Russian man arrested in Phuket for reckless driving with kids exposed
Phuket police arrested a Russian man for driving recklessly while intoxicated. The arrest on Tuesday, March 25, followed an incident where he endangered his family by allowing his children to hang out of his moving vehicle.
Traffic police observed the vehicle, a red MG5 sedan, being driven precariously along the Kamala-Patong Road around 7.30pm. A child was seen sitting on the roof of the car behind the driver while a woman and another child were standing inside, emerging from the sunroof.
Officers signalled for the vehicle to stop for inspection. Detecting the smell of alcohol, they conducted a preliminary breath test on the suspect using a long-tube detector. The test indicated the presence of alcohol.
The unnamed suspect was taken to Kamala Police Station, where a formal breathalyser test registered a blood alcohol concentration of 68 milligrammes percent (0.068), exceeding the legal limit. Initially, he refused to provide identification documents, prompting police to file charges.
Police Lieutenant Pimanat Dingamin, Deputy Chief of Investigation at Kamala Police Station, confirmed that the suspect was a Russian national travelling with his wife and two young children. He underscored the gravity of the situation, questioning the potential consequences if the children had fallen out.
The man faces charges of driving under the influence and reckless driving. Bail has been denied, and he remains in custody pending further legal proceedings, reported The Phuket News.
Last year, tourists in Phuket faced a backlash after a video emerged showing a foreign male tourist engaging in reckless behaviour near a moving car at Patong Beach in Kathu district.
The footage, which sparked widespread criticism online, showed the tourist standing outside the vehicle while drinking beer and smoking a cigarette.
Social media users were quick to denounce the act, questioning whether the driver was aware of what was happening.
The 47-second clip, shared by a well-known local social media page, showed the man passing a beer bottle to someone inside the car before re-entering after finishing his cigarette.
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