Phuket expat restaurateur dies in motorbike crash

Phuket Gazette

Long-term Phuket expat Pascal Gradolato suffered the fatal head injury when his motorbike struck the large road sign on Saiyuan Road near his restaurant. Photo: Atchaa Khamlo

Well-known restaurant La Chaumiere, in the south of Phuket, closed today. Photo: Atchaa Khamlo

PHUKET: -- Long-term Phuket expat Pascal Gradolato, 54, owner of La Chaumiere restaurant on Saiyuan Road in Rawai, has died following a fatal head injury sustained in a motorcycle accident.

An officer at the Phuket Tourist Rescue Center who responded to the emergency call told the Phuket Gazette he was notified of the accident at 5:30am yesterday.

Mr Gradolato suffered a serious head injury when his motorbike collided with the large road sign at the Y-junction of Saiyuan Road and Patak Road near his restaurant.

Mr Gradolato was not wearing a helmet at the time of the accident and alcohol may have been involved, the rescue officer said.

The rescue team rushed Mr Gradolato to Vachira Hospital Phuket in Phuket Town, where doctors operated to stem a brain hemorrhage.

However, Mr Gradolato succumbed to his injuries at about 6:50pm last night, hospital staff confirmed.

His relatives have been notified and were making arrangements to claim his body from the hospital today, the hospital officer said.

Source: http://www.phuketgaz...ticle16030.html

-- Phuket Gazette 2012-05-25

Rest in Peace Sir.

RIP Pascal. At that time of the morning and at that location, I wonder if he had just come from a place that is known to all and sundry as a late night venue.

RIP Pascal...

An officer at the Phuket Tourist Rescue Center who responded to the emergency call told the Phuket Gazette he was notified of the accident at 5:30am yesterday.

What gives...this was reported as happening on Monday morning on the site not to be mentioned here...

..early morning escape from bar or going to the markets early...no info, but regardless..another life gone...

Only dined there once and don't know the guy,,but RIP

It's the edges to those metal signs at that particular corner that I thought would just scalp you if you were to hit it.

If you see the kid in the yellow shirt in the photo, he's just to the right of what is a pretty sharp edge to that sign.

RIP Pascal, we'll miss the couscous night.

Drinking alcohol, riding a motorbike, not wearing a helmet. No surprises as to what happened next. All to common in Thailand. People just don't seem to care about their lives. RIP.

Drinking alcohol, riding a motorbike, not wearing a helmet. No surprises as to what happened next. All to common in Thailand. People just don't seem to care about their lives. RIP.

It's just their way to fight to so-evil nany state.

Met the guy a few times RIP

Pascal opened the restaurant at a time when that area was still a back water and Saiyuan was pretty much a cull de sac,he had probably doing that journey for years in the same manner when you could get away with it. (pre Icon and when Laguna was on a lake and still fun)

RIP

I moved away a couple of years ago and have and will miss our Anglo-Euro debates.

never knew the guy, but a sad loss.

Talking about safety on the roads, and also such a great picture showing 2 people not wearing seat belts in a Jeep and at least two motorcyclists not wearing helmets.

I don't personally know the man but have dined in his restaurant many times. The food and service was really quite nice.

RIP