Pictures courtesy of NBT

 

A road crash at the Ban Chang intersection in Rayong Province claimed the life of a young female student and left six others injured when an emergency rescue vehicle collided with a car and several motorcycles stopped at traffic lights.

 

The collision occurred on the afternoon of 21 August at approximately 16:00, when an ambulance from the Phuttham Tham Songkhro Foundation in Ban Chang, responding to an emergency call, drove through a red light with lights and sirens activated. A car struck the ambulance, causing it to overturn and plough into motorcycles waiting at the junction.

 

 

One student was killed instantly, while five fellow students and one parent sustained injuries of varying severity. Emergency teams from Ban Chang Hospital and the Siam Rayong Foundation rushed to the scene to provide urgent medical care before transferring the injured to hospital.

 

 

Police confirmed that CCTV footage showed the ambulance entering the junction against the red signal. The car, rammed into the side of the rescue vehicle, triggering the chain reaction.

 

 

 

The young female driver of the car and ambulance driver, were detained for questioning as part of the ongoing investigation. Authorities are reviewing witness statements and security camera footage to determine full liability.

 

The National Institute for Emergency Medicine (NIEM) expressed condolences to the family of the deceased and said the incident highlighted the dangers of road users not yielding safely to emergency vehicles.

 

  Adapted by Asean Now from SiamRath 2025-08-22

 

 

 

Looking at the video the ambulance  did not seem to slow down  😡

The National Institute for Emergency Medicine (NIEM) expressed condolences to the family of the deceased and said the incident highlighted the dangers of road users not yielding safely to emergency vehicles.

 

The driver of the car had no chance to give way.

36 minutes ago, JoePai said:

Looking at the video the ambulance  did not seem to slow down  😡

 

Exactly.

Emergency vehicles if driving against a red light should be crawling across the junction.

This ambulance driver was driving way to fast and IMHO is 100% at fault.

UPDATE
Ambulance Driver and Association Head Face Serious Charges Following Fatal Collision

 

Picture from responders.

 

Police have filed four serious charges against the driver of an ambulance involved in a recent fatal crash, that killed a student, named as Nong Fahsai 17.

 

 

The driver, whose name has not been released, has been accused of:

 

Driving without the legally required Category 2 licence

Running a red traffic light

Reckless driving causing death and serious injury

Dangerous driving causing property damage

 

In addition to the charges against the driver, police have also laid charges against the president of the rescue association. He is accused of permitting an unlicensed person to operate the vehicle.

 

 

  Adapted by Asean Now 2025-08-22

 

 

 

5 hours ago, JoePai said:

Looking at the video the ambulance  did not seem to slow down  😡

It's clear the car driver had a green light, ambulance red.  While an active ambulance is allowed to proceed through a red light, it is still the drivers responsibility to make sure it is safe to proceed.  The car driver probably had no idea which direction the siren was coming from.  His view to the right was partially blocked by the pick-up making a right turn.

 

 

Emergency service vehicle drivers cause more death and destruction than they prevent.

 

It is mental watching the police in central London........the speeds and risks they take are simply not rational.

 

I'm not sure what their protocols are, or if they even have any.........either way they can be a serious danger to the public.

2 hours ago, Georgealbert said:

 

In addition to the charges against the driver, police have also laid charges against the president of the rescue association. He is accused of permitting an unlicensed person to operate the vehicle.

 

Good , about time there was some accountability higher up.

Lights and sirens gives the emergency vehicle the right to go through red lights but ONLY WHEN SAFE AND CHECKING ALL DIRECTIONS.

In this case the ambulance driver was wrong, and likely felt overprotected by the 'blues & twos.'

 

RIP innocent young lady.

UPDATE
Two Dead and 13 Injured After Ambulance Runs Red Light in Rayong

 

Picture from responders.

 

It has now been confirmed that two died and 13 others were injured after a ambulance ran a red light and collided with a hatchback car, at an intersection in Ban Chang district, Rayong province.

 

Security camera footage captured the ambulance speeding through the red light while en route to assist victims of a crash at another intersection.

 

The blue hatchback was also approaching the junction at high speed. The driver, focusing on the green light, did not see the ambulance or hear its siren, resulting in a collision. The impact caused the ambulance to spin out of control and roll over onto a group of motorcycles waiting at the red light.

 

Most of the victims were students and their guardians returning home from school. Among them were a mother and her five-year-old son, both seriously injured, the boy later died in hospital. An 17-year-old student, who would have turned 18 on 22 August, also succumbed to severe head trauma sustained in the crash.

