Plot twist: Chinese Rolls-Royce driver seeks 1.3 million baht from Thai driver

Photo via Twitter @RedSkullxxx and Sanook.

A Chinese Rolls-Royce driver demanded 1.3 million baht in compensation from the Thai pickup driver who smashed into her. She insisted that she did not forgive him for his hapless driving despite earlier reports saying she had. The Chinese driver added that she could not communicate in Thai with the driver and that led him to misunderstand her.

According to several Thai media reports, the Thai pickup driver insisted that the Chinese woman made a sudden stop resulting in a collision with her 32 million baht Rolls-Royce.

The pickup driver also claimed that the Chinese woman did not seek any compensation from him making many Thai netizens praise the foreign woman for her kindness as the estimated cost of damage was over 2 million baht.

The plot took a twist when the Chinese woman’s lawyer, Anirut Kongsub, contacted the Highway Police and refuted the narrative presented by the pickup driver. The lawyer insisted that his Chinese client did not forgive the Thai driver at all. She left the scene only because she could not communicate in Thai.

The Chinese woman, identified as Sun Yuhan, visited the Highway Police office today in order to file a complaint against the Thai pickup driver. Yuhan informed officers that she has several restaurants in Bangkok and Pattaya but can not communicate in Thai.

Sun explained that she was driving to a car service centre to get an engine oil change on the incident day. She was driving at 80 kilometres per hour but then slowed down due to a traffic jam ahead. The speeding pickup subsequently crashed directly into the back of her car. She was confident that she was not the cause of the accident.

Sun said she rushed out of the car to talk with the pickup driver but given she could not communicate in Thai. Instead, she used a translation application to urge the pickup driver to meet her at a car service centre and left the scene. She waited for the Thai driver at the centre but he did not show up.

Sun said she was shocked when seeing a news report that she was willing to drop all the legal charges and compensation. She insists the Thai driver pays 1.3 million baht for the car repair as estimated by the garage. However, the final repair cost will be officially determined by the car insurance company.

The Deputy Director of the Highway Police, Sophon Komolsutthi, revealed that no one filed a complaint to the police after the accident. They learned about that accident only from a news report and a viral video on social media.

Sophon reported to the media that the pickup driver has been summoned to the office for further questioning on Friday, August 18. He insisted that the police would provide justice to both parties and would check the security cameras on the road to see who violated the law and caused the accident.

 

ORIGINAL STORY: Rolls of redemption: Chinese woman forgives Thai driver after Rolls-Royce collision

A Chinese woman’s remarkable display of forgiveness illuminated an incident involving a Thai pickup driver colliding with her 32 million baht Rolls-Royce on a motorway bridge near Bangkok.

The accident, captured by a dashcam from a passing vehicle, was shared on the Twitter account Red Skull. In the video, a bronze pickup forcefully collided with the rear of the black Rolls-Royce. The pickup’s occupants, visibly concerned, were observed conversing on their phones, presumably seeking advice on how to proceed.

The caption on the video said…

“Pickup crashes into a Rolls-Royce which is worth 32 million baht. Will the pickup’s car insurance cover the damage cost? The accident occurred at about 3.40pm on the motorway that leads to Bangkok.”

Initially, Red Skull’s Twitter account attributed the fault to the pickup driver, accusing them of tailgating and thus causing the collision. However, the Rolls-Royce’s owner, a 21 year old Chinese woman, came forward to clarify the situation. Contradicting the allegations, she admitted to making a sudden stop, which precipitated the accident.

According to Section 40 of the Land Traffic Act, drivers are mandated to maintain a safe distance from the vehicle in front to account for abrupt halts. This regulation implicitly places the pickup driver in violation of the law, given the circumstances.

Remarkably, the Chinese driver chose not to hold the pickup driver accountable for the incident and declined any form of compensation for the damages inflicted on her vehicle. However, the pickup driver incurred expenses to repair his damaged bumper.

Some Thai netizens lauded the Chinese woman’s benevolence, expressing that the pickup driver’s fortune was twofold: Firstly, avoiding potential compensation claims that could have exceeded 2 million baht, not accounting for paintwork and minor repairs. Secondly, the significant cost of Rolls-Royce parts.

Calculations by netizens estimated the expenses: two tail lights at 600,000 baht, a rear bumper at 250,000 baht, a car trunk lid with sensor at 300,000 baht, an exhaust pipe at 80,000 baht, the car body and engine system at 350,000 baht, and the unique Rolls-Royce system at 600,000 baht.

In a world often driven by confrontation and blame, this display of compassion amidst a potentially contentious situation stands as a testament to the power of understanding and empathy.

Crime NewsThailand News

Petch Petpailin

Petpailin, or Petch, is a Thai translator and writer for The Thaiger who focuses on translating breakingThai news stories into English. With a background in field journalism, Petch brings several years of experience to the English News desk at The Thaiger. Before joining The Thaiger, Petch worked as a content writer for several known blogging sites in Bangkok, including Happio and The Smart Local. Her articles have been syndicated by many big publishers in Thailand and internationally, including the Daily Mail, The Sun and the Bangkok Post. She is a news writer who stops reading news on the weekends to spend more time cafe hopping and petting dwarf shrimp! But during office hours, you can find Petch on LinkedIn and you can reach her by email at petch@thethaiger.com.

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