Police warn driving drunk and causing deaths might be charged with intentional murders

tewit kemtong

 

 

BANGKOK, 13 April 2019 (NNT) - The deputy National Police commissioner general has warned that any motorists who might be driving drunk and caused deaths to others might be faced with intentional murder charges.

 

Deputy National Police Commissioner General Pol. Gen. Wirachai Songmetta said the police have launched a nationwide campaign against driving drunk or speeding which might possibly caused deaths to others during Songkran festival. Those drunk or careless motorists will be arrested under the Land Traffic Act which warrants a one-year term in prison or 5,000 to 20,000 baht in fine.

 

The deputy National Police commissioner general warned that motorists be very careful and fasten safety belts while motorcyclists wear crash helmets. All motorists are strongly suggested to strictly follow the traffic rules.

 

He advised that those who may have been given traffic tickets to pay for fines abide by the law and follow suit accordingly because the police have data links with the Department of Land Transport which is responsible for the yearly renewal of automobile licenses.

 

-- © Copyright nnt 2019-04-14

Unless of course caused by a driver in a BMW or Mercedes-Benz or better, in which case any potential charges will be discretionary falling in line with Thai convention and hence solely dependent upon the quality and content of the brown envelope.

15 minutes ago, rooster59 said:

The deputy National Police commissioner general has warned that any motorists who might be driving drunk and caused deaths to others might be faced with intentional murder charges.

Might! Such a decisive constabulary! ????

Obviously the courts say otherwise from ruling yesterday.  

18 minutes ago, geoffbezoz said:

Unless of course caused by a driver in a BMW or Mercedes-Benz or better, in which case any potential charges will be discretionary falling in line with Thai convention and hence solely dependent upon the quality and content of the brown envelope.

Or they could always escape through the ratline: Bkk-Singapore-London.

14 minutes ago, PatOngo said:

Might! Such a decisive constabulary! ????

In most countries, laws are made by the government (congress etc). In this country the cops seem to be able to set laws, fines and judge guilt.

Gotta get out of your tents and catch them first boys

10 minutes ago, ratcatcher said:

In most countries, laws are made by the government (congress etc). In this country the cops seem to be able to set laws, fines and judge guilt.

Its called gunlaw, works for the military who selects a  junta who then select the police bosses in that order.

More noise from the loudest country on this planet....stand down boys , no one is listening ...

'might' ? Meaning will not. 

What about all the sober ones that murder people on the roads.

Thats ok is it ?

Thailand,  hiding behind the drunk driving issue again. 

 

 

 

1 hour ago, rooster59 said:

The deputy National Police commissioner general has warned that any motorists who might be driving drunk and caused deaths to others might be faced with intentional murder charges.

The deputy national police commissioner needs a dictionary as he clearly does not understand the word intentional. 

1 hour ago, ratcatcher said:

In most countries, laws are made by the government (congress etc). In this country the cops seem to be able to set laws, fines and judge guilt.

which is completely wrong......whats the saying "not guilty until proven guilty?"

5 minutes ago, stanleycoin said:

What about all the sober ones that murder people on the roads.

Thats ok is it ?

Thailand,  hiding behind the drunk driving issue again. 

 

 

 

what if a thai driver kills someone "due to brake failure" ??? or falling asleep at the wheel???

The police my well charge drunken drivers who cause death with murder, but they do not write the law and the penal code requires proof of premeditation for a murder indictment (Section 289). The appropriate changes are manslaughter (Section 290) or negligence (Section 391)

 

 

 

 

2 hours ago, rooster59 said:

might be charged with intentional murders

If you don't have enough money.

5 minutes ago, essox essox said:

which is completely wrong......whats the saying "not guilty until proven guilty?"

"Innocent until proven guilty".

1 hour ago, PatOngo said:

Might! Such a decisive constabulary! ????

And the reality is that in 99.9% of vehicles accidents it would be totally impossible to prove premeditated murder. And the police know this well but they keep saying 'might' be charged with murder. This just makes the RTP look even more unprofessional and more ignorant in terms of law and order. 

