Thai cow-napper foiled: Sedan heist leads to moo-ving mishap

A Thai thief was apprehended by police after he attempted to steal a cow in his sedan. The animal managed to free itself and caused an accident in the southern province of Narathiwas.

Su-ngai Padi Police Station officers were alerted to the car accident on the Ban Pawai-Ban Igubu Road in the Su-ngai Padi district of Narathiwas on February 2. Officers went to the scene and discovered a grey Honda Civic overturned on the roadside.

The driver, a 28 year old Thai man named Mustaqeem Mae, managed to escape the vehicle with only minor injuries. Mustaqeem appeared to be under the influence of alcohol, initially considered the cause of the accident.

Upon investigating the scene and the sedan, officers were surprised to find a female black cow trapped inside. The head of the cow projected out of the broken window at the back of the sedan. As it is unusual to transport a cow in a sedan, officers questioned Mustaqeem further about the situation.

Mustaqeem explained that his father-in-law gave him the cow. He only had a sedan, so he attempted to take it home using the car. Mustaqeem’s wife, who later arrived at the scene, supported his claim, stating that the cow belonged to her father.

However, a Thai man named Kla Puiruk came forward to claim ownership of the cow. Kla explained that he had let his cows out to graze, and later discovered his pregnant black cow was missing. Upon hearing about the car accident, he went to investigate and found the missing cow.

Mustaqeem denied the theft accusation. He said he did not mean to steal the cow but the animal blocked the road making him angry so he decided to take it home. The frightened cow attempted to escape from the car while he was driving, making him lose control of the vehicle and crash into a roadside ditch.

Despite Mustaqeem’s explanation, officers were unconvinced and charged him with stealing property belonging to a farmer. The penalty is imprisonment from one to five years and a fine from 20,000 to 100,000 baht under Section 335(12). Police reported that Mustaqeem would face more charges if alcohol or drugs were found in his system.