Three people were injured, two of them seriously, when an electric car crashed into the Kuan Yin Shrine in Bangkok’s Chinatown on Thursday, October 1, according to local reports.
The sedan veered off the road and entered the shrine premises at the Tian Fah Foundation on Yaowarat Road, in Samphanthawong district, local media report said. The report recorded the accident at 1:13 p.m. local time.
Insider Paper also reported the crash on X, saying multiple people had been injured. Its post did not specify an injury total or provide details about the condition of those hurt.
BREAKING: Multiple people injured after electric car crashes into Kuan Yin Shrine in Bangkok, Thailand pic.twitter.com/8N63gmYPjv
— Insider Paper (@TheInsiderPaper) October 1, 2026
Driver reportedly lost consciousness
The Bangkok Post reported that the driver was an elderly man who reportedly lost consciousness before the crash. Pol Lt Col Atthapol Darok, deputy chief of Phlapphla Chai 2 police station, said witnesses initially described him as having a medical condition related to high blood pressure.
The man reportedly pressed the accelerator accidentally after losing consciousness, sending the car into people who were paying their respects inside the shrine. That account was based on preliminary information cited by the newspaper.
Neither news report included a final finding on the cause of the collision.
Guanyin statue survives the impact
Emergency responders assisted the injured at the scene and took them to hospital. Officers cordoned off the shrine, where the crash had damaged some structures and objects.
The Guanyin statue, however, remained intact. The car stopped at its base, according to the Bangkok Post, which described the shrine as 68 years old. The site is referred to as both the Kuan Yin and Guanyin shrine.
The newspaper cited FM91 Trafficpro for the initial casualty figures. Further details about the victims were not provided in the reports, including their names and their conditions after being taken to hospital.
Local reports said the number and severity of injuries were still being verified. The incident occurred in the area covered by Phlapphla Chai 2 police station.
