Woman’s head strikes pole after she leans out of moving Thai train

BANGKOK: A woman in southern Thailand got away with no serious injuries after her head struck a pole while she was leaning out of a moving train.

In a video circulating on social media, the woman is seen from inside a train carriage, leaning out of an open door. She then moves onto a step outside the train cabin and, holding on to the train’s grab bars, turns around to face the train and leans backwards.

A split second later, her head comes into contact with a pole outside. The woman then loses her balance on the step, although she still holds on to the grab bars. The video then cuts off.

In another video of the incident, the woman is seen crouching outside the moving train and then falling onto the track, with the train moving on.

The State Railway of Thailand (SRT) said in a Facebook post on Tuesday (Aug 13) that the incident happened on Aug 5 at 3.15pm, when a train left the Ban Ton Don station in Phatthalung, and was headed to Nakhon Si Thammarat.

The Phatthalung province in southern Thailand is approximately 850km away from capital Bangkok.

SRT added that the train was moving at a low speed when the incident happened, as it had just left the station.

The woman suffered swelling on her head as a result and was taken to Phatthalung Hospital, about a 20-minute car ride away. An X-ray showed she did not sustain serious injuries, and she was allowed to go home.

The SRT said it has ordered its staff to increase checks and remind passengers to observe safety rules while they are on the train.

It urged passengers to follow safety rules when in the trains, adding that leaning out of trains is strictly not allowed. – The Nation/ANN