Furious locals punched a drink driver who allegedly killed a motorcycle when he crashed into him.

Pickup truck driver Nattakorn Pimpayorm, 48, was turning into an alley when he saw motorist Nattapon, 28, approaching on Bearing Road in Samut Prakan province, Thailand, on September 1.

He claimed he had switched on his light signal and carried on turning, but the motorcycle still sped forward and slammed into his pickup.

Samrong Nuea Police Station officers said they receieved a report at 1:30 am and arrived at the scene with medics. They found the motorcycle crushed under the crumpled front of the truck, while Nattapon lay bloodied a few feet away.

The rescuers tried to revive Nattapon, but he succumbed to his injuries despite their best efforts.

The dead man's family and friends rushed to the crash site when they were informed of his passing. They found Nattakorn talking to investigators near the wreckage and, unable to control their emotions, charged at him and punched him twice in the face.

Officers said Nattakorn had recently joined Thailand's progressive Move Forward political party on August 18. His shirt and truck were emblazoned with the group's logo when the accident happened.

They said his breath reeked of alcohol so they put him through a blood test, which found a reading of 287 mg per cent - five times higher than the legal limit.

Nattakorn was detained and charged with driving under the influence of alcohol leading to the death of another individual.

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.

However, a lack of road safety education in schools along with notoriously easy driving tests, police failures to enforce road laws, and chronic under-investment in infrastructure, all appear to hamper the efforts.