 

Thirteen others, including young children, sustained injuries ranging from cuts to abrasions. Authorities confirmed that all were now in stable condition.

 

The crash has sparked an online debate over whether emergency vehicles should be allowed to run red lights. Some supported the rescue team, noting that the siren was active, while others argued that drivers cannot always determine the direction of approaching emergency vehicles and that caution is necessary at intersections.

 

 

The driver of the ambulance faces four charges:

 

• Section 291 of the Criminal Law: committing a reckless act causing death (penalty: up to 10 years’ imprisonment, a fine of up to 200,000 baht, or both).

 

• Section 300 of the Criminal Law: committing a reckless act causing serious injury (penalty: up to three years’ imprisonment, a fine of up to 60,000 baht, or both).

 

• Section 22 of the Land Transport Act: running a red light (penalty: fine of up to 1,000 baht).

 

• Section 64 of the Vehicle Act: driving a public transport vehicle without a Category 2 licence (penalty: up to one month in prison and a fine of up to 1,000 baht).

 

Officials have ruled that the hatchback driver was not at fault, as she had obeyed traffic signals and had right of way.

 

 

  Adapted by Asean Now from Thaiger 2025-08-22

 

 

 

12 hours ago, EVENKEEL said:

The National Institute for Emergency Medicine (NIEM) expressed condolences to the family of the deceased and said the incident highlighted the dangers of road users not yielding safely to emergency vehicles.

 

The driver of the car had no chance to give way.

How can the driver have no chance to give way? When you hear the siren, you are supposed to stop and/or slow down until you see where the siren is coming from.

55 minutes ago, hioctane said:

How can the driver have no chance to give way? When you hear the siren, you are supposed to stop and/or slow down until you see where the siren is coming from.

 

If you're driving with the windows up and the radio on, you may not hear the siren.  That's why emergency vehicles are required to make sure the intersection is clear before they blow through a red light. (If they're actually allowed to blow a red light...  I don't claim to know Thai law there)

 

Back when I drove a firetruck (USA), we weren't legally allowed to blow red lights.  But we did, and the cops let it slide.  In fact, our department's policy was to let someone else drive the truck if you're not willing to go through a red light.  Some of our guys declined to drive, for that reason.

13 hours ago, JoePai said:

Looking at the video the ambulance  did not seem to slow down  😡

Yeah. No doubt it's an 'ambulance' from one of the body-snatcher foundations racing to the scene - not for the sake of the injured - but to get there before its competitors. Runs a red light at speed.

12 hours ago, hioctane said:

How can the driver have no chance to give way? When you hear the siren, you are supposed to stop and/or slow down until you see where the siren is coming from.

I can tell you don't drive on the roads in Thailand.

12 hours ago, hioctane said:

How can the driver have no chance to give way? When you hear the siren, you are supposed to stop and/or slow down until you see where the siren is coming from.

Thankfully the police do not agree with you.

 

"The driver of the ambulance faces four charges:

 

• Section 291 of the Criminal Law: committing a reckless act causing death (penalty: up to 10 years’ imprisonment, a fine of up to 200,000 baht, or both).

 

• Section 300 of the Criminal Law: committing a reckless act causing serious injury (penalty: up to three years’ imprisonment, a fine of up to 60,000 baht, or both).

 

• Section 22 of the Land Transport Act: running a red light (penalty: fine of up to 1,000 baht).

 

• Section 64 of the Vehicle Act: driving a public transport vehicle without a Category 2 licence (penalty: up to one month in prison and a fine of up to 1,000 baht).

 

Officials have ruled that the hatchback driver was not at fault, as she had obeyed traffic signals and had right of way."

11 hours ago, ronnie50 said:

Yeah. No doubt it's an 'ambulance' from one of the body-snatcher foundations racing to the scene - not for the sake of the injured - but to get there before its competitors. Runs a red light at speed.

How do you know that? Are you posting that the people who volunteer to save life´s are all a bunch of idiots? I truly hope that you are not the one in need of quick help in the future, as you would be very grateful to the people coming to help you. After that, I really think it´s nasty to slam the ambulance driver with all the charges. Looking at the hatchback, it seems they do exactly like one should not, by speeding into a green light just to make it in time, instead of taking it easy and maybe have to stop. The ambulance, on the other hand, are out for rescue, and in my opinion they should have the right of way disregarding green or red light. Other motorist have to learn to give way.

This happens because the ambulance is not driving with sufficient caution, and the car is doing the usual Thai thing of speeding up to get through a junction before or as the traffic lights change.

