Taxi driver says he drove Bangkok bomber to Hua Lamphong

[webfact]

BANGKOK BLAST
Taxi driver says he drove bomber to Hua Lamphong
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Police have located a taxi driver who took the suspected Erawan Shrine bomber from in front of Charn Isara Building to the Hua Lamphong railway station.

Police invited the taxi driver, Chalerm (surname withheld) to be interrogated at the Metropolitan Police Bureau Monday night.

The driver from Nakhon Nayok drove a green-yellow taxi, which was seen on security cameras near the railway station delivering the suspect in yellow shirt.

After he got off the taxi, the suspected took a tuktuk.

Chalerm told police that the man looked resemble to the facial sketch of police and exactly to the suspect as seen on security cameras around the Erawan Shrine.

He said the man was waring yellow T-shirt and was carrying backpack but the backpack did not appear as large as seen on clips from CCTVs. The man was not carrying a white bag like what seen on clips from CCTVs.

Chalerm said he did not know what language the man used but the taxi driver made out only the word "Hua Lamphong".

Chalerm delivered the man to the railway station and the meter displayed the fare of Bt61. The man gave Chalerm Bt100 note and the driver gave the man Bt40 change.

Police sought cooperation from Chalerm to take the taxi for forensic science police to detect any hair or other things that might be left by the suspect. Police would also try to detect fingerprints inside the taxi.

A team of police has also been dispatched to check the area around the Charn Isara Building to try to find out where the suspect had stayed.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/breakingnews/Taxi-driver-says-he-drove-bomber-to-Hua-Lamphong-30267365.html


-- The Nation 2015-08-25

[MZurf]

"Police invited the taxi driver, Chalerm (surname withheld) to be interrogated at the Metropolitan Police Bureau Monday night."

Anyone noticed how much more polite society has become after the army graciously took power? Police are now inviting people to an interrogation. Of course, the army showed the way by inviting people to attitude adjustment sessions.

I think Thailand is definitively heading in the right direction!!

[speedtripler]

8 days later, he suddenly remembered... <deleted>

[DLock]

"Police sought cooperation from Chalerm to take the taxi for forensic science police to detect any hair or other things that might be left by the suspect. Police would also try to detect fingerprints inside the taxi."

...and after fingerprinting and scanning the taxi for hair, fingernails and bodily fluids, police now have 178 new suspects. "We are confident we are closing in on the bomber now. We just need some CSI thingies to help us do a database search" said the police representative. "We urge the bomber to surrender himself of his own safety...pretty please".

[jonclark]

He was 'invited to be interrogated!' Such a polite way of putting things - one assumes he would able to decline the invitation?

[phil2]

I bet the taxi has been washed and vacuumed several times since the trip.

[Eddy B]

I can't believe that the fare was 61 baht, the guy paid with 100 baht and got back 40 baht back in change. Something very fishy about that!!

[SoiBiker]

I can't believe that the fare was 61 baht, the guy paid with 100 baht and got back 40 baht back in change. Something very fishy about that!!

You obviously don't get many taxis. Pretty common for them to round a fare down a baht rather than bother with counting out coins.

[maapaa]

I can't believe that the fare was 61 baht, the guy paid with 100 baht and got back 40 baht back in change. Something very fishy about that!!

What's fishy about it?

Nothing. It happened to me several times. Many don't like to search for small coins.

[ddavidovsky]

So Yellow Shirt is definitely not Thai. That's big news.

[Prbkk]

For those who don't know the area, Charn Isara Tower is on Rama 4, about 100 metres from the interssction with Silom Road. This would be a very indirect way of getting to the Erawan Shrine.

How did he arrive at Charn Issara?

[Artisi]

I bet the taxi has been washed and vacuumed several times since the trip.

Wouldn't be too sure about that.

[Artisi]

So Yellow Shirt is definitely not Thai. That's big news.

Of course he's not, Thai's don't do things like that - or didn't you know that.

[speedtripler]

How many thousand people have been in that taxi within let's say a month?

