Police clear Aussie of injury, collision claims in drunk-driving incident
Eakkapop Thongtub


Police noted that Mr Vockler's car showed no scratches or other signs of a collision. Photo: Eakkapop Thongtub

PHUKET: -- ​Police have confirmed that an Aussie expat charged with drunk driving early last Saturday morning (July 16) did not hit any vehicles or injure any people, despite their initial reports.

Lt Col Sakon Krainara, the lead investigator in the case, told The Phuket News, “Mr Paul Vockler did not hit any cars or anyone, but people were lucky to escape injury when they had to swerve to avoid his car.

“Police were initially told that people had been injured (see story here), but our investigation later proved it was not true. No one went hospital, there were no serious injuries at all,” he said.

Mr Vockler met Somchai Choomrak at Cherng Talay Police Station at 10:30am on Monday (July 18) to pay for damages to Mr Somchai’s motorbike with sidecar (salaeng), said Col Sakon.

“Mr Somchai said that Mr Vockler was driving past him, but drove too close, and so he had to swerve to avoid a collision and hit the curb.

Full story: http://www.thephuketnews.com/police-clear-aussie-of-injury-collision-claims-in-drunk-driving-incident-58321.php

-- Phuket News 2016-07-20

Ho Hum .... wonder what that cost him ...

Mr Vockler met Somchai Choomrak at Cherng Talay Police Station at 10:30am on Monday (July 18) to pay for damages to Mr Somchai’s motorbike with sidecar (salaeng), said Col Sakon.

Always Somchai..

Sooner or later...that's the path of DUI.

No wonder so many are dying on the roads here.

The good thing is, the tuk-tuks never saw a baht out of the whole incident.

Lets hope Mr.Vockler learnt his lesson, costly though it must have been. Lucky he did not kill himself or anyone else.

They are covering up the beating that the locals dished out to the Aussie.

It's the reason he fled the scene in the first place.

They are covering up the beating that the locals dished out to the Aussie.

It's the reason he fled the scene in the first place.

Is this what actually happened or is it another TV embellishment?

Hard to imagine the Thais gang beating him and then he hands out compensation to them later

They are covering up the beating that the locals dished out to the Aussie.

It's the reason he fled the scene in the first place.

Is this what actually happened or is it another TV embellishment?

Hard to imagine the Thais gang beating him and then he hands out compensation to them later

According to the Phuket gazette, it actually happened.

whichever way you look it does sound like a case of wreck less driving.

he possibly will no go scott free.

Given that it's Thailand, the question should be asked:

Was he car driver too close to the motorcyclist, or was it in fact the motorcyclist too close to the car?

Unless there was good evidence to support one or the other, I'd go for the latter.

Not sure what it would cost him, have to factor in the cash for the police to " fix the matter" up.

Whether the fella got beaten, ripped off or whatever, he brought it on himself by drink driving........any further comment is superfluous.

Nobody came out of this smelling of roses.

Not the idiot, drunken Aussie (,22) who drove home endangering all other road users.

Not the salaeng rider who falsely reported crashes and injuries and obtained compensation for non-existent damages to his death trap. (I have yet to see one of these contraptions driven safely, considerately, nor properly lit at night.)

Not the cowardly locals who decided to beat up the drunk.

Not the cops who, no doubt, fixed things for the usual backhander.

Not the jounos who falsely reported crashes, injuries and people being treated in hospital. (They even took photos of the pristine unmarked vehicle purportedly to have crashed!)

Mr Vockler met Somchai Choomrak at Cherng Talay Police Station at 10:30am on Monday (July 18) to pay for damages to Mr Somchai’s motorbike with sidecar (salaeng), said Col Sakon.

Always Somchai..

And these contraptions are almost always illegal anyway!

He was drunk - maybe got "stitched up". Too bad, he was drink driving, no one injured or killed. Cannot feel sorry for him........move along

Don't drink and drive, simple really

Don't drink and drive, simple really

How do you get home after a night out somewhere on Phuket?

.....some of them see a foreigner....they think....'retirement'......this has to stop.....

Like it or not that's how they do things......he pays.....the police are happy and somchai is happy.......

Well anyway, what's somchai's rocket worth ?

it's not going to be too bad....it's not as if he was driving a Bentley