Man Killed, Wife Injured in Road Crash During Songkran Journey Home

[Georgealbert]

 

Picture courtesy of Daily News.

 

A man has been killed and his wife injured in a road crash on 12 April, while travelling home for the Songkran holiday, as heavy rainfall made road conditions treacherous.

 

Police in Cha-am District, Phetchaburi Province, confirmed that the incident occurred at around kilometre marker 14+100 on the Cha-am–Pranburi bypass, inbound towards Bangkok. Officers from Cha-am Police Station, emergency rescue units, and medical staff from Cha-am Hospital responded swiftly to the scene.

 

The crash involved a silver Isuzu pickup truck, registered in Udon Thani, when the driver skidded off a curve in the road and crashed into a tree. The vehicle sustained heavy damage.

 

Rescuers found a female passenger with minor injuries, identified as 52-year-old Ruangthong Treecharee from Khon Kaen Province. The driver, her husband Ratchaphon Tomlong, aged 61 from Udon Thani, was pronounced dead at the scene.

 

According to initial reports, passing military personnel and good Samaritans assisted in rescuing the injured woman from the vehicle before rescue teams arrived to administer first aid. Emergency responders later recovered the driver’s body and transported it to Cha-am Hospital for a post-mortem examination.

 

Ms Ruangthong told police that the couple had been en route to their hometown in Udon Thani to celebrate the Thai New Year when the weather suddenly turned. Heavy rain and unfamiliar road conditions led to her husband losing control on a bend, veering off the road and colliding with a tree.

 

-- 2025-04-13

 

[JoePai]

PPD =   P*ss Poor Driving

[hotsun]

Im gonna guess they werent wearing seatbelts

[kwilco]

On 4/13/2025 at 1:13 AM, JoePai said:

PPD =   P*ss Poor Driving

...and this is because you re such a superb driver?

[JoePai]

13 hours ago, kwilco said:

...and this is because you re such a superb driver?

Correct, thank you

[fredwiggy]

13 hours ago, kwilco said:

...and this is because you re such a superb driver?

Actually, heavy rain should have anyone who is a good driver slowing down, especially on unknown roads. Oil comes up during a rain, and any adult driver should know this. Almost all accidents can be avoided by a safe driver. The only ones that can't be avoided is where someone else runs into you. You really can't tell all by looking at the damage, but, like another assumed, if they were wearing seat belts , both should have survived the crash.

[kwilco]

7 hours ago, fredwiggy said:

Actually, heavy rain should have anyone who is a good driver slowing down, especially on unknown roads. Oil comes up during a rain, and any adult driver should know this. Almost all accidents can be avoided by a safe driver. The only ones that can't be avoided is where someone else runs into you. You really can't tell all by looking at the damage, but, like another assumed, if they were wearing seat belts , both should have survived the crash.

 

A characteristic of Thai roads is they 'behave" vey badly in rain. They drain poorly, the surface loses traction and markings get obscured. If a driver makes a mistake - like evrybody does, it is much more likely to be compounded into a serious event. As there is no crsh report available we don't know if the driver was compensating for te poor weather or not.

[fredwiggy]

3 minutes ago, kwilco said:

 

A characteristic of Thai roads is they 'behave" vey badly in rain. They drain poorly, the surface loses traction and markings get obscured. If a driver makes a mistake - like evrybody does, it is much more likely to be compounded into a serious event. As there is no crsh report available we don't know if the driver was compensating for te poor weather or not.

If you get into any accidents in bad weather, the blame is mostly, if not all, on you. Rain, snow, ice, etc happens everywhere. You slow down, especially if you don't know the roads in advance. Oil happens on all roads, and is the cause of many accidents because people don't understand they need to slow down. You compensate by driving slow, lights on, seat belts on, using signals and mirrors, keeping conversation to a minimum.

[richard_smith237]

36 minutes ago, kwilco said:

As there is no crsh report available we don't know if the driver was compensating for te poor weather or not.