 

When will the RTP and the other agencies involved stop pussy footing around and get focused and monitor the roads and charge every person, every day of the year when an offense has been committed.

 

And the other side of the coin, when will the government and enact adjusted punishments which really sting and really are a deterrent.  

Keystone cops making their own laws without legislation...they're a joke considering that the court just threw out a murder charge for a drunk driver yesterday...

Hi sos exempt as usual,

I'm no techie, but surely it must possible to design an built-in detector for vehicles to prevent them from being started if the driver has been drinking.

 

After all, we already have automatic smoke detectors in buildings which work pretty well. Why not alcohol "sniffers" linked to the ignition systems of cars, buses and lorries?

 

Somebody smarter than me can perhaps come up with a similar gadget for motorbike and scooter riders, who are the most at-risk group (perhaps a device in the helmet linked to the starter mechanism?).

 

Apart from the potential saving in life and limb, there's money to be made out of this worthy cause for an enterprising inventor and manufacturer.

 

39 minutes ago, ChrisY1 said:

Keystone cops making their own laws without legislation...they're a joke considering that the court just threw out a murder charge for a drunk driver yesterday...

Mimicking the EC. 

What a decision to make for the  Deputy National Police Commissioner General Pol. Gen DNPCGPG for short to make at least he has a stern looking think tank to fathom it out????

 

 

1 hour ago, essox essox said:

what if a thai driver kills someone "due to brake failure" ??? or falling asleep at the wheel???

The standard Wai and 500 baht fine, i would think.

Carry on Thailand.

3 hours ago, ratcatcher said:

In most countries, laws are made by the government (congress etc). In this country the cops seem to be able to set laws, fines and judge guilt.

Institutions don't seem to work very well in Thailand. In most countries the police have a responsibility to uphold the laws made by the lawmakers but in Thailand it often seems the main purpose of the police is to extort tea money from drivers to enrich the higher ups. This latest wheeze of threatening murder charges for drink driving, apart from being unconstitutional, was brought down at the first hurdle probably because the first to be charged was extremely rich. Like the mushroom pickers who got lengthy imprisonment terms vs Premchai who was acquitted on much more serious charges (and we never heard anything about the tons of ivory at his home either)....we see double standards in the law. The law cannot be respected while such double standards exist in plain sight, citizens see the hideous and cynical lack of regard for the law by the rich and connected (Prawit's watches, Red Bull heir's flight from justice, Premchai's acquittal, etc etc).

I agree with this... 

 

Anyone caught drunk driving should be charged with attempted murder.... for they have got in their car, knowingly drunk, knowingly prepared to hurt, injure or kill someone through their careless actions - they just don't care, thus need to be made to care. 

 

There is a degree of pre-meditation by getting in the car drunk...  but if the Murder part can't get through, then charge for 'attempted manslaughter'... and 'manslaughter' if the unthinkable happens. 

 

 

In the Thai news today a Wealthy Thai guy driving home from the golf course while drunk had a head on collision with a family killing both parents, daughter in critical condition in hospital - this happened just 500m from the golf course....  The Thai drunk driver could not remember the incident the today (the following day) - he was so drunk. 

 

The response of the Wealthy family -They want to adopt the daughter to give her future. 

Thus, thinking they can pay their way out of this and they are likely right. 

 

Why do the authorities here think that making idle threats from their air conditioned offices works better than actually going out and enforcing the laws?   

4 hours ago, rooster59 said:

any motorists who might be driving drunk and caused deaths to others might be faced with intentional murder charges.

Watering it down already to only "might" !!!

2 hours ago, ChrisY1 said:

Keystone cops making their own laws without legislation...they're a joke considering that the court just threw out a murder charge for a drunk driver yesterday...

Acting on the "advice/order" of deputy PM Prawit.

3 minutes ago, billd766 said:

Acting on the "advice/order" of deputy PM Prawit.

I'm surprised he had the time.