Former Formula 1 driver Mika Salo said he is recovering after suffering a serious leg injury in what doctors suspect was a stabbing in Bangkok, earlier this week. Salo, 59, told Finnish media from Bangkok that he received a deep wound to his leg while crossing a pedestrian crossing near his hotel.

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He said a motorcycle passed very close to him and he felt a slight impact, but initially thought nothing of it. The former racing driver continued walking before a passer-by alerted him that blood was pouring from his leg. When he looked down, he saw that his shoe was covered in blood and realised the injury was severe.

Salo was taken by taxi to a nearby hospital, where doctors treated a deep open wound to his leg. He said surgeons had to stitch both muscle tissue and skin, with a total of 28 stitches required.

“It looked really bad. A huge open wound. The muscle had torn,” Salo said. He added that doctors believed the injury may have been caused by a knife and was not accidental, because the cut was straight, deep and clean.

According to Salo, hospital staff later told him that several patients arrived with similar slash wounds on the same evening and overnight. He said the incidents appeared to have happened in the same area near his hotel.

Salo has been holidaying in Thailand with his wife and said he regularly visits the country, where many of his friends live. He said he had never experienced anything similar before.

The first few days after the injury were considered critical because of the risk of infection in Bangkok’s hot and humid conditions. Salo said he has returned to hospital daily for wound cleaning and dressing changes.

Despite the seriousness of the injury, he said he has not suffered significant pain and has not needed painkillers. He is currently taking antibiotics and can still walk short distances, although doctors advised him not to walk too far.

Heavy rain and temperatures of around 35-36C during Thailand’s rainy season have limited his movements, with Salo spending much of his time inside his air-conditioned hotel room to keep the wound dry.

Two days after the incident he was able to walk to a nearby sports bar with friends to watch Finland’s national ice hockey team play. He said he could comfortably manage one or two kilometres on foot.

Salo praised the treatment he received in Thailand, describing the hospitals and doctors as excellent and efficient. He also said the incident had not made him fearful of motorcycles in Bangkok.

“If this was intentional, they only tried to injure me,” he said, adding that the outcome could have been far worse if the attack had targeted his upper body.

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Adapted by ASEAN Now Source 24 May 2026

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2 minutes ago, Georgealbert said:

According to Salo, hospital staff later told him that several patients arrived with similar slash wounds on the same evening and overnight. He said the incidents appeared to have happened in the same area near his hotel.

Hmm, seems a mystery, I haven't seen anything on Thai media regarding this comment.

Maybe later today news will appear.

Early thread in the Bangkok section.

Courtesy of @Antti

Motorcyclists are randomly slicing people up for no apparent reason? That's scary.

Now, would someone please tell which "area of Bangkok" this happened at, given multiple victims, and that police is making good use of at least 20 cameras pointing at that crossing to identify and arrest the perpetrator?

Strange injury. Front of leg, below the knee and a curved wound.

Someone on a motorbike with a knife would have to reach down pretty low to make that cut.

Looks very nasty, recover soon sir.

No mention in the report of police action. You would have thought that such places would be teeming with CCTV and cameras watching traffic and everyone.

11 hours ago, Georgealbert said:

doctors believed the injury may have been caused by a knife and was not accidental, because the cut was straight, deep and clean.

"May have been"… Nothing confirmed and it certainly could have been caused by a protruding footpeg, given the height.

11 hours ago, Georgealbert said:

According to Salo, hospital staff later told him that several patients arrived with similar slash wounds on the same evening and overnig

Why is there no media coverage of that? It would be very serious if true. Maybe that's not quite what the hospital staff said/meant to say (language barrier)?

Why is there no media coverage of that? It would be very serious if true. Maybe that's not quite what the hospital staff said/meant to say (language barrier)?

Hopefully, the BIB are reviewing what I'm sure are dozens (or more) CCTVs in the area to see if there are any scooters seen at more than one of the mysterious cutting incidents.

It's a little early to be reporting random crazies on scooters going around stabbing people. Not a good look for tourism. And it may not be true, given the sad state of repair on a lot of scooters that could cause bad injuries on passerby's.

Also, hopefully we'll be getting updates.

11 minutes ago, impulse said:

It's a little early to be reporting random crazies on scooters going around stabbing people.

Indeed. I woud argue it is borderline irresponsible.

16 hours ago, impulse said:

Hopefully, the BIB are reviewing what I'm sure are dozens (or more) CCTVs in the area to see if there are any scooters seen at more than one of the mysterious cutting incidents.

It's a little early to be reporting random crazies on scooters going around stabbing people. Not a good look for tourism. And it may not be true, given the sad state of repair on a lot of scooters that could cause bad injuries on passerby's.

Also, hopefully we'll be getting updates.

I’m not sure that I understand your comment.

