Tragedy on the Highway: A 17-year-old student’s final ride ends beneath a pickup truck, dragged for 300 meters in the rain. PATTAYA, Thailand – Another fatal accident serves as a grim reminder that Thailand’s roads — especially in Pattaya and across the country — are never truly safe, even for a second. On the rainy night of July 22, around 9 PM, 17-year-old vocational student Nattawut, known as “Sand,” was tragically killed in Kamphaeng Phet province. Riding his motorbike along Phahonyothin Road near a gas station, he was struck and his body became wedged under a grey pickup truck, which then dragged him nearly 300 meters without the driver realizing. Just before the accident, Nattawut had called his father around 8:45 PM asking for 100 baht to buy food. His father transferred the money, unaware it would be the last time he spoke with his son. The pickup driver, transporting dried mangoes from Lampang to Bangkok, claimed he was not the first to hit Nattawut. He said another truck had clipped the motorbike earlier, pulled the body free, and fled the scene. Only after pulling into a nearby gas station did the driver realize something was caught under his vehicle when employees alerted him. The family arrived soon after, with Nattawut’s father collapsing in grief after confirming his son’s body was beneath the truck. At the crash site, police found the severely damaged blue motorbike, with the license plate torn off and skid marks running from the road to the gas station. Authorities are now reviewing CCTV footage and searching for witnesses and the first truck that fled. This tragic incident serves as a stark warning to everyone using Thailand’s roads, especially in Pattaya, where traffic is dense and accidents can happen in the blink of an eye. Rain, poor visibility, distracted drivers, and risky maneuvers can turn any journey fatal. Whether you live here or are just visiting—whether weaving through narrow streets or cruising down busy Sukhumvit Road—it’s worth remembering that sometimes the risk isn’t just from your own actions, but from other drivers whose mistakes—like drunk driving, dizziness, or phone distractions—can quickly lead to disaster. When the urge comes to check your phone, rush a green light, or take a risky shortcut in Pattaya or anywhere else in Thailand—keep in mind that accidents are reported here every day. Sometimes all it takes is one blink, and a life is lost forever. Dragged and discarded: Grim evidence of how little a human life can matter during a rainy night on Phahonyothin Road.