Chanthaburi—
On February 29th, 2024, Mr. Atthaphon Charoenchansa, the Director-General of the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation, and relevant agencies publicly spoke about the current situation after a service pickup truck overturned causing one casualty and many injuries including three Russian tourists at Khao Khitchakut, Chanthaburi.
Initially, the nine victims were transferred to local hospitals for body examinations before seven of them were discharged and two were still receiving medical treatment at local hospitals including one Russian tourist, according to Atthaphon.
The Conservation Area Administration Office 2 was ordered to emphasize service pickup truck drivers to monitor individuals and check their vehicles’ condition regularly, said Atthaphon. Moreover, Khao Khitchakut National Park officers would further take strict measures to prevent future incidents.
Every driver must hold a driver’s license and permission from the national park must be granted. Furthermore, illicit substances and alcohol content would be tested regularly and their working conditions must be met to perform their duty, according to Atthaphon.
If the drivers violated the regulations, they would face appropriate penalties according to their crimes, remarked Atthaphon.
After the accident, a committee was established to investigate the case and found out that the driver, publicly identified as Mr. Thotsaporn Saowaphong, 30, reportedly admitted that he drove recklessly as he wanted to show off to the passengers to thrill them.
The driver would face legal processing accordingly and his permission as a service pickup truck driver at Khao Khitchakut was canceled, said Atthaphon.
This article originally appeared on our sister website The Pattaya News.