The article is reporting what the doctors said. “in what doctors suspect was a stabbing in Bangkok, earlier this week.”

It would be irresponsible to not report what the medical professionals say.

They may be wrong and it may be a dilapidated motorbike with a dangerously sharp piece of metal protruding from it and which has passed sufficiently close to several people in the same area of Bangkok to cause slash type wounds. But what the doctors say is that they suspect a deliberate stabbing.

Why wouldn’t that be reported in exactly the manner that it has been?

Might of been from the bike

31 minutes ago, Sorted2024 said:

Might of been from the bike

I was just thinking the same. Maybe something protruding from the bike.

Otherwise that's a vicious crime trend that needs to be nipped in the bud.

Wonder if he was drunk or high.

The cut looks nasty not a thing you would expect to happen here in Thailand

Hope he enjoys the rest of his stay

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Maybe they installed blades on their wheels like Mad Max?

2 hours ago, Oliver Holzerfilled said:

Wonder if he was drunk or high.

Probably no more so than you were when you wrote that comment. Even if he was, so what?

Some coked up Brit with a monkey in his shorts set up his scooter with a Ben Hurr style chariot blade. Either that or the wound was inflicted with a sickle, which is a common implement in Thailand.

On 5/24/2026 at 3:45 AM, SAFETY FIRST said:

Hmm, seems a mystery, I haven't seen anything on Thai media regarding this comment.

Maybe later today news will appear.

I'm sure the Thai Tourist Board would not want this story getting out and would do anything to suppress it. It's not a good look for potential tourists to see that random slashings occur, it it?

On 5/24/2026 at 8:50 AM, save the frogs said:

Motorcyclists are randomly slicing people up for no apparent reason? That's scary.

...Anyone...Or Just Particular 'Someones'...(?)

...As Mentioned Before...Visible Minorities Can Be Identified From 500 Meters Away...(?)

...And...Resentment Towards Foreigners Seems To Be Reaching A Fever Pitch...(?)

(Makes You Wonder About 'Accidents' Where There Are No Witnesses & Foreigners End Up Dead)(?)

...Used To Be In The Hotel Rooms Or Off The Balconies...(?)

...Now Moving Into The Streets (?)

...Unless That ParticularAttack Was Personal Based On Some History...(?)

Very nasty. If somebody is going around stabbing people randomly, the cops need to get the perpetrator locked away asap.

getting more and more nasty and malicious living or visiting Thailand

Thanks ever so much for those appetizing pictures of the flesh wounds. Turns out it didn't take 28 stitches after all; I reckon nine at the absolute most. But whatever, who's counting?

7 minutes ago, Feingeist said:

Thanks ever so much for those appetizing pictures of the flesh wounds. Turns out it didn't take 28 stitches after all; I reckon nine at the absolute most. But whatever, who's counting?

Clearly you failed to read the article or have limited understanding of how deep wounds are treated, or do you just believe Salo was lying when he stated,

“He said surgeons had to stitch both muscle tissue and skin, with a total of 28 stitches required”

You fail to understand that muscle stitches are under the skin and are from absorbable material so the body naturally dissolves them over time. These will not be visible in the picture, which clearly only shows the surface skin stitches, which complete the final closure of the wound.

But lets not let facts and reality get in the way of a snide comment.

7 hours ago, Sorted2024 said:

Might of been from the bike

"According to Salo, hospital staff later told him that several patients arrived with similar slash wounds on the same evening and overnight. He said the incidents appeared to have happened in the same area near his hotel."

That theory doesn't really tally with the report.

1 hour ago, robert2 said:

Very nasty. If somebody is going around stabbing people randomly, the cops need to get the perpetrator locked away asap.

Dont you think we would have read about Somchai the slasher does Bangkok in the Thai media.

I reckon the F1 guy is telling porky pies.

The guy has been hit by a foot peg at speed.

7 minutes ago, SAFETY FIRST said:

The guy has been hit by a foot peg at speed.

I agree that's a possibility foot peg or some other sharp metal/plastic protrusion.

The hospital staff said the wound looked like a knife wound and that there had been other similar injuries the same day. in any case I don't think the F1 guy is telling porkies.

7 minutes ago, johng said:

I agree that's a possibility foot peg or some other sharp metal/plastic protrusion.

The hospital staff said the wound looked like a knife wound and that there had been other similar injuries the same day. in any case I don't think the F1 guy is telling porkies.

You need to read again

According to Salo

On 5/24/2026 at 6:41 AM, Georgealbert said:

According to Salo, hospital staff later told him that several patients arrived with similar slash wounds on the same evening and overnight. He said the incidents appeared to have happened in the same area near his hotel.

51 minutes ago, SAFETY FIRST said:

You need to read again

According to Salo

Ok whatever.... I'm sure it will all eventually come out in the wash

as to what 'really' happened.