Yala welder builds raised motorcycle to tackle floodwaters

Yala, a town in southern Thailand, recently gained attention after a 55-year-old welder named Teepakorn Chankaew, also known as “Chang Nui,” created a raised motorcycle capable of navigating through floodwaters up to one metre deep. This innovative vehicle was designed to help residents navigate flooded roads around Noen Huk Wang Intersection and Wat Trimitt Road, where flooding can occur within two to three hours of heavy rainfall.

With over 30 years of experience in manufacturing sidecar motorcycles, Teepakorn collaborated with his son to modify an existing motorcycle by removing certain components and adding a steel frame to elevate the vehicle above the waterline. The transformation was completed within just three days and cost less than ten thousand baht, not including the original motorcycle.

While this unique creation was initially intended for personal use during yearly flooding, it gained widespread popularity after a video of the vehicle was posted online, garnering over three million views. Teepakorn emphasized that the modified motorcycle is strictly for emergency situations and is not suitable for regular road use, as it does not comply with traffic regulations.

The attention Teepakorn received through the viral video also provided an opportunity to raise awareness about the challenges faced by sidecar motorcycle owners, particularly street vendors who rely on their vehicles for income. Many of these owners seek to incorporate sidecar motorcycles into the legal registration system, but encounter difficulties due to the lack of regulation regarding vehicle dimensions, especially concerning sidecar roofs.

Due to these regulatory issues, some owners with roof installations face mandatory inspections requiring the removal and subsequent reinstallation of their roofs, leading to additional expenses and disruptions. Teepakorn urged authorities to examine the matter firsthand and consider revising the regulations to include roof dimensions in the vehicle classification.

By doing so, he believes clearer rules would enable residents and vendors to legally register their vehicles without incurring extra costs.