 

He skidded off the road and crashed - I think it can readily be assumed the driver didn't compensate for the poor conditions.

 

As another poster suggested - no seatbelts ? - while we can never be sure, damage suggest this was an entirely survivable accident if seatbelts are worn.

[Lorry]

21 hours ago, fredwiggy said:

any adult driver should know this

I don't really understand w hat "oil comes up" means,  but I am happy to hear that I am not an adult yet.  Thx for making me several decades younger!

 

21 hours ago, fredwiggy said:

Almost all accidents can be avoided by a safe driver.

Almost all fires can be avoided by smart fire protection measures. 

Almost all drownings can be avoided by experienced swimmers. 

Almost all accidents in the mountains can be avoided by experienced,  safety-conscious climbers.

Almost all plane crashes can be avoided by good pilots and engineers. 

 

One wonders why accidents happen at all.

[fredwiggy]

1 hour ago, Lorry said:

I don't really understand w hat "oil comes up" means,  but I am happy to hear that I am not an adult yet.  Thx for making me several decades younger!

 

Almost all fires can be avoided by smart fire protection measures. 

Almost all drownings can be avoided by experienced swimmers. 

Almost all accidents in the mountains can be avoided by experienced,  safety-conscious climbers.

Almost all plane crashes can be avoided by good pilots and engineers. 

 

One wonders why accidents happen at all.

The oil spilled on the road from passing vehicles mixes with the rain and it becomes slick, but I'm guessing you already knew this and are being sarcastic. Some accidents can't be avoided, people running into you while you're driving straight. The rest are on our shoulders, errors in judgement, distractions or incompetency.

[Lorry]

10 hours ago, fredwiggy said:

The rest are on our shoulders,

Ok, and how does this help anybody?

I once had a traffic accident,  and there last thing I was worried about was whose fault it was (BTW it was 100% the other person's fault and 50% my own fault :))

[fredwiggy]

6 minutes ago, Lorry said:

Ok, and how does this help anybody?

I once had a traffic accident,  and there last thing I was worried about was whose fault it was (BTW it was 100% the other person's fault and 50% my own fault :))

Just stating why accidents happen. people can help themselves by being a safer, more aware driver.

[Lorry]

4 minutes ago, fredwiggy said:

Just stating why accidents happen. people can help themselves by being a safer, more aware driver.

I am a bit speechless.

How many times has @kwilcowritten: people make mistakes.

That's really the most basic insight. Once you understand this,  you can talk about traffic safety. 

But if you never make mistakes...

[fredwiggy]

3 minutes ago, Lorry said:

I am a bit speechless.

How many times has @kwilcowritten: people make mistakes.

That's really the most basic insight. Once you understand this,  you can talk about traffic safety. 

But if you never make mistakes...

I disputed him as he mentioned the roads are at fault. This has come up before. It stlll lies mainly on the drivers.

[kwilco]

9 minutes ago, Lorry said:

I am a bit speechless.

How many times has @kwilcowritten: people make mistakes.

That's really the most basic insight. Once you understand this,  you can talk about traffic safety. 

But if you never make mistakes...

Fred wiggy doesn't understand the scientific use of the phrase human error

[kwilco]

27 minutes ago, Lorry said:

Ok, and how does this help anybody?

I once had a traffic accident,  and there last thing I was worried about was whose fault it was (BTW it was 100% the other person's fault and 50% my own fault :))

You maths is questionable but the concept of who  contributed to an accident is good.

[kwilco]

In simple terms if a speeding car comes round a bend too wide - if the other driver (not at fault) can avoid it due to quick reactions the crash may be avoided, if the other person is slower , old or even drunk, they may not be able to avoid a crash.

Regardless of blame if a crash happens, then how serious it is, is then down to the road safety precautions taken by that country - e.g the 5 Es - engineering, enforcement, education, EMERGENCY and evaluation. I'd say that most people posting on this and other threads are not capable of evaluation but don't realise that so they just write nonsense. Calling people "stupid' with regards to road safety is ..well...just stupid. It's subjective and racist.

