The district chief of Mae Sariang reflected on the "transportation" problems in remote areas of Mae Hong Son province after villagers from Mae Po carried a patient on a stretcher, walking through more than 6 kilometers of mud to get medical treatment at a hospital. Heavy rain made the roads slippery and impassable for vehicles, but ultimately the patient could not be saved.
On 22 February 2026, it was reported that Mr. Worasak Panthong, district chief of Mae Sariang, Mae Hong Son province, posted photos and a message on his personal Facebook page saying, "At the moment of life... we must surrender to the difficult path."
On the evening of 20 February 2026, around 6:00 p.m., I received a sorrowful report from the village headman of Village No. 7, Mae Yuam subdistrict, about the passing of "Mae Loyboi Samachit Oom," aged 70, a resident of Mae Po village and mother of Mr. Kamol Samachit Oom, assistant village headman of Mae Po hamlet.
This incident made me recall memories from last year when I visited this village. Although the distance on the map might seem short, in reality the "road conditions" are the greatest obstacle and directly affect the lives of our people.
On days of heavy rain, the road surface turns into slippery mud, making vehicle travel impossible. When Mae Loyboi's condition worsened, villagers had to carry her on a stretcher over rough terrain along the mountainside to Mae Kong Ka village, then transferred her to an emergency vehicle to Mae Sariang Hospital. Despite doctors' best efforts with CPR, "distance and time" ultimately took her life from us forever.
This is not just a matter of poverty, but a matter of "transportation routes that determine life and death."
Mae Hong Son has been classified as a continuously poor province for over 20 years, but what clearly reflects this hardship is that our people still lack basic necessities such as safe roads, clean water, electricity, and phone signals. These are not just conveniences; they are infrastructure essential to saving lives in emergencies.
Mae Loyboi's passing today must not be just a statistic, but a "call" for urgent development of transportation routes in remote areas. For our mountain communities, "just one more kilometer of improved road could mean one more life returning to their family."
I express my deepest condolences to the Samachit Oom family.
Thanks for the information from Worasak Panthong's Facebook.