Thai woman loses legs after lying on a train track in Pattaya

A Thai woman lost her legs after she sat on a railway track in Pattaya in the early hours of this morning. Police revealed they will question the victim when she recovers.

A rescue team and officers from Mueang Pattaya Police Station were called to the incident scene at the Mueang Pattaya Railway Station at 1am today. Upon arriving at the scene, officers found the 42 year old victim, Klongthong Phongwiset, in a pool of blood, and unconsciousness. Klongthong’s severed legs were also discovered on the track. The rescue team provided first aid and rushed her to Bangkok Hospital Pattaya.

The train driver, 44 year old Jadetaphan Pakaphorueng, reported to the police that the train was carrying 25 bogies of salt from the eastern province of Rayong. When arriving at the scene, he felt the train had run over something. He decided to stop the train to check and discovered the victim.

The police officers reported they would question the victim about the incident after she recovers. They are perplexed as to why she sat on the track in the middle of the night. It is too early to predict whether she had taken alcohol or drugs.

A similar incident was reported in the past when a drunken Thai man lay on the railway track and fell asleep. He lost his legs to the passing train.

Last month, a Thai taxi driver was killed after he crashed through a rail barrier and careered onto a railway track and an oncoming train.

Aside from drunkness and accidents, some people have been known to sit or lie on railway tracks to take their own lives. In March of last year, a Thai man in the final stages of cancer took his own life on a railway track. He lay down near the track and let the train run over him.

If you or anyone you know is in emotional distress, please contact the Samaritans of Thailand 24-hour hotline: 02 713 6791 (English), 02 713 6793 (Thai), or the Thai Mental Health Hotline at 1323 (Thai). Please also contact your friends or relatives at this time if you have feelings of loneliness, stress, or depression. Seek help.