3 Injured as Army Pickup Crashes After Graduation Trip

Picture courtesy of Khaosod.

Three people were injured when an army pickup truck driver lost control and crashed into a tree, on the Phetkasem Highway in Khao Chaison district of Phatthalung.

Emergency services were called to the scene in Moo 8, Ban Hua Rang, after the Toyota Hilux, registered in Chumphon, veered off the road. Rescuers found three passengers trapped inside.

Ms. Surayda Dole, 36, was stuck in the passenger compartment and was rescued with difficulty. Sergeant Siwat Thansandot, 30, the driver’s younger brother, suffered neck and leg injuries. The driver, Corporal Withawin Thansandot, 33, sustained severe injuries, including internal bleeding and a multiple breaks of his right leg and was rushed to Phatthalung Hospital. Both men are soldiers from the 1st Infantry Battalion, 152nd Infantry Regiment, based in Yala province.

Inside the truck, rescuers found graduation gowns, suggesting the group was returning from a graduation ceremony in Bangkok to their military base in Yala. Preliminary reports indicate the driver may have dozed off, causing the vehicle to collide with a tree and overturn into a roadside ditch.

Local resident Chittima Ontong, 60, witnessed the crash while returning from rubber tapping. She saw an occupant waving for help and immediately contacted rescue authorities. Police are continuing to investigate the exact cause of the crash.

  Adapted by Asean Now from Khaosod 2025-09-05