Drunk driving, crashing into police barricade lands minister’s son in trouble
The son of Deputy Public Health Minister Santi Promphat was slapped with four months in jail and an 8,000 baht fine for driving under the influence, the Office of the Attorney-General said on Friday.
Panich Promphat, 46, was arrested on Thursday night by traffic police after he crashed his sports car into the steel barricades of a police checkpoint near Soi Ratchadaphisek 31 in Bangkok’s Chatuchak district.
After he refused to take an alcohol test, the officials used a non-contact breathalyser on him and the reading showed 183 milligrams of alcohol for every 100 millilitres of blood, well above the legal limit of 50mg.
OAG spokesman Prayut Phetkhun said on Friday that prosecutors then filed a court case against Panich over charges of drunk driving and refusing to take an alcohol test.
He said the Bangkok North Municipal Court found the defendant guilty and sentenced him to four months in jail and fined him 8,000 baht. However, the sentence was halved to two months suspended for two years, and a 4,000 baht fine after the defendant confessed.
The court also ordered Panich to report to a probation officer for one year and suspended his driving licence for six months.
Motorists found to exceed the safe limit of 50mg of alcohol stand to face DUI charges, punishable by up to one year in prison and/or a 20,000 baht fine. They also stand to lose their driving licence for at least six months and their vehicle impounded for a maximum of seven days.
Drivers who refuse to be checked for alcohol can face the same punishment.