Finding a needle in a haystack would be easier

If they already have a suspect in custody and want to check for a dna match it would be more understandable but even then I don't know if this wouldn't be a hopeless pr exercise because they have to do something to make this whole mess look like a proper investigation

[Artisi]

Of course all CCTV in the area and the stations has now been checked, including all the faulty ones and the fake ones. Or should we let the BIB know it would be a good idea to have a look.

[petermik]

Quickly on the scene the BIB manage to locate a taxi which may-or may not-carried the suspect away great...................but wait-it was over one week ago- I doubt if anytime in the near future any arrest,s will be made...............incompetence in the highest order

[lildragon]

So he picked up the bomb bag on route somewhere?

[speedtripler]

So he picked up the bomb bag on route somewhere?

The bomb was the backpack according to an earlier account, the plastic bag contents are still unknown, perhaps a change of clothing or different disguise

[sammygood]

did he also get a 30.000 baht incentive ? or just fishing for the 3-7-12 million baht reward?

[dotpoom]

Must be the first time ever in Thailand that a Taxi Driver actually tipped a customer....(1Baht in this case)

[bridge2bridge]

WHAT no TIP.

[bkkcanuck8]

The problem was that from early on a portion of the population was alienated when they announced that it was the reds that were involved in it -- before actually investigating it. If you are a taxi driver or tuk tuk and have had red sympathies.... if I come forward they might assume that I was part of the attack..... so it is not a surprise that it is taking them this long to find additional witnesses....

[PatOngo]

So he picked up the bomb bag on route somewhere?

The bomb was the backpack according to an earlier account, the plastic bag contents are still unknown, perhaps a change of clothing or different disguise

Perhaps a takeaway somtam.

[EnglishJohn]

Good luck getting those fingerprints from a taxi door handle a week later boys.

No, honestly, it's a great idea. Have a look for some DNA while you're at it.

[LannaGuy]

thought motorbike taxi took him to airport? keystone cops

[bkkcanuck8]

Good luck getting those fingerprints from a taxi door handle a week later boys.

No, honestly, it's a great idea. Have a look for some DNA while you're at it.

A week late might be a stretch - but ALL evidence should be processed..... it is often small rather insignificant details can break a case. That is why failure to properly process the crime scene was such a failure. You want to collect all fragments of the bomb, trace all components if possible.... because every piece of it could potentially lead back to somewhere along the chain of custody and lead either to the bomber or his network of support.

Edited August 25, 2015 by bkkcanuck8

[The Deerhunter]

Of course all CCTV in the area and the stations has now been checked, including all the faulty ones and the fake ones. Or should we let the BIB know it would be a good idea to have a look.

The driver from Nakhon Nayok drove a green-yellow taxi, which was seen on security cameras near the railway station delivering the suspect in yellow shirt. It seems you are right. The post says that is how they found the driver!!!!!!!

[Brigante7]

I can't believe that the fare was 61 baht, the guy paid with 100 baht and got back 40 baht back in change. Something very fishy about that!!

Even stranger was that he used the meter, mind you it probsbly took 5 minutes of arguing with the driver just to get him to switch the meter on.

[The Deerhunter]

So he picked up the bomb bag on route somewhere?

The bomb was the backpack according to an earlier account, the plastic bag contents are still unknown, perhaps a change of clothing or different disguise

Perhaps a takeaway somtam.

People who are not Thai do not do that! No! Iv'e got that confused somehow.

Edited August 25, 2015 by The Deerhunter

[bkkcanuck8]

I can't believe that the fare was 61 baht, the guy paid with 100 baht and got back 40 baht back in change. Something very fishy about that!!

Even stranger was that he used the meter, mind you it probsbly took 5 minutes of arguing with the driver just to get him to switch the meter on.

I don't generally have a problem with taxis. I just say location and meter and that is it. I have twice had taxi drivers take me short distances and actually refused any payment. I have never had a metered taxi argue over tip (might give me a sad or quizical look). The minority of time they say won't go (maybe traffic jam or something), or don't want to use a meter.... I just say fine.... next (except for the last one that said meter not working and quoted me fare that was what the meter would have come to anyways.... so I am guessing it really was not working).