Elephant, Owner Killed By Pick-up Truck On Bkk Street

[sylviex]

Elephant, owner killed by pick-up truck on Bkk street

A seven-year-old elephant and a 16 year old Thai boy were killed instantly after being run over by a pickup truck in Bangkok's Sri Nakarin area, police said Thursday.

Police arrived the scene near Samitivet Hospital at 1.30am yesterday to find Plai Boonmee's body in the middle of the road and nearby was the body of 16 year old boy identified only as Chit. Two others people including a 12 year old son of the elephant's mahout Boonchan Yiewram were slightly injured.

The pickup truck driver Surachai Sunthornpadakul, 40, who appeared to be drunk and sustained a cut under his eye waited for police at the scene, said Pol Lt Seubsakul Khemthong of the Prawet police station.

The Nation

A confusing report but clearly not good news.

[JetsetBkk]

...

A confusing report but clearly not good news.

Not sure what you think was confusing. A 16 and 12 year old were on the streets of Bangkok with an elephant after midnight.

Was the elephant showing white lights at the front and red at the rear? I believe that is a requirement.

I wonder what a grey elephant looks like at midnight? Invisible?

[percy2]

I wonder what a grey elephant looks like at midnight? Invisible?

Especially when looked at through beer goggles.

Cheers

[AmeriThai]

...

A confusing report but clearly not good news.

Not sure what you think was confusing. A 16 and 12 year old were on the streets of Bangkok with an elephant after midnight.

Was the elephant showing white lights at the front and red at the rear? I believe that is a requirement.

I wonder what a grey elephant looks like at midnight? Invisible?

Elephants I've seen at night east of Sapan Mai or around Rangsit have the red light at the rear, but still hard to see. Never noticed if there was a white light in front. I'm surprised this sort of accident doesn't happen more often, especially on roads with fast moving traffic.

[sylviex]

Not sure what you think was confusing.

I thought the mahout was usually the same person as the owner ?

I can't imagine lights making much difference, either. What does a 7 y.o. elephant weigh ? How fast must this driver have been going ?

Sickening all round.

[toptuan]

I wonder what a grey elephant looks like at midnight? Invisible?

Yes, they look like black holes....that move.

Google "staying out of black holes" (include quotation marks) for a vivid description....

[JetsetBkk]

I wonder what a grey elephant looks like at midnight? Invisible?

Yes, they look like black holes....that move.

Google "staying out of black holes" (include quotation marks) for a vivid description....

Yes - found it: http://talesfromisan.blogspot.com/2005_05_01_archive.html . Must be quite a shock to realise you are just a few feet from an elephants backside while driving at speed.

There appears to be another thread on this subject here: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/Elephant-Own...ck-t217893.html

I don't know if it's possible to merge the two. (Any mod willing to give it a go?)

[mmushr00m]

"Elephant, owner killed by pick-up truck on Bkk street

A seven-year-old elephant and a 16 year old Thai boy were killed instantly after being run over by a pickup truck in Bangkok's Sri Nakarin area, police said Thursday.

Police arrived the scene near Samitivet Hospital at 1.30am yesterday to find Plai Boonmee's body in the middle of the road and nearby was the body of 16 year old boy identified only as Chit. Two others people including a 12 year old son of the elephant's mahout Boonchan Yiewram were slightly injured.

The pickup truck driver Surachai Sunthornpadakul, 40, who appeared to be drunk and sustained a cut under his eye waited for police at the scene, said Pol Lt Seubsakul Khemthong of the Prawet police station.

The Nation"

The elephants name was Plai Boonmee??? They know the elephants name but only know the dead kid as "Chit"??

[Payboy]

They know the elephants name but only know the dead kid as "Chit"??

don't think this story would be on thai visa if the elephant werent involved.... and the only fatality was chit

[ratcatcher]

Not sure what you think was confusing.

I thought the mahout was usually the same person as the owner ?

I can't imagine lights making much difference, either. What does a 7 y.o. elephant weigh ? How fast must this driver have been going ?

Sickening all round.

I stand to be corrected, but most of these itinerant elephants are owned by some pooyai upcountry or in Bangkok with cash to spare.

The mahout or handler usually rents or leases the elephant from said PY.

They are usually poor families that see the bright lights of Bangkok as an opportunity to make money from Thais and tourists.

.

Sadly the moron driving the pickup was reported "to have appeared to be drunk".

It's also impossible to run over a 7 year old elephant, more likely smashed into his rear end.

Nevertheless a sad end for an innocent creature and a 16 year old Chit.

[PoorSucker]

Already covered here:

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/Elephant-Own...ck-t217893.html