There’s a certain stillness that descends upon Chachoengsao-Bang Nam Priao Road at the twilight hour. The golden hues of the setting sun usually paint a serene picture over the lush landscape of Phong Akat subdistrict. But on the evening of July 2, tranquility shattered into a cacophony of metallic screams and fractured dreams. The clock had just edged past 4:40 PM when two titanic forces of the road—a green Hino truck burdened with golden kernels of corn and a white Hino carrying a bounty of rubber—met in an ill-fated rendezvous at the entrance to Bang Sai Temple. It was a moment that would forever be etched in the memories of those who witnessed it and felt it, quite literally, in the walls of their homes. Seventy-year-old Choap Mungkheamklang, a seasoned driver accustomed to the rhythmic lull of long hauls, tragically found his final resting place in the cab of his…
