Reports of a Filipino rider dying in Thailand after stopping to let pedestrians cross raised road safety concerns in the Southeast Asian country.
A Reddit user raised awareness about reports that a 57-year-old Filipino national, identified as Oscar Nedroda Deladia, died on the spot after a transport truck struck his motorcycle on Thepkasattri Road in Phuket.
The incident occurred in the southbound lane in front of a gasoline station at Mueang Mai in the early evening of October 7, according to The Phuket News.
Reports said Deladia stopped at a traffic signal to let pedestrians cross when a non-scheduled transport truck crashed into him when its driver failed to brake in time.
Police said the truck driver pulled over after the crash but fled the scene.
It added that traffic was flowing normally at the time and that road conditions were dry. Deladia also wore a safety helmet and had a valid driver’s license.
Reports state that police are continuing to gather evidence and identify and locate the truck driver to hold him accountable.
Meanwhile, the Reddit user who learned of the news posted it on the “r/Phiippines” subreddit, where it has garnered 1,600 upvotes and almost 200 comments from other Filipinos.
Filipino rider killed in Phuket after stopping to let pedestrians cross
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u/Gyro_Armadillo in
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The report prompted some Filipinos to share experiences of alleged unsafe road practices in the Philippines’ neighboring country.
“One thing I will never ever try again in Thailand is ride their ‘Angkas.’ The first time I went there, I got culture shocked. They provide no helmet at all, counter-flows, rides over sidewalks, speed up like crazy, and weave in-between traffic. I felt so much safer here in the Philippines,” a Redditor wrote.
“Angkas” is a motorcycle ride-hailing app.
“This is what my college-mates experienced in Thailand as well when we interned in Bangkok, lmao,” responded another Redditor.
“Pre-pandemic, maayos naman ang angkas nila. May helmet, hindi kamote mag-drive, etc. Nung bumalik ako after pandemic, na culture shock na ako. Naghahanap ako ng helmet. Nagalit pa ‘yung rider. Tapos dumaan pa sa mismong night market sa may Baiyoke Sky Hotel, kung saan ang daming taong naglalakad habang namimili,” a different user said.
“During my trip to Thailand, gulat talaga ako, parang culture shock na sobrang bilis ng mga sasakyan sa Thailand and they don’t really care about people crossing the streets. Buwis buhay talaga,” commented another Redditor.
“Malala naman talaga mag-drive ‘yang mga ‘yan. Nung pumunta kami ng Thailand, parang out of 8 na nasakyan namin (tuktuk at taxi), isa lang smooth and slow ang drive. Gamit na gamit buong speedometer halos lahat ng driver diyan,” wrote a different user.
In Asian Transport Observatory’s 2025 data, it was stated that road safety in Thailand “remains a critical concern despite some improvements.”
“While progress has been made, the country’s road fatality rate is still significantly higher than regional averages. In 2021, it was estimated at about 18 thousand fatalities in Thailand due to road crashes,” it said.
“Thailand had about 44 fatalities per 100 thousand registered vehicles,” it added.
The data also attributed Thailand’s road infrastructure as a factor, saying that “only 19% and 10%” of road infrastructure in the country “had a 3-star or better IRAP rating for pedestrians and bicyclists.”
IRAP refers to the International Road Assessment Programme, a global charity dedicated to eliminating high‑risk roads and saving lives.
