Drug-addicted Thai man steals pickup to impress teen crush
A drug-addicted Thai man stole a welfare pickup from an officer of the Public Works and Town & Country Planning Department in the southern province of Chum Phon to impress a woman he had a crush on.
The official, Prasart Kraiwilat, filed a complaint at Mueang Chumphon Police Station after losing the car, which belonged to his workplace, the Department of Public Works and Town & Country Planning.
Prasart reported that he parked the welfare pickup at the province’s main train station and exited the vehicle to collect items from train officials. He left the car engine running, assuming he would only be away briefly.
When Prasart returned to the parking area 10 minutes later, the vehicle was missing. He sought CCTV footage from the train station and presented it to the police when filing his complaint.
The footage revealed that the thief, later identified as 32 year old Wattana, was loitering near the vehicle before suddenly jumping in and driving away.
As it was an official vehicle, the car was equipped with a GPS tracking device, which allowed the police to track Wattana with ease. He was found driving towards Prachuap Khiri Khan province, near the border between Thailand and Myanmar.
Unfulfilled wish
Police swiftly arrested Wattana on the spot. He admitted to stealing the car because he wanted to visit a woman who lived in the area.
Wattana explained that he previously worked at a durian and coffee plantation there and developed a crush on a 17 year old girl, the daughter of a local grocery store owner near the plantation.
Although he had since changed jobs and moved to live in Chumphon, he continued visiting the grocery store just to see the woman. However, he never mustered the courage to speak to her.
On the day of the incident, Wattana took four methamphetamine pills, known locally as Yaba, and searched for a vehicle to steal so he could travel to meet his crush. He wandered around the train station parking area before spotting the welfare pickup.
Wattana did not manage to meet the woman and now faces two charges including:
- Section 334 of the Criminal Law: stealing property of another person. The penalty is imprisonment for up to three years and a fine of up to 60,000 baht.
- Section 97 and Section 91 of the Narcotic Act: using drugs in Narcotic Category 1 (methamphetamine) while driving. He could face imprisonment from six months to three years, a fine from 10,000 to 20,000 baht, or both.
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