Lt Col Kittisak Saengmanee of Kathu Police received a notification about the accident on Patong Hill around 1pm on Friday (Nov 3). According to the report, a truck from outside of Phuket lost control while heading to Patong from Kathu and collided with a roadside barrier.
Upon arriving at the scene, police officers discovered a damaged six-wheeler with a Nakhon Pathom registration, lodged on the roadside barrier. Part of the cargo was scattered on the road, blocking one of the lanes.
The accident resulted in damage to government and private property and caused a significant traffic jam. Fortunately, the driver – Somjit Montanard, a 59-year-old from Ubon Ratchathani – escaped unharmed.
Mr Somjit explained to the police that he was making his first cargo delivery to Patong. Being unfamiliar with the road, he relied on GPS, which provided no information about the slope.
The driver was taken by surprise when the pneumatic brakes of his Hino truck ran out of air, rendering the system useless. He attempted to slow down the truck using the gears but was unsuccessful.
It remains unclear whether Mr Somjit intentionally steered his vehicle toward the roadside barrier to prevent a more disastrous outcome, at the cost of damaging the truck and possibly sustaining personal injuries, but without endangering anyone else.
"Fortunately, there was a fence; otherwise, the truck would have flown down the slope to the foot of the hill," said Mr Somjit.
Kathu Police confirmed that the 59-year-old trucker would be charged with "reckless driving" and causing damage to government property.
The Nov 3 accident occurred just one week after Phuket MP Chalermpong Saengdee raised concerns about the Patong Hill issue with the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the Deputy Minister of Transport.
In his address on Oct 26, Mr. Chalermpong, known locally as Coach Sam, inquired about the delay in commencing the construction of the Patong Tunnel, the only viable solution to the issue of Patong Hill accidents.
“[The Patong Hill road] is a route that must pass through steep mountains. There are dangerous curves on the slopes, especially during the rainy season. Accidents often occur, causing traffic and property damage. Road users are injured, and many times there are deaths of both Thais and foreigners,” Mr Chalermpong explained to the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the Deputy Minister of Transport.
“Not long ago there was an accident involving a pickup and a truck. Tourists have accidents, falling off the mountain, and there are many other similar accidents,” he added.
Mr Chalermpong emphasized that the idea of constructing a tunnel between Kathu and Patong was introduced over two decades ago but never commenced.
“When will this project be done? And what will the government do to solve the problem [of traffic accidents] while waiting for the construction of the Kathu-Patong tunnel? How will they protect people’s lives from accidents that frequently occur on this route? Ministry of Transport, how will you fix this problem?” Mr Chalermpong posed.
The Patong Tunnel project has been raised with new Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin during both his first visit and second visit to Phuket.
Ahead of PM Srettha’s second visit to Phuket, Transport Minister Suriya Juangroongruangkit revealed that the government is intent on spending B148 billion on developing Phuket’s tourism and transport infrastructure.