The dog apparently looked exhausted with its tongue hanging out while walking in the middle of the outbound lane of Si Rat expressway around 11:30am yesterday, when it was close to 40C.
JS traffic radio station received phone calls from road users to alert other people about it. Motorists had to apply brakes for fear of hitting the animal.
At around noon, the expressway’s traffic control centre said close-circuit televisions showed an air-conditioned bus No.166 pick up the animal.
Bus conductor Noknoi Seedam told the traffic radio station that the bus just entered the expressway at Victory Monument tollgate when a conductor of another bus phoned bus driver Tuen Prathumthong to warn him about the animal and asked him be cautious or he might hit it.
“When my bus arrived at the spot where the dog was found, I noticed many vehicles were slowing down. I thought it was the dog we were told about,” said Ms Noknoi.
The bus driver then sought permission from his passengers to pick up the dog. There were about 10 passengers at the time. All smiled and did not complain.
“When I opened the bus doors and called out to him to get on, he did not hesitate. He then lay down under a bus seat. The dog didn’t let anybody touch it. When we arrived at the Muang Thong Thani depot, he got off and took a rest under the bus. We brought food and water for him,’’ said Ms Noknoi.
Many people who saw the incident phoned the traffic radio station to praise the bus driver and the conductor for helping the poor animal.