 

19 hours ago, dddave said:

The car driver probably had no idea which direction the siren was coming from. 

Sure. That is why he could go on high speed.

Ridiculous 

Ambulance driver, To fast.

Car driver, To fast.

Thailand, to fast,  to selfish,  to stupid. 

A needless death.

R.I.P lady.

4 hours ago, Gottfrid said:

How do you know that? Are you posting that the people who volunteer to save life´s are all a bunch of idiots? I truly hope that you are not the one in need of quick help in the future, as you would be very grateful to the people coming to help you. After that, I really think it´s nasty to slam the ambulance driver with all the charges.

I'm a bit surprised (repeatedly, actually) by the number of posts you have that you are unaware of so many things - in this case how Thailand's ambulance 'rescue service' actually works. While some ambulances are directly part of a major ER hospital, most are not. The ambulances you see on the road, mostly, are part of 'foundations' and cruise around waiting for an accident to happen not far from their location. They are listening to the emergency band of police/fire radio frequencies - a bit like the cliche of freelance journalists in the old days did - those hacks were called 'ambulance chasers' to be first on the scene and get the 'scoop' about the accident. It's the same business model with these freelance 'foundation ambulances'. If the 'foundation's' freelance ambulance can get to the accident scene first, before the competition, it has the right to treat and transport the patient(s) to a hospital - and not necessarily to the nearest hospital either. They will go to a nearest hospital that will pay their foundation a commission for bringing them a casualty patient. Many times I have watched them drive right by large existing hospitals with lights and siren (It's true I don't know if they already have the patient inside or not). There are news reports of shoot outs between ambulance foundation 'rescue workers' at accident scenes as they disagree who got there first.

 

In this case, the ambulance didn't slow down at a red light and drove right through. The other driver should have noticed, but he didn't. In any case you can't blame the other driver for trying to make the turn before the light changed. Everyone does that.

 

When you are lying badly injured at the side of the road and unconscious you are most likely to wake up (if you do) in a small hospital you've never heard of, which is quite possibly ill-equipped to deal with you injuries. So then you get a proper transfer to a large government hospital's trauma center - like Rajawithi Hospital or Ramathibodi Hospital in central bangkok - in one of their ambulances. 

 

Maybe you have never lived in Bangkok?

5 hours ago, EVENKEEL said:

I can tell you don't drive on the roads in Thailand.

I have been driving in this country for 27 years, apart from the 32 years before that in europe, picked up my 5-year licence renewal again this month, and must say it's not too bad, at least you have to participate.

23 minutes ago, ronnie50 said:

I'm a bit surprised (repeatedly, actually) by the number of posts you have that you are unaware of so many things - in this case how Thailand's ambulance 'rescue service' actually works. While some ambulances are directly part of a major ER hospital, most are not. The ambulances you see on the road, mostly, are part of 'foundations' and cruise around waiting for an accident to happen not far from their location. They are listening to the emergency band of police/fire radio frequencies - a bit like the cliche of freelance journalists in the old days did - those hacks were called 'ambulance chasers' to be first on the scene and get the 'scoop' about the accident. It's the same business model with these freelance 'foundation ambulances'. If the 'foundation's' freelance ambulance can get to the accident scene first, before the competition, it has the right to treat and transport the patient(s) to a hospital - and not necessarily to the nearest hospital either. They will go to a nearest hospital that will pay their foundation a commission for bringing them a casualty patient. Many times I have watched them drive right by large existing hospitals with lights and siren (It's true I don't know if they already have the patient inside or not). There are news reports of shoot outs between ambulance foundation 'rescue workers' at accident scenes as they disagree who got there first.

 

In this case, the ambulance didn't slow down at a red light and drove right through. The other driver should have noticed, but he didn't. In any case you can't blame the other driver for trying to make the turn before the light changed. Everyone does that.

 

When you are lying badly injured at the side of the road and unconscious you are most likely to wake up (if you do) in a small hospital you've never heard of, which is quite possibly ill-equipped to deal with you injuries. So then you get a proper transfer to a large government hospital's trauma center - like Rajawithi Hospital or Ramathibodi Hospital in central bangkok - in one of their ambulances. 

 

Maybe you have never lived in Bangkok?

Oh my God. Who is unaware? This is one of the most stupid replies I have read here. Dear, what you are doing here, is to judge all the rescue foundations on a few accidents and wrongdoings. Seems that you are unaware. Are you going to say that all Thai drivers have no skills in driving as well, based on the high amount of accidents? In that case, only a fraction of all drivers get into accidents. Are you going to say that all Thai men beat their wife´s, because you read of domestic violence in the news?

