AYUTTHAYA: Five Myanmar workers were badly hurt when the van they were travelling in rear-ended a truck parked on the side of the road in Bang Pahan district early on Tuesday morning.
The crash happened near kilometre marker 42 on Bangkok-bound Asia Road in tambon Han Sang, near the Bang Pahan highway, around 5am, police said.
The Bangkok registered van, a charter vehicle not a regular service, was still jammed up against the truck, the front badly damaged, when police arrived at the scene.
Owner-driver Sawaeng Thorwong, 37, was unhurt. Five of the 11 passengers, three men and two women were badly hurt and were rushed to a hospital.
The van driver said the passengers were all registered migrants from Myanmar. He was taking them to Mahachai market in Samut Songkham.
Truck driver Pitak Huadhatthakam told police he had parked his vehicle so he could catch some sleep. Several other trucks were also parked in the area. He was asleep inside the truck when the van rear-ended it. The crash woke him up.
He and other people helped all the Myanmar passengers from the van.
Police suspect the van driver had dozed off at the wheel. They were investigating.