Pattaya: "Drunk" Brit's night out - faces DUI and fleeing accident scene charges

[hotchilli]

23 hours ago, webfact said:

He was detained and now is set to face charges of drinking and driving and fleeing the scene of an accident.

Some mothers do ave-em !

[Spatiumus]

On 12/17/2020 at 11:51 AM, VocalNeal said:

On 12/17/2020 at 11:49 AM, smedly said:

it would help the local public transport if people used it instead of going on drinking binge and driving

 

At 4.30am? 

Are there no baht buses in Pattaya at that time?  Motorbike taxis?  Taxis?

[ChaiyaTH]

1 hour ago, Kerryd said:

From an article in Dec 2018:
"Drivers involved in accidents could be asked by police to undergo a blood test, said assistant National Police chief Pol Lt-General Damrongsak Kitti-prapatr. 

"If they refuse, they will be considered as driving drunk,” he said."

 

He can have said whatever he like but he is not court and neither a judge. Without evidence DUI can not be proven, only assumed. The difference is that most will like to deal with it at the police station illegally, admit guilt, that is a different story.

 

I have had an accident myself where I did not drink anything but was accused so over the phone to my girlfriend (I heard the next days). They asked her to let me do a bloodtest. The doctor said he doesn't know of anything and allowed me to go home. If they had asked me directly and formally I would have done it actually.

They also never asked the guilty driver to do any test, it was too much to ask of him and he needed to rest (while he had zero injuries and I was messed up with multiple fractures and more). Long story short, I was never accused officially after that false threat.

 

My friend (son of a local judge) told me the police was abusing their power and they never filed the accident report either (another illegal activity). I told the police being aware of that and it was all done (my girlfriend also recorded the threats via phone).

 

Guess the car driver had connections but they didn't expect the farang to also have some.

Edited December 18, 2020 by ChaiyaTH

[Chivas]

You can see how many people condone drink driving just from the screenshot of my own post 23 hours ago. More staggering is the fact they openly admit it with sad emojis

Mind boggling....

 

 

[ChaiyaTH]

2 minutes ago, Chivas said:

You can see how many people condone drink driving just from the screenshot of my own post 23 hours ago. More staggering is the fact they openly admit it with sad emojis

Mind boggling....

Find it more mind boggling you ignore the fact it is 99% Thais doing so and culturally accepted (who would have 400 baht for just the taxi ride home). You wanna deport them too? It is the farang bashing deport him big fine BS that makes people on TV defend it, not the DUI itself.

[brianthainess]

On 12/17/2020 at 12:25 PM, maxpower said:

Poor lad was well into the local culture but needs to brush up on his escape techniques.

Shame his mum didn't live nearby.

[BigStar]

2 hours ago, ChaiyaTH said:

Without evidence DUI can not be proven, only assumed.

Whoops. The Brit refused to comply with an alcohol test.

 

Much too big of an idiot to stay here. Gives us all a bad name. Confiscate his assets, keep him jail a few months, kick him out permanently. As usual many of our Brits pile in to defend "one 'o the lads, just havin a bit o' fun" while condemning Thais for doing the same. Doesn't matter. No, farang don't get to commit whatever crimes they like 'cause the Red Bull heir hasn't been brought to justice yet.

 

[VBF]

12 hours ago, quake said:

 

They are pished up.

Don't you get it. 

 

 

It's YOU that doesn't "get it"

 

The potential of getting into that state is what they should have considered BEFORE going out in/on a vehicle and and getting "pished up."

 

If you CHOOSE to drive...don't drink to excess.

If you CHOOSE to drink a lot (and I do on occasion) don't drive! If you can afford that much booze and consider it too far to walk, then save a little cash for a taxi; finding the latter is easy in Pattaya 24 hours a day as I well know.

 

Just takes an element of self-discipline that ADULTS should possess, but sadly morons who drink and drive do not.

Edited December 18, 2020 by VBF

[Chivas]

3 hours ago, ChaiyaTH said:

Find it more mind boggling you ignore the fact it is 99% Thais doing so and culturally accepted (who would have 400 baht for just the taxi ride home). You wanna deport them too? It is the farang bashing deport him big fine BS that makes people on TV defend it, not the DUI itself.

