Foreign Driver Stranded on Jomtien Beach After Failed Vehicle Performance Test

Key summary

On October 24, 2026, at 03:36 local time, the Pattaya Special Affairs Center received a report of a vehicle stuck in sand on Jomtien Beach. A Greek national named Georgeos, aged 58, was driving a Mitsubishi pickup truck that had become grounded while attempting to drive up the beach from the sea to test its capabilities. The two-wheel-drive vehicle lacked sufficient performance to climb out of the sand and became submerged as the tide rose. Pattaya municipal police officer Chanchai Wai-dee contacted a private tow truck service, which took over 30 minutes to tow the vehicle onto the shore. Friends of the driver stated he had purchased a used car and driven it into the Dong Tan curve area on Jomtien Beach to test if the vehicle could use a jet ski function to exit the sea, but the vehicle's performance was insufficient. The driver faces potential fines for driving on the beach and will be summoned to explain the facts.