BMW crash scandal fails to put brakes on election victory
Despite a lingering BMW crash scandal and outstanding compensation to victims, a politician and his mother clinched victory in the Thanya Buri Municipal Mayor and Council Members election yesterday.
Kritsada Leenawarat, the former Thanya Buri Municipality, stepped aside this year, endorsing his wife, Yupayao Leenawarat, as the mayoral candidate for the Thanya Kaona Party. Their son, Smiththipat “Peach” Leenawarat, also ran successfully for a council seat.
The election results were announced yesterday, May 12, revealing a victory for the Thanya Kaona Party. Yupayao received the highest number of votes, 10,429 out of 21,900 voters, and was elected as the new Thanya Buri Municipal Mayor. She will serve alongside her son, Peach, and other party members.
Kritsada, Yupayao, and Peach held a press conference in the late afternoon to announce their victory and expressed gratitude for the support received from residents.
Supporters who voted for the family attended the press event to offer their congratulations. However, many others raised concerns about Peach’s qualifications, citing the car crash in April that was widely covered by Thai news outlets. Several netizens criticised those who supported the family, calling them immoral and ignorant.
In the accident, Peach was caught on dashcam footage deliberately ramming his white BMW into a black pickup carrying an elderly couple, 65 year old Prachak Duangyai and 64 year old Somsri Duangyai, on a motorway in Pathum Thani.
The crash caused the pickup to hit a traffic barrier, resulting in both physical and emotional trauma for the couple.
Peach claimed that Prachak had cut him off and caused him to crash into a barrier earlier. He said Prachak failed to take responsibility, so he pursued and hit the vehicle, as shown in the footage.
According to social media influencer Guntouch “Gun” Pongpaiboonwet, Peach and his family have yet to take proper responsibility for the incident.
A non-profit organisation covered the couple’s medical expenses, while a new vehicle was donated by another Good Samaritan.
Journalists questioned Peach about the incident during the press conference, prompting his father, Kritsada, to respond. Kritsada stated that he and Peach had visited the hospital to pay the medical bills, only to find that they had already been covered.
He added that they had attempted to meet the victims and their family to offer compensation, but their request for a meeting was declined. They also tried to leave cash at the hospital for further medical expenses, but the hospital refused to accept it.
Kritsada claimed that a third party obstructed their attempts to make amends. The mentioned person is believed to be Gun.
He further insisted that Peach would comply fully with the legal process and accept any judgment related to his actions. He also stated that no high-ranking government officials or police officers had intervened to assist Peach.
Kritsada concluded by asserting that his family were not an influential or powerful figure in Pathum Thani. He believed voters supported them because they saw the family as warm and valued their track record of achievements over the past several years.
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