I could go on.....but either you get it now, or it will not sink in. I bet on the latter in your case.

Regarding the other driver, and the ambulance in this case, I have already posted my opinion. The ambulance had an emergency and probably siren and lights on, trying to save a person. I see it as justified to run a red light in that case. However, what I always see, that I can justify, are drivers who always speed up in front of traffic lights, just to have the chance to run over before it turns red. That´s just the opposite to what you should do in a traffic light situation.

On 8/22/2025 at 12:45 PM, Georgealbert said:

 

 

Looks like a game of ten pin bowling. 

 

Talk about wrong place wrong time for the innocent people simply waiting at the traffic light. 

5 hours ago, Gottfrid said:

instead of taking it easy and maybe have to stop.

 

Going slowly through a green light just before it changes and then suddenly stopping completely while it's still green? That's one way to need an ambulance, or a taxi to the morgue. 

8 minutes ago, Packer said:

 

Going slowly through a green light just before it changes and then suddenly stopping completely while it's still green? That's one way to need an ambulance, or a taxi to the morgue. 

My God, how stupid is this comment? Going slowly through a green light just before it changes. That´s what I say you should not do. Today most drivers, see the green light from far away, and are aware of if they have time or not. Moreover modern light of today have both second countdown, flashing green light 4-5 times and amber before it´s red. Gives you ample time to slow down and stop when the green light is flashing. That´, my dear Watson, is why they implement such function, to prevent people from speeding into a crossing just to have time to pass over. Unfortunately it seems to have the opposite effect. Something wrong with peoples minds and critical thinking.

The injured 5 year old kid has now succumbed to his injuries unfortunately. 

On 8/23/2025 at 1:45 PM, Gottfrid said:

Oh my God. Who is unaware? This is one of the most stupid replies I have read here. Dear, what you are doing here, is to judge all the rescue foundations on a few accidents and wrongdoings. Seems that you are unaware. Are you going to say that all Thai drivers have no skills in driving as well, based on the high amount of accidents? In that case, only a fraction of all drivers get into accidents. Are you going to say that all Thai men beat their wife´s, because you read of domestic violence in the news?

I could go on.....but either you get it now, or it will not sink in. I bet on the latter in your case.

Regarding the other driver, and the ambulance in this case, I have already posted my opinion. The ambulance had an emergency and probably siren and lights on, trying to save a person. I see it as justified to run a red light in that case. However, what I always see, that I can justify, are drivers who always speed up in front of traffic lights, just to have the chance to run over before it turns red. That´s just the opposite to what you should do in a traffic light situation.

From KhaoSodEnglish 

https://www.facebook.com/KhaosodEnglish/posts/following-a-serious-traffic-accident-in-ban-chang-district-rayong-province-on-th/1245726507599855/ 

 

Following a serious traffic accident in Ban Chang District, Rayong Province on Thursday, police have filed multiple charges against those responsible.

The incident occurred when a rescue vehicle ran a red light and collided with a sedan, causing the rescue truck to overturn and crash into several motorcycles. The accident killed a young girl and injured 6 people.

 

Ban Chang Police Station has charged the rescue vehicle driver with 4 serious offenses:

- Driving without regard for public safety

- Reckless driving causing death and serious injury

- Dangerous driving that could harm persons or property

- Driving without a proper Type 2 (commercial transport) license and running a red light

 

The head of the rescue association faces 2 charges:

- Allowing an unlicensed person to operate a vehicle

- Unauthorized use of emergency lights and sirens.

 

2 hours ago, ronnie50 said:

From KhaoSodEnglish 

https://www.facebook.com/KhaosodEnglish/posts/following-a-serious-traffic-accident-in-ban-chang-district-rayong-province-on-th/1245726507599855/ 

 

Following a serious traffic accident in Ban Chang District, Rayong Province on Thursday, police have filed multiple charges against those responsible.

The incident occurred when a rescue vehicle ran a red light and collided with a sedan, causing the rescue truck to overturn and crash into several motorcycles. The accident killed a young girl and injured 6 people.

 

Ban Chang Police Station has charged the rescue vehicle driver with 4 serious offenses:

- Driving without regard for public safety

- Reckless driving causing death and serious injury

- Dangerous driving that could harm persons or property

- Driving without a proper Type 2 (commercial transport) license and running a red light

 

The head of the rescue association faces 2 charges:

- Allowing an unlicensed person to operate a vehicle

- Unauthorized use of emergency lights and sirens.

 

And what´s the use of this, I already have my opinion.