Drunk Driving Incident in Phatthalung Involving Jamlong Highlights Songkran Safety Concerns

In a seemingly peaceful night marred by chaos, a 70-year-old Thai man named Jamlong found himself at the center of an unfortunate incident that unfolded on Manora Road in the serene southern province of Phatthalung. The tranquility of the Kuan Maphrao district was shattered as his pickup truck collided with a motorcycle carrying a family of four, transforming an otherwise regular evening into a whirlwind of confusion and alarm.

On that fateful night of April 16, the Phatthalung Rescue Foundation was called into action, responding swiftly to the scene. A motorcycle, ridden by 51-year-old Thanawut, was struck by Jamlong’s vehicle. Accompanying Thanawut on the two-wheeler were his 30-year-old wife, Sunisa, and their two young sons. While the family was fortunate to escape with minor injuries, Sunisa bore the brunt of the collision. Her pain, concentrated in her back and hip, rendered her immobile on the pavement.

Despite Sunisa’s evident distress, Jamlong, reportedly inebriated, added to the tumult by obstructing the rescue team’s attempts to provide urgent medical care. Passionately—though misguidedly—insisting that no one should be transported to the hospital, Jamlong demanded that they wait until the authorities arrived. As if on a mission to complicate matters further, his insistence sparked a heated verbal exchange with the rescuers.

The rescue operation dangled in limbo until the local police arrived, defusing the situation with a stern arm of the law. Only then could the emergency team proceed to offer the much-needed assistance. Thanawut would later recount to the police how a joyous return from a Songkran celebration was abruptly halted by Jamlong’s vehicle, which struck from behind before being parked nonchalantly some 50 meters away.

Even as the family grappled with the aftermath of the accident, Jamlong, seemingly resolved in his denial, attempted to downplay the gravity of the encounter, shifting the blame with a casualness that could only stem from a fog of intoxication. Nevertheless, justice was not to be sidestepped. An alcohol test at the police station confirmed Jamlong’s drunken state—though the specific alcohol level remained undisclosed.

Charged under Section 390 of the Criminal Code, Jamlong faced potential legal repercussions for reckless driving causing injury, with penalties ranging up to a month in prison or a 10,000 baht fine, or possibly both. It was a stark reminder of how moments of irresponsibility can ripple through lives, leaving behind trails of chaos and inconvenience.

As media outfits and witnesses chronicled the night’s events, the scenes would serve as yet another cautionary tale in the landscape of road safety. Here, in the heart of Phatthalung, a tale intertwined with Songkran celebrations and roadway perils unfolded—captured in the flashes and clicks of cameras documenting the somber aftermath.

As the headlines traced the evolving details, life began to emerge anew from the wreckage, offering a space for reflection amidst the noise. For Thanawut and his family, the celebration of Songkran—a time for unity and family bonding—was starkly contrasted by a brush with danger. And for Jamlong, an encounter with legal gravity served as an abrupt descent from an evening supposedly harmlessly lubricated with liquid courage.

In time, wounds will heal, and memories of a night etched in missteps will settle into the tapestry of life’s unpredictable stories. Yet, the lessons etched into Phatthalung’s roads remain clear: on these paths we tread, responsibility must be our constant steed, lest we find ourselves pedaling towards unintended turmoil.