Rich drunk driving Benz businessman buys off family for 45 million baht in death of cop and wife

[zhounan]

comic news. No money can buy a life. 

[BestB]

16 minutes ago, robblok said:

True but it should not be a get out of jail free ticket. 

Why not? You applying your western values here.

 

is going to jail going to bring back the killed ones? Or is going to jail going to make family life any better?

 

do note insurance does not value ones life anywhere near what he paid. 

 

Even in the west , in Oz payout for death max 1 million dollars and you would spend at least 30% of that on legal and court fees

[robblok]

5 minutes ago, BestB said:

Why not? You applying your western values here.

 

is going to jail going to bring back the killed ones? Or is going to jail going to make family life any better?

 

do note insurance does not value ones life anywhere near what he paid. 

 

Even in the west , in Oz payout for death max 1 million dollars and you would spend at least 30% of that on legal and court fees

If feel it should be an both thing.. so jailtime and compensation. Your right it wont bring them back but it will make rich people drive better else they think they can kill anyone. Plenty of examples already of rich escaping justice. So a deterrent is needed.

[RJRS1301]

1 hour ago, BestB said:

I think it’s a moral dilemma which is right or wrong from western values and point of you.

 

how would you feel if he paid nothing but was jailed ? 

 

How would the family feel if he was jailed and they got nothing ?

 

how is putting him in jail helps the family or achieves anything ?

 

He has paid out a lot of money , what it is to him I feel is irrelevant but for the family , it is huge money. 

 

Not saying what is morally right or wrong but perhaps having him pay for family and kids is a better option than to jail him.

He paid little over 2 million AUD, not much in the scheme of things, and the kids got about 600,000 AUD each, that is an insult to them.

 

[sammieuk1]

Jatuporn's mother told Thai Rath that her son was a forgiving kind of person and he would have wanted an out of court settlement.

 

Thailand in a sentence ---note to wife I'm not the forgiving type in any circumstances???? 

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

Capt Phitak said that the court is yet to consider five charges before it related to Somchai. In the light of the recovery of the couple's daughter and the financial settlement it will be up to the court what to do in relation to the criminal charges. 

 

Thaivisa notes that at the time of the accident some police were calling for charges of murder but these were subsequently believed to have been dropped. 

 

 

This discussion illustrates what's wrong with the Thai justice system.

 

I'm all for monetary compensation for victims of crimes. But the justice system ought not let criminals buy their way out of legal responsibility for their crimes.  That's not equal justice for all.  That's one kind of justice for the rich, and a whole different kind for those who can't afford to pay.

 

I'm not presuming which way the court will decide on this. But if the criminal charges are dropped or reduced to little or nothing based on the drunk driving-related deaths of two adult victims and the loss of parents and injuries to a minor, then we'll know the answer.

 

The justice system ought to be sending a clear message to the public that drunk driving is not OK and there will be serious consequences for those that do, especially where deaths and injuries occur....  Not that drunk driving is not OK -- unless you're rich enough to buy your way out of the consequences.

 

 

[richard_smith237]

2 hours ago, BestB said:

I think it’s a moral dilemma which is right or wrong from western values and point of you.

 

how would you feel if he paid nothing but was jailed ? 

 

How would the family feel if he was jailed and they got nothing ?

 

how is putting him in jail helps the family or achieves anything ?

 

He has paid out a lot of money , what it is to him I feel is irrelevant but for the family , it is huge money. 

 

Not saying what is morally right or wrong but perhaps having him pay for family and kids is a better option than to jail him.

 

Valid questions - but they avoid the issue of Penalties being a deterrent and facing the greater issue at hand which involves penalties which work as a preventative measures toward others thinking they can do what they want with impunity. 

 

IF others before him had been dealt with lawfully with real penalties then this mother and father may still be alive - that is the crux of the issue - when people get away with a crime others think they can get away with it too.

[ChristianBlessing]

3 hours ago, seajae said:

greed is more important than family, the mother is only concerned that she is now wealthy and has totally ignored the fact this arse wipe killed her son and his wife, shows how pathetic some thais think, money comes before everything else. As for the police/law. he should be automatically charged and jailed but again money is more important

"... cleared family credit card debt to the tune of 5 million baht." Speaks volumes.

[Aussieroaming]

Better to be rich and grieving rather than left poor and desperate. They are still free to despise him if they wish.

[Tropicalevo]

2 hours ago, Jane Dough said:

At the time he was reported to have had four bottles of beer. Ten million each bottle....

 

It will be extremely interesting to see what the court's judgment is in this case. If the judge is listening to Thai society he will hand down a custodial sentence, and he should. 

 

Rooster

 

 

Not really.

 

The guy has admitted the offence. Offered a fair compensation and the family are happy with that.

 

Sending him to jail costs money and no one benefits.

