28-year-old steals public bus to see girlfriend: Thai police

[webfact]

28-Year-Old Steals Public Bus to See Girlfriend: Police
By Khaosod English


Sataanphop Aobpirom, 28, with police officers and the bus he allegedly stole in Bangkok, 15 June 2015.

BANGKOK — A 28-year-old man has been arrested for stealing a public bus and driving nearly 400 km from Bangkok to northeastern Thailand to see his girlfriend, police say.

Sataanphop Aobpirom was arrested yesterday evening and charged with theft, according to Pol.Maj. Kowit Piewpong, an officer at Chorakae Noi Police Station.

Police said an executive director of Lad Krabang Transport Company, which operates public buses in Bangkok's eastern suburb, filed a complaint on 4 May that Sataanphop had disappeared from Bangkok with one of the company's vehicles. Sataanphop started his job as a bus driver only three days before the incident took place, said Pol.Maj. Kowit.

After a month of investigation, police tracked down and arrested Sataanphop in Buriram province yesterday.

Full story: http://www.khaosodenglish.com/detail.php?newsid=1434458115&typecate=06&section=


-- Khaosod English 2015-06-17

[jaidam]

Probably a new record. 400km without crashing, putting an end to the "drive it like you stole it" slogan.

Not surprised he had trouble selling it to buy drugs. Big items like this should be sold by parts/scrap. Less chance to arouse suspicion from the plod and also get good price for it. I notice the local prices of 2nd hand engines and mechanical items are significantly higher here than in the western world. Scrap metal value alone he could have smoked himself to the stratosphere.

[Soutpeel]

Isn't young love a grand thing ?

what they didn't tell you was when said 28 year old in his nicked bus arrived back in the village in the North East, he found his GF in bed with another man

[BSJ]

"After a month of investigation, police tracked down and arrested Sataanphop in Buriram province yesterday." It took a month! What is more likely is Sataanphop was driving it around and went through the police road block one time to many!

"Based on Mr. Sataanphop’s police records, he was previously arrested for two cases of theft and two cases of drug offense," Pol.Maj. Kowit told reporters. "We believe that Mr. Sataanphop also tried to sell the bus and use the money to buy drugs, but the stolen vehicle was a public bus, and it was an imported vehicle, so no one dared to buy it." Seems like a regular guy, just love struck!

[Bluespunk]

Reminds me of these characters

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=vCEkI-JV9Eo

[NongKhaiKid]

Honey I've brought my new set of wheels for you to see.

Now I can drive you and your whole family around in style.

[Pimay1]

"Based on Mr. Sataanphop’s police records, he was previously arrested for two cases of theft and two cases of drug offense,"

I guess the HR Manager of the Lad Krabang Transport Company failed to see this on Khun Sataanphop's background check.

[klauskunkel]

a public bus...

you wanna impress your gf with a public bus? Bkk is full of lambos and Ferraris, and he chose a public bus...

[realenglish1]

This guy should not get jail time for stealing the bus He should get jail time for being stupid thinking he could get away with stealing the bus

[JOC]

How can you not love the craziness of this country??

And well done to the police!! It only took them one month to find a public bus in an Isaan village!!

[halloween]

Driving in BKK can be difficult, perhaps he got lost.

[JOC]

According to police, Sataanphop confessed that he suddenly missed his girlfriend in Buriram while he was driving the bus along the Hua Ta Kae - Seacon Square route, and decided to drive the vehicle all the way to the northeastern province to see her.

Nothing like young love!!

Hope you and your girlfriend will live happily ever after.......... (when you have served your sentence)

[kwak250]

I reckon its a misunderstanding and the cause was Gps?

[little mary sunshine]

Amazing Thailand.....Tried to sell it to buy drugs...55555555

[mo3s]

I kinda appreciate thi romantic move....very charming....manly..wow!

[optad]

I love how the interested parties get together and pose for the photos in Thailand!!

[NongKhaiKid]

"Based on Mr. Sataanphops police records, he was previously arrested for two cases of theft and two cases of drug offense,"

I guess the HR Manager of the Lad Krabang Transport Company failed to see this on Khun Sataanphop's background check.

Frightening isn't it, someone with convictions for drugs is employed as a bus driver ?

[NanLaew]

Darwinism...

[Manbing]

Another far sighted criminal genius foiled by the long arm of the law. At least they remained friends, from the casually draped arm over the shoulder we can tell.

Why is there no pointing in the pic?

there is after all, no way to miss the object of the dispute.

Whichever misguided fool took this picture, missed a great opportunity for a dynamic over the shoulder pointing shot.

It just goes to show, there is a lack of artistic temperament in the provinces.

[kinmaew]

Must be frustrating not having an extensive, working public transport system like London, what on earth have Thais been doing for the last 50 years apart from crawling on their hands and knees?

[Godders]

Is the one in the orange shirt with an arm wrapped around him his girlfriend?

[mo3s]

^{Nah...I think his mia noi!}

[Emster23]

Perhaps could have sold it to farang for when he takes his gf out to dinner and relatives show up for freebie.

[Thaddeus]

He managed to drive from Bangkok to Buriram without crashing the bus or causing any injury to anyone.

I'd give him a job as a bus driver.

[Guest]

Well, his girlfriend gets bragging rights in the village...

"Stop right there girlfreind, you tellig me how much your man loves you? Get real, Sataanphop stole a BUS and drove all night to get a taste of this spicy piece of pie!"

OMG .. you CAN'T make this stuff up !

[Mot Dang]

Isn't young love a grand thing ?

what they didn't tell you was when said 28 year old in his nicked bus arrived back in the village in the North East, he found his GF in bed with another man

Love is blind, and sometimes makes you do crazy things.

But your end statement is very unfair. Been burnt yourself ? By a Farang or Thai ? All is fair in love and war.

[klauskunkel]

the brakes stopped working so he had to continue to drive the bus to Buriram where he ran out of gas...this man is hero!

[mercman24]

silly boy trying to sell the bus, he could have made a few baht by starting his own bus company, sight seeing-trips to the market, the list is endless, but no, he needed the drugs, as a previous poster said, drugged up bus driver,so nothing new there then,

[Nobb]

Girl friend must have some powerful aleuring charms. Make a man go wild and stupid with desire. While he is in prison another man will find this truly sexy lady. So stupid so time to hard to stop the bus!

[tajtom]

Give the police a gold medal the monkeys 4 weeks to find him LOL..... A BUS...I would have thought 6 months

They must have been told where he was after he gave himself up

Good on ya son