Yala Welder Builds Raised Motorcycle for Flood Waters

Yala — A 55‑year‑old welder in southern Thailand has gone viral after modifying a sidecar motorcycle into a raised vehicle designed to travel through floodwaters up to one metre deep. Teepakorn Chankaew, known as “Chang Nui,” who runs a sidecar workshop in Yala, built the unusual motorcycle after seeing residents struggle with flooding around the Noen Huk Wang intersection and Wat Trimitt Road. The area can flood after just two to three hours of heavy rain, making travel difficult. With over three decades of experience building sidecars, Teepakorn worked with his son to strip down an existing motorcycle and add a steel frame that raises it above the water level. The modification took three days. He said the goal was to have a vehicle for home use during the few days of flooding each year, and it could also help people evacuate in emergencies before water gets too high. The build cost less than 10,000 baht, not counting the motorcycle itself. Teepakorn stressed the modified bike is for emergencies only and is not road‑legal, noting it does not meet traffic regulations. His son posted a video online for fun, and it has since attracted more than three million views. Beyond the flood vehicle, Teepakorn used the attention to highlight problems faced by sidecar owners, especially street vendors, who struggle to get their vehicles registered because current rules do not accommodate sidecar roofs. Many owners must remove and reinstall roofs for inspections, adding cost and disruption. He urged authorities to study the issue on the ground and revise regulations to include roofs in vehicle dimensions, allowing legal registration without extra expense.