Thai police stop luxury BMW with fake plates in traffic patrol

A luxury BMW car with an unusual number plate was stopped by vigilant highway police in Thailand. All documents of the vehicle were found to be counterfeit.

Today, Ekachai Khumpetch, Deputy Highway Police Commander 1, Division 1, along with Chaowalit Sridum, Deputy Highway Police Commander 1, Division 1, and Prathan Chutiphan, Deputy Highway Police Commander 1, Division 1, were conducting a traffic patrol on Phahonyothin Road, entering Bangkok, between kilometres 54 to 56 in Lam Sai, Wang Noi, Ayutthaya. They spotted a grey BMW sedan with a number plate 6 กบ 656 Bangkok, which didn’t correspond to the vehicle type. Upon checking with the Department of Land Transport and the Royal Thai Police, it was discovered that the number plate belonged to a pickup truck. The officers then flagged down the vehicle for inspection. The driver was identified as 49 year old Karun, a resident of Pathum Thani province, reported Sanook.

Upon inspection, the front and rear number plates of the vehicle were found to be counterfeit with no letters, indicating a Department of Land Transport registration, on the rear plate. Moreover, the plates were registered to a pickup truck, not a sedan. The tax sticker on the car’s windshield also did not match the information on the tax sticker plate. When questioned, Karun claimed that he had purchased the vehicle from a friend named Direk, whose surname he did not know, in December 2021. He had made a down payment of 300,000 baht (US$ 8,600) and was paying monthly instalments of 20,000 baht (US$ 573). Direk was supposed to handle the tax payments, but Karun had lost contact with him and continued to use the car until he was apprehended by the highway police.

The officers charged Karun with forgery and use of fake official documents and seized the vehicle as evidence. He was handed over to the investigation officer at Wang Noi Police Station in Ayutthaya for further legal proceedings.