Thai transwoman arrested for drunk driving bites, punches cop

A Thai transwoman failed to escape a drunk driving arrest at a checkpoint in the northern province of Lampang, so she opted to bite and punch one of the police officers during her arrest.

Officers from Mueang Lampang Police Station set up the checkpoint on Duangrat Road in the Suan Dok sub-district, Mueang district, Lampang, on the night of Sunday, October 13. The incident occurred at around 2.45am when the transwoman, believed to be about 30 years old, arrived at the scene.

The suspect was driving her black pickup along the road when she noticed the checkpoint. She attempted to make a U-turn to avoid the officers but her suspicious behaviour prompted the police to rush to her vehicle and stop her.

Officers found that the transwoman was intoxicated and asked her to exit the vehicle for an alcohol test. She refused the test and began verbally abusing the police with vulgar language.

According to a report from KomChadLuek, officers pulled the transwoman from the car and dragged her to the checkpoint for the test. Unexpectedly, she resisted violently and attacked the police.

She punched one of the officers and later bit him on the left leg. Additional officers intervened and managed to restrain her. Rescuers were called to the scene to provide first aid to the injured officer.

The police did not disclose the level of alcohol in her system but stated that she would face two charges, including:

• Section 43(2) of the Land Transport Act: driving under the influence of alcohol. The penalty is up to one year’s imprisonment, a fine of 10,000 to 20,000 baht, or both. The court may also suspend the driver’s licence for at least six months, revoke the licence, or seize the vehicle for seven days.
• Section 138 of the Criminal Law: assaulting or obstructing an officer in the line of duty. The penalty is up to one year’s imprisonment, a fine of up to 20,000 baht, or both.

In a related report, a former Google Cloud executive was arrested at a police checkpoint in Bangkok for drink-driving. She resisted the police and kicked an officer in the face. She was eventually restrained and charged at Prawet Police Station.