Lt Col Akkaradet Phongphrom and fellow officers from the Phuket Provincial Police along with rescue workers from the Phuket Kusoldharm Foundation were called to the scene, on Thepkrasattri Rd southbound near Soi Siangtai, at about 4am.
At the scene the officers found a blue Mitsubishi Mirage, registered in Surat Thani, with heavy damage to its front and undercarriage.
While the building itself suffered only minor damage, the car’s engine was left some 20 metres away in the gutter up against the central reservation. The car’s front suspension and driveshaft had been ripped out and the all four wheels had been torn askew. Even the driver’s door had suffered impact damage.
The driver, Surachai Pongpai, 53, from Surat Thani, appeared to be drunk at the scene, said Lt Col Akkaradet in his report.
Surachai told police that he was driving his car from Patong when the accident happened. Surachai’s destination was not explained.
Surachai suffered only a sore back and neck in the impact, noted Lt Col Akkaradet in his report.
Surachai was taken to Phuket Provincial Police Station to be tested for alcohol and charged accordingly, Lt Col Akkaradet reported.
No other people were injured in the accident, he added.