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Australian Driver Arrested After Hitting Phuket Checkpoint

An Australian man has been arrested after crashing into a police checkpoint in Phuket and injuring a police officer before fleeing the scene in the early hours of 22 June 2026.

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Police said they were notified of the crash at 01:05 at the Naka police checkpoint in Kamala subdistrict, Kathu district. The collision resulted in injuries to a police officer who was on duty at the time.

According to investigators, officers from Kamala Police Station were preparing equipment for a checkpoint operation when a white Toyota Yaris Ativ approached from Kamala towards Patong.

Police allege that the vehicle struck a checkpoint sign at high speed, sending it flying across the road and causing damage. Pol. Lance Cpl. Anuchit Chaocharoen was standing behind the sign while carrying out his duties and suffered injuries in the collision.

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Following the crash, the driver allegedly left the scene. Police immediately launched a search operation to locate the vehicle and driver. Officers later intercepted the car in Patong and arrested the driver, identified as Australian national Petratos Kosta.

He was subsequently taken to Kamala Police Station for legal proceedings. The injured officer received assistance following the incident. Police have not yet released further details regarding the extent of his injuries, but are believed not to be serious.

The case has drawn attention to the risks faced by officers working at roadside checkpoints, particularly during late-night operations when visibility and traffic conditions can present additional challenges.

Authorities have confirmed that the investigation remains ongoing. Officers are continuing to examine the circumstances surrounding the crash and are gathering additional evidence to determine the events leading up to the incident, with legal action to follow.

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Picture courtesy of Khaosod

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image.png Adapted by ASEAN Now Khaosod 22 June 2026

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Jone500 Senior Member

Jone500

Member

Well, it seems the convict has been locked up again.

Gknrd Gold Member

Gknrd

Advanced Member

10K Baht fine and have to watch a video of Thai driving skills during Songkron. The fine won't phase him much, but the video will scare him straight.

rocketboy2 Gold Member

rocketboy2

Advanced Member

Hope the officer recovers quickly

Disgraceful behavior leaving the scene of an accident.

Srikcir Ruby Member

Srikcir

Advanced Member
15 hours ago, Georgealbert said:

late-night operations when visibility and traffic conditions can present additional challenges.

How about police meet those challenges with flood lights and a removable concrete barrier police can stand behind, assure a buddy system when checkpoint runs very late at night.

BexMan Advanced Member

BexMan

Member

Good job the cop wasn’t standing further to his right, he would have been toast.

No mention of drugs or drink, but you have to think one or the other was involved.

newbee2022 Star Member

newbee2022

Advanced Member

Ban him life time to enter Thailand.

Good example for riffraff and low class tourist

Old Croc Star Member

Old Croc

Advanced Member
15 hours ago, Jone500 said:

Well, it seems the convict has been locked up again.

From his name it's much more likely he was an immigrant from Greece rather than a deported English convict.

riverhigh Silver Member

riverhigh

Advanced Member

Absolute degenearate moron. No respect for the safery of others and a danger to society. Hit and run, takes no personal responsibility. This person needs to be jailed and his driver's taken away for life. It's no longer a question of "if" he will run someone over, it's now a matter of "when".

wensiensheng Platinum Member

wensiensheng

Advanced Member
16 minutes ago, newbee2022 said:

Ban him life time to enter Thailand.

Good example for riffraff and low class tourist

He might not be a tourist. Could just as easily be here on a work permit or retirement visa.

Front Row Silver Member

Front Row

Advanced Member

Leaving the scene of an accident

At a police checkpoint.

I’m guessing this fellow is not a Mensa candidate.

newbee2022 Star Member

newbee2022

Advanced Member
4 minutes ago, wensiensheng said:

He might not be a tourist. Could just as easily be here on a work permit or retirement visa.

Makes no difference. Out with him

wensiensheng Platinum Member

wensiensheng

Advanced Member
2 minutes ago, newbee2022 said:

Makes no difference. Out with him

Or in with him. Prison exists for a purpose.

Gandtee Platinum Member

Gandtee

Advanced Member

Petratos Costa? A good old Ozzy name. Bubble and squeak extraction?😆

BerndD Silver Member

BerndD

Advanced Member
10 minutes ago, Gandtee said:

Petratos Costa? A good old Ozzy name. Bubble and squeak extraction?😆

What's a good old Ozzy name? Does it even exist?
Similar to the USA, the people there come from old England, Italy, from whole Europe, as with this candidate, from Greece. So it's a good old Ozzy name after all, as well as it could be Gandtee.

Jimbolkb Senior Member

Jimbolkb

Member

this is thailand, he could have thought it was a fake scammer checkpoint, lol

Rams86 Gold Member

Rams86

Advanced Member
15 hours ago, Jone500 said:

Well, it seems the convict has been locked up again.

