Just 1000 baht fine for Bangkok taxi driver accused of assault

[webfact]

Just 1000 baht fine for Bangkok taxi driver accused of assault

 

Image: Thairath

 

BANGKOK: -- Land department officials have fined a taxi driver just 1000 baht and ordered him to undergo three hours attitude training even though a passenger claim he had been assaulted.

 

Neungrithai Srithon denied hitting the passenger but admitted to using abusive language, hence the fine, reports Thairath.

 

The case was thrust into the public eye after a friend of the alleged victim posted on his behalf on Facebook. the victim said he suffered a cheek injury after an argument over the use of the meter in the driver's old cab.

 

The driver claimed he did not need to use the meter. The incident happened near the Phan Fah bridge after a journey from Impact Arena in Muang Thong Thani.

 

Land department officials fined the driver 1000 baht yesterday and referred the assault charges to Pak Kret police for action.

 

Source: Thairath.

 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2016-10-04

[PatOngo]

Well he's cured for a few days!

[HoboKay]

Land Department handles assault cases? Supplementing the regular police because they're busy with the Irrigation Department mitigating the pooling water?

[sharecropper]

There seems to be absolutely no pressure to change the criminal law here. Look in recent days: the cup-throwing teacher, the kid on the motorbike booting the other two onto the road, this angry, bent cab driver - all of them still receive the lightest (if any) legal penalties. The Rule of Law is not working (unless you're a Hiso fugitive from justice or linked to the Regime, in which case it works fantastically).

 

The 'government' should be urgently looking to reform the police, the legal system and the courts.

[Thechook]

1000, Geez they through the whole library at him, it's normally just 500 baht.

[fruitman]

2 minutes ago, sharecropper said:

There seems to be absolutely no pressure to change the criminal law here. Look in recent days: the cup-throwing teacher, the kid on the motorbike booting the other two onto the road, this angry, bent cab driver - all of them still receive the lightest (if any) legal penalties. The Rule of Law is not working (unless you're a Hiso fugitive from justice or linked to the Regime, in which case it works fantastically).

 

The 'government' should be urgently looking to reform the police, the legal system and the courts.

 

But the government is like the police, sleep all day and get paid.

[jamesbrock]

44 minutes ago, sharecropper said:

There seems to be absolutely no pressure to change the criminal law here. Look in recent days: the cup-throwing teacher, the kid on the motorbike booting the other two onto the road, this angry, bent cab driver - all of them still receive the lightest (if any) legal penalties. The Rule of Law is not working (unless you're a Hiso fugitive from justice or linked to the Regime, in which case it works fantastically).

 

The 'government' should be urgently looking to reform the police, the legal system and the courts.

 

Should be, but won't. Or, if they pretend to do, they certainly won't do enough.

 

As published by the National Propaganda Network just last week, one of the reform’s goals is to "set up a crime scene investigation team at every police station in the country" - hardly deserving of the term 'reform'.

 

As evidence for how long the authorities have recognised the need for reform of the RTP, have a read of this diplomatic cable from 2006 (if you can access it).

 

Quote

Summary. Plans to reform Thailand's notoriously venal and abusive police may be gaining steam, in part due to strong interest from the Prime Minister's office. While many people agree on the need for change--and the legislature is already drawing up plans--the exact prescription for reform remains murky. Two legislators involved in the debate recently outlined separate, dramatic blueprints for reform, including breaking up the national police into 76 different local units, or subsuming the entire law enforcement community under the military. Both of our contacts agree that it will take most of a year to debate and produce any legislative change to the police force. Police reform is always a difficult subject to tackle, with few easy fixes, but the military background of the current government will make the debate over such plans even more heated. End Summary.

 

Source: https://wikileaks.org/plusd/cables/06BANGKOK7501_a.html

[loong]

1 hour ago, HoboKay said:

Land Department handles assault cases? Supplementing the regular police because they're busy with the Irrigation Department mitigating the pooling water?

I don't think the fine was for assault. I believe the headline to be misleading.

Quote

 

Land department officials fined the driver 1000 baht yesterday and referred the assault charges to Pak Kret police for action.

He was probably fined for not using the meter and not being polite.

The police will decide on prosecution for the alleged assault

[daveAustin]

Not worth reacting/commenting fully on stuff like this as all it does is increase blood pressure. All I'll say is crimes like this that go unpunished just shows how ineffective the latest 'government' really is. Nothing has changed apart from the obvious.

