Buriram — A woman cried out for justice after a tractor driven by the deputy head of a Subdistrict Administrative Organization suddenly cut in front, causing her husband riding a motorcycle to crash and die. She herself is critically injured with brain hemorrhage. She regained consciousness only after her husband’s body had been cremated. The family suspects several irregularities. Police described her injuries as minor, while the deputy chief challenged her to “go sue” over compensation.
On 15 Oct 2026, reporters received a complaint from Ms. Supapich or Mint Kwangkrotok, 24, a resident of Ban Sao Ae, Hin Lek Fai Subdistrict, Ku Mueang District, Buriram Province, fearing she would not receive justice.
Ms. Mint said that on 29 Aug, her husband rode a motorcycle to pick her up from a dental clinic in Ku Mueang District. At about 8:30 p.m., about 3 km from their home and 8 km from the clinic, a large tractor suddenly emerged from the roadside. Her husband tried to swerve but could not avoid colliding with the tractor’s plow. She and her husband were thrown in opposite directions.
She later regained consciousness at Buriram Regional Hospital. She learned four days had passed, as she had been transferred from Ku Mueang Hospital due to severe injuries. She was informed her husband died at the scene and had already been cremated. Doctors told her she had multiple facial fractures and brain hemorrhage.
On 11 Sept, doctors allowed her to return home to recuperate but she must wear a facial metal frame and cannot speak. She spent a total of 12 days in hospital.
On 6 Oct, investigators from Hin Lek Fai Police Station called her for questioning. She gave truthful testimony but remained confused and suspicious of the investigators’ assessment that her injuries were minor, despite her near-fatal condition.
Ms. Mint added that she is an ordinary villager with no rank or position and fears she will not receive justice from officials who often protect each other. She appealed to the media to expose the authorities’ handling, especially regarding compensation, which the deputy chief told her to “go sue” for.
Meanwhile, Mr. Payon Kwangkrotok, 45, Mint’s father, said he inspected the scene that night and initially did not find the tractor involved. However, villagers knew who owned the tractor.
Four days later, a deputy Subdistrict chief from Khaen Dong District admitted it was his tractor involved in the accident, bringing Mr. Thongbai Cherng Prakhon, chairman of the Subdistrict Administrative Organization council, to confess he was the driver.
He questioned why the driver did not stop to help the injured but fled the scene, surrendering only after four days—constituting a hit-and-run, yet police did not charge him accordingly.
He doubted whether authorities would fairly treat his family and urged them to handle the case straightforwardly. Currently, his daughter has only received actual medical expenses under the law’s compensation, but her facial injuries require long, delicate treatment. He hopes experts will advise on further steps to take.