TRANG, Thailand – A road repair project in Trang Province has sparked public outrage after nearly 200 vehicles were damaged by freshly laid asphalt, October 14. The contractor poured asphalt on the road without warning motorists or closing the route, leading to widespread damage to vehicles traveling through the area.
The road resurfacing project, overseen by the Trang Municipality, was conducted on the Southern Railway Parallel Road, also known locally as Wang Tor Road, with a budget of 6,030,000 THB. The private contractor began laying asphalt on the afternoon of October 12, but failed to close the road or place any warning signs. As a result, unaware motorists drove over the fresh asphalt, causing it to stick to their tires, undercarriages, and vehicle bodies, resulting in significant damage to nearly 200 cars and motorcycles. Many of the affected drivers have filed reports with the local police station as evidence.
In response to the incident, Dr. Sanya Sriwichien, Mayor of Trang Municipality, issued an immediate order to fix the situation and provide compensation to the affected parties. The contractor has been instructed to install proper “Road Closed” signs at three key access points—Kantang Road, Klong Nam Jed Road, and Wang Tor Road—and to use metal barriers to block off the construction site as of the evening of October 12.
The municipality is also preparing to work with the contractor to compensate those who suffered losses. A meeting has been scheduled for October 15 to discuss the compensation process. In the meantime, affected drivers continue to file police reports.
One victim recounted how they noticed the asphalt sticking to their motorcycle tires and shoes, which were worth over 1,000 THB, forcing them to discard the shoes. Despite paying 500 THB at a car care service, the asphalt residue could not be completely removed from the vehicle.
Car care centers in Trang have been overwhelmed with customers seeking to remove the stubborn asphalt. Cleaning fees range from 500 THB for motorcycles to 1,000-3,000 THB for cars. Arsit, the 42-year-old owner of Pom Car Care, mentioned that over 30 vehicles have come to his shop since the incident, but he could only accommodate a few due to the time-consuming process, which can take up to six hours per vehicle.
The municipality has assured the public that those affected will be compensated and that steps are being taken to prevent such incidents in the future. (TNA)