Being an Aussie myself I say that this loser is of Greek origin.

Danny Australia Advanced Member

Danny Australia

Member
24 minutes ago, Rams86 said:

Being an Aussie myself I say that this loser is of Greek origin.

For all we know, he may have been born and raised in Australia and is a product of Australian society like anyone else. Judging someone based on their name, ethnicity, or family background rather than their actions is completely irrelevant to the issue.

The amount of racism in some of these comments is genuinely disturbing.

Robert Oi Newbie

Robert Oi

Member

One presumes this is not the Australian footballer of the same name who plays for Perth Glory...

Iron Tongue Gold Member

Iron Tongue

Advanced Member
1 hour ago, Gandtee said:

Petratos Costa? A good old Ozzy name. Bubble and squeak extraction?😆

I met an Australian originally from Greece. He told me that he immigrated in the 1970s when the Aussie Govt. used to pay bounties to Greeks willing to immigrate. Australia must've been desperate to get "white" European immigrants back then.

ujay Apprentice Member

ujay

Member
2 hours ago, Gandtee said:

Petratos Costa? A good old Ozzy name. Bubble and squeak extraction?😆

Are you still mentally living in the stagecoach era without aviation and with minimal education?

ravip Star Member

ravip

Advanced Member
16 hours ago, Gknrd said:

10K Baht fine and have to watch a video of Thai driving skills during Songkron. The fine won't phase him much, but the video will scare him straight.

Are his skills and attitude any better or superior?

Briggsy Diamond Member

Briggsy

Advanced Member

On several occasions, I have been surprised and had to brake hard when a police officer jumps out into a main road directly into the path of my motorbike as part of a checkpoint.

They are often poorly signposted or not at all.

They are always placed on sections of straight road.

They always feature officers wandering through various lanes of traffic.

Whilst the Australian driver here was a reckless idiot, the police significantly increase their risk of being hurt by the ludicrous design of these checkpoints. (And to be honest this looks like one of the better ones).

ravip Star Member

ravip

Advanced Member
1 hour ago, Danny Australia said:

For all we know, he may have been born and raised in Australia and is a product of Australian society like anyone else. Judging someone based on their name, ethnicity, or family background rather than their actions is completely irrelevant to the issue.

The amount of racism in some of these comments is genuinely disturbing.

Absolutely agree. "We" all think we are the perfect speciman!

Frankie baby Silver Member

Frankie baby

Advanced Member

About 15 years back I was done for being over the alcohol limit at the same checkpoint. It costs 15000 Bht. to walk away. Taking inflation into consideration, I can't blame him for running the check?

ravip Star Member

ravip

Advanced Member
54 minutes ago, Iron Tongue said:

I met an Australian originally from Greece. He told me that he immigrated in the 1970s when the Aussie Govt. used to pay bounties to Greeks willing to immigrate. Australia must've been desperate to get "white" European immigrants back then.

Does this surprise anyone?

ravip Star Member

ravip

Advanced Member
1 minute ago, Frankie baby said:

About 15 years back I was done for being over the alcohol limit at the same checkpoint. It costs 15000 Bht. to walk away. Taking inflation into consideration, I can't blame him for running the check?

So... again its the fault of Thailand and the aussie is squeaky clean?

Some laundries clean dirty cloths so well!

Gandtee Platinum Member

Gandtee

Advanced Member
1 hour ago, Danny Australia said:

For all we know, he may have been born and raised in Australia and is a product of Australian society like anyone else. Judging someone based on their name, ethnicity, or family background rather than their actions is completely irrelevant to the issue.

The amount of racism in some of these comments is genuinely disturbing.

Most probably, he was born and raised in Oz. It amazes me that people today get their knickers in a twist about a 'Disturbing' remark, guessing a person's lineage. The immediate scream of racism is heard. Do the Poms in Oz get upset about their title?

.

ballpoint Star Member

ballpoint

Advanced Member

In future, any Aussie getting into trouble here should give their name as Bruce Vegemite to keep the race watchers happy.

Though, I can just imagine the negative comments should they actually have a true Australian name, such as Jiemba Goolagong.

robert2 Senior Member

robert2

Member

Police assault will fast track you out of Thailand. Dude must have been drunk or on drugs as it's gonna "Kosta" him a lot...

denishuahin Senior Member

denishuahin

Member

Petratos Kosta, his nickname is Bruce.
Some of the checkpoints are in stupid places, many years ago on the 24 one night, I came around a bend, and there was a cop standing in the middle of the with a little Red light in his hand. I had to swerve to miss him,

But I just carried on, as you know if I had hit him, it would have been my fault.

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