Crash course: Official in hot water over personal joyride in govt car

Photo courtesy of KhaoSod

A provincial administrative organisation officer in Chumphon province is under scrutiny for allegedly using a government vehicle for personal purposes, leading to a car accident.

The SUV, a black Nissan Terra, was reportedly regularly used as a personal vehicle by the officer without any official insignia. The incident occurred following a politician’s birthday party in Mueang district, Chumphon around three months ago.

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After the event, the officer drove the government SUV back, only to crash into a roadside tree in Saphli subdistrict, Pathio district. The collision heavily damaged the vehicle, with the front crumpled up to the engine, and both right-side tyres burst.

The officer sustained minor injuries, but no police report was filed, avoiding standard procedure documentation. Instead, a tow truck discreetly moved the vehicle to a repair shop on Asia 41 road in Khun Krathing subdistrict, Mueang, Chumphon, before it was transported to another shop in Prachuap Khiri Khan province to prevent public knowledge.

The SUV was hidden for over a month and underwent repairs costing over 200,000 baht. A local politician reportedly contributed to the repair expenses. Once repaired, the vehicle was parked near a wall behind the provincial administrative organisation office as nobody dared to use it.

Upon investigation, it was found parked beside the Chumphon Provincial Administrative office building, covered in dust. The doors had newly painted organisational insignia, and the number plate from the rear, unharmed in the crash, was swapped to the front. The damaged front number plate was repaired and moved to the rear.

Originally fitted with Bridgestone tyres costing approximately 7,000 baht each, after the accident, all tyres were replaced with a Chinese brand costing about 3,000 baht each. The repaired vehicle is now parked unused due to concerns over the quality of the repairs, with suspicions of second-hand parts being utilised, making it unfit for regular use, reported KhaoSod.

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In a similar report by Bangkok Post, in 2023, The National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) pursued criminal action against two officials: Itthipol Sunthornsima, Deputy Clerk of Chiang Rai City Municipality, and Taweep Phukpho, Chairman of the Ban Mo Administrative Organisation in Sing Buri’s Phrom Buri district.

Both were found to have used official vehicles for personal errands, leading to legal proceedings under Sections 151 and 157 of the Criminal Proceedings Act.

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Puntid Tantivangphaisal

Originally from Hong Kong, Puntid moved to Bangkok in 2020 to pursue further studies in translation. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Comparative Literature from the University of Hong Kong. Puntid spent 8 years living in Manchester, UK. Before joining The Thaiger, Puntid has been a freelance translator for 2 years. In her free time, she enjoys swimming and listening to music, as well as writing short fiction and poetry.

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