BURIRAM, THAILAND – A foreign partygoer’s New Year firework display sent rockets flying across a busy main road in Buriram, scorching several vehicles and alarming motorists.
Rockets streaked through traffic on New Year’s Eve
The incident took place on New Year’s Eve at around 8:30 p.m. on the Buriram–Satuek road. CCTV footage secretly recorded at the scene later spread rapidly on social media. It showed a firework battery placed on the barrier of a traffic island before its launch tube tipped over after being lit.
Horizontal “hail of fire” across four lanes
Once the tube fell, the rockets fired horizontally across the carriageway, shooting between and at cars and motorcycles travelling in both directions. A local resident said she had been feeding her child when the loud explosions began and she went to look.
“The fireworks shot at the vehicles across all four lanes. The smoke spread for almost 200 meters,”
said a local resident, describing the scene.
Vehicles scorched but no-one hurt
According to the woman, the barrage lasted for about a full minute until all charges were spent. Sparks hit several vehicles, including her pickup truck parked at the roadside. Authorities later confirmed multiple vehicles with light scorch marks in the paintwork, but no injuries were reported and no official complaint was filed.
Foreign reveller apologised and offered compensation
The resident later confronted the foreign man responsible for the fireworks. He apologised and said the firework battery had tipped over unintentionally.
“I accepted the apology. I believe he just wanted to celebrate, as locals do as well,”
said the understanding neighbour. Thai authorities registered the incident but did not take further action because no criminal complaint was lodged, while the owner of the fireworks offered to cover any damage.
Incident highlights New Year firework risks
The near miss cast a stark light on the safety risks posed by private fireworks on busy roads. What began as a seemingly harmless celebration could, according to witnesses, easily have turned into a tragedy. For many drivers on the heavily used route, the unexpected “baptism of fire” was a frightening shock at the start of the year.
Questions over regulation of private fireworks
The episode also raised broader questions about how far celebrations should be allowed to go on public streets. Local debate focused on whether private fireworks in residential and traffic areas should be subject to stricter control, or whether such risks are now seen as an accepted part of New Year’s Eve in Thailand.