Korean charged over drunk driving death

PHUKET: A Korean man is facing a manslaughter charge after a head-on collision resulted in the death of Rik Johannes de Jong , 51, from the Netherlands.

Mr De Jong is well known among foreign expats as the restaurateur of The Secret Cove restaurant at Ao Yon, which he ran with his Thai wife since 2009.

Mr De Jong was riding his motorcycle along Pattana Thongthin Road in Wichit at about 4:30am last Saturday (June 25) when he was struck by a pickup being driven by a Korean man, Muang Phuket Police Duty Officer Ekkasit Pinkaew told the Phuket Gazette today.

Mr De Jong was dead at the scene, said Lt Col Ekkasit.

“At first the Korean man did not allow me to breathalyze him. He was slurring and could only speak Korean, so he had to wait until we brought him back to the police station to test him,” said Lt Col Ekkasit.

Lt Col Ekkasit declined to name the Korean man charged.

Mr De Jong’s body has been taken to Chalong Temple, where friends can pay their respects until noon tomorrow.

The cremation ceremony is scheduled to be held at about 5pm, the Gazette was told.

— Pimwara Choksakulpan