 

........and yet another who clearly finds it acceptable. Listen fella when you've had a child knocked down on a zebra crossing ending up underneath a car you may view things somewhat differently

 

[quake]

38 minutes ago, VBF said:

then save a little cash for a taxi; finding the latter is easy in Pattaya 24 hours a day as I well know.

 

Just takes an element of self-discipline that ADULTS should possess, but sadly morons who drink and drive do not.

Get a motor cycle taxi rider at 3am, and he will be Pished up as well.

 

Edited December 18, 2020 by quake

[Monkeyrobot]

Lucky the wall he scaled did not have the broken glass imbedded on the top, could have turned out a bloody mess.

[VBF]

4 hours ago, quake said:

Get a motor cycle taxi rider at 3am, and he will be Pished up as well.

 

Not automatically true and we both know it!

[NanLaew]

12 hours ago, ChaiyaTH said:

He can have said whatever he like but he is not court and neither a judge. Without evidence DUI can not be proven, only assumed.

 

In pretty much any civilized or self-respecting nation, any refusal to comply with any part of the field sobriety tests and give blood is a LEGALLY PERMITTED assumption of guilt.

[NanLaew]

3 hours ago, VBF said:

8 hours ago, quake said:

Get a motor cycle taxi rider at 3am, and he will be Pished up as well.

 

Not automatically true and we both know it!

 

Yes, only 33% are pished.

 

The other 33% are on ya ba.

 

And the remaining 33% haven't slept in days.

 

Choices... choices...

[Nout]

On 12/17/2020 at 11:51 AM, VocalNeal said:

 

At 4.30am? 

Plenty of public transport at 4am in Pattaya. Some just arriving on WS.

[DBCooperthailand]

The defenders here are also irresponsible drunk who don't care if they risk lives.    Drunk driving should be charged as attempted murder.    

[quake]

4 hours ago, DBCooperthailand said:

The defenders here are also irresponsible drunk who don't care if they risk lives.    Drunk driving should be charged as attempted murder.    

ha ha, it was yellow pill today not the green one.

[NanLaew]

6 hours ago, DBCooperthailand said:

The defenders here are also irresponsible drunk who don't care if they risk lives.    Drunk driving should be charged as attempted murder.    

 

So should entertaining such a preposterous notion.

[NobbyClarke]

Another stupid Brit!!

Would he do that in England?(no)

Luckily there was not a gang of motorbike taxis; he would have had more than a bloodied leg!

Hopefully he's got a few quid to pay the taxi guy and the fine.

Maybe he will learn a valuable lesson and not do it again.

Drink driving kills as everyone knows be it anywhere in the world.

I would imagine he'll be deported and banned from entering The Kingdom unless he does have money.

Hopefully we will find the answer in due course.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Techno Viking]

On 12/18/2020 at 10:41 AM, Kerryd said:

I was a bit surprised that it took 6 pages of posts before someone tried to claim the guy was innocent (or wasn't drunk as they had no "proof") in an attempt to excuse his actions. Probably someone who doesn't know Thai law or what "rights" people have (and don't have) here. 

From an article in Dec 2018:
"Drivers involved in accidents could be asked by police to undergo a blood test, said assistant National Police chief Pol Lt-General Damrongsak Kitti-prapatr. 

"If they refuse, they will be considered as driving drunk,” he said."

Personally, if I think I might do some drinking when I go out, I take a (moto) taxi. Your "standing" in Thailand, regardless of how important you think you are, is next to nothing and it doesn't take much for them to decide to cancel your Visa (yes, "Visa", not "Extension of Stay") and deport you.

And as some of you know, they can and will do that without giving you the slightest chance to settle any affairs beforehand. Regardless if you have a home, family and/or business. 
Just like when they catch an "over-stayer", throw him in jail, send him to the IDC in Bangkok, charge him, blacklist him, then throw him back in jail until he can be deported. 
Without so much as the opportunity to take out the garbage or lock the front door of his (condo/house/whatever) first.

And over here, you aren't going to get away with the same BS that people try to do back home, like blaming your drunk driving on the bar or the waitress that was serving you.

