Bangkok Urges Crackdown On Public Transit

[webfact]

BMTA urges crackdown on transit

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- The Bangkok Mass Transit Authority is pushing for harsher sentences for crimes against public transport, while police nabbed the former vocational student suspected of shooting the driver of a 131 bus.

Last week, brawls by technical students led to stray bullets wounding a bank employee on a 129 bus and killing Jakkapan Kotjak, 31, the driver of the 131 bus on Friday.

Opas Petchmanee, director of the city bus operator, said yesterday that the BMTA and other state agencies would discuss about making penalties for attacks on all public transport systems severer. They hope that stiffer punishment would instil fear and deter people from engaging in violent activities.

Somsak Kawjantik, 21, a former student of Kanchanapisek Industrial and Communication Education College, was booked for carrying a weapon and possessing illicit drugs.

Pol Colonel Namchai Chotprayun, deputy commissioner of Metropolitan Police Division 3, said many witnesses confirmed that Somsak was the killer of the bus driver and a surveillance camera near the scene caught Somsak with his friends.

Police would ask the Min Buri Court to charge Somsak with murder.

-- The Nation 2012-05-28

[Soutpeel]

Shoot somebody dead and be booked on carrying a firearm and drugs...????... only in Thailand....is this a BiB tactic ?...ie book them on the lessor charge until they figure out if the culprit concerned is "connected"

[whybother]

Shoot somebody dead and be booked on carrying a firearm and drugs...????... only in Thailand....is this a BiB tactic ?...ie book them on the lessor charge until they figure out if the culprit concerned is "connected"

He was probably initially caught with the gun and drugs, and suspected of being the shooter, but they had to get more evidence before charging him with that.

Sent from my shoe phone

[Soutpeel]

Shoot somebody dead and be booked on carrying a firearm and drugs...????... only in Thailand....is this a BiB tactic ?...ie book them on the lessor charge until they figure out if the culprit concerned is "connected"

He was probably initially caught with the gun and drugs, and suspected of being the shooter, but they had to get more evidence before charging him with that.

Sent from my shoe phone

Ok but why are they asking the court to charge him with murder.....surely this is a job for the police..

"Police would ask the Min Buri Court to charge Somsak with murder"

[moe666]

Shoot somebody dead and be booked on carrying a firearm and drugs...????... only in Thailand....is this a BiB tactic ?...ie book them on the lessor charge until they figure out if the culprit concerned is "connected"

He was probably initially caught with the gun and drugs, and suspected of being the shooter, but they had to get more evidence before charging him with that.

Sent from my shoe phone

Ok but why are they asking the court to charge him with murder.....surely this is a job for the police..

"Police would ask the Min Buri Court to charge Somsak with murder"

Police just gather evidence, even in the west they donot charge, chargeing someone is up to the courts.

[Soutpeel]

even in the west they donot charge, chargeing someone is up to the courts.

No its not...a court determines somes guilt or innocence based on evidence presented and if found guilty they decide the punishment....they do not charge somebody, a court of law is a vehicle for accountability....this is the reason for my comment orginally....a court does not charge anyone for murder....the police working in conjunction with a prosecutor lay the charge

[whybother]

Ok but why are they asking the court to charge him with murder.....surely this is a job for the police..

"Police would ask the Min Buri Court to charge Somsak with murder"

From what I can gather from my years of experience ... watching Law & Order ... the police arrest the perps, then bring them before a court where the prosecutor lays the charge. The judge will accept/reject the charge based on the evidence, and specify remand/bail requirements. I think it is a similar process in Thailand.

[Thai at Heart]

A crime against public transport? What the hell kind of a law is that? They are shooting guns, which is a crime normally, they shot someone, that is a crime normally. What will this crime against public transport cover other than all the other laws on the books. If I am shot sitting in a private car, does this make the crime less or more than on a public bus?

Looking at the state of the bus, it probably is a crime against the paying customers to call it a bus anyway.

[LuckyLew]

I think what they are wanting is more charges of vandalism

against those who deface / damaga a pubic transportation vehicle

Problem is that so many of the public trans. vehicles are in such

a state of disrepair ... how would they really know?

[w11guy]

Shoot somebody dead and be booked on carrying a firearm and drugs...????... only in Thailand....is this a BiB tactic ?...ie book them on the lessor charge until they figure out if the culprit concerned is "connected"

This is exactly what happens in other countries, such as the UK. You charge them with an obvious offence so that you can hold them and question them. Then when/if you have evidence that they committed a bigger crime you charge them with that.

[w11guy]

Shoot somebody dead and be booked on carrying a firearm and drugs...????... only in Thailand....is this a BiB tactic ?...ie book them on the lessor charge until they figure out if the culprit concerned is "connected"

He was probably initially caught with the gun and drugs, and suspected of being the shooter, but they had to get more evidence before charging him with that.

