Locals called for legal action against two foreigners after a pickup truck was filmed drifting in the car park of a convenience store in the Bang Thao neighbourhood of Phuket.
The video, which circulated widely on Thai social media yesterday, August 26, showed a white pickup drifting in front of a 7-Eleven in Bang Tao. The driver was reported to be a foreign national, while another foreigner was seen sitting in the passenger seat. Their nationalities have not yet been confirmed.
Residents noted that the car park in question is larger than those at other branches and said this was not the first such incident at the location.
Thai netizens voiced concern over the dangers posed by the reckless behaviour and criticised the two foreigners for showing disregard for Thai law. Some argued that, as the drifting took place on the convenience store’s private property, police could only act if the owner filed a formal complaint.
The Facebook page Newshawk Phuket tagged the official page of Choeng Thale Police Station, which has jurisdiction over the area.
The page later provided an update that police had acknowledged the complaint and inspected the scene. However, there was no confirmation as to whether the two foreigners had been identified or summoned for legal proceedings.
In the comments section, a Bulgarian woman claimed ownership of the pickup and insisted she was unaware that drifting was illegal in Thailand.
She wrote…
“Hello everyone, I am the owner of this car. We did not know that we cannot do this in your country. We apologise very much. If there are any questions or we need to pay a fine, write me a private message.
The cameraman who was filming us told us to repeat it again. He filmed my car and posted it online. Once again, I ask you to write me a private message to clarify the whole situation. Thank you!”
Police have not yet concluded their investigation, but the two foreigners could face fines ranging from 400 to 1,000 baht for reckless and dangerous driving, in line with penalties issued in similar cases previously.
The story Phuket locals demand action after foreigners drift pickup outside convenience store as seen on Thaiger News.
