An 11-year-old boy stole his parents’ pickup truck before crashing into a group of monks on a pilgrimage in Mukdahan province on 2 July, leaving six monks dead and many others injured.

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Police from Muang Mukdahan Police Station responded at approximately 11:00 to the crash on a road near Ban Na Wiang Kae in Na Si Nuan subdistrict, Muang district, Mukdahan. A bronze-gold pickup truck bearing registration from Mukdahan struck a group of monks who were walking on a religious pilgrimage.

Five monks died at the scene, while seven others suffered serious injuries and a further 20 sustained minor injuries. Emergency responders transported the injured to Mukdahan Hospital and nearby hospitals, where one of the seriously injured monks later died, bringing the total death toll to six.

According to investigators, the boy’s grandmother, 72-year-old Thong Yoon, said her grandson, identified only as “A” to protect his identity, is an 11-year-old child with special needs. She said he had taken the pickup truck from the family home earlier that morning without permission, and she did not know where he intended to go.

The grandmother told police that she alerted officers after discovering the vehicle had been taken. Authorities attempted to intercept the pickup after reports that the boy had driven through the Na Kham Noi checkpoint while heading towards Mukdahan city.

Pictures courtesy of Daily News Dailynews subscription

The vehicle later crashed into the group of monks at Ban Na Wiang Kae, causing multiple fatalities and injuries. Police have not released further details about the circumstances leading up to the collision.

Authorities said they will question all those connected with the case before deciding on any legal action. The investigation is continuing to establish the full sequence of events and determine the appropriate legal procedures.

Caution video shows aftermath of crash

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Adapted by ASEAN Now Dailynews 2 July 2026

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Oh dear, oh dear... what a tragic mess. Poor parenting supervision and negligence over a child with special needs (whatever that means in this case) and should never have gotten anywhere near the keys to a vehicle.

This is one of those stories where everyone loses. RIP to the monks.

UPDATE

Eight Monks Dead After Pickup Truck Slams Into Pilgrimage in Mukdahan

Two further Buddhist monks have died in hospital, brining the death toll to 8 and 13 others are classed seriously injured after a pickup truck, driven by a 11 year old, crashed into a group of monks on a walking pilgrimage in northeastern Mukdahan province.

Caution local CCTV of incident shows the impact

Adapted by ASEAN Now Khaosod 2 July 2026

38 minutes ago, Sir Dude said:

Oh dear, oh dear... what a tragic mess. Poor parenting supervision and negligence over a child with special needs (whatever that means in this case) and should never have gotten anywhere near the keys to a vehicle.

100%. Stories like this are depressingly common here. Parents can be breathtakingly negligent, yet they're rarely held accountable, which simply encourages more carelessness and a complete lack of foresight.

That said, it did make me think. Our car keys aren't locked away. My son could take the car keys from my wife's handbag or my bike keys from the drawer and go for a joyride. The difference is he knows the consequences would be so utterly Machiavellian he'd be measuring the passage of time in months before seeing anything resembling a privilege again.

This, however, involved a child with special needs. Common sense alone would suggest that warrants greater safeguard.

Hindsight is always 20/20, of course, but the risks were surely foreseeable. One almost wonders whether the parents themselves were equally incapable of appreciating them and had their own special needs issues.

RIP to the monks. The responsibility for this tragedy lies squarely with the parents.

7 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

This, however, involved a child with special needs. Common sense alone would suggest that warrants greater safeguard.

Common sense is not traditionally regarded as a value in Thai culture.

3 lifetimes of bad karma for him

Inappropriate laughing emoji removed from OP @Screaming

RIP Monks.

From the article it seems the grandmother was supervising the child, no criticism there but it always pains me when i see elderly people who should be slowing down and enjoying life, taking on the role of guardians to young kids. I know lots of single mothers have to go away to earn money and they send money back home for the kids, as my girlfriends sister does, but it makes me feel sorry for the elderly grandparents. 5 years ago my girlfriends 75 year old mother was taking care of a baby, a 4 year old and a 8 year old on her own.

I know it is normal here but i can't help feeling very sorry for them.

What a horrible and sad story. Why is the boy not to school?. Who has taught him to drive a car? He is just 11 yrs old. Another example of lack of decent educations with severe consequences.

"He's just a child. He has special needs." The cops had him dressed up in protective clothing as the crowd I saw look like there was more of "an eye for an eye" in their collective hearts than a "mai bpen rai." If the clip I saw after the clip showing the monks being killed was related, then the "child" was as big as some of the police if not bigger. "Special needs?" More like clinically insane.

The video I watched showed the truck mowing down the monks who were walking on Tudong on the side of the road. Considering the width of the road, it looked deliberate to me.
This is going to be buried as quickly as possible.

17 minutes ago, connda said:

If the clip I saw after the clip showing the monks being killed was related, then the "child" was as big as some of the police if not bigger.

The story says the child is 11 years old. I can't see how he could be very large in stature at all.

