SUV Crash Kills Three in Thailand, 23 Phones Raise Scam Suspicions

SUV Crash Kills Three in Thailand, 23 Phones Raise Scam Suspicions

PRAN KRATAI, Thailand, Jan 22, 2026 — Three people were killed early Thursday when a sport utility vehicle veered off a road in northern Thailand and crashed into a tree, police said, adding that investigators are examining a possible link to an online scam operation after discovering dozens of mobile phones in the vehicle.

Police said the black Toyota Fortuner, registered in Bangkok, crashed around 6:20 a.m. on the Pran Kratai–Wang Prachop road in Kamphaeng Phet province. All three occupants — a Thai driver and two Chinese nationals — died at the scene after becoming trapped inside the wreckage.

Officers searching the vehicle found 23 smartphones packed in a shoulder bag. Preliminary checks indicated the devices were configured with multiple accounts and phone numbers linked to foreign locations, including cities in the United States, a setup police said is consistent with call-centre or transnational scam operations.

Authorities said they are continuing to analyse the devices and communications data to determine whether the victims were involved in organised online fraud. The cause of the crash remains under investigation.

Khaosod English