However, in the case of a drunk driving offence, the penalty depends on the severity of the incident.
As of January 2020, they are:

http://www.thailawforum.com/drunk-driving-remains-a-huge-problem-in-thailand/
https://www.chiangraitimes.com/crime-chiang-rai-thailand/drunk-driving-a-serious-problem-with-thailands-motorists/

So you could get away with as little as a 5,000 baht fine (and 6 months license suspension) up to 20,000 baht for simply driving under the influence. Or you could get up to a year in jail. Or both. Worse if someone was injured or killed. 
(Apparently, if the authorities want to get nasty, they can even hold the vehicle owner and any passengers as being responsible as well !)

What is the Thai law regarding foreigners being allowed to stay in the country ? Can't be sentenced to a crime that would result in 2 years (or more) imprisonment ? (I'll have to look that up.) (Can't find anything definite on it, but a Visa site notes: 

"You will not pass the police character requirements test if:

you have a substantial criminal record, meaning you have been sentenced to 12 months or more in prison,
or multiple sentences that add up to more than 24 months in prison. A suspended sentence is considered a prison sentence.")

Also, fleeing the scene of an accident is not only punishable in itself, but anyone who does so is considered guilty of whatever offense they were fleeing from. (Driving Under the Influence in this case.)

Tack on another 1-3 months to the DUI sentence, plus another possible fine.

So we end up with (at least) - Driving Under the Influence and Fleeing the Scene. Refusing the blood test and fleeing the scene are considered automatic admissions of guilt to the DUI charge.

What he ends up getting for a sentence could work a couple of ways, one of which will depend if he pleads guilty outright (and gets a reduced penalty) or if he does the "Western" thing and pleads not guilty (after which he will no doubt be found guilty and given the maximum sentence possible).

Pleading guilty and hoping for a reduced sentence might see him being able to stay in Thailand, even if he does go to jail for a (short) stretch. Of course, if he displays a lot of attitude, he could end up spending the rest of his time in Thailand in prison before being deported (and blacklisted of course).

And no such thing as a jury trial here, so parading the wife and kiddies in front of the court isn't going to tug many heart-strings.

Quite frankly, it would take decades of using moto-taxis to get home from the bar to make up for what you could lose from a single DUI charge.

 

 

Refusing a breath or blood test does not equate to being over the limit.

 

He will however be dealt with harshly because of the refusal.

[richard_smith237]

9 hours ago, Techno Viking said:

 

Refusing a breath or blood test does not equate to being over the limit.

 

He will however be dealt with harshly because of the refusal.

Yes it does. Legally and through common understanding.

 

If someone refuses a breathalyzer or blood test to check for DUI the law assumes guilt, so does the community. 

[jacko45k]

15 hours ago, Techno Viking said:

Refusing a breath or blood test does not equate to being over the limit.

Actually I thought it did.....

[Techno Viking]

23 minutes ago, jacko45k said:

Actually I thought it did.....

 

How does refusing a test add alcohol to ones body ?

[jacko45k]

1 minute ago, Techno Viking said:

 

How does refusing a test add alcohol to ones body ?

Since one can now be charged with driving while under the influence is that relevant?

[Techno Viking]

6 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

Yes it does. Legally and through common understanding.

 

If someone refuses a breathalyzer or blood test to check for DUI the law assumes guilt, so does the community. 

Yes legally but refusing the test does not magically make someone drunk... actual alcohol does that.

[Techno Viking]

1 minute ago, jacko45k said:

Since one can now be charged with driving while under the influence is that relevant?

 

And yet could be 100% sober, But refusal if sober equals 100% dumbarse !!

[jacko45k]

Just now, Techno Viking said:

 

And yet could be 100% sober, But refusal if sober equals 100% dumbarse !!

Why refuse the test if 100% sober? That is the act of a dumbarse, an obtuse one at that. 

[Techno Viking]

19 minutes ago, jacko45k said:

Why refuse the test if 100% sober? That is the act of a dumbarse, an obtuse one at that. 

 

Have met many brits that are 100% sober and yet 100% dumbarse !!

[Techno Viking]

23 hours ago, DBCooperthailand said:

The defenders here are also irresponsible drunk who don't care if they risk lives.    Drunk driving should be charged as attempted murder.    

 

Define attempted murder ?

 

 

[jacko45k]

21 hours ago, Techno Viking said:

 

Have met many brits that are 100% sober and yet 100% dumbarse !!

What has that diversion got to do with the refusal of a blood alcohol test?