Drunk Army captain crashes motorcycle, arrested after police find military items

The Royal Thai Army has set up a committee to investigate an Army captain found to be in possession of multiple teargas canisters, smoke bombs, and flares, deputy spokesman Colonel Ritcha Suksuwanon said on Friday.

The soldier, identified by police as Captain Thirayut, was arrested on Thursday night behind Bangkok’s Mo Chit Bus Terminus after his motorcycle crashed into the pavement and many items of a military nature were found in his backpack. He suffered minor injuries.

Among the items found in his possession were three teargas canisters, four smoke bombs, and eight packages of coloured flares.

As he appeared to be under the influence of alcohol, the Bang Sue Police Station subjected him to a breathalyser test. The soldier was found to have 180 milligrams/dL of alcohol in his body, which is above the legal limit.

Colonel Ritcha, the RTA deputy spokesman, said on Friday that an initial investigation found that the suspect works at the Army’s chemicals department.

The captain is said to have told investigators that he had allegedly gathered the military items from previous training sessions for his collection, with no intention of selling them or using them illegally, according to the spokesman.

A committee has been set up to investigate the matter. “The investigation will determine the source of the military items so that proper preventive measures can be taken,” the spokesman said.

He added that the soldier would face disciplinary action under Army regulations, as well as legal action. He added that the Army would also facilitate the legal proceedings taken by police.

Captain Thirayut told police that he had been drinking with his colleagues at a party held inside a military unit in the Kasetsart area.

He said that he obtained the military items from weapons training and collected them as souvenirs and for educational purposes, according to police.

Pol Lt-Colonel Worapat Sukthai, deputy superintendent of crime suppression at the Bang Sue Police Station, said that an examination by explosive ordnance disposal officers discovered that the military items were still in use in the Army service.

He said the soldier was charged with carrying weapons in public without permission, illegal possession of ammunition, and drunk driving.

The police also reported the case to the soldier’s military unit and the Judge Advocate General’s Department for further disciplinary action, Worapat said.