Cat-loving Thai trucker escapes fiery death with kitty

The truck engulfed in flames and Sanya Tomid with his beloved Persian cat “Ten Wheeler.” Photo: JS100
The truck engulfed in flames and Sanya Tomid with his beloved Persian cat “Ten Wheeler.” Photo: JS100

With nothing but his phone and beloved kitty in his hands, a 30-year-old driver leaped out of a truck becoming engulfed by hot, red flames.

That was the course of panicked action an extremely fortunate Sanya Tomid resorted to Saturday morning after his long-haul truck suddenly caught fire on Tiwanon Road in northern metro Bangkok.

“I was in shock, but when I finally pulled myself together, I started filming the accident on my mobile phone with one hand, to be used later as evidence. Meanwhile, my other hand, I grabbed “Ten Wheeler” because I was afraid he would panic and run away,” Sanya told traffic news site JS100.

It was a man-and-cat bond that could not be broken by threat of flaming death.

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The truck on fire. Photo: Emergency Hub/ Facebook

“I’ve had the cat for over a year now. … I love him. He comes with me wherever I go. If I had panicked and left him in the truck, he would not have made it. I would have been heartbroken,” Sanya added.

He was hauling rocks back from Saraburi province when he said smoke started coming from the truck’s engine compartment. When he parked to check it out, a fire suddenly broke out.

That was when Sanya escaped with their combined 10 lives, leaving behind about THB8,000 (US$250) in cash and other belongings, all of which burned up in the fire.

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Sanya Tomid with his beloved Persian cat, “Ten Wheeler.” Photo: JS100
The lucky pair. Photo: JS100
The truck engulfed in flames. Photo: JS100
Fire finally extinguished. Photo: JS100


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