An unlicensed motorbike cabbie is facing charges after allegedly pulling a knife on a district traffic official and trying to attack him, after being stopped for riding his motorcycle on the sidewalk in the Lat Phrao area on Friday.
Yesterday afternoon, Chokchai police took Sakan Mankong, 39, to the Criminal Court in Bangkok’s Chatuchak district to pursue a temporary 12-day detention while the police interrogate witnesses and wait for a medical report on non-knife-related injuries sustained by the officer, according to Matichon.
The incident occurred at about 3:30pm on Friday, after Sorasak Sura-ubol, a district law officer, stopped and warned Sakan for allegedly driving on the sidewalk near Soi 79 in Lat Phrao, according to police.
Suddenly enraged for being pulled over, Sakan allegedly struck the district official on his left shoulder with his fist three times, reported Siamrath.
At that point, Sorasak decided to put a wheel clamp on the perpetrator’s motorbike.
Sakan then allegedly escalated the situation by throwing his spare helmet to the ground, then producing a box-cutter and leaping towards the officer.
The incident came to public attention when passerby Natchaphon Saengkaewsri recorded and posted a video capturing the aftermath of the alleged attack to his Facebook page on Friday.
“Why the f*ck did you arrest me!” the motorcyclist yells, as he hustles towards the officer.
“You used a cutter knife! You attacked an official! You tried to stab me!” the officer responded.
Meanwhile, other motor-taxi drivers, who have obviously stopped to help reconcile the situation, can be heard telling Sakan to calm down.
“Come at me, one on one!” Sakan challenges the officer.
The video has since received more than 500,000 views and almost 3,500 shares.
This incident occurred just four days after a delivery man knocked a schoolgirl down while riding on Bangkok sidewalk.
The charges against Sakan include physical assault, resisting an official from doing his duty by using force, carrying a weapon without a license, not having a driver’s license, and, of course, riding on the sidewalk, which you might be surprised to find out is not a God-given right in Thailand.
Deputy Bangkok Governor Sakolthee Phattiyakul has since announced that motorcyclists caught driving on Bangkok’s sidewalk will face a maximum fine of THB1,000 (instead of the usual THB500), in hopes that it would help solve the issue of motorcyclists illegally using the sidewalks as their personal shortcuts.
Needless to say, the government’s got a long way to go in their efforts to organize Thailand’s notoriously bad driving manners.
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