British nationals charged for reckless motorbike riding

Nine British tourists have been fined for reckless driving after locals reported their disruptive behaviour to the police. The Chalong Police received a complaint via the 191 police hotline at 1.04am on November 7, reporting a group of foreigners riding motorbikes dangerously on Khok San Road towards Saiyuan Road.

Witnesses described the group revving their engines loudly and driving in a manner that disturbed nearby residents. By the following day, November 8, police tracked down the group in Patong, where they had rented the motorbikes.

Chalong Police confirmed that all nine men were summoned to meet with an investigating officer and were charged with causing a public disturbance and dangerous driving. Officers inspected the men’s personal identification and verified the registration documents of the rented motorbikes, reported The Phuket News.

Following the investigation, each of the tourists was fined, and their details were recorded for potential future reference, police confirmed.

In related news, a Russian man on September 24 faced a 5,000 baht fine after dangerous driving on Koh Samui, an island in the southern province of Surat Thani. Locals were impressed by the police’s swift action, though some felt the punishment was too lenient.

A Thai woman took to a Facebook group called รวมพลคนสมุย (meaning Samui locals gathering) to expose the dangerous behaviour of the foreign driver, later identified as 30 year old Russian man Aleksandr Sharygo. The woman shared a picture of Sharygo’s yellow luxury car with a caption.

“Foreign driver drove very dangerously and almost hit me. I saw him on the Fisherman-Bor Phut Road at about 7.30pm. Be careful, everyone.”

She also included a video of Sharygo’s reckless driving in the comments section. The video showed the yellow Nissan car speeding and cutting off a truck in a narrow alley. The car was also seen parked in a prohibited spot on the road.