CHACHOENGSAO: Thirteen people were injured when their passenger van rear-ended a semi-trailer truck on Highway 304 in Ratchasan district early on Monday morning.
Police in the district were informed of accident about 2.30am.
They found the wrecked silver van, registered in Bangkok, halted on the highway in Moo 5 village of tambon Muang Mai - its front end flattened.
A semi-trailer registered in Sa Kaeo province was parked nearby.
Police said the passengers had been on a merit-making trip to Udon Thani province and were returning home to Ban Pho district in Chachoengsao province. Thirteen people were taken to Phanom Sarakham Hospital. Four of them were reported to be seriously injured.
Truck driver Wisant Orachun, 53, said he had unloaded a cargo in Aranyaprathet district of Sa Kaeo and was heading for Nakhon Pathom province to pick up another one and was driving at 50-60 kilometres per hour. He heard a loud noise behind him, but did not know his truck had been hit by another vehicle.
The driver of another van following behind told him of the accident, so he parked the truck.
Police said the ill-fated van had crashed about 30 kilometres short of its destination.
The investigation was continuing.