 

It will probably be a suspended sentence.

[richard_smith237]

43 minutes ago, Aussieroaming said:

Better to be rich and grieving rather than left poor and desperate. They are still free to despise him if they wish.

 

And the next wealthy person is free to drink as much as the like and drive home without fear of a jail sentence for killing innocents through his selfish actions... 

 

 

[Ozman52]

2 hours ago, mikebell said:

I wonder what his fixer fee was?

Where compensation is by monthly payments paid at the local police station, the standard fee was 10% (some years ago, admittedly). 

[Aussieroaming]

3 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

 

And the next wealthy person is free to drink as much as the like and drive home without fear of a jail sentence for killing innocents through his selfish actions... 

 

 

The article very clearly states that the driver has to go to court and face criminal charges, so where did you get your assumtion that paying compensation negates him facing criminal charges. Paying compensation will be a mitigating factor in the overall sentancing process. At least he didnt bolt overseas.

 

I got hit by a drunk driver in the west and suffered permanent injuries, so I personally have no time for the scum who drink and drive. However I can see that  financial recompence at least ensures that the children left behind dont have to beg to survive.

 

 

[Vacuum]

1 hour ago, RJRS1301 said:

He paid little over 2 million AUD, not much in the scheme of things, and the kids got about 600,000 AUD each, that is an insult to them.

 

You can't compare apples with oranges.

[richard_smith237]

19 minutes ago, Aussieroaming said:

The article very clearly states that the driver has to go to court and face criminal charges, so where did you get your assumtion that paying compensation negates him facing criminal charges. Paying compensation will be a mitigating factor in the overall sentancing process. At least he didnt bolt overseas.

 

I got hit by a drunk driver in the west and suffered permanent injuries, so I personally have no time for the scum who drink and drive. However I can see that  financial recompence at least ensures that the children left behind dont have to beg to survive.

 

 

Indeed it will be... Paying 45MB will be a huge mitigating factor in his sentencing process... So huge in fact that I predict a 'suspended sentence and a Wai'...  maybe a week of monkhood.

 

So, where did I get my assumption that 'paying compensation negates him facing criminal charges' you ask... I got that assumption from years of living here and seeing these stories repeatedly play out.

But you are correct, it is an assumption and things may have changed for the better. But, I'll not hold my breath, it is after all an assumption based on well set precedent.  He's paid his way out and will never see the inside of a cell... Just watch this space. 

 

I do agree, a financial sum is beneficial for the children left behind, but I can't help but feel the only reason for this is the 'get out of jail' money.

 

 

[rkidlad]

2 hours ago, BestB said:

Why not? You applying your western values here.

 

is going to jail going to bring back the killed ones? Or is going to jail going to make family life any better?

 

do note insurance does not value ones life anywhere near what he paid. 

 

Even in the west , in Oz payout for death max 1 million dollars and you would spend at least 30% of that on legal and court fees

It's not about jail time bringing the dead back. Jail time is a punishment for the convicted and a deterrent for the public. If you allow people to walk away because they pay money, you increase the chances of this happening again.

 

Criminal acts are not personal family matters. They have consequences and repercussions for Joe Public, too. 

[richard_smith237]

29 minutes ago, Aussieroaming said:

The article very clearly states that the driver has to go to court and face criminal charges, so where did you get your assumtion that paying compensation negates him facing criminal charges. Paying compensation will be a mitigating factor in the overall sentancing process. At least he didnt bolt overseas.

 

I got hit by a drunk driver in the west and suffered permanent injuries, so I personally have no time for the scum who drink and drive. However I can see that  financial recompence at least ensures that the children left behind dont have to beg to survive.

 

 

 

I've addressed a couple of your points in the previous post... I do have a question for you.

 

Do you think he will be face exactly the same criminal charges and face the same sentencing as a poor person who committed vehicular manslaughter? 

 

[BestB]

3 hours ago, robblok said:

If feel it should be an both thing.. so jailtime and compensation. Your right it wont bring them back but it will make rich people drive better else they think they can kill anyone. Plenty of examples already of rich escaping justice. So a deterrent is needed.

Totally makes sense , but you making it out as if he or other rich people set out to kill on purpose.

 

poor also drive drunk and jail does not stop them from driving drunk again. 

[BestB]

3 hours ago, RJRS1301 said:

He paid little over 2 million AUD, not much in the scheme of things, and the kids got about 600,000 AUD each, that is an insult to them.

 

That is about 10 times more than insurance would pay????

[BestB]

2 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

 

Valid questions - but they avoid the issue of Penalties being a deterrent and facing the greater issue at hand which involves penalties which work as a preventative measures toward others thinking they can do what they want with impunity. 

 

IF others before him had been dealt with lawfully with real penalties then this mother and father may still be alive - that is the crux of the issue - when people get away with a crime others think they can get away with it too.

