Hit-and-Run Suspect Admits to Running Over Tourist on Samui
By Teeranai Charuvastra
Staff Reporter


Still image of low quality security camera footage of a truck running over a tourist Saturday on Koh Samui. Source: Channel 3 / YouTube

SAMUI — A truck driver seen running over a foreign tourist and driving away from the scene surrendered to police Sunday on Koh Samui.

Sanong Songkul, 45, confessed to hitting the Israeli man with his pick-up truck on Saturday night, but defended his decision not to stop to help the wounded man because he was afraid crowds of onlookers might attack him, a police officer at a local station said.

The moment Sanong hit the tourist as he walking on the ring road was captured by a security camera and later posted on social media.

In the low-quality video, the pick-up truck appears to knock down the Israeli man and then drive over his head before speeding away from the scene.

Full story: http://www.khaosodenglish.com/detail.php?newsid=1447653921


-- Khaosod English 2015-11-16

Strong Head ,live leak for unblured but still lo quality.

Sanong’s action drew condemnation from many on the social media. “They have to arrest this bastard,” wrote user Pongpinyo Tammakoon. “The authorities must get serious about traffic problems. Are they going to let Thailand become Deathland, full of accidents like this?”

Maybe they should look at the reasons why Tourists as well as Locals have to walk in the road.

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/654209-silly-signs-around-the-island-seen-any-got-any/?p=9445895

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/654209-silly-signs-around-the-island-seen-any-got-any/?p=9428247

So why wait a day? Why not drive to the nearest police station and turn yourself in?

So why wait a day? Why not drive to the nearest police station and turn yourself in?

Need time for the alcohol level in his blood to come down.

until the law tightens and is enforced nothing will change, make it a prison sentence to leave the scene of a accident full stop end of story

It's an obvious lie, because Thais will not care if a Thai runs over a falang. And as another person above says, why not drive directly to a police station...why wait a day?

All can see from that picture is a truck in the middle of the road.

as I watched the video i didn't see a moment of hesitation by the driver as he was allegedly deliberating with himself whether to stop and help, or to flee an imaginary mob of vigilantes appearing out of nowhere.

Need to get the yaba off his truck

At least the soi dog paid some attention to the victim. :<

Drunk ,and why did his police friend not tell him go to the station straight away ,and the police worry about defamatory comments ,you can't get more stupid

...God knows what he was doing or carrying.....

...they should search and scan his truck and home and place of business.....

...maybe check his bank accounts and financial statements too.....

....he is obviously hiding something worth more tha a human life....in his mind...

....but surely an apology will suffice....

(...just ask yourselves...what would a foreigner be charged with....)

A Thai man afraid that a Thai crown would attack him for running over a farang. He was stupid to run because he has no respect for human life. And his excuse is so unbelievable that his own mother would not believe it! But this happens much to often in Thailand. These people have no heart and should go to jail for the crimes!

The pickup ran over the guys shoulder not his head….it would have been crushed otherwise.

Samui is a &lt;deleted&gt; nightmare for pedestrians…I get the shits just driving a bike there.

The farang made one mistake…which is you always walk facing oncoming traffic not with your back turned to it.

I think the victim s very lucky to be alive and the driver doesn't think t was a hit and run what did he think it was he ran over the man and fled the scene that's hit and run .

To put things in perspective, I got hit in a crosswalk inside the moat. The English speaking farang man said, "Did I

hit you?" I said yes. Wanting to go home, or to the hospital, I said, "Which way are you going?"

He looked straight ahead stepped on the gas and sped away as fast as possible. Staggering into a coffee shop, Thai kindness brought me ice in plastic bags, and gave me care until I could walk and get in a tuk tuk. So don't bash the Thais when there are some. %#~><~| farangs around too. I hope that jerk reads this.

The pickup ran over the guys shoulder not his head….it would have been crushed otherwise.

Samui is a <deleted> nightmare for pedestrians…I get the shits just driving a bike there.

The farang made one mistake…which is you always walk facing oncoming traffic not with your back turned to it.

Obviously you have either no idea that the part where a humans ear is located is actually on the head or you haven't seen the original video at Liveleak. If you have actually seen it on Liveleak... ask me and i'll give you a few good links where you can study the human anatomy and body parts.

