Woman Driving BMW Reverses Into Tourists in Pattaya, Injuring Five Foreign Nationals
PATTAYA — A 57-year-old Thai woman driving a BMW reversed into a crowd of pedestrians outside a massage shop in a busy tourist area on Pattaya Second Road on April 22, 2026, injuring five foreign nationals in a chaotic scene captured on closed-circuit television.
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Emergency services from the Sawang Boriboon Thammasathan Foundation responded alongside officers from Pattaya City Police Station after reports of multiple casualties near the Market Made in Thailand area. Victims included a 45-year-old American man, a 56-year-old Australian man and his two-year-old son, and two Indian men. All five were taken to hospital for urgent medical treatment, with doctors at Bangkok Hospital Pattaya and Pattaya Memorial Hospital continuing to monitor their conditions.
According to CCTV footage from the scene, the BMW had been stationary after an earlier minor collision with a motorcycle approximately three to four metres from the later impact site. While waiting for insurance representatives to arrive, the driver reversed the vehicle to the roadside. She then entered the car to retrieve her driving licence, leaving the driver’s door open. The driver, identified only as “Ms A,” a Thai business operator, later told police she was unsure whether the gear had been left in reverse but confirmed that the handbrake had been engaged. Moments later, the vehicle suddenly moved backwards, striking pedestrians walking past and damaging a luggage shop along with goods displayed at the front.
Police reviewing the CCTV footage confirmed that the car moved backwards shortly after the driver sat inside. The sudden movement appeared to take everyone by surprise, including the driver herself. Ms A told officers that the crash was accidental and that she had no intention of harming anyone. She stated that she would take full responsibility and cover all costs related to the injured parties, including medical expenses and compensation for property damage.
Investigators have gathered CCTV evidence and witness statements as part of ongoing inquiries. Authorities have indicated that further checks, including a mechanical inspection of the vehicle and additional questioning of the driver, will determine what charges, if any, will be filed. The injured tourists remain under close medical supervision, and hospital officials have not yet released updates on their conditions.
Car crashes into crowd watching shophouses burn
The incident has reignited discussions about driver awareness and vehicle safety in Pattaya’s crowded tourist zones, where pedestrians, motorcycles and cars often share tight spaces. For the five foreign nationals who came to Thailand expecting a holiday, a moment of inattention behind the wheel has instead delivered hospital beds and medical bills. And for Ms A, what began as a minor fender-bender has escalated into a life-changing event that will cost her far more than insurance premiums.
-Thailand News (TN)
