Khao Yai Rangers Race to Rescue Wounded Elephant, Urge Drivers to Slow

Traffic slows to a crawl this week around Khao Yai as rangers, veterinarians and volunteers comb dense dry-season forest for Plai Biang Yai, the much-photographed bull elephant believed to be limping after a pre-dawn collision with a delivery truck. The animal’s survival, the driver’s recovery and the safety of thousands of holiday-makers now overlap in one unfolding drama over a single stretch of asphalt.

What We Know So Far

• Impact time: about 05:50 on 4 January, along the Phan Suek–Kut Khla rural road inside the park buffer zone.

• Victims: 63-year-old driver Suriya Lertrittha suffered head injuries; Plai Biang Yai fled into forest with an apparent leg wound.

• Response: thermal-imaging drones, ground patrols and a standby vet team equipped with sedatives, antibiotics and splints.

• Speed cap reinforced: authorities urge motorists to stick to ≤60 km/h, especially at dawn and dusk.

Dawn Crash on a Popular Shortcut

Regulars who leave Bangkok after midnight know the winding Phan Suek–Kut Khla link as a handy backdoor to Pak Chong’s cafés and vineyard resorts. At first light on Saturday it became the scene of a rare but dreaded event: a fast-moving truck meeting a 4-tonne wild elephant. Rangers say the bull was crossing toward a seasonal grass patch when the vehicle appeared out of a blind curve. The force crumpled the pickup’s cab, scattering broken headlights, coolant fluid and fruit crates across the tarmac. Witnesses describe Biang Yai retreating on three legs, favouring his right forelimb.

The Intensive Hunt for Plai Biang Yai

Park superintendent Thanya Netithammakun authorised a multi-agency operation that now covers 5 sq km of mixed dry evergreen and abandoned pasture. Thermal drones sweep open clearings, while foot patrols follow fresh dung, snapped saplings and soil impressions. Veterinarian Dr. Pattrapol Maneonn says the window for treatment is narrow: “Internal bleeding or compound fractures can turn lethal within 72 hours if we cannot administer drugs.” Rangers have prepared a remote darting site near Ban Choe Elpen, the only flat ground suitable for stabilising a sedated elephant.

Why This Road Is So Treacherous

Khao Yai’s western flank funnels wildlife toward human infrastructure. Pineapple plantations, resorts and weekend traffic converge beside a corridor that elephants have used for generations. Lack of lighting, early-morning ground fog and drivers unfamiliar with wildlife signage raise the risk. According to the Department of National Parks, at least 9 vehicle–elephant collisions were recorded nationwide last year, four of them in the Khao Yai complex. Park ecologists argue that better wildlife overpasses and stricter night-time entry rules could halve that number.

Veterinary Fears: More Than a Limp

Elephants mask pain well. Limping may hide rib fractures, internal hemorrhage or pelvic injuries. If infection sets in, septicemia becomes a real threat. The mobile clinic waiting near the park gate carries broad-spectrum antibiotics, anti-inflammatories, portable X-ray plates and a winch-equipped truck capable of hoisting 5 t. Dr. Pattrapol admits, “The hardest part is not surgery; it’s finding him before the wounds close and fester.”

How Drivers Can Protect Themselves – and the Elephants

Motorists heading for winter camping nights on Khao Yai’s plateau can cut the odds of a tragedy by following these field-tested tips:

Keep speed below 60 km/h in all sign-posted wildlife zones.

Scan roadside vegetation 20–30 m ahead; elephants stand still and blend in.

Dip headlights, avoid high-beam flashing—bright light can spook bulls.

Never honk or rev engines; a startled elephant may charge.

Maintain at least 30 m distance if you meet one; shift into reverse rather than squeeze past.

Stay inside the vehicle; selfies outside the car are a leading cause of secondary incidents.

A Country-Wide Pattern, Not an Isolated Case

Although this week’s focus is on Plai Biang Yai, Thailand has wrestled with a steady rise in vehicle–elephant conflicts from 2020-2025. Hotspots include Khao Ang Rue Nai wildlife sanctuary in Chachoengsao, Khlong Kaeo National Park in Trat and the Srinakarin–Erawan corridor in Kanchanaburi. Common denominators: early-morning darkness, speeding and obstructed warning signs. The Department of Highways is studying animal-detecting sensor beams and speed cameras tied to instant fines for park roads, but budget allocations remain uncertain.

What Happens Next

Rangers plan to keep drones aloft each night until thermal signatures confirm the bull’s location. If tranquilisation succeeds, on-site treatment will follow, with radio-collar monitoring for at least 30 days. For now, travellers bound for Khao Yai’s famous waterfall loops should budget extra travel time and heed temporary checkpoints where officers flag down cars to reiterate the "60 km/h or less" rule.

The incident is a stark reminder that Thailand’s flagship national park is more than a long weekend backdrop; it is a living habitat where 4,000-kg mammals still claim right of way. Whether Plai Biang Yai limps back to his herd or needs prolonged care will depend on a race against the clock—one that every cautious driver can help win by simply easing off the accelerator.