BANGKOK — Nine Buddhist monks were killed and 13 others injured after an 11-year-old boy driving a pickup truck crashed into a group of monks on a pilgrimage in northeastern Thailand on Thursday, authorities said, in one of the country’s deadliest road accidents involving a religious procession.
The monks were walking in single file along a roadside in Mukdahan province, about 600 kilometers northeast of Bangkok, when the pickup truck veered off the road and plowed into the group. Five monks died at the scene, while four others later succumbed to their injuries at a hospital, according to provincial officials. Three of the injured remain in critical condition.
The group, consisting of 35 monks from Mukdahan province, had begun a 260-kilometer pilgrimage to neighboring Ubon Ratchathani province only about 30 minutes before the crash occurred. The annual journey is part of a longstanding Buddhist tradition in which monks travel on foot for meditation, discipline, and spiritual practice.
Security camera footage released by the Ruam Jai Mukdahan Rescue Association showed the monks walking along the shoulder of the road moments before the pickup truck suddenly swerved into the procession. The footage has circulated widely on social media and local news outlets.
Police said the 11-year-old driver has been taken into custody and will be questioned in the presence of child protection officials. Investigators are working to determine how the child gained access to the vehicle and what caused the crash.
Witnesses among the surviving monks told police they saw the pickup truck swerving before it left the roadway and struck the group. Authorities have not indicated whether excessive speed, mechanical failure, or another factor contributed to the collision.
Reuters reported that the child, who police identified as having special needs, allegedly took the pickup truck from his family home and drove approximately 10 kilometers before the crash. Officers said they have not yet been able to formally question him because he remains in a state of shock. No charges have been filed as the investigation continues.
Mukdahan Governor Worayan Bunnarat described the tragedy as a reminder of the importance of road safety and parental responsibility, saying authorities have worked to reduce traffic deaths in the province in recent years.
Thailand has one of the highest rates of road traffic fatalities in Southeast Asia. According to the World Health Organization, speeding, impaired driving, inadequate enforcement of traffic laws, and unsafe road conditions continue to contribute to thousands of deaths each year. The latest tragedy has renewed public discussion over child access to motor vehicles and road safety enforcement in rural communities.
Buddhist monks are highly revered in Thailand, where more than 90 percent of the population identifies as Buddhist. Pilgrimages such as the one undertaken by the monks are longstanding religious traditions that symbolize spiritual devotion, self-discipline, and service to local communities.
Authorities said the investigation remains ongoing.