Yes agree but plenty have been dealt with more harshly but people still drive drunk.

 

in the west we have tough penalties yet people continue to drive drunk.

 

look at Indonesia , death for drugs, and yet problem has not stopped, people continue to smuggle and deal

[Happy Grumpy]

5 hours ago, webfact said:

Jatuporn's two children Suphapitcha, 15, and Piyapha, 12, will each get 15 million baht. As they are minors the money will be administered by the court until they are adults. 

 

Piyapha has recovered from her injuries and is now back at school. 

 

Where her report card show's all A's and the queue of best friends and well wishers reaches around the playing field, led by 26 teachers. 

[off road pat]

5 hours ago, darksidedog said:

I have mixed feelings about this. I am happy that Somchai has put his hand deep in his pocket and ensured the kids are financially set. I am very unhappy that he seems set to escape jail time. Sure, he has shown contrition, but two people are dead because of him. If he is allowed to stay out of jail, it will send a message to every other rich person that you can drive as drunk as you like, wipe out as many people as you like and walk free by lobbing out a few dollars. I hope the court recognises this and ensures he does see time behind bars.

Hmm,...I don't think other rich people ware waiting for Somchai to know they could get away with a whole lot of things just by giving money to the right person !?!?

Like you I have mixed feelings, but are happy the family of the diseased are financially compensated and there future is relatively secure !!!

[bkkgriz]

5 hours ago, BestB said:

I think it’s a moral dilemma which is right or wrong from western values and point of you.

 

how would you feel if he paid nothing but was jailed ? 

 

How would the family feel if he was jailed and they got nothing ?

 

how is putting him in jail helps the family or achieves anything ?

 

He has paid out a lot of money , what it is to him I feel is irrelevant but for the family , it is huge money. 

 

Not saying what is morally right or wrong but perhaps having him pay for family and kids is a better option than to jail him.

I too have mixed feelings about the outcome of this case. But it is not my culture and I can't impose my Western values on Thais. If the family is satisfied then I suppose I have to just accept the outcome. No matter what some want to believe, our cultures are not the same.

[dinsdale]

45 mil to the family. How much to the judge and the police I wonder. Once again in this country you can kill without suffering the legal consequences of your actions if you have enough money.

[bristolgeoff]

That will do it for sure,45 million baht for the death of them.the family members are happy and life will be good for them.million pound plus they will live like kings now.

Sent from my SM-T580 using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[Jane Dough]

4 hours ago, BestB said:

Why not? You applying your western values here.

 

is going to jail going to bring back the killed ones? Or is going to jail going to make family life any better?

 

do note insurance does not value ones life anywhere near what he paid. 

 

Even in the west , in Oz payout for death max 1 million dollars and you would spend at least 30% of that on legal and court fees

You are applying your own Western values. 

 

The killed ones are going to come back. 

 

Rooster

[Aussieroaming]

1 hour ago, richard_smith237 said:

Indeed it will be... Paying 45MB will be a huge mitigating factor in his sentencing process... So huge in fact that I predict a 'suspended sentence and a Wai'...  maybe a week of monkhood.

 

So, where did I get my assumption that 'paying compensation negates him facing criminal charges' you ask... I got that assumption from years of living here and seeing these stories repeatedly play out.

But you are correct, it is an assumption and things may have changed for the better. But, I'll not hold my breath, it is after all an assumption based on well set precedent.  He's paid his way out and will never see the inside of a cell... Just watch this space. 

 

I do agree, a financial sum is beneficial for the children left behind, but I can't help but feel the only reason for this is the 'get out of jail' money.

 

 

You might be familiar with the adage that assumtions can make an ass out of you. Why not let the justice system play out and if he gets a lenient sentance you can come back on TV with an "I told you so" story

[Aussieroaming]

1 hour ago, richard_smith237 said:

 

I've addressed a couple of your points in the previous post... I do have a question for you.

 

Do you think he will be face exactly the same criminal charges and face the same sentencing as a poor person who committed vehicular manslaughter? 

 

Do you think that poor people in any country get the same level of justice as a rich person who can hire top rated lawyers? My answer to your question is that money buys a lot of credits, even in the west.

[phantomfiddler]

I personally think this is an acceptable outcome, as it will almost certainly mean that he will NEVER make the same mistake, and the family has been well compensated !

[hansnl]

6 hours ago, seajae said:

greed is more important than family, the mother is only concerned that she is now wealthy and has totally ignored the fact this arse wipe killed her son and his wife, shows how pathetic some thais think, money comes before everything else. As for the police/law. he should be automatically charged and jailed but again money is more important

On the other hand, it's quite practical.

Revenge doesn't really bring back the lives of the son and daughter in law.

Money helps the children, clears debts, give a new car.

But I think it isn't enough!