[kwilco]

13 minutes ago, fredwiggy said:

I disputed him as he mentioned the roads are at fault. This has come up before. It stlll lies mainly on the drivers.

sorry chap, rather than spouting uniformed comments, you should get yourself up to speed on road safety and the 5 Es.

[fredwiggy]

9 minutes ago, kwilco said:

sorry chap, rather than spouting uniformed comments, you should get yourself up to speed on road safety and the 5 Es.

Oh, you mean things I understood in high school? 

 

Before, you stated that the roads were somehow to blame for accidents. We have gone over this many times and you're still missing the point that accidents are first and foremost the drivers fault. 

 

If you don't speed on wet roads, you reduce the chances of losing control. Why does a person lose control of his vehicle? If the road is bad, you slow down so you, the driver, can handle it. Many drivers aren't good drivers, which means they should understand their abilities and compensate for them, This doesn't happen because people have egos. They think they are better drivers than they actually are, and take risks. 

 

Speeding is one, as is driving with distractions in their vehicle. Also using a vehicle that has problems or isn't roadworthy. 

 

That police aren't doing their jobs isn't the cause for the accidents themselves. Letting people drive that have been caught drunk before, and not punishing them severely enough is a problem, as it keeps drivers on the road who don't care about themselves or others. Not enforcing laws already on the books is a problem, but if people would follow the rules of safe driving, accidents would virtually disappear. 

 

There are reasons accidents happen, and people are the first cause. Inability to drive safe in all conditions is on them. Not letting people drive a vehicle until they are competent enough is the driver's license bureaus deal. Stricter testing would keep more bad drivers from driving in the first place. Fining them if they break the laws might have some think before they drive recklessly again, but since people have those egos, many don't give a <deleted>. Again, this has been going in circles and you still don't understand I'm agreeing with some things you say, like other reasons accidents keep happening here, but again, it's still first on the drivers. 

 

A good driver can drive in any weather condition, road condition, or amount of traffic and they won't have any accidents unless some reckless driver that isn't competent enough or care enough about others runs into them while they're obeying the traffic laws, meaning the safe driver. Trying to tell me what I already know isn't going anywhere. You need to understand who is first at fault when an accident happens anywhere on earth.

[fredwiggy]

28 minutes ago, kwilco said:

In simple terms if a speeding car comes round a bend too wide - if the other driver (not at fault) can avoid it due to quick reactions the crash may be avoided, if the other person is slower , old or even drunk, they may not be able to avoid a crash.

Regardless of blame if a crash happens, then how serious it is, is then down to the road safety precautions taken by that country - e.g the 5 Es - engineering, enforcement, education, EMERGENCY and evaluation. I'd say that most people posting on this and other threads are not capable of evaluation but don't realise that so they just write nonsense. Calling people "stupid' with regards to road safety is ..well...just stupid. It's subjective and racist.

So you're putting the blame first on the 5 E's? Wrong. They mean a lot, but they aren't the one to first blame. And again, it isn't racist to say many people in a certain country are bad drivers. it's a fact, and the stats prove this. Many drivers that get into accidents aren't stupid either. They just aren't good drivers.

[fredwiggy]

43 minutes ago, kwilco said:

Fred wiggy doesn't understand the scientific use of the phrase human error

Fredwiggy understands all about accidents, so don't be like some others here and assume just because it's you that blames everything else but the drivers first. Your words earlier.................."A characteristic of Thai roads is they 'behave" vey badly in rain. They drain poorly, the surface loses traction and markings get obscured." ............This is a characteristic of roads worldwide, with some things, like snow and ice, not a problem in Thailand.  Not an excuse for bad driving here. And this.............."If a driver makes a mistake - like evrybody does, it is much more likely to be compounded into a serious event"..................Not everyone has accidents. In fact I know many in my life that are older than I that never had an accident. If you're a safe driver, you wouldn't be going fast on wet roads, where oil plays a part, on curves or on roads you aren't familiar with.

