Phuket Airport taxi driver faces inquest for drunk nap behind the wheel

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Phuket Airport taxi driver faces inquest for drunk nap behind the wheel
Phuket Gazette


The driver was fast asleep, smelling of alcohol and still clutching an unlit cigarette in his hand. Photo: Thawit Bilabdullar

PHUKET: -- The Phuket Airport taxi driver who was found asleep behind the wheel and smelling of alcohol early yesterday morning will be called in for questioning by the Phuket Land Transportation Office (PLTO).

The news follows Thalang Police being called to Baan Lipon, between Thalang Town and the Heroines Monument, at 5:30am to find a registered taxi pulled over in the left hand lane and the driver fast asleep.

A Kusoldharm Foundation rescue worker at the scene told the Phuket Gazette that the taxi driver, about 50 years old, fell asleep still clutching an unlit cigarette in his hand.

“It took us about half an hour to wake him up. And when he did finally wake, he just drove off,” he said.

“Fortunately, there were no passengers in the vehicle and the driver did not cause an accident,” said PLTO officer Jaturong Kaewkasi.

“We will coordinate with the Thalang Police and call in the driver. Any taxi drivers found guilty of drunk driving, especially with passengers in the vehicle, will lose their driving license.”

The Gazette has yet to establish whether any police officers who were at the scene will be pursuing charges against the driver as they can no longer establish his blood-alcohol concentration at the time he was in control of the vehicle.

— Thawit Bilabdullar

Source: http://www.phuketgazette.net/phuket-news/Phuket-Airport-taxi-driver-faces-inquest-drunk/29077#ad-image-0


-- Phuket Gazette 2014-04-08

[LivinginKata]

No case as no proof. Driver can just say he was very tired and was having a rest.

[Globeman]

Word has it that police are responding to the incident by checking the passports and work permits of all foreigners living in Phuket.

[Pomthai]

I expect a foreign passenger forced him to over indulge.

[eezergood]

hands up who is surprised?

[globin]

Is this a no parking zone?

Apart from being rude, what is wrong with taking a nap by the side of the road?

Where I come from you are encouraged to pull over and rest if you feel unfit to drive but when you do so police usually harass you.

[Hippos]

Police at the scene and he just drove off. Wish it was always that easy.

[Naroge]

Taking a nap, even if drunk, is probably not illegal, but for the police to let the driver drive away while "smelling of alcohol" is a serious breach of duty. I rather see the policeman called in for questioning than the taxi driver.

[Rorri]

Naroge, on 08 Apr 2014 - 09:26, said:Naroge, on 08 Apr 2014 - 09:26, said:

Taking a nap, even if drunk, is probably not illegal, but for the police to let the driver drive away while "smelling of alcohol" is a serious breach of duty. I rather see the policeman called in for questioning than the taxi driver.

It makes you wonder if the police take drunk driving and road safety seriously, going by this excellent example it appears they don't. Perhaps Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation director-general Chatchai Phromlert, as part of his "road safety campaign," should be asking why the driver was allowed to leave.

Edited April 8, 2014 by Rorri

[Pib]

The Gazette has yet to establish whether any police officers who were at the scene will be pursuing charges against the driver as they can no longer establish his blood-alcohol concentration at the time he was in control of the vehicle.

Wow, the driver got lucky this time as this could have ended bad if the police had pressed charges...he could have got a 1 day suspension plus a 500 baht fine.

[laurentbkk]

Is this a no parking zone?

Apart from being rude, what is wrong with taking a nap by the side of the road?

Where I come from you are encouraged to pull over and rest if you feel unfit to drive but when you do so police usually harass you.

and where you come from , is it allow to drive while drunk ?

[Borzandy]

He was only pretending to sleep until he gets a client, then take him at high speed out of the airport.

[LivinginKata]

Taking a nap, even if drunk, is probably not illegal, but for the police to let the driver drive away while "smelling of alcohol" is a serious breach of duty. I rather see the policeman called in for questioning than the taxi driver.

We don't know if the policeman let him drive off, or the driver just drove away. In that case the driver should be charged with fleeing the scene of a potential crime offence. Just another 500 baht fine

[globin]

Is this a no parking zone?

