Outrage in Laos as wealthy 17 year old driver kills Thai man

Lao netizens stepped forward to seek justice for a Thai man who was killed in a car crash caused by a 17 year old driver from a powerful, wealthy family in the country.

A Laotian man named Joseph Akaravong shared pictures of the damaged white Ferrari on Facebook and a photo of the dead Thai man, identified only as Fu, yesterday, August 27. In the caption, Joseph shared some details of the incident.

“This is the car involved in the fatal accident. The deceased is a Thai national who was staying in Laos. The driver is a 17 year old Laotian teenager named Suapone Bouphasavanh. His family is trying to avoid legal punishment by saying he is just a minor.”

Details of how the accident occurred were not revealed in the post. The story drew attention from both Lao and Thai netizens. Some Laotians feared that the family of the teenage driver would use their wealth to close the case. Netizens voiced their opinions in the comment section.

“When the president was 17 years old, he didn’t even own a motorcycle, yet this 17 year old has a Ferrari. Does his family sell drugs?”

“The parents must take responsibility for allowing their child under the age of 18 to drive.”

“This is not fair for Fu. He did not deserve this.”

“Saying he hasn’t reached the legal age is a nonsense excuse but it works. Why do you say nothing about the legal age when buying the car and driving it? This isn’t about legal violations; it’s about the life of one person.”

Thai people expressed their appreciation for the support from the Lao people in the comments. Some stated that they hoped Lao laws could not be bought with money, unlike in Thailand.

Others mentioned a recent accident where a Laotian driver ignored a red light and crashed into a car carrying a Thai family, resulting in the deaths of a pregnant Thai woman and her unborn baby. They believed that the victims had not yet received justice, as there had been no follow-up information on the legal punishment or compensation.