Drunk driver attacks police officers – threatens prison sentence!

Drunk driver attacks police officers – threatens prison sentence!

A violent incident has occurred in Bangkok, putting a spotlight on ongoing efforts to combat drunk driving in Thailand. A drunk driver attacked a police officer at Bang Khen police station. The perpetrator, a 35-year-old named Sakdirat, had a blood alcohol content of 1.3 per mille at the time of his arrest, which caused him to act in a severely impaired state. Police Lieutenant Anucha Saowako, who was injured in the attack, suffered a bloody nose and had to recover from his injuries following the incident. Despite these provocations, the officer maintained his professionalism.

After the incident, Sakdirat initially refused to enter the detention cell. After a slight push from the officer, he lashed out and hit Anucha several times in the face. Even after he was overwhelmed, he continued his insults and threats. Sakdirat now faces charges not only of drunk driving, but also of resisting state authority. The penalty could be up to two years in prison and a fine of 40,000 baht (about 1,000 euros). Interestingly, the attacker then apologized with a traditional “Wai” greeting. Weekly flash also reports that surveillance videos show another detainee huddling fearfully into a corner to avoid becoming involved in the fight.

Strict measures against drunk driving

The incident comes at a time when Thailand has taken a tough stance on traffic offenses during New Year celebrations. Recently reported Thailand tip from a campaign dubbed “10 Dangerous Days” and aims to reduce the number of road accidents. On December 30, the fourth day of this campaign, over 2,000 drunk driving cases were recorded and referred to probation officers.

In total, 3,795 cases were placed on probation in the first four days of the campaign, with 96.47% of these cases being related to drunk driving. The highest number of violations were recorded in Chiang Mai (306), Bangkok (294) and Samut Prakan (258). In another initiative, electronic monitoring was ordered at three locations for 19 offenders in just one day. These strict measures are part of a comprehensive plan by the Parole Board to protect New Year travelers and promote road safety.

Local authorities work closely to verify compliance with the law and improve road safety, while volunteers and officers strictly enforce the law and use video surveillance to monitor violations. These measures reflect the instructions of the Ministry of Justice and are aimed at reducing the high number of road accidents and incidents related to drink-driving.