British pensioner, 66, killed in motorcycle crash on his first day in Thailand

A British tourist was killed in a high-speed motorcycle crash on his first day in Thailand.

Nigel Melvin Garrad, 66, from Woking, Surrey, had recently arrived in the Southeast Asian country to visit his long distance Thai partner and friends in the Sattahip district of Chonburi province.

He went on a motorcycle ride with some pals to celebrate his arrival, but crashed into a traffic sign while turning at a U-turn slot near a bridge on the night of October 5.

The impact was said to have flung the Brit from his seat and shattered his two-wheeler.

Nigel's devastated friend is seen in the video at the scene of the crash pleading for help and asking locals how the crash happened.

He says: 'What happened? You don't know? You don't f****** know, somebody knows. Who knows? Nobody knows? Oh, you're f****** joking me.'

Police Lieutenant Colonel Thammanchit Sittisart, Deputy Chief of Investigation of the Sattahip Police Station, said officers were notified of the crash at around 8:40 pm.

They inspected the scene where Garrad's red and black Kawasaki Z900 motorcycle lay wrecked on the pavement next to a broken traffic sign. He was found in a puddle of blood, with a fractured skull and severe lacerations on the back of his head.

The police chief said: 'We have taken photos of the scene. Witnesses will be questioned to determine the cause of the accident. The British man's body was taken to the Institute of Forensic Medicine in Bangkok to find the cause of death for further legal proceedings.'

Garrad's Thai partner, Sureerat, 49, broke down in tears when she saw Nigel had died.

She said: 'Nigel has only been in Thailand for a day. He went out with his friends to ride his motorcycle. I rushed here as soon as I heard the news about the crash. I'm devastated. I never thought he would never be coming home.'

An onlooker, Apiwat Subindee, 37, said she saw two motorbikes roaring across the road. One of them turned around to head towards Pattaya, while the other smashed into a traffic sign.

On September 9, another British tourist was killed while driving a rented motorcycle in Krabi province.

Billy Thomas James, 30, from Hammersmith, west London, was reportedly speeding without a helmet before crashing in the popular Ao Nang area where thousands of backpackers gather for drinks every night. Police said they were unsure if he had been drink driving.

Thailand has one of the world's worst road safety records. Ministers have set the goal of reducing fatalities from 32.7 deaths per 100,000 people to 12 per 100,000 people by the year 2027.