BANGKOK — A bus driver was fined 500 baht Wednesday for running a red light and crashing into another car.
Authorities suspended Jirapat Pan-iet from driving for three days and ordered him to take driving lessons after a video posted online showed him speed through an intersection and plow his bus into the side of the car.
Dashcam footage captured Sunday night shows Jirapat accelerate his No. 27 minibus, which was headed to the Victory Monument, speed past a traffic light and collide with the car at the Nawamin-Happy Land junction in the eastern district of Bang Kapi.
After the video capturing the incident was posted online, the Bangkok Mass Transit Authority called Jirapat into question. The driver, who had no record of traffic violations, admitted fault.
“If he is found violating the law again, he will be punished harder,” said transit authority director Surachai Eamvachirasakul.
As much as the video drew criticism for the public bus driver, netizens also complained about the driver who filmed the incident for speeding up to also run the red light.
“This is a message to the owner of the clip. Please slow your car when you see the yellow light,” Facebook user Witchayut Dachasirasit wrote.
Another user said they should receive the same punishment.
“They should both have their licenses revoked, the minibus driver and the person who filmed the video,” wrote user Poonchai Thongsri. “Apparently they both intentionally ran a red light.”
