Mukdahan: A pickup truck lost control and crashed into a group of Buddhist monks on a pilgrimage, tragically killing eight monks and injuring dozens more. It's revealed the driver was an 11-year-old boy. The Office of the Insurance Commission (OIC) is immediately coordinating compensation.
According to Thai News Agency, the devastating road accident shocked Buddhists at 11:30 AM on July 2, 2026, on Route 2034 between Mukdahan Province and Don Tan District, at kilometer 6. A pickup truck lost control, veered off the road, and violently collided with a convoy of monks and laypeople, resulting in numerous injuries and fatalities. Later that same day, at 1:30 PM, Mr. Worayan Boonnarach, the Governor of Mukdahan Province, along with Phra Ratcharattanomoli, the Chief Monk of Mukdahan Province, a medical team from Mukdahan Hospital, the Commander of the Mukdahan Provincial Police, and representatives from the Office of the Insurance Commission, held a press conference to officially summarize the situation. They stated that the group consisted of 34 monks and 5 laypeople, totaling 39 people, who had just departed from Wat Phu Manorom in Mukdahan City and were en route to Nam Yuen District, Ubon Ratchathani Province.
This tragic accident resulted in the immediate deaths of five monks at the scene and three more at Mukdahan Hospital, bringing the total number of monk fatalities to eight. Twenty-two people were injured, including 21 monks and one layperson. Medical teams identified four patients as critical (red code), with severe abdominal, brain, and chest injuries, two of whom had ruptured spleens requiring emergency surgery. The remaining injured are mostly in yellow code condition, suffering from bone, leg, and brain injuries, and are under close medical supervision. The uninjured monks have been sent back to Wat Phum Manorom for rest and assistance. The Abbot of Mukdahan Province revealed that, according to the monks' group, they were walking in single file against the flow of traffic, following monastic rules and practices, and maintaining a distance of two meters from the solid line at the edge of the road. However, the other vehicle, traveling at high speed, lost control and struck the sixth monk onwards, resulting in the fatalities.
Regarding the legal proceedings and investigation, Pol. Maj. Gen. Pairoj Thaiputra, Commander of the Mukdahan Provincial Police, revealed that the suspect driving the pickup truck involved in the incident is an 11-year-old juvenile, and initial information indicates he has special needs. He is currently under the custody of law enforcement, but is still in severe shock and unable to give a statement. Police have summoned the parents/guardians for questioning to determine why they neglected to supervise the child and allowed him to drive the vehicle, and are preparing to prosecute him to the fullest extent of the law.
Meanwhile, a representative from the Office of the Insurance Commission (OIC) stated that the pickup truck involved had mandatory vehicle insurance from Thewes Insurance Public Company Limited, which was still valid and provided coverage up to 20 million baht per incident. The deceased monk will receive 500,000 baht in compensation, while the injured will be covered for actual medical expenses. The Governor of Mukdahan Province expressed his deepest condolences to the bereaved family and ordered the establishment of a central operations center at the Mukdahan Provincial Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Office to collect information, names, and facilitate contact with relatives regarding the deceased's body and compensation. He also urged that this accident serve as a lesson and a cautionary tale for all families to exercise strict adherence to road safety measures.