How do Buddhists explain this tragedy? Karma? How was the pickup stopped? R.I.P.

In Thailand, the rules are based on the child's age:

• Under 12 years old: A child cannot be criminally punished, even if they commit an act that would be a crime. The court may instead order protective or welfare measures. This minimum age was raised from 10 to 12 in 2022

UPDATE

Thai media coverage of the incident

1 hour ago, connda said:

"He's just a child. He has special needs." The cops had him dressed up in protective clothing as the crowd I saw look like there was more of "an eye for an eye" in their collective hearts than a "mai bpen rai." If the clip I saw after the clip showing the monks being killed was related, then the "child" was as big as some of the police if not bigger. "Special needs?" More like clinically insane.

The video I watched showed the truck mowing down the monks who were walking on Tudong on the side of the road. Considering the width of the road, it looked deliberate to me.
This is going to be buried as quickly as possible.

Just like one were to aim a bowling ball at a line of bowling pins....EXACTLY....

HORRIFIC

4 hours ago, John Drake said:

The story says the child is 11 years old. I can't see how he could be very large in stature at all.

of course there is always a way out in Thailand.. This kid is only 11yrs old, special needs, but not in school. The air hostess in Australia needs help from Thailand as she could not help that the was trafficking drugs, and so many other examples. I wrote not long ago that it seems that Thailand is embracing wrongdoers and criminals. Such actions will never teach any responsibility... Sad but it is their country, their system and we only can look at it

Disgusting country when it comes to road safety. Makes me physically ill. My wife used to drive 5-6 hours a day for her work. One of the major reasons I brought her to Canada.

10 hours ago, Sir Dude said:

Oh dear, oh dear... what a tragic mess. Poor parenting supervision and negligence over a child with special needs (whatever that means in this case) and should never have gotten anywhere near the keys to a vehicle.

How do you know it was poor parenting? Try poverty combined with a mentally limited kid.

As is often the case with the rural poor, the parents are obliged to work away from the family and the grandmother is left to raise the kid. It's not like they have social workers or care facilities to assist.

Yes, it's a tragedy, but you don't have all the facts, so lay off the blame game.

UPDATE

11-Year-Old Boy’s Pickup Crash Death Rises to 10

Picture courtesy of Amarin

The death toll from a devastating road crash involving an 11-year-old boy who  stole a pickup truck has risen to 10 Buddhist monks after two more monks succumbed to his injuries. The crash occurred on the Mukdahan–Don Tan road in northeastern Thailand while a group of 34 monks were walking on a religious pilgrimage. Five monks died at the scene, with four later that afternoon dying in hospital. Authorities confirmed at around 8.00pm that a tenth monk had also passed away. Three monks remain in critical condition, while nine others and one lay follower sustained injuries.

The tragedy has shocked Thailand, with the young driver accused of taking the vehicle from his home before crashing into the procession. The incident has prompted an outpouring of grief nationwide and Thailand’s Supreme Patriarch has already placed the deceased monks under royal ecclesiastical patronage. Police continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding the crash, while surviving monks receive treatment and recover from the traumatic ordeal.

Adapted by ASEAN Now Amarin 3 July 2026

My Mrs was telling me about this last night, I found it hard to believe. How tragic,

I've been reading that the car was not an automatic.....think about that for a minute.

7 hours ago, Celsius said:

Disgusting country when it comes to road safety. Makes me physically ill. My wife used to drive 5-6 hours a day for her work. One of the major reasons I brought her to Canada.

Nothing to do with road safety, an 11yr old kid stole a vehicle.

Try the parasite punk kid as an adult, and send him to a nasty prison, where he will learn the art of giving.

Craziest incident I've ever seen.

Did the monks have their heads down and not see a pickup speeding toward them? I don't get it.

8 minutes ago, save the frogs said:

Craziest incident I've ever seen.

Did the monks have their heads down and not see a pickup speeding toward them? I don't get it.

I thought the video showed the truck coming up from behind them. Am I wrong. The image is small.

Very sad story.

R.I.P. Monks.

13 minutes ago, John Drake said:

I thought the video showed the truck coming up from behind them. Am I wrong. The image is small.

The monks are walking from left to right on the screen.

The truck is coming in from the right side.

Even if it was from behind, they should have heard the truck. We can hear it in the video very loudly.

I'm guessing they are in some spaced-out meditative state with their heads down when they are walking on the street.

Perhaps they need to reconsider this "ritual" or whatever it is they're doing that makes them unaware of their surroundings.

17 hours ago, Rockyroad said:

3 lifetimes of bad karma for him

See most people failed to research Buddhist beliefs. What you wrote is factually true for someone who practices Buddhism.

The future Karma he will experience is not something I would wish on my worst enemy.

48 minutes ago, roo860 said:

Nothing to do with road safety, an 11yr old kid stole a vehicle.

He should be in school... if he was he could not steal at all.... why was he at home?? He was not ill apparently