BURIRAM — A 32-year-old Ukrainian man was arrested in Buriram after allegedly drinking at a roadside restaurant, placing what appeared to be a handgun on the table and then driving away in a BMW, police said.
The incident was reported to police in Prakhon Chai district at about 20:00 on 24 August after Ban Sai subdistrict chief Yai reported that a foreign man had allegedly displayed a gun while drinking at a restaurant along the Buriram-Prakhon Chai road.
The local official said he and his wife followed the man’s BMW while providing police with updates on its location.
Police then set up checkpoints along the route after receiving reports that the vehicle was heading toward Buriram city before turning back toward Prakhon Chai district.
Officers eventually stopped a black BMW 740iL with Bangkok license plates in the Prakhon Chai municipal area.
The driver was identified as Yevhen Shvednko, 32, a Ukrainian national. Police said his passport showed that he had entered Thailand on 25 August 2022, as a student.
Officers found a BB gun in the vehicle. A urine test found no illegal drugs, while a breathalyzer recorded an alcohol level of 140 milligrams per 100 milliliters of blood.
He was initially charged with drunk driving.
The subdistrict chief told police that residents had alerted him about a foreign man who appeared to be heavily intoxicated while drinking at the restaurant. When he arrived to check, the man allegedly picked up the gun and left in his car.
Police said they would conduct further checks on the man’s background and investigate the circumstances surrounding the incident.