Articles in both the Bangkok Post and The Nation this morning about a lady that was hit by a car 10 days ago in Phaya Thai district, Thailand, and remains in a coma.

We now have an additional report that the driver of the car that allegedly hit Maj Hathaiporn Imwitthaya has turned himself in to the Thailand Police.

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This morning, this story was all over the Thailand TV news and on the front page of every Thai newspaper – in addition to the Bangkok Post and the Nation.  TV also carried video of the alleged accident.

The mother of the victim, Maj Hathaiporn Imwitthaya, claims her daughter came home to find a Nissan sedan blocking her driveway and the Major noted the license plate number and asked the Thailand restaurant next door to try and find the driver to move the car.

She then went to her house to use the bathroom and came out later to find the Nissan parked across the street. According to the article in the Nation, the driver appeared to be drunk and upset at having to move his car, and blared his horn and drove into Maj Hathaiporn Imwitthaya.  A witness kept a windshield wiper that may fell from the car as evidence and handed it over to the Thai Police.  The Bangkok Post gets confusing saying the windshield wiper may have fell from the car and also says it was recovered from the Major’s body.

Someone got the license plate number and the Thailand vehicle was traced to the Royal Thai Air Force Headquarters.  Here is where the story gets really good.

The Thailand police went YESTERDAY to inspect the vehicle – 10 days after the accident – and the military prevented them from accessing the car.  Later on, a car was delivered to the police station.  Same car – who knows.  Ten days of repair work?

The mother of the victim claims that one windshield wiper should have been missing and the vehicle had numerous stickers on it.  The vehicle handed over to the Thai Police had both wipers and only one sticker.

This is from the Bangkok Post story:

Pol Lt Col Chote Suwanjuneee, deputy chief of Phayathai police station, said police were not treating the case as a normal hit-and-run.

“The charge is deliberate assault with intent to kill. We have footage from surveillance cameras and evidence,” he said.

Again, ten days after the accident.

Thailand Metropolitan Police Division 1 chief Pol Maj-General Wichai Songprapai had this to say according to The Nation:

the police were not dragging their feet but might be a bit slow in taking action due to bureaucracy, but would ensure justice for all sides.

Let’s point the finger at Thailand bureaucracy.

And…

Office of the Army Comptroller deputy director Maj-General Pisut Pao-in said the car belonged to the office, but because it has had engine problems since June 8, it was not taken out of the compound.

Let’s have a Thailand General chime in to assist with the possible cover-up.

It gets even better as the alleged driver of the vehicle turned himself in this afternoon – 10 days after the accident.

He immediately went into “Denial” mode.  I think all Thais in Thailand are taught this at a young age.  Deny, deflect, and then hope the story dies.

This is from the Bangkok Post:

Col Saksit Phuklam, director of the Central Division of the Office of the Comptroller General, was accompanied by officers from the Judge Advocate General’s Department when he surrendered.

He denied he hit Maj Hathaiporn Imwitthaya, 34, known as Mor Muk, with his car and then drove off.  The incident occurred on June 11 near Maj Hathairat’s home on Sethasiri road in Phayathai district.

Hmmm. The Colonel works in the same office in Thailand as the General who said the car hasn’t been used since June 8.

Col Saksin told the police that on that day he, his wife, their daughter and a friend of the daughter went to eat at Sena Villa restaurant.

No one has mentioned additional people in the car in the earlier articles but it is always good to have a wife to corroborate your story.

Here is the Colonel’s story:

After dinner, they walked to their car to go home and found it to had been blocked by Maj Hathaiporn’s car, which could not be moved because it was not on a neutral gear.

His daughter became angry and wrote “bad-mannered parking” on the windshield of the doctor’s car.

When Maj Hathaiporn came to her car and they had an argument.

Col Saksit said he called 191 police to clear the quarrel, but failed to get connected.  Maj Hathairat then moved her car from the spot.

While he was about to pull his car out, Maj Hathaiporn walked to his car and pounded on it.  He took a picture of her car’s licence plate number.

When he was again pulling his car out, the doctor jumped onto the hood, grabbed a rain wiper and pulled it off.  He suddenly stopped the car and pulled back, causing Maj Hathaiporn to fell down.

Did he cover all the bases?  He went into phase 2 – deflection – and, as is usually the case, deflect to the victim.  He says she blocked him in, started an argument, jumped on his car and fell down.

Wonder if anyone checked phone records to see if the Colonel actually attempted to call 191.

Why did he only come forward after 10 days?  Was it because of all the news reports this morning?  Most likely.

And, then, the Thai Police let the Colonel go.  Wonder how many foreigners that turn themselves in get immediately released?

After the interrogation, the officer was released without having to seek bail because he surrendered by himself.

The mother of the victim states that her daughter was hit so hard, she impacted 30 meters away.  Hardly a fall from the hood of a car.  Any good forensics guys out there?

In all three of the articles, the word “witness” was only used once to describe the person who found the windshield wiper.

So, who you gonna believe?  The mother of the victim or the Thailand Colonel who turned himself in ten days after the accident.

The mother sure had a lot of info about what her daughter did, that the driver supposedly looked like a Thailand military officer, and that her daughter was hit and landed 30 meters away.  This would indicate that there are witnesses that have at least spoken to the mother.  But, will they talk to the Thailand Police?

The Colonel seems to have covered most of the bases and has a General that appears to have made up a cover story, and now a wife and a couple of kids for corroboration.

Hopefully, Maj Hathaiporn Imwitthaya recovers and is able to recall what actually happened that night.  She has had two surgeries, but doctors in Thailand say she is progressing.

And, hopefully, the story doesn’t just go away like the story of the Elite Bangkok girl that caused 9 deaths in a van accident in Bangkok. And, if there is a cover-up, maybe it will be disclosed.  But, this is Thailand.

Tags: accident coma deflect deny nissan sedan thailand victim