British man arrested for traffic island stunt, indecency, and Yaba use

Phuket police arrested a British national after a viral video showed him driving on a traffic island, using methamphetamine (Yaba), and urinating on road.

The 24 year old British national, Lee Terry Obrien, was arrested yesterday, Sunday, January 11, after footage of the incident circulated widely on social media. The video, originally shared by local news outlet Newshawk Phuket, showed the foreigner driving illegally on Thepkasattri Road in Thalang district on Saturday, January 10.

In the footage, Obrien was seen travelling with three friends in a yellow off-road Jeep during heavy traffic congestion. The vehicle was driven along a traffic island while the passengers appeared excited, filming the dangerous driving.

A Thai woman commented under the viral post, claiming the British man also urinated on the road during the traffic jam. She later shared a photo showing the act.

Another netizen reported that the driver had earlier been travelling at high speed and nearly crashed while negotiating a curve on the same road.

Police from Thalang Police Station later spotted the same vehicle travelling again on Thepkasattri Road. This time, Obrien was accompanied by five friends. Officers stopped the vehicle in connection with the earlier traffic violation.

An alcohol breath test returned a negative result. However, a drug test showed that Obrien had Yaba in his system.

Police charged the British man with three offences:

• Section 43(1) of the Land Transport Act: driving under the influence of intoxicating substances, punishable by up to one year in prison, a fine of 5,000 to 20,000 baht, or both.
• Section 162 of the Narcotics Act: using a Category 1 drug, carrying a penalty of up to one year in prison, a fine of up to 20,000 baht, or both.
• Section 388 of the Criminal Law: public indecency, punishable by a fine of up to 5,000 baht.

In similar cases reported previously, foreign motorcyclists in Phuket were criticised online after being filmed making dangerous U-turns on traffic islands. However, no further updates on arrests or legal action in those cases were made public.