Songkran 2011: Phuket records first road death

Kusoldharm Foundation rescue workers treat two foreign tourists

whose motorbike crashed into a drainage ditch in Kamala yesterday.

The ‘salaeng’ after being struck by the passenger van this morning.

Photo: Wichai Witthawat

PHUKET: -- Phuket’s dream of keeping the road accident death toll to zero throughout the Songkran holiday's 'Seven Days of Danger' safety campaign came to an abrupt end in Thalang this morning when a van hit a motorbike with a sidecar, killing one man and injuring another.

The accident occurred at about 5:30am on the Muangmai-Airport Road, near Thalang Technical College.

The deceased was identified as 48-year-old Narapat Surarak, who suffered an apparent broken neck.

By his side was 31-year-old Witthya Chunark, who suffered two broken legs. Kusoldharm Foundation workers rushed him to Thalang Hospital for emergency treatment.

An initial investigation by Thalang Police revealed that both men were riding eastbound on an old salaeng (motorcycle with sidecar).

The pair were transporting two small fiberglass dinghies and their nighttime catch of squid, caught off Nai Yang Beach yesterday evening. The squid were scattered all over the pavement at the accident scene.

Traveling without safety helmets or a rear tail light, the pair were hit from behind by a passenger van driven by Pongsakorn Janjamsai, police said.

The force of the impact crumpled the salaeng and left the van’s front-left bumper dented and a headlight smashed.

In an accident yesterday afternoon, two foreign tourists were injured slightly when the motorbike they were riding came off the road and crashed in the drainage ditch alongside the Patong-Kamala Road.

-- Phuket Gazette 2011-04-16

Fail to see how this is Songkran related. Could have happened any day of the year. And it will, until basic standards for motorcycles are enforced.

Almost ironic that the cause is such obvious things, nothing to do with alcohol or the New Year party.

i saw that guy a few km'S away from thalang late last night, the saladang was stopped on the roadside and the driver was squatting and probably vomiting on his own legs, he looked extremely drunk. had a feeling i would read this morning that he'd be dead being dead drunk and having no rear lights.

i saw that guy a few km'S away from thalang late last night, the saladang was stopped on the roadside and the driver was squatting and probably vomiting on his own legs, he looked extremely drunk. had a feeling i would read this morning that he'd be dead being dead drunk and having no rear lights.

Yeh, course you did mate!

Usually a lot of criticism of the tuk tuks here but my pet peeve is the aggressive driving done by van drivers here. Not fond of these unprofessional drivers. I will say though that in this incident the bike with the mother in law sidecar definately had a lot to do with it. I hate van drivers. Lots of blame goes to the maurading thieves (police) that do not do a proper enforcement job