Fatal Bangkok crash: Teenager sentenced to 2 years imprisonment for reckless driving

[smutcakes]

Not sure whats happened here, i have been reading repeatedly on TVF for the past few weeks about how the courts need to be respected and their virtuosity in Thailand.

[smotherb]

How much did this cost the family? Seriously, killed 9 and walks. Thai justice, payoff style.

She was driving at 16 and using a cell phone, but neither actions are illegal. By all accounts it was an accident.

[peecee]

Out of curiosity, what would be the punishment for 16 year old say in US or AU or UK?

In the UK she wouldn't have been driving at 16, but if she did cause such an horrific crash then using her phone makes it an aggravated offense of causing death by dangerous driving, and attracts a punishment of 7 to 14 years. She would have been held in youth custody until she reached 21 and then would have to complete her sentence in an adult prison.

[yougivemebaby]

What is everyone complaining about? Bus drivers and van drivers are rarely sober (yaba or alcohol or both). The drivers will kill 20 people, flee the scene of the accident and get their job back next month. Everyone talks or texts in their van or bus. Why does everyone want to attack her ? It's the system!!

[marioDC]

I don't understand why people here are surprised she doesn't need to go to jail. Even in Europe it rarely happens that people that cause accidents with fatalities need to go to jail.

They only get life sentence for not being allowed to drive anymore, pay some time at community service(rarely as well) and pay for the damages caused...

Some years ago, a truckdriver smashed through a traffic-jam on the highway, which was there because of no-visibility due to fog. There were many people killed because it set the cars on fire as well and people were stcuk in their vehicles. He only got suspended for driving for a few years and his company payed for the victims ...

[tingtongteesood]

So she killed 9 people, and her only punishment is 48 hours of work and she can't take a driving test till 25. WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH THIS FRICKIN COUNTRY !!!???

[PaulHamon]

murder walks free.

[ChrisY1]

This is what Thailand should protest about.....total injustice!

If your'e rich and connected....crime is not an issue here in Thailand.....!

Had this been some ordinary Joe and not some pimpish dumb ass girl with a cell phone....he'd be in the slammer for the next 10 years!!

Talk about inequality in the legal system.....I hope the international press gets hold of this and plasters it in their Asia sections!!....I've forwarded the article to all the majors.

[bangon04]

Her community service could consist of attending a few road fatalities and assisting in cleaning up the mess, this might just bring about some attitude change to the little spoilt brat.

Obviously not.. she witnessed first hand the carnage she caused and the bodies flung out over the expressway. As I remember her reaction was to post photos on her facebook or twitter.. Why would an unrelated road kill mess have any more effect on her.

To those TV members who regularly complain that there is never a follow-up story to the headline stories about the corrupt rich famous or influential figures who are featured.... this is at least a follow up story.

To those TV members who regularly complain that rich famous influential people in Thailand do not go to jail however antisocial their behaviour... well this is a fairly clear example of that very Thainess.

Edited April 22, 2014 by bangon04

[roguewo]

^Pralaad SameSameButDifferent: The AFFLUENZA DEFENSE Lives On

16-yr old Texas teen gets 10 years’ probation for causing a DWI wreck that killed four people and devastated three families late 2013:

http://newsfeed.time.com/2013/12/12/the-affluenza-defense-judge-rules-rich-kids-rich-kid-ness-makes-him-not-liable-for-deadly-drunk-driving-accident/

http://www.star-telegram.com/2013/12/10/5408563/teen-sentenced-to-10-years-probation.html?rh=1

Yes my understading is that in the state of Texas is that consuming beer while driving was not considered even an infraction until recently.

I left the great state of Texas in '87, and drinking anything alcoholic while driving was NOT okay. Carrying a .30 caliber assault rifle with a 30 round banana clip, under certain circumstances, was perfectly acceptable....

[Dr Bruce]

So now the TVF posters think the independent judiciary are not doing a clean job. Thai justice is all about who you are and who your family is.

[IamNoone88]

If you do the crime, you do the time. Except in Thailand of course.

[alphaflight]

What is everyone complaining about? Bus drivers and van drivers are rarely sober (yaba or alcohol or both). The drivers will kill 20 people, flee the scene of the accident and get their job back next month. Everyone talks or texts in their van or bus. Why does everyone want to attack her ? It's the system!!

Exactly!

I think most, if not all of the comments are attacking the system?

[alphaflight]

I'll bet the dude caught shoplifting the white rum gets a couple; not that there is anything wrong with that; just saying............

[alphaflight]

Out of curiosity, what would be the punishment for 16 year old say in US or AU or UK?

I'm not sure; we can ask Bieber; I'm sure he was advised?

