Drunk driver tries to smash through police checkpoint in Pattaya

A drunk driver tried to smash his way through a police checkpoint in Pattaya yesterday. His attempt failed and police arrested the inebriated man.

The Pattaya City Police set up the checkpoint after midnight today on North Pattaya Road in Naklua to catch drunk drivers. The operation proved to be successful as several drivers were charged with drunk driving.

Pattaya Police told the Pattaya News that they saw the sedan driving erratically as it approached the police checkpoint. Police flagged the car to stop but the driver put his foot down and tried to break through the line only to crash into a police motorbike nearby.

Fortunately, Senior Sergeant Major Rapeepat Prommin, who was on the motorbike, managed to jump clear to safety. The motorcycle wasn’t as lucky.

The drunk driver, Nattanet Puttawong, tried to put up a struggle and escape but eventually surrendered.

The 38 year old climbed out of his sedan and said sorry to the arresting officers.

Nattanet confessed he’d had a drink before setting off on his journey.

The alcohol breath test was well over the legal limit.

Nattanet was arrested and escorted to the Pattaya City Police Station where he will be charged.

There has been a string of motoring offences in the popular party city this year.

Two weeks ago a reckless pickup driver who knocked down a British man on a pedestrian crossing in a hit-and-run incident surrendered to police and visited the victim to apologise. The driver claimed he did not see him in the middle of the road.

Last month a well-known Australian surfboard designer died after crashing his motorcycle in Chon Buri.

Kym Thompson smashed into an electricity pole while avoiding a truck turning at a junction on November 1. CCTV shows how Thompson was flung from his bike and skidded along the road.

In July, One man died and another was seriously injured yesterday in an alleged drunk driving incident in the Sri Racha district, between Chon Buri and Pattaya.

In August, Thailand was ranked as the second most dangerous country to drive in according to a driver’s educational platform. Only South Africa is deemed to be a more dangerous place to drive than the Kingdom of Thailand with the US coming in third place.

Nattanet is not the first drunk driver case in Pattaya and won’t be the last.