Pictures courtesy of Khaosod

A Chinese man was killed in the early hours, after being run over by a car driven by a close friend outside a hotel in Pattaya, police said. The incident occurred at about 05:00 on 28 January 2026 at a hotel in the Jomtien area, Chon Buri province. The victim was pronounced dead at the scene despite emergency treatment.

Police identified the deceased as Mr Li Borui, 40, a Chinese national, who was found lying unresponsive in a pool of blood in front of the hotel. Rescue volunteers from the Sawang Boriboon Thammasathan Foundation and a medical team from Bangkok Hospital Pattaya attempted first aid and cardiopulmonary resuscitation, but he had no pulse. A preliminary examination found severe head trauma and a broken neck consistent with a violent impact.

Investigators said the incident happened shortly after Mr Li returned to the hotel with a close friend and a Thai woman who was acting as his interpreter. According to a preliminary statement given through the interpreter, the group had gone out for a meal and returned so the victim could be dropped off. After the drop-off, the driver began reversing the vehicle to leave the area.

At that moment, Mr Li was bending in the roadway tying his shoes in a blind spot in front of the hotel, police said. The driver did not see him while reversing and ran over him, dragging his body along the ground. Emergency services were contacted immediately after the incident.

At the scene, officers found a Mitsubishi Pajero with Bangkok licence plates, its front end lodged against a hotel wall. The driver, also a 36-year-old Chinese national, appeared shaken and distressed when police arrived. The area was secured while investigators documented evidence.

Pol. Lt. Col. Chinawat Thisala, an investigator at Pattaya City Police Station, said officers had recorded the scene and secured CCTV footage from the hotel and surrounding area. The driver was taken in for further questioning as part of the investigation. Police did not immediately announce whether charges would be filed. Khoasod reported that Mr Li’s body was transferred to a hospital for preservation while authorities coordinate with his relatives.

Key Takeaways

• A 40-year-old Chinese man died after being run over by a reversing vehicle outside a Pattaya hotel.

• Police said the driver, a close friend, did not see the victim who was in a blind spot.

• CCTV footage has been secured as investigators continue questioning the driver.

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Adapted by ASEAN Now from Khaosod 2026-01-28

 

 

Dropped off at the hotel at 5 a.m. after going "out for a meal".

Was the driver "shaken and distressed" or rat arsed?

Running over anyone has to be quite distressing, but running over a friend has to be even worse!

I guess there is a moral to this story, and that is never bend over and tie your shoes directly behind a car that might be backing up.

Crocs save lives.

Is there a more unglamorous way to go?

I think not people.

The dead fellow must be sorely p1ssed he went out like that.

RIP

Horrific.

1 hour ago, Georgealbert said:

after being run over by a car driven by a close friend

R I P.... with friends like that who needs enemies

Talk about bad luck.

But was the driver drunk?

4 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

Running over anyone has to be quite distressing, but running over a friend has to be even worse!

I guess there is a moral to this story, and that is never bend over and tie your shoes directly behind a car that might be backing up.

Especially if you are Chinese...

The white man should never have shared the automobile with the rest of humanity, especially Asians. Fine folk, but they should stick to walking and riding bicycles.

15 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

I guess there is a moral to this story, and that is never bend over and tie your shoes directly behind a car that might be backing up.

I'm constantly reminding the Mrs to never walk behind the car when I'm reversing. She doesn't drive and has no idea what a blind spot is - I'm super careful anyway and always look behind as we were taught back in the day.

19 hours ago, Ebumbu said:

Crocs save lives.

But loafers are far more sartorially acceptable.

And this bulky "SUV" has no reversing camera?

Reversing is one of the most dangerous manoeuvers.

And here it's in the dark and a big vehicle with limited sight.

How fast and how far did he reverse?

5 hours ago, ukrules said:

I'm constantly reminding the Mrs to never walk behind the car when I'm reversing. She doesn't drive and has no idea what a blind spot is - I'm super careful anyway and always look behind as we were taught back in the day.

Modern day vehicles with cameras and warning devices make it safer, although we may tend to depend on them.

Terrible RIP, but "going out for a meal"? Alcohol is almost certainly involved, as sober people would not bend over in the middle of the road OR reverse without checking.

12 minutes ago, bangadang said:

Terrible RIP, but "going out for a meal"? Alcohol is almost certainly involved, as sober people would not bend over in the middle of the road OR reverse without checking.

An ordinary, and sensible person might bend over on the side of the road to tie his shoelaces, but certainly not behind a vehicle that just dropped him off knowing that his friend is likely drunk, and knowing that his friend likely had to reverse the car to remove it from the area that it was parked in.

Unfortunately alcohol does dull the senses and I guess it also dulls our survival instincts in turn. There were so many mistakes committed that resulted in this man's death, it's almost beyond the ability to fathom.

The guy that was driving will have to live with the memory of killing his friend for the rest of his life....accidents do happen all over the world every day in every race of people.

Many no doubt involve alcohol while many others involve looking at a phone or being semi oblivious to what is going on around you. I see stupid farangs every day looking at a pretty gals rear end or looking to respond to a hello welcome. Many of them are standing in or very near the busy road like a soi buahkow where motorbikes and cars are flying by driven often by drunks or distracted drivers. Many of these farangs are no doubt half drunk and totally oblivious to the danger all around them. One small step without looking and wham down you go. Ultimately you really have to at least attempt to constantly be aware of what is going on around you and not get distracted. Not easy to do. I find that I tend to look two or three times before i ever cross a street and constantly also checking for holes or trip threats on the sidewalks. If you want to avoid being an accident victim there are things you can do to reduce the odds but no matter what there are no guarantees.

Easy to blame the driver, or blame the dead guy and as with many accidents there is often blame to go around. Maybe he backed too fast, maybe he was drunk, maybe the hotel did not have adequate lighting, maybe the guy should not have bent down to tie a shoe maybe pretty gals should not distract drunk guys.....maybe this maybe that.

One guy dead and his friend with a very very bad memory to carry the rest of his life.

This sounds like a run of the mill Sucide to me...