PATTAYA: A factory worker and a female colleague narrowly escaped injury early Thursday after strong floodwaters swept both of their motorcycles into a canal as they tried to ride home through a flash flood after work.
Mr. Ton Yo Lao, 35, an employee at a factory in Amata City Rayong industrial estate, said he and a young woman were each riding a motorcycle back to their accommodation in Ban Phu Sai, Moo 5, in the Khao Mai Kaeo subdistrict, in the early morning hours after finishing their shift.
Heavy rain caused flash flooding on the road in Soi Ban Lung Chian, Moo 5. When the pair reached the flooded stretch, the fast-moving current knocked both motorcycles off balance and carried them into the canal.
Mr. Ton and the woman jumped from their bikes and made it to safety. No injuries were reported. The missing motorcycles were a Honda Icon belonging to Mr. Ton and a Honda Wave belonging to the woman.
Mr. Ton later returned to search the waterway, believing the bikes may have become lodged in a nearby stream. Local administrative officials and officers from Khao Mai Kaeo Municipality also went to the scene to help look for the two motorcycles.
Authorities urged residents not to drive through high floodwater or strong currents. The force of the water and the condition of the road surface cannot be reliably judged from above, they said. Drivers should stop and take an alternative route to protect lives and property.