CHIANG KHAN, THAILAND – Four teenage football players were killed in a road collision in Loei province, where tests later detected amphetamine in the pickup driver’s body and families called for the harshest punishment up to the death penalty.
Tragedy on Songkran night
The crash occurred late on 13 April on Highway 201 between Loei and Chiang Khan, near Ban Na Bon in Nasao subdistrict, Chiang Khan district, Loei province. According to initial information, a pickup truck veered into oncoming traffic and collided with a motorcycle carrying four teenagers.
All four motorcycle riders died in the collision. The victims were aged between 13 and 16 and were reported to have been returning from an outing where they had played with water as part of Songkran celebrations.
Four young footballers among the dead
The deceased were four youth football players and former students of the Mahathai Suksa Tha Bom School. They were named as Phattharaphong Kanyaprasit (14), Pongpipat Srikham (14), Chavanakorn Buddha (13) and Kittikhun Buddha (16).
Relatives brought the bodies to a Christian ceremony. The families said they wanted the strictest possible punishment for the pickup driver.
Police: amphetamine found in driver’s body
Chiang Khan police stated that a physical examination of the pickup driver, Wuttichai (28), detected amphetamine in his body. The driver also died after the collision with the motorcycle.
Police added that the blood test to determine any alcohol level had not yet been completed. They expected the result in about two to three days.
Families call for harshest penalty
Relatives of the victims demanded that the driver face the maximum legal consequences.
“We want the strictest possible punishment and explicitly call for the death penalty.”
said family members, relatives of the deceased.
The case reignited debate over penalties for deadly crashes involving drugs or alcohol. The discussion also touched on how Thailand could improve road safety during Songkran, including options such as more police presence, stricter laws or better public education.