Malaysian Tourist’s Car Plunges into Ravine in Yala

Picture from responders.

A Malaysian tourist was injured when his car plunged into a deep ravine near the Ayerweng Skywalk in Betong, Yala. The crash, which occurred on the morning of 19 March, was reportedly caused by a damaged road and the absence of warning barriers, which had allegedly been removed by an unknown individual.

The incident took place at around 05:50, on the Ban Wang Mai-Skywalk Road in Moo 5, Ban Ayer Queen, Ayerweng Subdistrict, Betong District. Police Lieutenant Kiattiphan Sak Bilabdullah, Deputy Inspector at Ayerweng Police Station, responded to the scene along with local officers and rescue workers from Sawang Betong Thammasathan Foundation.

The vehicle, a brown Nissan car, was found overturned at the bottom of a 30-metre-deep ravine. The driver, Mr Kang Kok Song, 55, from Malaysia, sustained a hip injury and was rescued by locals and emergency services before being transported to Betong Hospital. His four elderly companions were miraculously unharmed, but left shaken by the incident.

According to local authorities, the damaged section of road had collapsed late last year due to heavy rainfall. While temporary traffic cones and barriers had been put in place to prevent incidents, local residents reported that someone had removed them and discarded them into the ravine below.

The tourists had reportedly set off from Betong town in the early morning to visit the famous Ayerweng Sea of Mist Skywalk. However, in the pre-dawn darkness and without street lighting, the driver failed to see the hazardous road section and drove straight into the ravine.

Authorities have since launched an investigation into who removed the safety barriers, while officials are urging travellers to exercise caution when driving in the area.

-- 2025-03-20