A TikTok user in Phuket has been slapped with a defamation charge after he shared a clip of police stopping foreign riders in Chalong.
“Chalong Police want money from everyone.”
According to a Phuket Express report, the man posted the clip after watching police stopping foreign riders on a road in Chalong and fining them for breaking unspecified road rules. In the clip, foreigners can be seen being pulled over and made to pay fines.
The clip quickly went viral on social media, forcing Chalong Police to respond. An unnamed spokesperson says the TikTok user voluntarily presented himself at the police station after hearing that police wanted to talk to him.
It’s understood another video clip has surfaced in which the man apologises to police, but it seems this has failed to diffuse the situation. Chalong Police say they will pursue charges of defamation by advertising and defamation of police officers while on duty.
You can avoid being fined by police at the regular checkpoints, often set up around 11am (just before lunch), by wearing a bike helmet and carrying the correct license – either a Thai motorbike license or an international motorbike license along with and International Drivers Permit.
Complaining to attending police about the locals driving straight past without helmets will never encourage police to waive your fine.
According to the report, the man’s name and age have not been disclosed by police. While it is not illegal to film officers in the course of their duty, the police say the problem was caused by the negative statement that accompanied the clip and the implications therein.
Chalong Police say the officers in question were merely doing their duty and stopping those who were breaking traffic rules, in order to keep the streets safe for everyone.
SOURCE: The Phuket Express