[HoboKay]

3 minutes ago, loong said:

I don't think the fine was for assault. I believe the headline to be misleading.

He was probably fined for not using the meter and not being polite.

The police will decide on prosecution for the alleged assault

 

So the Land Department also doubles as civility police?

 

Seriously, I'm more confused now than I first started musing on this.

 

Its as discombobulated as; having to pay a fine to admit to being in a traffic accident where you're the victim (rear ended), before the police is willing to take a statement and allow the insurance claims to proceed. I'm sure it's just my misfortune to have that experience.

[Laughing Gravy]

Certainly gives people faith in the system. Not. 1000 baht as a deterrent. Truly Amazing, once again.

[DLang]

Angry Thais doing what they want and getting away with it.

 

Wouldn't want to punish anybody now, they might lose face.

[halloween]

30 minutes ago, HoboKay said:

 

So the Land Department also doubles as civility police?

 

Seriously, I'm more confused now than I first started musing on this.

 

Its as discombobulated as; having to pay a fine to admit to being in a traffic accident where you're the victim (rear ended), before the police is willing to take a statement and allow the insurance claims to proceed. I'm sure it's just my misfortune to have that experience.

The Land Dept regulates taxis. He was punished for his admitted actions as a taxi driver.

[Jimbo2014]

Did he say sorry??  if he said sorry then its all ok - next case please :D

[HoboKay]

7 minutes ago, halloween said:

The Land Dept regulates taxis. He was punished for his admitted actions as a taxi driver.

 

Thank you for the insight.

[canuckamuck]

The Headline should be changed to "Taxi driver assault, just fine."

[o2eZy]

so if you get assaulted by these fighting cab drivers are you allowed to retaliate ...I've never been used as a punching bag and will always throw a few back

[Mickmouse1]

350,000bt if he was hit or assaulted by a "foreigner " & 700k if by a resident faRLang?

[Trentham]

It should be remembered that this fine is 3.3 times the daily minimum wage. That is the equivalent to a fine of $500 in Australia or New Zealand. I won't do the sums for Europe or Great Britain.

[HoboKay]

Just now, Mickmouse1 said:

350,000bt if he was hit or assaulted by a "foreigner " & 700k if by a resident faRLang?

 

So its cheaper to just walk away, hire some yabba tweakers for 10K a pop and have them deliver justice? 

[balance45]

3 hours ago, Thechook said:

1000, Geez they through the whole library at him, it's normally just 500 baht.

 

Maybe they can use it to deal with the victim. "Come on, we fined him 500 baht more than usual, we're doing the best we can."

[Lamkyong]

4 hours ago, HoboKay said:

Land Department handles assault cases? Supplementing the regular police because they're busy with the Irrigation Department mitigating the pooling water?

and referred the assault charges to Pak Kret police for action.

[gdgbb]

6 hours ago, HoboKay said:

Land Department handles assault cases? Supplementing the regular police because they're busy with the Irrigation Department mitigating the pooling water?

 

It's clear from the report that it doesn't, the assault part is being dealt with by the police...as the report says.

[SOTIRIOS]

...I pity the victim of his next assault....

 

...and who knows if there aren't other victims prior to this....

 

...all those bodies that they find by the sides of roads and in canals have to have come from somewhere...

[Sooo Upto Me]

10 hours ago, sharecropper said:

There seems to be absolutely no pressure to change the criminal law here. Look in recent days: the cup-throwing teacher, the kid on the motorbike booting the other two onto the road, this angry, bent cab driver - all of them still receive the lightest (if any) legal penalties. The Rule of Law is not working (unless you're a Hiso fugitive from justice or linked to the Regime, in which case it works fantastically).

 

The 'government' should be urgently looking to reform the police, the legal system and the courts.

 

I very much doubt it. The government are just as corrupt an useless as the rest of them. 

[kannot]

10 hours ago, sharecropper said:

There seems to be absolutely no pressure to change the criminal law here. Look in recent days: the cup-throwing teacher, the kid on the motorbike booting the other two onto the road, this angry, bent cab driver - all of them still receive the lightest (if any) legal penalties. The Rule of Law is not working (unless you're a Hiso fugitive from justice or linked to the Regime, in which case it works fantastically).

 

The 'government' should be urgently looking to reform the police, the legal system and the courts.

and THEMSELVES

[mrfaroukh]

Well a good signal to people like the driver to do what they want and as a result less tourist here.