This just happened.

A thai male, 20s, was pulled from the car, approx 2-3 minutes after it went in, and was taken to hospital. The crash occured on the North side of the moat.

There seemed to be some search for others in the vehicle but afaict this seems to have stopped.

He was not conscious.

It did not seem possible to see anything in the water. An axe was used to get him out. Not spotlights were on the scene to assist. I dread to think somebody else is still in that vehicle.

If there is one place that had taken more life then the road itself .. it will be the Moat around the city ..

over the century . i assure you .. countless soul had die in it ..

in my years in chiangmai i had witness and heard no less then a doz or more death related to it ..

there been thai , driver ( car )

Biker , ( motorcycle )

stray begger sleeping at the moat and falling in cos there had too many acol ..

Drunk tourist falling into the moat ..

i even once heard some Farang guy ,after one too many beer or whiskey . jump into the Moat for a swim ..

being such a good swimmer he is .. but .. age got him and no warm up .. he got a cramp and drown .

so . as beautiful and still the water is ..

Chiangmai Moat had been a shallow grave for many

Please respect the Moat . and never play with it .. and alway drive carfully when you are around the moats .

It certainly has been a watery graveyard for many over the years, from Songkhran revellers to drunk or sleepy drivers. I even helped pull out a a rather dead sam lor driver one year. I've lost count of the cars that have gone in over the years, most luckily were non fatal. Even a bus went in a few years back near Sompet market.

This brand new Jeep Cherokee went in right in front of me some years ago at three in the morning, on the north side of the klong, which seems to claim the most vehicles. The driver reckoned he fell asleep

Probably the most humerous incident was the one pictured below, taken many years ago. I had parked my car at Chiangmai Gate Market to do some shopping, and was about to get out when a Thai drove up in his Toyota pick up and parked next to me. He got out, slammed the door and walked off. Within seconds the pick up started to roll into the klong. It was only the form work for the new retaining wall that stopped it floating away.

I did my shopping, and returned to the car, and as I was loading my shopping the Thai came back, took one look, scratched his head, and walked off!

A moat, it would seem, that troubles more than the mind's eye.

hm....

The pick up that went into the Moat at chiangmai gate .. when did it happen ?

The photo look like it taken in the 60s whhahahahahahha If not 70s

I am very concerned about the driver that was pulled out of the water.

If anybody has news about his wellbeing, please post it here. Which hospital would he be in, if he is still alive.

When I arrived on the scene, there was a crowd and somebody was half in/out of the car window, which later completely disappeared into the water. He wasn't shouting or waving his hand and seemed quite calm. I supposed he might have gone in to find somebody, but he must have been the driver. As the car went under he did too, though i cannot understand why. Maybe it was the water flooding into the window that meant he couldn't pull himself out. His shoelace or something might have been snagged. Maybe he was in shock, or drunk. He seeemed to purposefully be lowering himself back into the vehicle, why i could not tell. There was no sense of panic in him. Perhaps he was mute.

A thai dove in and couldn't get him out. Then some more tried with tools to break the window. He could have been under for 3 or 4 minutes. I couldn't see oxygen in the ambulance thing that took him away.

Witnessing this was very disturbing. I feel guilty for not diving in too, since i was part of the early crowd. Looking back, i judged not to go in due to the reactions of the other people around. It seemed that something had happened prior to my arrival that i wasn't aware of. I couldn't communicate with people. And at the back of my mind i was thinking, this is a thai thing, let the thais take care of it. But now i just feel guilt.

- The thai . amubulance . ( amount the fastest in Asia . ) But for good reason ..

there are also amound the most reckless driver . depending on if there are professional ..

some is really make up by Kids .. in their eaerly 20s with little knownledge of how to save a person ..

There can drive real fast .. if you ever notice one or more of this Pick up amubulance racing down the road ..

