Police in Phuket have tracked down and charged a young man who was caught on video using bolt cutters to remove the lock they had placed on his motorbike.
The man turned out to be a Turkish national, named as 35 year old Alper Polat. On Friday, April 26, he parked his Yamaha motorbike illegally near the Kasikorn bank on Phang Nga Road in Phuket Town.
When he returned to the bike, he found a police chain lock installed on the bike’s rear wheel along with notification of a fine for the parking violation. An eye witness reports that the man left and returned sometime later with bolt cutters.
A video of him cutting the chain off the bike, then turning and gesturing to a witness to “hush” quickly went viral on social media. The video prompted much criticism over the man’s “audacity”. Unfortunately for him, it also helped the authorities to track him down.
Mr Polat has been charged with “attempting to damage, destroy, depreciate or render useless the vehicle’s control equipment,” a violation of the Traffic Act, according to police. He also faces a charge of “attempting to commit an offence” under Section 80 of Thailand’s Criminal Code.
The authorities have not mentioned the parking ticket issued for his original offence or what other penalties he may face as a result of the additional charges.
SOURCE: The Phuket News
