BANGKOK — The son of a Thai politician is under fire after he drove a BMW recklessly and rammed into another vehicle. This sparked public outrage and drew comparisons to the infamous 2012 hit-and-run case involving Red Bull heir Vorayuth “Boss” Yoovidhya, who fled the country to avoid prosecution.
However, the national police chief insists that this case will not go the same way.
On April 17, Pol. Gen. Kittirat Phanphet, commissioner-general of the Royal Thai Police, responded to a viral clip showing a red-painted BMW swerving in front of a pickup truck on the highway near the Rangsit–Nakhon Nayok exit late on April 16.
The pickup lost control and crashed into the roadside. The elderly driver, 65, suffered broken ribs and remains in intensive care, while a female passenger, 64, sustained minor injuries.
The incident sparked a wave of public criticism after it was revealed that the BMW driver was a local council candidate with close ties to a well-known local politician.
Pol. Gen. Kittirat, who had seen the video, condemned the BMW driver’s behavior as “disgusting” and unacceptable in society.
“I am sad that people still drive like this on our roads. What if a child had been in that vehicle? This kind of behavior has no place in society,” he said.
He urged the public to drive calmly and considerately and emphasized that such reckless actions are intolerable and must be punished by all means available.
“The perpetrator not only broke the law, but also displayed a complete lack of conscience, especially by bragging about his connections to a famous politician in the area in order to appear influential. This person shows no remorse, continues to brag and clearly lacks maturity and responsibility. Society is watching closely to see how this case unfolds as it will test the fairness and transparency of the Thai justice system,” he added.
Pol. Col. Kuekkong Disawat, superintendent of Highway Police Division 8, said authorities will wait until the injured are released from the hospital and the medical reports are ready before summoning both sides for questioning. Charges are expected to be filed sometime next week.
Evidence has already been collected, including dashcam footage and Department of Highways video footage. Preliminary investigations show that the accident occurred as both vehicles exited the M-Four toll plaza at KM 26+100 in Thanyaburi.
At this point, the road narrowed from three lanes to two lanes. The pickup truck moved into the right lane and cut in front of the BMW. The BMW then lost control and crashed into the crash barrier, leading to the sequence of events seen in the video.
Pol. Col. Kuekkong said that when checking the BMW driver’s alcohol level, none was found. The officers therefore took his statement to gather details and recorded it in the daily log as evidence.
Meanwhile, Kritsada Leenawarattana, former mayor of Thanyaburi Subdistrict and father of the BMW driver, Smithipat “Peach” Leenawarattana in this case, gave an interview to reporters while visiting those injured by his son’s actions at the hospital in the Rangsit area. He said, “I’m not worried. My son did wrong and apologized. I’m not taking my son’s side. I don’t know where my son is going. I haven’t seen him.” He spoke with evident emotional displeasure.
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