There sure get the victim to the hospital . but not posisble the Nearest .. BUt the one that PAY THEM MOST >..

so now here the problem ..

in fact i twice witness an accident . one seem fatal . while a drunk man was knock out right outside the

bar when he was cross the road . .behind payap uni .

after about 3-5 min i suppose .. a pick up arrive ..

the man had blood coming out of mouth , ear, and nose .. and he look in bad shape . i try to tell the people around him to guve him more space .. and also tell the Gf not to shake him and keep talking to him ..

i suspect he had broken alot of bone and internal bleeding .

when the ambulance came .. 3 guys wanted to LIFT him .. i was SHock .. i say NO NO NO ...

you got to roll slowly .. shift him onto the stretcher ... Lifting him will kill him ..

show that there had little knownledge ..

the other time i saw an accident . happen right infront of me .. two motorcycle was racing ...

There did not stop at a junction and cross with a out coming bike .

all drunk .. but only 1 seriously hurt , his leg is almost twisted and broken .. while he is not losing alot of blood . he almost fanited . in fear .

all his friends ran off .. leaving him ... onlooker .. me and another thai try to lay himdown .. and dare not touches his leg .. worrying that it might make it worst ..

after 3-4 min the amubulance came . 3 of them . but only once got the prize

as is near the juction of Huay keaw road .

..as usual .. there lift him up .. and pick his almost apart leg and put it beside him limb .. and that it . off there go .. .The other girl whos leg and hand had some brusie followed ..

Guess what .. there were heading to the Hospital the other side of town .. ..from what i head .. while there is one Hospital just 1 km down the junction at the hua keaw road ..

i wish i die .. and save me the pain ..

hm....

The pick up that went into the Moat at chiangmai gate .. when did it happen ?

The photo look like it taken in the 60s whhahahahahahha If not 70s

I took the shot about '93

was pondering ocs i see the pavment had not been build yet ..

and the pickup look new whahhahahah

A taxi to the nearest hospital is often your best bet. I saw a semi-conscious motorcyclist get chucked onto a stretcher. The 3 guys then turned to get the reluctant and clearly deep-in-shock girlfriend into the ambulance. The motorcyclist then rolled off the stretcher 4 feet to the ground. Ouch! This was the Sukhumvit Road in Samut Prakan near Bangpoo, sorry you khon meuang!

hm....

The pick up that went into the Moat at chiangmai gate .. when did it happen ?

The photo look like it taken in the 60s whhahahahahahha If not 70s

I took the shot about '93

And just to satisfy Ta22 on the point, how long do you think the truck had been in the water by then, some twenty or thirty years?

They should pave it over and use it for parking or some kind of public transportation system to get people in and around that part of the city.

this is getting abit confusing ,

The photo of the Pick up in the moat at the CHiangmai gate ..

i am sure is taken years ago .. how many years ago i am not sure but as said is during the 90s ..

which see some 13 years ago ..

i personally been in chiangmai for 6 years and had been here before maybe 10-11 years ago ..

.

Cannot recall the parts of land being pave up ..

but i do go chiangmai gate alot cos i love the food .

if i am not wrong the whole part of the roads had been pave up .. long ago .. maybe some 5 years ago or more ..

...

i don't get the parts where you said the car had been in the water for 20-30 years whahaha..

is it a joke sorry my command of english is not that good

thanks you .

i don't get the parts where you said the car had been in the water for 20-30 years whahaha..

is it a joke

Yes, that was a joke.

whahhaha

Safety commercial time.

Those who have lived in South Florida are probably already aware of the danger that klongs/canals pose to power operated windows (you can not lower window with no power) and use a piece of duct tape to place a spring loaded nail set on steering column. This can be quickly removed (by feel) and used to break drivers side window to allow escape when under water.

This is a great idea ..

i was thinking the others days if i really run into the Moat - i would open my open instead of crashing my window .. cos there are so rare and almost hard to hunt down a pair nowaday .

.

i would rather damage thed oor as it can be repair later then to crash my window .

but the fact is . the loaded nail idea is super .. .

this would remind me not to install power window on my classic cars anymore .

I am still very concerned about the driver. Does anybody have any news about him, please?

The latest I heard is that the guy is ok, however I have not had this corraborated.

This reminds me of the boy band singer who crashed into the canal in BKK a couple of years ago. He later died from a brain infection due to the polluted water.

I dont know if the moat aroung Chiang Mai is as polluted, I hope not, for this poor guys sake.

Sorry to hear about it....hope all turns out well.