Thai village bans road rice drying after tragic motorcycle accident

A Thai village headman imposed a ban on drying rice on the roads, following a fatal accident involving a young motorcyclist who collided with a pile of rice. The decision comes from understanding the predicament of both parties involved and acknowledging the traditional practices of the villagers.

The accident took place on November 23, involving 38 year old Thongthai, who rode his motorcycle into a pile of husked rice drying on the Ban Yang-Ban Sok Deu road in Ban Yang, Lam Thamenchai, Nakhon Ratchasima province.

The 56 year old headman, Apichai Pakkarang, confirmed that the incident occurred around 7pm. The villagers alerted him about the accident that happened near the rice pile, which was 2 kilometres away from the village.

Thongthai was rushed to the hospital but unfortunately did not survive. The headman expressed sorrow over the tragic event and stated that the rice belonged to a local. Following the incident, he ordered the villagers not to dry their rice on the roads for fear of another accident.

Apichai explained that the villagers have been drying rice on the roads for a long time, since the introduction of the rice harvester. The rice is harvested all at once, some is sold to the mills immediately, but the price is reduced due to moisture content. Some villagers, therefore, find ways to dry the rice before storing it in the barns, reported KhaoSod.

However, there are limited places for drying rice. Some villagers use government-owned places, but the space is not sufficient. Thus, drying on roads becomes a necessity. It is a usual sight for the commuters, as it only happens for a month a year.

Rice drying

The villagers empathise with both the deceased and the rice owner. They manage to coexist with the drivers by drying the rice on half a lane and shifting it to allow vehicles to pass. In the evening, the villagers sweep the rice into a pile about 30 to 40 centimetres high along the side of the road for easy passage of vehicles. After two to three days of drying, the rice is stored in the barns, and someone else comes to dry their rice.

The police have investigated the incident, taken statements from the concerned parties, and recorded the event. A negotiation process will follow, as everyone sympathises with the situation, especially the rice owner who recently lost his father two months ago.

The owner acknowledges his part in the accident and how to compensate is subject to negotiation. As for the solutions to prevent rice drying on the road, no one has thought of or solved this problem yet. Drying rice on the roads has become a part of the villagers’ lives.