Bangkok: A taxi burst into flames in broad daylight in the Bang Pak Kaeo area, leaving its 69-year-old driver narrowly escaping death. Police Lieutenant Colonel Wongsakorn Dulyathamphakdi, investigating officer at Rat Burana Police Station, received a report of a car fire in Soi Suk Sawat 27, Bang Prakok Subdistrict, Rat Burana District, Bangkok. He immediately coordinated with Rat Burana Fire and Rescue Station officers, volunteers from the Poh Teck Tung Foundation, and Rat Burana Civil Defense Volunteers to investigate and provide urgent assistance. At the scene, a yellow Toyota taxi, license plate TS 1086 Bangkok, was found parked on the sidewalk in Soi Suk Sawat 27, with flames and thick black smoke billowing from the passenger compartment. Firefighters quickly deployed hoses to extinguish the fire, fearing it would spread to nearby houses. It took approximately 10 minutes to bring the fire under control.
According to Thai News Agency, one person sustained minor injuries, identified as Mrs. Ratchaneekorn Sumanik, 69, the taxi driver. She suffered minor burns to her arms and legs and was also shaken by the incident. Mrs. Ratchaneekorn stated that before the incident, she was driving from Bang Prakok market towards her home in Phra Samut Chedi District, Samut Prakan Province. Along the way, she smelled burning inside the car before noticing smoke coming from under the dashboard, beneath the air vents. She tried to pull over to the left to find a safe place to park, and eventually managed to park in the alley. However, the fire quickly spread. She quickly retrieved essential belongings and important documents from the car before opening the door and running out for safety, fearing that if she waited any longer, the flames would intensify and she would be unable to open the car doors.
The vehicle owner also revealed that the car used only NGV (Natural Gas for Vehicles) fuel, had never been modified, was a personal vehicle that he had used for over 12 years, and had passed annual inspections regularly without any prior problems with the electrical or engine. Initially, it was found that the taxi was almost completely destroyed by the fire. The cause of the fire has not yet been determined and requires a detailed investigation by forensic officers and relevant agencies to ascertain the true cause.