PATHUM THANI, THAILAND – A nighttime collision between a taxi and a 10-wheel truck on Highway 345 in Pathum Thani claimed three lives and left a young woman critically injured.
Deadly crash on Highway 345
The crash occurred at around 2 a.m. on Highway 345 in Pathum Thani, when an orange MG taxi collided with a 10-wheel Isuzu truck loaded with tapioca flour on the middle lane of the expressway. The taxi driver and two female passengers died at the scene, while rescue workers from the Poh Teck Tung Foundation recovered the victims and secured the area. The accident site was closed to traffic for several hours to allow emergency operations.
Victims returning from election trip
The deceased were identified as Sinthrap Sammarngkai, a 58-year-old taxi driver, and sisters Khamwan Muenthaen, 51, and Banyen Muenthaen, 46, all originally from Surin province. A 21-year-old passenger, Phanatsada Phinyok, who had been seated in the back, survived with severe injuries and was taken to Pathum Thani Hospital, where her condition was initially described as critical. Personal belongings, including vegetables the group had brought as provisions, were scattered across the roadway and later collected by emergency crews.
Journey from Surin ends in tragedy
According to a relative of Banyen Muenthaen, the group had travelled the previous day from Bangkok to Surin province to take part in a local election and exercise their voting rights. On the return trip to Bangkok, they planned to drop off a family member in Nonthaburi before continuing to their home in Sukhumvit Soi 101. The collision happened shortly before the planned stop in Nonthaburi.
Truck driver’s account of the collision
The 54-year-old truck driver, Arun Mordi, was transporting a load of tapioca flour at the time of the incident. He told police he had been driving in the middle lane at normal speed when he suddenly felt an impact from behind.
“I brought my vehicle to an immediate stop and then realised that a taxi had collided with my truck.”
said Mordi, truck driver. He was not injured and is cooperating with investigators, while the exact cause of the accident remained under investigation.
Road closure and forensic examination
The crash site on the Pathum Thani 2 elevated road towards Nonthaburi was completely closed for several hours to clear wreckage and document evidence. A specialised recovery vehicle was used to remove the damaged vehicles from the expressway. The bodies of the deceased were transferred to a forensic institute for legally required examinations, as local police under Lieutenant Nithiruj Nojnarattitham conducted extensive evidence collection at the scene.
Support for grieving families
For the families of the victims, the incident represented a devastating loss after a journey undertaken to participate in democratic elections ended in tragedy. Authorities are assisting the relatives with necessary formal procedures and support. Communities in Surin and affected families in Bangkok are mourning the dead, while the seriously injured survivor continues to receive medical care.
Nighttime road safety concerns highlighted
The incident highlighted the importance of road safety during nighttime hours, when reduced visibility, possible fatigue and higher speeds on expressways can increase accident risks. Traffic authorities recommend that travellers take sufficient breaks, adjust speed to visibility conditions and watch for signs of tiredness. They stress that professional drivers have a particular responsibility for passenger safety, and said that findings from such cases are regularly fed into road safety campaigns and training programmes to help prevent future accidents.