A prospective Move Forward Party candidate for Phrae who suffered serious injuries in a hit-and-run crash after campaigning on Sunday was pronounced dead on Thursday.
Tiranon “Lawyer Ken” Wiangtham succumbed to his injuries on Thursday morning, the party said.
The party expressed sorrow over the death of the popular local lawyer who was expected to seek a constituency seat in the province.
Pol Maj Chavalit Laoha-udomphan, a Move Forward party-list MP, said he was sad after learning about the death. Tiranon regularly visited local constituents and was a determined worker, he said.
Move Forward leader Pita Limjaroenrat expressed his condolences to Tiranon’s family. Mr Pita praised him for his role as a democratic-minded lawyer who sought justice for people and was also known for his fight against mining operations.
As a volunteer lawyer in Phrae, Tiranon was fondly known as the “lawyer for the poor”, said the party-list MP, who visited the injured candidate and also inspected the scene of the crash on Wednesday before receiving the news that Tiranon had died.
Party policy leaflets were found scattered around the scene of the crash in Sung Men district, he said. He inspected traces of Tiranon’s motorcycle on the one-lane road with local police and forensic officers.
Witnesses said they were riding their motorcycles in front of Tiranon’s bike after the latter returned from campaigning for votes on Sunday night. A pickup truck with its high beams on was travelling at high speed from the opposite direction.
The motorcyclists said they had to swerve suddenly to get off the road, but Tiranon was unable to escape in time. The pickup struck his bike, which fell over, and he was badly injured. The driver sped away.
Pol Maj Chavalit called on police to urgently track down the fleeing driver and bring him to task.