9 Monks Killed in Thailand as Boy Drives Truck Into Buddhist Procession

An 11-year-old boy drove his parents’ pickup truck into a group of Buddhist monks on a pilgrimage in northeastern Thailand on Thursday (2nd Jul), killing nine and injuring around 10 others.

The incident occurred in Mukdahan province as 35 monks and five lay followers walked along a roadside. Police said the boy took the vehicle without permission from his family home and drove about 10 km before losing control and crashing into the procession.

CCTV footage from a nearby property captured the monks walking in their orange robes along the road, with vehicles passing, before the sound of a loud crash. The procession then stopped abruptly.

One survivor, identified as Phra Sompong, described the moment in a video posted online by local rescue workers. “I saw a boy driving a pickup truck, approaching. At that moment I was chanting ‘Buddho, Buddho’ (a meditation mantra),” Sompong said. “Then suddenly the truck hit at full speed and crashed us like this. Luckily another monk and I managed to jump out of the way in time. The first nine monks in line survived. But others who were hit were thrown into the air.”

Five monks died at the scene and three more in hospital, with the Mukdahan provincial office later confirming the death of a ninth monk. Health authorities said four monks were in a critical condition and 10 others were seriously hurt, while more were being treated for lighter injuries. Mukdahan Hospital appealed for urgent blood donations.

Major General Pairoj Thaiphutra, the Mukdahan provincial police chief, said the boy has special needs. “The driver, an 11-year-old boy with special needs, took the pickup truck from his family home and drove about 10km before hitting the group of monks,” he told reporters. “The vehicle has been taken for forensic examination to determine the cause.”

Initial inquiries found that no one else was home except the child, who had not gone to school because he was unwell. His guardians notified police after realising the vehicle was missing.

Police have not filed charges as they continue to establish the full circumstances. Officers have been unable to question the boy because he remains in a state of shock. In Thailand, children under the age of 12 have no criminal liability. Authorities have asked the boy’s parents to come forward to determine responsibility for his care.

Mukdahan provincial governor Worayan Bunnarat described the tragedy as a warning on road safety. “We’ve been very strict on road safety in recent years. This case should be a lesson not just for our province, but for the public in general when it comes to preventing road accidents,” Bunnarat said. “I think everyone involved, especially parents, needs to help, because no one wants something like this to happen.”

Deadly transport accidents remain common in Thailand, which has one of the world’s worst road safety records. Factors include speeding, drink driving, and weak law enforcement.

Buddhist monks are highly venerated in Thailand, where more than 93% of the population follows the religion. They are entrusted with preserving and passing on the Buddha’s teachings. Public processions are common, and monks are often seen receiving alms of goodwill such as food and basic necessities from ordinary Thais. Signage on public transport frequently asks passengers to offer seats to monks as well as the elderly and pregnant.

The group had been undertaking a pilgrimage from a temple in Mukdahan province to another in neighbouring Ubon Ratchathani. Images from the scene showed injured people and the monks’ possessions scattered across the road.