The pickup ran over the guys shoulder not his head….it would have been crushed otherwise.

Samui is a <deleted> nightmare for pedestrians…I get the shits just driving a bike there.

The farang made one mistake…which is you always walk facing oncoming traffic not with your back turned to it.

No. the guy ran over the tourists head and not once but twice. First the front wheel and then the back. Que the video.

Did you remove your bifocals before watching? It went just below the neck area.

Did you remove your bifocals before watching? It went just below the neck area.

http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=8af_1447521545

If that thing under the tire at 0:20 mark is "the neck" then my foot is really my hand.

What is the problem ? Thai do it all the time...

Just tell that you didn't feel any accident and you will be fine ! (maybe 1000 baht fine hahahaha)

the guy was walking in the middle of the road, avoiding a big puddle, without looking back. the front tire hit his shoulder, the rear tire run directly over his head. if the truck driver had hit the brake , he surely would not have a chance to survive. the view was very bad, because the many waterpuddles in the road were reflecting all the street-lights.
http://thailandtip.info/2015/11/15/auslaender-wird-auf-ko-samui-von-einem-pickup-erfasst-und-ueberfahren/

Several impossibilities here it seems?1

The pickup ran over the guys shoulder not his head….it would have been crushed otherwise.

Samui is a <deleted> nightmare for pedestrians…I get the shits just driving a bike there.

The farang made one mistake…which is you always walk facing oncoming traffic not with your back turned to it.

Obviously you have either no idea that the part where a humans ear is located is actually on the head or you haven't seen the original video at Liveleak. If you have actually seen it on Liveleak... ask me and i'll give you a few good links where you can study the human anatomy and body parts.

Suggestion for lesson 1:

Thai Driver Surrenders to Police after Running Over Israeli Tourist on Koh Samui

KOH SAMUI – Lt. Cpt. Boonnam Srithanarat has reported that the driver of a pickup truck that ran over Israeli tourists 43-year-old Amir Cohen, has turned himself into police.

Sanong Songkul, 45, confessed to hitting the Israeli Amir Cohen with his pick-up truck on Saturday night, but defended his decision not to stop to help the wounded man because he was afraid crowds of onlookers might attack him, Lt. Cpt. Boonnam Srithanarat said.

On Saturday Israeli Amir Cohen stepped onto the road in Bophut to avoid a puddle, instead of getting wet feet he was mowed down by Mr. Songkul’s pick-up truck that literally drove over him.

According to the Samui Times, Mr. Songkul simply drove away after driving over the tourist. The low quality CCTV footage of the incident went viral on social network sites.

Full story: http://www.chiangraitimes.com/thai-driver-surrenders-to-police-after-running-over-israeli-tourist-on-koh-samui.html

-- Chiang Rai Times 2015-11-17

Sanong claimed that he had already called a police officer he personally knew to tell him he would turn himself in the next day, so he believed his action didn’t count as a hit-and-run, Boonnam said.

Thai logic.

Lying scumbag, Samui nutcase

Sanong’s action drew condemnation from many on the social media. “They have to arrest this bastard,” wrote user Pongpinyo Tammakoon. “The authorities must get serious about traffic problems. Are they going to let Thailand become Deathland, full of accidents like this?”

Maybe they should look at the reasons why Tourists as well as Locals have to walk in the road.

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/654209-silly-signs-around-the-island-seen-any-got-any/?p=9445895

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/654209-silly-signs-around-the-island-seen-any-got-any/?p=9428247

Walking on a road/ sois here is a hazard but to make it worse I have had the odd motrobike here in Hua Hin and a Tuk Tuk once in BK drive at me while walking.

I always walk with caution here , Soi dogs another hazard.

Holy Cow!

Its not like the farang had just jumped out in the street, he had been out there for several seconds before getting run over.

No evasive action on the driver's part.

It looks like the only reason he even slowed after impact was to avoid damaging his suspension on the victim's head.

This driver would have fled whether it was farang or Thai that he hit.

Its just that a Thai would not foolishly walk out there like that.

Will the authorities allow that obvious BS story about fear of mobs keep him from serving jailtime?

I hope this video gets publicized in Western media--sadly its the only way to get accountability.