Road carnage, the alcohol test and Prayut

I agree with most of it, particularly the scepticism over Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha and his much-questioned pledge to reform Thailand. Something still bothers me, though, and that is the fuss about the absence of an alcohol test.

Let’s get one thing out of the way. Police were at the very least acting suspiciously in the wake of the fatal road accident, and their failure to immediately test the Benz driver for alcohol or other drugs was gross negligence. But as far as this case is concerned, it’s no big deal. In fact, if I were the suspect, the first thing I’d do would be to admit to being highly intoxicated.

Don’t get me wrong. Driving while disoriented by alcohol or any drug is very bad. What’s even worse in my book is causing such a tragic accident while sober. Widely circulated video clips demonstrate two major things. One is the breakneck speed of the Mercedes-Benz and the other is the unhurried pace of the ill-fated Ford Fiesta, which was in the left lane, normally reserved for slow-moving vehicles.

What is worse – speeding like hell in the left lane while under the influence of alcohol and killing two people, or speeding like hell in the left lane while sober and killing two people? I strongly condemn the former, but I know that an accident is less likely to happen when the driver is not drunk. As for the latter, after watching the clips, how could I trust the driver at a steering wheel ever again?

Now let’s get to Prayut. My only advice for him is that he read as many social media comments on the incident as possible. Many say that the success or failure of Thailand’s reform hinges on how this case is handled and settled. I couldn’t agree more.

Firstly, this case is not “political”. A purely political case will divide public opinion, often making “collateral damage” or undue leniency acceptable. A political case occurs at a high level, meaning public judgement of right and wrong is always blurred. 

But in the forming of such lopsided political opinions by the public, cases like the Mercedes-Benz incident play a crucial role. In other words, for Thailand to be so badly split down the middle, something must be seriously wrong at the bottom.

Prayut can draft a miracle charter that pleases both sides of the political divide and thus declare “success”. Or he can tinker with the draft charter and prolong the military’s influence in politics, claiming he wants to “ensure” that real reform takes place. Or Thailand can have a free and fair election and win back support and acclaim from the West. But true reform is none of these.

Real reform isn’t about projecting an image. It’s about changing the national psyche so that a 10-wheel truck driver on minimum wage and a man driving a Bt10-million Mercedes-Benz go through the same justice process, receive the same treatment and get the same punishment if they hurt or kill others on the road. If Prayut cannot effect such a change when he has all the power, he will effectively render his own proclaimed agenda useless, even if his charter drafters come up with the world’s most beautifully written Constitution.

Recently, clips of a truck speeding dangerously on a highway resulted in police locating and apprehending the driver in the blink of an eye. A DJ was caught on tape reversing his pick-up truck repeatedly into another car, and “justice” (a prison sentence) was delivered swiftly. Nobody died in either incident. Thais are waiting to see how the Mercedes-Benz case transpires, putting the credibility of Prayut’s pledge to “reform” the country on the backburner.

For many years now, Thailand’s strife has been deemed political. Attention has been focused on whether the country should have an elected prime minister, or whether we should do away with an appointed Senate. The truth is that Thailand’s real problems run a lot deeper. If the justice system doesn’t function properly, it’s irrelevant whether we have an elected prime minister or a pro-reform coup leader at the helm of the country.

Too much importance has been attached to politicians when it comes to the justice system. Prayut must concentrate on giving justice to ordinary people, pure and simple. If he succeeds in doing that, the rest will take care of itself.