PHUKET, Thailand – A tourist rode a motorised suitcase along a public road toward Kata Beach and got filmed doing it. Locals and onlookers warn she could crash into cars, motorbikes or buses.
The unidentified woman was cruising through the Karon subdistrict of Mueang district on Tuesday, August 4. TV Channel 7 reported footage showing her perched on the electric luggage.
Tourist crosses road on electric suitcase
She stopped at a traffic light and then switched to the other side of the road instead of using the footpath. The tourist’s nationality is not known.
The road was not especially busy when she was filmed. But the street is normally lively and used all day by cars, motorbikes and buses.
Locals warn of accident risk
Residents and viewers warned the tourist could lose control, fall off or collide with a vehicle. A slow-moving device can be hard to spot in heavy traffic.
A slow device can be hard to see in heavy traffic.
said an unnamed local, speaking to TV Channel 7.
Demand for clear safety warnings
Locals urged tourists not to use motorised suitcases as transport on public roads. They called it an avoidable risk on Phuket’s heavily used holiday routes.
Authorities, hotels and tourism operators should also do more to inform foreign visitors about road safety in Thailand, locals said. That applies especially to busy routes around the beaches.
Motorised suitcases designed for airports
Electric suitcases are mostly developed for use inside large airports, according to the BBC. Most models run on lithium batteries and hit a top speed of about 13 km/h.
In some countries these devices count as motorised transport and face rules similar to electric scooters, Segways and hoverboards. Using them on public roads could require a driver’s licence and safety gear. No immediate legal consequences for the Phuket incident were reported.