Thai car racing gangs of five or more warned of jail time if caught
Thai street car racing gangs of five or more are being warned that they will face jail time and large fines if they are caught gathering. The superintendent of Prachachuen police station sent out the warning, saying even if they have not started racing, those in groups will be arrested for illegal racing. Land Transport and Excise department officials accompanied the superintendent as he went to a Prachachuen toll plaza gas station after receiving complaints from neighbourhood residents.
According to Thai PBS World, such complaints detailed deafening noises from the cars. Officials then checked the cars and found that some of their engines had been modified for racing with a few of them also lacking a proper license plate. The officer noted that the car owners weren’t arrested this time, but were warned with the police taking down their names.
Some drivers immediately booked it after seeing police arrive at the gas station. The warnings came after recently amended rules, which state that authorities can take legal action against street racers if they are caught in groups of five or more. Such penalties include prison terms of not more than three months and/or a fine from 5,000-10,000 baht upon being convicted of breaking the law.
Back in August, a woman was instantly killed after being hit by an out-of-control pickup as it embarked on some high jinks with another speeding car on a public road in Pathum Thani province near Bangkok.
The 35-year-old woman, Thanyaluck Sriphan, was standing outside of her food shop in front of a petrol station, located on Som Sang Road in the Baan Mai District of Pathum Thani when she was hit by the vehicle.
Police and emergency service teams found the damaged pickup near the shop. Inside the vehicle, police discovered 36-year-old male driver Prasarn Boonsi, and 29-year-old female passenger Kunruethai Ninlaphruk. They were both injured and sent to a hospital nearby. Both tested positive for Covid-19 while being treated for their injuries.
Witnesses told police the pickup was travelling at a high speed, racing with another car, before the pickup driver lost control and crashed into Thanyaluck’s shop.
