object.

Despite the injury requiring 28 stitches, Salo described it as a minor matter. He said Thailand’s hot weather was the main inconvenience because it prevented him from swimming during his holiday with family members. He confirmed no property had been stolen and stressed he did not believe he had been targeted by an attacker.

The former racing driver also dismissed concerns about safety in Thailand. Salo said he regularly visits the country and considers Bangkok one of the safest cities he has experienced. He added that he loved Thailand’s weather, sunshine and people, and intended to return again in future.

Pol Lt Gen Trairong Phiwphan, spokesperson for the Royal Thai Police, visited Salo at Police General Hospital before he travelled to Lumpini Police Station for questioning. Through an interpreter, Salo thanked Thai police for their assistance and said media reports in his home country appear to have exaggerated the incident, leading many to the misunderstandings.

Investigators are now reviewing CCTV footage from the Nana intersection area and gathering witness evidence to determine the exact cause of the injury. Pol Capt Yosawi Chanthawat, the investigating officer at Lumpini Police Station, said police had received information from the hospital that similar injuries had previously been caused by motorcycle registration plates scraping pedestrians.

Khaosod reported that police said the position and nature of Salo’s wound made that explanation possible, although officers are continuing to verify the evidence. Authorities confirmed the investigation remains ongoing while they examine surrounding circumstances and available surveillance footage.

Adapted by ASEAN Now Khaosod 26 May 2026

9 hours ago, Georgealbert said:

the wound was caused accidentally, possibly by a motorcycle number plate scraping his leg, according to information provided by hospital staff

I knew it all along, it was not what Salo said...

hospital staff later told him that several patients arrived with similar slash wounds on the same evening and overnight.