Thai motocross rider dies in cliff fall after fleeing wasps

Panic in remote forest turns deadly in Saraburi

Petch Petpailin46 minutes agoLast Updated: Monday, May 5, 2025

61 1 minute read

Thai motocross rider dies in cliff fall after fleeing wasps — Photo via Matichon

A Thai motocross rider lost his life after falling from a cliff in the central province of Saraburi while fleeing a swarm of wasps on Friday, May 2.

A group of more than 10 motocross riders sought help from the Ruam Katanyu Rescue Foundation after one of their friends, 38 year old Noppadon Nakyot, went missing in the forest on Huay Phee Lork Mountain in the Kaeng Khoi district of Saraburi.

According to the riders, Noppadon disappeared at around 1pm on May 1 after they fled the swarm of wasps in different directions. When they later regrouped, Noppadon was missing. Despite searching the area, they found no trace of him.

Officials from the Royal Forest Department later joined the search operation, which was hampered by heavy rain. Rescuers opted to use motocross bikes to travel deep into the forest, where they eventually found Noppadon’s vehicle approximately five kilometres from the forest edge.

Noppadon was not with his vehicle, prompting a further search in the surrounding area. Rescuers located his body 30 minutes later at the bottom of a cliff over 10 metres deep.

Thai motocross rider dies cliff fall — Photo via Facebook/ แม่ยายี๋ ของหนวด

Officials told ThaiRath that the area where Noppadon was found was a restricted zone due to safety concerns. They believe he may have entered it by accident in a panic while fleeing the wasps.

Although all members of the group confirmed that Noppadon’s death appeared to be accidental, officers from Kaeng Khoi Police Station stated they would summon the group for further questioning and await autopsy results before concluding the case.

Thai motorbike rider dies while fleeing wasps — Photo via Kao Jor Leuk

In a separate fatal accident, two 18 year old students drowned in the Sai Khao Waterfall National Park in the southern province of Pattani. Witnesses said they ignored flash flood warnings and entered a restricted area.

Three weeks ago, a Thai park ranger in Kanchanaburi province was pronounced dead after attempting to retrieve a tourist’s mobile phone from a cave amid a strong water current.

Motocross accident national park — Photo via Kao Jor Leuk

Petch Petpailin

Petpailin, or Petch, is a Thai translator and writer for The Thaiger who focuses on translating breakingThai news stories into English. With a background in field journalism, Petch brings several years of experience to the English News desk at The Thaiger. Before joining The Thaiger, Petch worked as a content writer for several known blogging sites in Bangkok, including Happio and The Smart Local. Her articles have been syndicated by many big publishers in Thailand and internationally, including the Daily Mail, The Sun and the Bangkok Post. She is a news writer who stops reading news on the weekends to spend more time cafe hopping and petting dwarf shrimp! But during office hours, you can find Petch on LinkedIn and you can reach her by email at petch@thethaiger.com.