Phuket
Routine bus inspection yields four drug, alcohol-related arrests

PHUKET: A routine inspection of a passenger bus resulted in four seemingly unrelated arrests at Tah Chat Chai checkpoint yesterday.
A passenger, back-up driver and bus attendant were apprehended for possession of drugs, whereas the bus driver was arrested for drunk driving and driving with an expired licence.
“The bus was headed from Nong Khai to Phuket. We stopped it for inspection, as we are strictly monitoring these activities,” said Lt Col Taweesak Khumpeera of Tah Chat Chai Police.
“We saw a black bag stored under the seat of one of the passengers and asked to inspect it,” said Lt Col Taweesak Khumpeera of Tah Chat Chai Police. “It contained 11,454 ya bah [methamphetamine] pills, so we questioned the owner, named Sowaan Lawaan, 41, who confessed that he had been paid 40,000 baht to transport the bag to Phuket.”
A further search of the passengers and staff yielded 31 ya bah pills on the person of the bus attendant and 25 krathom leaves on the person of the back-up driver.
Additionally, the driver was found to have a blood alcohol level of 0.142 per cent, whereas the legal limit is under 0.05 per cent. He was also found to be carrying an expired driving licence.
Mr Sowaan was charged with possession of a category 1 drug with intent to sell, the bus attendant with possession of a category 1 drug, the back-up driver with possession of a category 5 drug, and the bus driver with driving under the influence as well as driving with an expired licence.
Police also searched Mr Sowaan’s house, where they found a further 2,828 ya bah pills.
All suspects were taken to Tah Chat Chai Police Station for legal processing. Police are investigating further to uncover the drug network.
— Kritsada Mueanghawong
Get more from The Thaiger
Join the conversation and have your say on Thailand news published on The Thaiger.
Thaiger Talk is our new Thaiger Community where you can join the discussion on everything happening in Thailand right now.
Please note that articles are not posted to the forum instantly and can take up to 20 min before being visible. Click for more information and the Thaiger Talk Guidelines.

-
Best of17 hours ago
Top 5 Boarding Schools in Thailand (2022)
-
Hotels2 days ago
Impressive beachfront hotels to book in Phuket
-
Best of2 days ago
Best diving schools in Koh Samui for 2022
-
Best of2 days ago
5 incredible beaches in Phuket to visit in 2022
-
Guides2 days ago
Why you should visit a wellness retreat in Thailand
-
Drugs2 days ago
Govt take a trip to the shroom to help Thailand’s depressed
-
Bangkok2 days ago
Cannabis is illegal on Khao San Road, officials call for crackdown
-
Crime2 days ago
Speedo-wearing middle-aged joggers in Jomtien cause uproar