Edited April 22, 2014 by alphaflight

[GentlemanJim]

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I think the mental anguish this young lady will carry with her for the rest of her life. Is sufficient punishment. Past is past. No reason to destroy her life, even more than it is. Western ideology does not fit in a Buddhist culture and it shouldn't fit in either. I understand restitution and revenge, when you go looking for revenge dig two graves, ........it was a tragic accident leave it at that.......

You tried this line on another thread recently didn't you?

If she had any 'mental anguish' she would not appeal the sentence.

I think you are so far away from reality that you have no ability to comprehend what is going on here. Perhaps if one or more of those great looking boys that are so affectionately clinging to Dad in your avtar were to be torn apart and squashed beyond recognition by a teenage driver who may or may not be under the influence also, you may not be so inclined to greet the driver with a warm hug and say, 'don't worry the past is in the past, I don't mind!' You think you are being clever, when you are in fact being something far from it, but you are not worth a 3 day holiday for the temporary satisfaction of saying it. By the way, jailing her would not ruin her life, it would prolong it. If I were the Father of one of those she killed the two years she spent in jail would be the only two she would be safe.

The prison term was, however, probated for three years, plus three year behavior control, 48 hours of working to caring road accident patients, and report authorities every three months. She appealed the sentence.

Perfect! That gives any responsible judge, the opportunity to see she has zero remorse and give her proper jail time for 5 years. Perhaps the Thai's need to start a Government 'petition' site as we have in many countries now, and then The Coven that Heavy Drinkers wife belongs to and the Coven my wife belongs to would make the first 26 signatures to have this girl behind bars for a long time.

[harber8]

Has anybody seen the movie "law abiding citizen"?

They should do a sequel in BKK. Based on this story.

[puyaidon]

Let's be realistic. Most of knew that this lady would get off with a light sentence. We knew the outcome even before the bodies were picked up off the highway.

I had a student who totaled two cars in the same accident and as I drove past her accident, she was texting on her phone like nothing had happened. One week later, she was driving a brand new BMW that daddy had bought for her. Nothing new at all for the hi-so's here. Pay your money and stay out of jail.

Edited April 22, 2014 by puyaidon

[how241]

The prison term, however, was commuted to four year probation instead with 48 hours of charity working for one year.

Seriously? No comment Words fail me

+1...Unreal...48 hours a year -- you got to be kidding. That's Not even 1 hour a week.

[pauleddy]

Words escape me. She killed so many people because she wanted to chat on her mobile. Throw away the key, or at least 12-20 years please.

Does anybody know who Daddy is?

How many dad, sons, mothers were lost?

Disgraceful.

eddy

[lucjoker]

rich people can do what they want,it is the law of nature.

Nothing can be done on this, thats why they can openly do these things ,even knowing that

the whole world can see this ,they continue doing what they want and get what they want ,time after time and

this will never change ,you can argue about it ...but they dont give aan ape..... about it .Common people are not existing

for them.

[dominique355]

Out of curiosity, what would be the punishment for 16 year old say in US or AU or UK?

In most civilized countries the punishment for homicide by negligence is not so much based on the result of the negligence but rather on the degree of negligence. "She should have ..." or rather "How could she...?" being the difference between light and gross negligence.

Rarely does the person having been negligent have to go to prison, in most cases probation is the right thing. After all, she is not a murderer, i.e. she didn't have the intention to kill and new that what she did will lead to the death of others.

Being under age should not be judged too heavy, most adults have no driving skills whatsoever (not more than she has) and in some countries a driver's age can now be 16 (such as USA).

However, using the phone while driving is a negligence, one which hopefully will disappear soon with Bluetooth and handfree phones.

While it certainly was a tragedy for the victims and their loved ones, one must not forget that it probably also was a tragedy for that girl. So let's not start a witch hunt, just because her parents are wealthy.

[khunpa]

As much as I love Thailand, I simply just hate to read news like this.

Not only sickening, but completely unreal to witness the general acceptance of rich people being above the law.

[ricklev]

Agree or disagree with the punishment, the sentence was in line with what would be generally expected for someone of her age, regardless of family connections/wealth in Thailand and in most countries. I was told this by both a Thai public prosecutor and a Thai criminal law professor.

[SOTIRIOS]

...is that all that 9 lives are worth these days....???

....God forbid those 48 hours community work eat into her social life.....

[Bung]

I would love to see the Thai media follow up on her doing community the service. Fat chance, she will be at home all day sleeping and out clubbing with her friends all night.

[harada]

Being Thailand I'd say that she will be looking over her shoulder for quite a while, payback is alive and well.

[HerIndoors]

Why all the hysteria ... we all knew this would happen. Anybody recall what punishment the young guy in the Porche 4x4 that cut the young Lao girl in half got....? I had forgotten about that one.

[Sydebolle]

It seems to help to have friends in higher places then - at least in Thailand.

Well, those families having lost loved ones will appreciate that the law is being enforced irrespective of influence.

[robert888d]

T.I.T. This is Thailand. What do you expect?