Apart from being rude, what is wrong with taking a nap by the side of the road?

Where I come from you are encouraged to pull over and rest if you feel unfit to drive but when you do so police usually harass you.

and where you come from , is it allow to drive while drunk ?

One mouthful of beer will make you smell like alcohol, who has evidence he was drunk or over the limit allowed by law?, he was cognizant enough to drive off!

This is not a story, it looks like spam with a picture.

[bangarang]

Strange, I wonder if this was the same taxi I saw last night at the newer 7/11 by the monument last night around 1am... I thought it was strange to see a taxi circle around 2 laps around the 7/11 and the karaoke bars back behind the tesco express & old super cheap. I remember it said airport taxi on the car too with the light on at the top.

[Benmart]

Another sad commentary about drinking and driving in Thailand. Lax enforcement, weak education on the dangers and scofflaws that go unpunished.

Walk by the taxi stand on 2nd Road in front of the Avenue Shopping complex in the afternoon. Lots of drivers sitting around with empty beer bottles around. They are brazen and drink openly as do the motorcycle taxi drivers. The cops appear to be busy with other matters.

[godden]

What driving license !!!

[stevenl]

Strange, I wonder if this was the same taxi I saw last night at the newer 7/11 by the monument last night around 1am... I thought it was strange to see a taxi circle around 2 laps around the 7/11 and the karaoke bars back behind the tesco express & old super cheap. I remember it said airport taxi on the car too with the light on at the top.

Airport taxi on the car and a light at the top? That must be a new kind of taxi.

[vogie]

I think half an hour trying to wake him is a good sign he was sloshed, but lets give him the benifit of the doubt, if it was tiredness he should still not be driving!

[attrayant]

And a cigarette in his hand too. The whole car is a molotov cocktail.

[TheReporter]

Once again, the criminal justice system in Thailand has been proven to be a joke. A taxi driver fell sleep behind the wheel for 30 minutes and he has alcohol odor and no police showed up at the scene to investigate the incident? They want to wait until he kills someone and then do their investigation. What a pathetic posture on the part of the police.

[bino]

The cocktail is probably in the cup with the straw sitting in the console.

A sad but totally un-surprising effort by the police. He should have been breathalyzed on the spot and charged.

[chrisinth]

All he needs to say is that his ear medication was stronger than he thought.

Proven excuse...................

“Fortunately, there were no passengers in the vehicle.................."

They would have been pretty understanding passengers if they were still there, eh

[MMarlow]

Taking a nap, even if drunk, is probably not illegal, but for the police to let the driver drive away while "smelling of alcohol" is a serious breach of duty. I rather see the policeman called in for questioning than the taxi driver.

We don't know if the policeman let him drive off, or the driver just drove away. In that case the driver should be charged with fleeing the scene of a potential crime offence. Just another 500 baht fine

"fleeing the scene of a potential offence"? Very imaginative, chances of that holding up in court would be pretty good.

[chiman]

Sabai Sabai - Mai Pen Rai

[steelepulse]

>>5:30am to find a registered taxi pulled over in the left hand lane and the driver fast asleep.

So was he on the shoulder, or actually in the slow lane passed out?

[fakename]

Passed out for 30 min, and the police still couldnt catch him!

[bangon04]

Is this a no parking zone?

Apart from being rude, what is wrong with taking a nap by the side of the road?

Where I come from you are encouraged to pull over and rest if you feel unfit to drive but when you do so police usually harass you.

In my country, and I suspect in several others, you cannot sit behind the wheel of a car and have the car keys in your possession if you are unfit through alcohol, fatigue or drugs etc. Being asleep is no defence.

On the other hand, it would be very strange if the Royal Thai Police had any interest in enforcing such a law, unless there is more to the story.

[Kooweerup]

No case as no proof. Driver can just say he was very tired and was having a rest.

maybe in Thailand but in Australia if he was found by the police in this state in a cab he would lose his taxi licence as he would be deemed unfit. Probably keep his driver licence but would definitely be considered a risk to the public.

[chotthee]

No case as no proof. Driver can just say he was very tired and was having a rest.

Since when it is illegal to sleep in your car?