[kwilco]

3 minutes ago, fredwiggy said:

Fredwiggy understand all about accidents, so don't be like some others here and assume just because it's you that blames everything else but the drivers first.

 

4 minutes ago, fredwiggy said:

So you're putting the blame first on the 5 E's? Wrong. They mean a lot, but they aren't the one to first blame. And again, it isn't racist to say many people in a certain country are bad drivers. it's a fact, and the stats prove this. Many drivers that get into accidents aren't stupid either. They just aren't good drivers.

You are obsessed with the concept of "blame' - with road safety, this was discredited over 50 years ago - you simply don't understand the first thing about road safety, which is why you keep posting nonsense. You need to realise that Modern road safety has moved beyond blaming individuals. Human error is inevitable, so the focus is now on designing systems that prevent serious outcomes. The Safe System approach prioritises safer roads, vehicles, and speeds— recognising that responsibility is shared. Blame doesn’t solve systemic issues or prevent future crashes. It distracts from real, structural improvements.

[fredwiggy]

1 minute ago, kwilco said:

 

You are obsessed with the concept of "blame' - with road safety, this was discredited over 50 years ago - you simply don't understand the first thing about road safety, which is why you keep posting nonsense. You need to realise that Modern road safety has moved beyond blaming individuals. Human error is inevitable, so the focus is now on designing systems that prevent serious outcomes. The Safe System approach prioritises safer roads, vehicles, and speeds— recognising that responsibility is shared. Blame doesn’t solve systemic issues or prevent future crashes. It distracts from real, structural improvements.

Assuming again. I'm not obsessed. I'm just telling you how things really are. Get off of it. You have seen me agree with some of what you said, and disagree with things you dismiss. You still do not understand it's all about blame. Accidents don't happen by themselves. People are involved, along with education. enforcement, condition of roads, weather and other traffic. This has been going on in Thailand for decades, with many promises, and still nothing has changed, period. 

 

To you it's nonsense, because you are stuck on factors which work, but those factors still involve the main cause of accidents. People. It's obvious, like some others, that you don't read, or perhaps comprehend, what I've been writing all along. Thinking you're some kind of expert has you thinking you're the only one that's right here. You're not. We both are, but you can't see that because you dismiss what I write, even though what I write is a fact. First people, secondary, the 5E's, which all work together. No people, no accidents. Simple. When Thailand actually does what other countries have done for decades, less people will die. 

 

Attitudes towards life include driving, and until you change the I don't give a <deleted> about life or other people, to, other people and my life is important, nothing will change.

[kwilco]

54 minutes ago, fredwiggy said:

because you are stuck on factors which work

Sounds good to me!

[richard_smith237]

1 hour ago, kwilco said:

You are obsessed with the concept of "blame' - with road safety, this was discredited over 50 years ago - you simply don't understand the first thing about road safety, which is why you keep posting nonsense. You need to realise that Modern road safety has moved beyond blaming individuals. Human error is inevitable, so the focus is now on designing systems that prevent serious outcomes. The Safe System approach prioritises safer roads, vehicles, and speeds— recognising that responsibility is shared. Blame doesn’t solve systemic issues or prevent future crashes. It distracts from real, structural improvements.

 

If you, I, or anyone else…

– Choose to drink heavily and get behind the wheel, then crash - we are to blame.
– Tear around well above the speed limit, lose control on a bend, and end up in a ditch - we are to blame.
– Ignore weather conditions; rain, ice, snow - and drive recklessly fast, only to slide off the road - we are, once again, to blame.

 

Yes, human error is inevitable. Engineering can help mitigate the consequences of such errors - to a point.

 

But there are times when the error isn’t a fluke of judgement; it’s a deliberate act of carelessness. A conscious decision to put recklessness above responsibility.

 

And, in those moments, let’s be crystal clear: the cause isn’t the road, the rain, or the rules - it’s us. No excuses. No scapegoats. Just blame, right where it belongs when... 

 

Thats why laws such as reckless driving, driving without due care and attention exist.