Wealthy Thai businessman Somchai Verojpipat who crashed his Mercedes head-on into a car in April, killing a senior police officer and his wife and seriously injuring their daughter, has been sentenced to three years in prison and a 100.000 baht fine. However, the prison sentence was imposed conditionally.
Conditional
Taling Chan Provincial Court sentenced the 56-year-old owner of a mechanical parts manufacturer to six years in prison and a 200.000 baht fine. But that sentence was cut in half because he had provided useful testimony, showed remorse, and had no criminal record. The court deemed a three-year suspended prison sentence plus a fine of 100.000 baht justified, but it did stipulate that the man will receive an alcohol ban, must report to the judicial authorities 8 times during the probationary period and must perform 48 hours of community service per year. If he violates one of these rules, he can still be sent to prison for 3 years.
Five allegations
The police initially brought five charges against Somchai, namely speeding, drunk driving, reckless driving, causing death and serious injury, murder and attempted murder. But prosecutors decided to drop the last two murder charges. Somchai pleaded guilty to the first three charges. He had a blood alcohol level of 260 mg/dL when he rammed the police colonel's car in April, killing the police officer and his wife and seriously injuring their 12-year-old daughter.
Compensation
Somchai repented for his act and lamented the two deaths. He has donated 45 million baht to the two daughters aged 12 and 16 of the fatal victims. It is reportedly the largest amount of compensation ever given to families of road traffic victims in Thailand. The family had already informed the court in July that there would be no civil proceedings against Somchai.
Source: https://www.nationthailand.com/news/3037396
About this blogger
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Known as Khun Peter (62), lives alternately in Apeldoorn and Pattaya. In a relationship with Kanchana for 14 years. Not yet retired, have my own company, something with insurance. Crazy about animals, especially dogs and music.
Enough hobbies, but unfortunately little time: writing for Thailandblog, fitness, health and nutrition, shooting sports, chatting with friends and some other oddities.
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Look, at least in Thailand they act strictly, not those weak D66 judges like in the Netherlands. Such a Thai judge will not be fooled. This sends a clear signal. If you don't have a million baht, you go to jail. Or is this in proportion and will farmer Somyot also receive a suspended sentence with a damage payment of 10.000 baht?
If you are unlucky enough to die in an accident, then I really hope for my relatives that I will not be crushed by farmer Somyot and cs and I think many Thai people feel the same way.
I sometimes have the feeling that we in the Low Countries assume that nothing should happen to you in life by excluding any risk as much as possible, and if that does happen then we spontaneously get upset, while you can also think a step further and you may wonder how to proceed in view of the new situation.
In a country like Thailand you benefit more from compensation than someone being put away somewhere and if that is 45 million baht for the two of them, then they and the new educators can at least work towards the future with reasonable financial care.
this punishment is as much punishment as a round in a certain Thai bar of Pattaya .
this man really does not miss 100000 bats.
50% of his income to the daughter until she is 21 years old
then he will never drink again.
good luck to that poor child
It took me a while to find the real link: https://www.nationthailand.com/news/30373960 (the “0” has been omitted).
This is Thailand. The rich kleptocratic olicharchis upper layer is virtually invulnerable.
Outrageous, only a suspended prison sentence after driving 2 people to death while intoxicated. This shows again, if you have money (and influence) in Thailand you can buy off a lot with your money. 100000 Baht is of course a pittance for this man and the compensation probably too.
Money that is stupid “straightens” what is crooked.
Have always known that there are only poor people in Thai prisons.
If this case, and the case of that young girl who drove people off a viaduct and happily played with her mobi, but where the family is now going to cough up 20 million, means a change, then a lot has already been earned.
That leaves two cases: the rich man waiting in London for his case to expire, and the madman who killed someone at a bus stop with his Mercedes.
But it can also remain as it has been for centuries: the wealthy elite are kept out of the wind and Noi Niks goes to jail when he steals a plate of rice out of hunger. That would be a pity for the Thais.
Yes, you see, but if you have Money you do miracles, if you don't then it's Thunder
Aloysius
This is too crazy for words, actually I really regret that I have a Thai wife and therefore I will have to go to this corrupt regularly to see my very sweet in-laws, but if I didn't have them I would go to Vietnam
Yes, Rob, to Vietnam. And you are sure that in that communist country everyone is equal and not, as in other countries in the history of communism, a small group of people are slightly more equal? I think things are just as wrong there as in Thailand.
Who of you thinks that the next of kin benefit more from a prison sentence than from a generous compensation and financially carefree youth in terms of education and belongings???
That may be true, but I am against class justice. If you get behind the wheel drunk, you're not much less than a murderer. You know in advance that you can cause very serious accidents. If you do drive, there may be a hefty penalty plus a very long driving ban. It should not be the case that if someone with a smaller purse had done exactly the same, the punishment would have been heavier. It is nice that the relatives can continue financially without worries, but their lives have received unnecessary and very cruel (emotional) worries. That cannot be bought in my eyes.
“It is great that the relatives can continue financially without worries, but their lives have been given unnecessary and very cruel (emotional) worries. That cannot be bought off in my eyes”.
It follows that in the Netherlands they can stop all those compensations for anything and everything that went wrong with regard to the Netherlands, such as Srebrenica, the NS during the 2nd World War and if we are going to get even crazier, compensations for survivors of slavery or children of guest workers because they are not fully accepted in society because of their surname.
A court can order compensation. I think that in addition to prevention (chance of being caught, information, etc.), if someone knowingly and willfully makes victims through serious negligence and misconduct, it is up to the judiciary to punish the perpetrator and take measures to ensure that he does not repeat himself. So a prison sentence or community service for a longer period of time, not a suspended sentence for something that everyone saw coming from afar as an avoidable serious offense that is actually just manslaughter in my eyes. To prevent recurrence, an alcohol ban is difficult to check, I had taken away his driver's license. If the police spot him behind the wheel again, he can go to jail.
In addition, imposing a reparation payment is of course also part of a punishment. The perpetrator may of course voluntarily pay more, but in my opinion it is fairer if the judge weighs up what constitutes appropriate compensation. Compensation only really makes sense if there is a clear perpetrator and a victim. And such compensation should not be delayed for years. After decades it becomes a bit less meaningful, after a hundred years it is meaningless (the real victims and perpetrators are then underground, if someone from a later generation has a perpetrator and a victim in the family, what do we do, yourself compensate?).
If I had been a judge I would have given the man a prison sentence, a driving ban and compensation payment. The exact duration and amount I lack the legal and file knowledge to see what is reasonable. This man is now getting away with a voluntary payment and I don't think that's fair, but class justice.
You are right that it looks like class justice.
It remains a fact in Thailand that voluntary compensation in the preliminary phase of a criminal case in which there is no question of recidivism is usually appreciated by the judge in the form of a milder sentence, just as with good cooperation.
It is one of the essential differences in how the Netherlands and Thailand deal with criminal law and accidents.
Screaming this and that. He paid the family 45 million baht plus the guarantee of work after the children's studies. The family subsequently indicated to the court that they would not prosecute.
Our daughter was hit by a truck this year, loaded with sugar cane, driver no driver's license, and truck not insured. Driver wanted to buy it off with 20000 bath, and the owner of the truck came with an envoloppe with 5000 bath during the cremation. The truck and the same driver drove around again a day after the accident. So that's how it can be. If we hadn't done anything ourselves, the whole thing would have just been covered up.
Very sad news Hank. But what measures were ultimately taken against the perpetrator(s)? If he drives around again the next day, another family can lose a loved one. And that is something that cannot be expressed in money.