A van from Loei Province transporting novices to an exam collided with the rear of a wood-loaded six-wheeler truck in Chai Badan District, Lopburi Province, injuring over ten people. "Phra Kru Jariyasarntham," the former chief monk of Nadoung District, seated beside the driver, died.
At 02:24 on 18 April 2026, Police Lieutenant Colonel Sutat Nongjom, an investigator from Muang Khom Police Station in Chai Badan District, Lopburi Province, along with volunteers from Phong Foundation, inspected the scene on Highway 21, Lom Sak-PhukaeVillage No. 5, Muang Khom Subdistrict, Chai Badan District, Lopburi Province.
At the scene, a white Isuzu six-wheeler truck with license plate 70-0937Phetchabunwas fully loaded with eucalyptus wood, parked by the roadside. The rear showed signs of collision. Nearby, a bronze-colored Toyota vanwas foundwith license plate number Nakhon Loei 2328, stuck against a metal guardrailbeside the road. The front of the van was heavily damaged, and several passengers were trapped inside, mostly monks and novices. Volunteers helped extract the injured and transported them to Chai Badan Hospital.Beside the driver's left seat, a monk
was found deceasedtrapped in the seat. Rescue workers had to use hydraulic cuttersto remove the body.The deceased was later identified as Phra Kru Jariyasarntham (Nirut Thongsakul), 54 years old, former chief monk of Nadoung District and former abbot of Wat Pa Jariyatham in Loei Province.Initial investigation revealed that the van was driven by Mr. Yutthasilp Namwong, carrying 11 novices, 1 monk, 1 mae chi (nun), and
1 lay supporter from Loei Province. They were traveling on Highway 21, Lom Sak-Phukae, heading towards Bangkok to take an exam. Traveling in the left lane, they approached the accident site, saw the wood truck, and attempted toswerve right,but failed, causing the left side of the van to collide with the back of the wood truck and lose control, hitting the metalguardrail on the right side.As a result,the monk seated to the left of the van's driver died at the scene. The driver and the novices were injured and were taken to Chai Badan Hospital by volunteers.The six-wheeler truck driver was identified as Mr. Phairat Kingklang. He was driving fromPhetchabun,heading to deliver wood to a paper factory in Sena District, Ayutthaya Province.
The cause of the accident is under police investigation. Initially,the area was dark,and CCTV cameras could not capture the incident.