RAYONG, THAILAND – A 47-year-old Swedish man was killed in a serious motorcycle accident near Klaeng in Rayong province, with police suspecting alcohol as the main cause while continuing their investigation.
Crash on winding road in Klaeng district
According to the Klaeng police station, the accident occurred on 6 January at around 5 p.m. on a winding road in Klaeng district. The man had been riding a white Honda PCX motorcycle when he lost control in a curve. A 44-year-old Thai security guard named Ariya told officers the rider had entered the bend at high speed, estimated at more than 80 km/h, and first struck a roadside guardrail.
Collision with power pole proves fatal
The impact with the guardrail caused the motorcycle to skid and then hit a power pole at the side of the road. The rider was thrown from the vehicle. Police found the man with severe head injuries and multiple broken bones, his body lying about 20 metres from the heavily damaged motorcycle, and stated that no other vehicles were involved.
Plans for wedding and life in Sweden
Shortly after the crash, the victim’s 50-year-old Thai partner Onn arrived at the scene in shock and told investigators the couple had planned a wedding ceremony in the near future. They had recently prepared documents for a marriage visa and intended to travel to Sweden in March to continue the process.
“We had prepared everything and wanted to get married soon,”
said Onn, according to police.
Alcohol consumption and ignored warning
Onn stated that on the day of the accident the man had been drinking beer at her restaurant since the morning. He had said he wanted to ride home to shower before visiting his 90-year-old bedridden mother, who lives near Laem Mae Phim beach. Onn told officers she had urgently asked him not to use the motorcycle because he had consumed a lot of alcohol, saying,
“I warned him, but he still wanted to drive,”
said Onn, the victim’s partner.
Police review CCTV and probe drink-driving
Klaeng police said there was a strong suspicion that drink-driving was the cause of the accident, but that no final conclusion had yet been reached. Investigators were reviewing nearby CCTV footage to reconstruct the exact sequence of events. They stated the case would only be officially closed once this assessment was complete.
Highlighted risk factors in the accident
The incident underscored the dangers of driving under the influence and excessive speed in curves. Police noted that this was a single-vehicle crash with no other traffic participants directly involved. The case drew attention to recurring warnings that even a short ride after drinking can have irreversible consequences for riders and their families.