School Director: 11-Year-Old Likely Imitated Driving From Grandmother
An 11-year-old boy crashed his parents' pickup truck into a Buddhist shrine, killing 10 monks, likely after imitating driving he observed from his grandmother, according to his school director in Mukdahan Province.
An 11-year-old boy took his parents' pickup truck and drove it away from home, resulting in a crash into a Buddhist shrine that killed 10 monks and injured many others. The boy's mother and grandmother have denied ever teaching him to drive. On July 6, 2025, Watcharaporn Phiw-kham, director of the Special Education Center in Mukdahan Province, revealed that the child initially struggled with development, social adjustment, and language skills beginning in 2021, but gradually improved and learned to follow basic rules and interact with peers. She confirmed never seeing the boy drive the pickup truck himself, only sitting in the front passenger seat with his grandmother and mother. However, she noted that the child has a distinctive ability to remember, learn, and imitate things he finds interesting, suggesting he likely observed and memorized driving from watching his grandmother and mother transport him. The 11-year-old boy remains under the care of officials from the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security as part of child protection procedures.