Sent from my shoe phone

Ok but why are they asking the court to charge him with murder.....surely this is a job for the police..

"Police would ask the Min Buri Court to charge Somsak with murder"

Police just gather evidence, even in the west they donot charge, chargeing someone is up to the courts.

In the UK it's not up to the court to charge someone. The court is separate and just tries the person for the alleged crime. In the UK the police charge people, but the Crown Prosecution Service also get involved.

[w11guy]

A crime against public transport? What the hell kind of a law is that? They are shooting guns, which is a crime normally, they shot someone, that is a crime normally. What will this crime against public transport cover other than all the other laws on the books. If I am shot sitting in a private car, does this make the crime less or more than on a public bus?

Looking at the state of the bus, it probably is a crime against the paying customers to call it a bus anyway.

They have such laws in the UK and even the British Transport Police, who are a somewhat separate division of the police.

No, it's not a lesser crime to be shot in car than a bus, but if there is lots of crime on public transport then they need to bring in extra laws and clamp down on it before it escalates completely out of control.

[Greer]

I am no great fan of Bangkok bus drivers at the best of times, but he did not deserve to be killed, even if it was an accident or not.

The student should not have been carrying a gun in any case, such stupidity in doing something that I am sure they never consider - how just a few seconds when something goes wrong, and the kids life is basically over... every hope or dream he had, and the wishes and hopes of his parents to see him build a future...all gone due to stupidity and carelessness...and an innocent man lies dead.

I truly wish that people would THINK first and act later.

RIP for the driver.

[Payboy]

BMTA Urges Crackdown On Public Transit

The Bangkok Mass Transit Authority is pushing for harsher sentences for crimes against public transport

Hey BMTA, how about a crackdown on reckless driving of public transport vehicles, stopping in the middle lanes to let off / pick up passengers, etc.

[ginjag]

who charges who here ??? if drunk-courts??? if drugs-courts??? firearms offences ??? murder ??? in court you are found guilty or not guilty, and sentenced passed, I thought Thai police charged you with whatever--and taken to court to answer then a verdict. Do the police act as judge and jury here in many cases, so they have the choice to hush up anything that they want--when money or coleagues are involved

[Thai at Heart]

A crime against public transport? What the hell kind of a law is that? They are shooting guns, which is a crime normally, they shot someone, that is a crime normally. What will this crime against public transport cover other than all the other laws on the books. If I am shot sitting in a private car, does this make the crime less or more than on a public bus?

Looking at the state of the bus, it probably is a crime against the paying customers to call it a bus anyway.

They have such laws in the UK and even the British Transport Police, who are a somewhat separate division of the police.

No, it's not a lesser crime to be shot in car than a bus, but if there is lots of crime on public transport then they need to bring in extra laws and clamp down on it before it escalates completely out of control.

There are millions of laws on the books in Thailand already.

Shoot into a bus filled with 100 people on it, charge them with attempted murder of 100 people. Smash a window, charge them with vandalism. They don't need to take the time to write one extra law, when the crimes are so obvious. I don't see what difference it makes whatsoever whether the crime is carried out on a bus, or in public.

Yes, there is the British transport police, but the laws if you shoot at someone, are the same as they would be anywhere. Steal a piece of railway line, yes the transport police have responsibility. The history of the highway police was that it was created to help local authorities cover the costs of policing pieces of railway in a locality that had no money and an overlapping responsibility to police them.

These kids were shooting people on a bus and someone got killed, I don't see why that needs any special legislation at all. Charge them with attempted murderand murder, lock them up and throw away the key. Very simple.

[gand]

Do the schools have metal detectors in Thailand?

[gk10002000]

even in the west they donot charge, chargeing someone is up to the courts.

No its not...a court determines somes guilt or innocence based on evidence presented and if found guilty they decide the punishment....they do not charge somebody, a court of law is a vehicle for accountability....this is the reason for my comment orginally....a court does not charge anyone for murder....the police working in conjunction with a prosecutor lay the charge

In the USA, only the civilian District Attorney's office DA can actually file charges and bring somebody to a court. Police "charges" are not the same. It is supposedly fundamental to the US law that the arresting bodies can't also be judge, jury and exectioner. That is why many people object to the recent laws that have allowed more up front siezures of property and assets by Police without what many consider "Due Process"

[Bagwan]

Shoot somebody dead and be booked on carrying a firearm and drugs...????... only in Thailand....is this a BiB tactic ?...ie book them on the lessor charge until they figure out if the culprit concerned is "connected"

This is exactly what happens in other countries, such as the UK. You charge them with an obvious offence so that you can hold them and question them. Then when/if you have evidence that they committed a bigger crime you charge them with that.

