Man caught with fake red plate on Mercedes in Nakhon Pathom
Highway police apprehended a man driving a new Mercedes Benz with a red license plate after they discovered the plate was counterfeit. The driver, identified only as Wanchai, admitted to ordering the attractive number plate online.
The incident occurred today when Police Major General Phakaphon Suchon along with Pol. Lieut. Col. Kla Sombatphibun inspected the area under their jurisdiction. They spotted the suspicious vehicle, a white Mercedes Benz with the red plate number B-9999 Bangkok, along the Ban Phaeo-Phra Prathon route in the Don Yai Hom subdistrict, Nakhon Pathom province.
Upon signalling the vehicle to stop for a routine check of the driver’s license and vehicle registration, the police became wary of the documents presented by Wanchai. Further inspection revealed discrepancies between the registration plate and the official documentation issued by the Department of Land Transport, leading to the conclusion that the plate was a fake.
During interrogation, Wanchai explained that he had bought the car from a showroom in Ratchaburi province, but had declined the official plates offered by the salesperson. Instead, he had acquired the counterfeit red plate, bearing the number B-9999 Bangkok, for 1,500 baht from a friend who had ordered it from a Facebook page, along with fake vehicle registration documents.
Initially believing the plates to be legitimate, Wanchai was taken aback by the arrest. The officers seized the license plate and the registration booklet for further investigation by the Department of Land Transport and proceeded with legal actions.
Under Thai law, individuals who forge government documents or use counterfeit documents, including vehicle license plates, face punishment ranging from six months to five years in prison, a fine between 10,000 and 100,000 baht, or imprisonment and a fine.
This case serves as a cautionary tale of the potential legal consequences of purchasing and using counterfeit vehicle registration plates reported KhaoSod.
