Reckless driving charge after nine die
Nine migrant workers were killed and 17 others injured when a pickup truck carrying them lost control and crashed into a barrier fence at the U-turn under Tha Chin Bridge in Samut Sakhon's Muang district on Monday night.
The truck driver, a 35-year-old Myanmar man, was arrested for reckless driving causing others’ deaths and injuries as well as damaging state property. Police suspected he was speeding and took a sudden turn, causing the overloaded truck to lose control and crash.
Samut Sakhon Transport official Charitja Klongkanying yesterday that it is possible for a migrant to get a driving licence if he has a passport and work permit. However, this licence can only be for personal use, not public transport, she added, referring to the truck driver’s claims.
Charitja said her office would work with other agencies to get tougher on pickup trucks illegally carrying persons and urged companies to register proper licences for worker-transport vehicles.
