PATONG, THAILAND – A pickup truck towing a speedboat clipped a tuk-tuk on Phuket and pushed it through the front windows of a massage shop, injuring five people as police investigated the cause.
Evening crash on Na Nai Road
The collision occurred on 10 March in the evening on Na Nai Road in the Ban Mon area of Patong, in Kathu district. Police in Patong received the emergency call at 7:38 p.m., and rescue teams and volunteers arrived shortly afterward.
Officers secured the scene while medical personnel began treating the injured beside the damaged storefront. Traffic in the area was disrupted as the vehicles and debris blocked part of the roadway.
Pickup loses control, tuk-tuk turns into battering ram
Witnesses stated that the driver of a black pickup truck with a speedboat on a trailer lost control of the vehicle combination. As a result, the pickup sideswiped a red tuk-tuk that was parked at the roadside directly in front of a massage shop.
The impact pushed the tuk-tuk forward with considerable force. It then slammed into the front of the business, turning the parked vehicle into an unintended battering ram.
Massage shop hit, windowfront shattered
Due to the force of the crash, the tuk-tuk was driven straight through the massage shop’s windowfront. Glass and debris scattered inside and outside the premises as the vehicle came to a stop.
People inside and in front of the shop suffered injuries, and several parked motorcycles were also damaged. The shopfront sustained heavy damage where the window structure had been destroyed.
Five injured, rescue teams take victims to hospital
According to initial information, five people were injured in the crash, including one person who was seriously hurt. Helpers from the Phuket Charity Foundation and staff from Patong Hospital provided first aid at the scene.
The injured were then transported to hospital for further treatment. Details on their exact conditions were not immediately released.
Police investigate, cause still unclear
Patong police began their investigation on the same evening, examining how and why the driver lost control of the pickup and trailer. Officers reviewed the damage pattern and collected statements from witnesses.
It initially remained open whether speed, the condition of the road surface, or a technical problem with the vehicle or trailer played a role in the accident. Further examinations were expected to clarify the cause of the crash.