A tragic accident occurred when a passenger van on the Tak-Mae Sot route crashed into the rear of a parked 10-wheeler truck in Mae Tho Subdistrict, Tak Province, causing a loud collision that severely damaged the van. Five people died and nine were injured.
At 14:40 on 6 April 2026, Police Lieutenant Colonel Kiattisak Boonplong, an investigator at Mae Tho Police Station, Mueang District, Tak Province, received a report of a passenger van rear-ending a 10-wheeler truck near Ban Huai Nueng on Highway 12, the Tak-Mae Sot road in Mae Tho Subdistrict.Mueang DistrictTak Province, on the inbound side toward Mueang Tak, opposite the Tak Land Development Station, about one kilometer before the Tak-Mae Sot intersection. There were multiple fatalities and injuries. Authorities promptly rushed to the scene and coordinated ambulance services from Somdet Phra Chao Tak Sin Maharaj Hospital and rescue teams from various agencies to assist.
Upon arrival, they found the Tak-Mae Sot route passenger van, license plate 10-1540 Tak, driven by 72-year-old Nikom Kawinam from Mae Sot District, Tak Province, who died at the scene. The van had collided into the right rear corner of a 10-wheeler truck, license plate 83-4548 Pathum Thani, driven byMr. WichetManeekham, 42, from San Pa Tong District, Chiang Mai Province.
Rescue workers and local residents helped extract injured passengers from the wreckage. Some were in critical condition requiring CPR and defibrillation but could not be saved. The total death toll was five—three women and two men.Two were critically injuredand seven others sustained minor injuries..
Reports indicated that one of the deceased was a newly hired nurse at Somdet Phra Chao Tak Sin Maharaj Hospital, who had just started work on 1 April.
Preliminary witness accounts from local residents stated that the truck had been parked close to the roadside, crossing to the opposite side to buy goods,fromthere, then was about to return to the vehicle when the passenger van swerved and violently crashed into the truck’s rear corner, trapping the van against the truck. The driver and front passengers died instantly, totaling five fatalities including the driver.
Authorities will continue investigating witness statements and forensic evidence thoroughly to ensure justice for all parties involved.