Correct. Ronnie Biggs was charged with riding a bicycle without a rear light and held in the nick until the fuzz had enough evidence to be sure that he was the mastermind behind the Great Train Robbery.

It is a tad strange that the crime is known as it is because there was no actual loss of train, only some dosh on it's way to be destroyed. Biggsie and Co did actually save the Bank of England going to the trouble of feeding a furnace thus adding to the UK's pollution problem.

[cooked]

Ronald Biggs? A despicable criminal, two guards were injured, one seriously and never really recovered. Off topic sorry.

[Soutpeel]

BMTA Urges Crackdown On Public Transit

The Bangkok Mass Transit Authority is pushing for harsher sentences for crimes against public transport

Hey BMTA, how about a crackdown on reckless driving of public transport vehicles, stopping in the middle lanes to let off / pick up passengers, etc.

Hey BMTA, how about a crackdown on balloons ?.......woopsie...the BTS beat them to that one...

[garrya]

I always get cracked up when I hear they keep cracking on doing crackdowns.

[Soutpeel]

I always get cracked up when I hear they keep cracking on doing crackdowns.

Thailand...a regional hub of crackdowns..

[webfact]

Suspect of Bangkok Bus Fatal Shooting Arrested

BANGKOK: -- Police have apprehended a former vocational student suspected of shooting and killing a bus driver.

He was caught with ammunition and narcotics but denied all charges against him.

Twenty-one year-old Somsak Kaewchantik, who is a former vocational student, was arrested along with ammunition and an amount of methamphetamine.

From the investigation, the police believe that Somsak is involved in the fatal shooting of a bus last Friday, in which the bus driver was killed.

So far, the suspect has denied all charges, claiming that he was at the scene but was not the one shooting the bus.

The investigation team will question additional witnesses and gather more evidence before deciding whether to continue charging the suspect.

-- Tan Network 2012-05-28

[Thai at Heart]

Suspect of Bangkok Bus Fatal Shooting Arrested

BANGKOK: -- Police have apprehended a former vocational student suspected of shooting and killing a bus driver.

He was caught with ammunition and narcotics but denied all charges against him.

Twenty-one year-old Somsak Kaewchantik, who is a former vocational student, was arrested along with ammunition and an amount of methamphetamine.

From the investigation, the police believe that Somsak is involved in the fatal shooting of a bus last Friday, in which the bus driver was killed.

So far, the suspect has denied all charges, claiming that he was at the scene but was not the one shooting the bus.

The investigation team will question additional witnesses and gather more evidence before deciding whether to continue charging the suspect.

-- Tan Network 2012-05-28

So they didn't need to charge him with shooting a hole in the bus, murder was sufficient.

[katana]

CCTV still published in Thairath last Friday (25/05/12) showing the incident in Bangkok's Bangna district referred to in the OP.

Initially the rampaging technical students tried to get the no 129 bus driver to stop so they they could get at their targets in the bus, but when he refused they shot into the bus where a bank employee was injured by a stray bullet.

http://www.thairath....ewspaper/263224

Edited May 28, 2012 by katana

[charmonman]

I've been witness to, and even been caught in the middle of a couple of these vocational school gang fights over the years. It used to be they only carried sticks and at least no one got killed (and bystanders rarely got hurt), but now they carry guns?!! One more example of the decline of the country and its culture I guess. Just like everywhere.

[hansnl]

even in the west they donot charge, chargeing someone is up to the courts.

No its not...a court determines somes guilt or innocence based on evidence presented and if found guilty they decide the punishment....they do not charge somebody, a court of law is a vehicle for accountability....this is the reason for my comment orginally....a court does not charge anyone for murder....the police working in conjunction with a prosecutor lay the charge

The police searches

The public prosecutor charges

The judge decides guilt and metes out the punishment.

[JohnAllan]

Police are going to ask the Minburi court to charge this individual with murder? I thought laying charges was the job of the police.

[JohnAllan]

Shoot somebody dead and be booked on carrying a firearm and drugs...????... only in Thailand....is this a BiB tactic ?...ie book them on the lessor charge until they figure out if the culprit concerned is "connected"

He was probably initially caught with the gun and drugs, and suspected of being the shooter, but they had to get more evidence before charging him with that.

Sent from my shoe phone

Ok but why are they asking the court to charge him with murder.....surely this is a job for the police..

"Police would ask the Min Buri Court to charge Somsak with murder"

Police just gather evidence, even in the west they donot charge, chargeing someone is up to the courts.

Nonsense. Nowhere in the west are the courts responsible for laying charges; only for hearing them, then the supporting evidence, and ultimately, deciding guilt or innocence.