Buriram Highway Police crack down on driver using deceptive number plate sticker

A 45 year old man landed himself in hot water with highway police in Thailand’s northeast Buriram province after attempting to foil them with a deceptive tactic. He attempted to dodge speeding tickets by putting a sticker over his vehicle’s number plate, leading the traffic police on a convoluted hunt.

The bizarre case began with a Mercedes-Benz owner filing a complaint about numerous speeding tickets being delivered to his residence. The images capturing the vehicle in violation showed the same number plate, however, he was certain the Mercedes-Benz used in the speeding incidents wasn’t his. Moreover, during the dates of the detected violations, he had never travelled to Buriram. Thus, he asked the police to investigate the vehicle in the images.

The tireless work of Police Lieutenant Colonel Nattirut Wattanachatrat of the Buriram Highway Police resulted in a detailed investigation and examination of CCTV footage along the offender’s route. Their search identified a black Mercedes-Benz frequently travelling within the confines of Buriram Province, reported KhaoSod.

A breaking point arrived yesterday. The suspect vehicle was spotted in the Samet sub-district in Buriram’s Mueang district and subsequently pulled over for inspection. The suspect, Chawalit, was behind the wheel of the accused Mercedes-Benz. He confessed that his car, bearing the license plate 6 กว 2222 Bangkok, was purchased at an auction for 199,000 baht (US$5,801).

He vehemently denied any ill-intent, claiming the sticker on his number plate was playfully attached there by his child. The traffic police, however, did not buy into his justification, believing he placed it there to evade detection. Consequently, he was charged with carrying an illegitimate license plate according to the motor vehicle act of 1979, articles 11 and 60. The charge mandated him to correct his license plate to the proper norm. Following this, the true owner of the license plate was notified.

This news comes after another incident involving fake number plates in Thailand. To read the full story, click HERE.