Rachain Trakulwieng filed the complaint against 24-year-old Rachata Wangitcharoensuk at the Crime Suppression Division. He also asked that police charge Mr Rachata with defaming the Thai people.
Mr Rachain handed over a video recording of Mr Rachata’s outburst and other evidence including photos posted on Facebook accounts.
He complained that Mr Rachata’s behaviour was unacceptable, and showed disdain for his compatriots and for the high institution.
Pol Col Sompit Ornma questioned Mr Rachain about his action against Mr Rachata, and said later he would forward the complaint to the CSD chiefs for a decision on whether to press the charges.
Mr Rachata has been in the news since Nanthawat Kamolrum posted photos and two video clips on his Facebook page, named To Jetdo, on Wednesday.
The two were involved in an accident on Utthayan Road, also known as Aksa Road, in Thawi Wattana district of Bangkok on Wednesday.
Mr Rachata lost his temper after his Honda Civic collided with a pickup driven by Mr Nanthawat, 22.
Mr Rachata, 24, was angry and made abusive remarks about the country and the people.
“You’re garbage,” Mr Rachata told Mr Nanthawat. “I never care about Thai people. I look down on Thai people,” he said, as Mr Nanthawat asked him to move his Honda Civic so that it would not obstruct traffic.
At least twice in the two clips Mr Rachata allegedly made negative remarks about the monarchy.
The clips went viral, one with 18 million views and the other almost 6 million as of Thursday afternoon. Mr Rachata was heavily criticised on social media.
Kasa Development, a real estate company, posted a Facebook message hours later saying Mr Rachata had been fired.
“According to the clip posted on various social media, an employee of Kasa Development Company Limited used words and acted aggressively, including lese majeste, against Thailand and the monarchy,” the real estate developer said.
“We immediately set up a committee to investigate, and resolved unanimously to terminate the employee under company rules and regulations, effective immediately on Oct 23rd, 2019,” it said.
The matter did not end there. People went to the Buddha Monthon police station, where he was being questioned, on Wednesday night to see Mr Rachata with their own eyes. The number grew to about 500 in the early hours of Thursday.
“I was here just to see what he looks like,” one man said.
Deputy police spokesman Pol Col Kritsana Pattanacharoen said on Wednesday the two vehicle insurance companies that had policies with Mr Rachata and Mr Nanthawat had settled the road accident case.
Pol Col Chatpannakarn Klaiklueng, the deputy police chief in Nakhon Pathom, said police would press a defamation charge against Mr Rachata. He would be escorted to Nakhon Pathom Court, where approval would be sought to forward the case to public prosecutors.
The charge carries a fine up to B10,000 and a maximum jail term of one year.
Police on Thursday released a video clip showing Mr Rachata and his mother apologising to the people.
“I would like to apologise to everybody,” Mr Rachata said. “I may have said something that slipped off my tongue.”
His father and mother said earlier that their son suffers from depression. He studied overseas and lacked understanding of Thai culture, they added.
‘Depression’ no excuse for road rage
Psychiatrists yesterday weighed in on the issue, saying the outburst was unlikely to have been a symptom of depression as the perpetrator declared.
But they added that while the driver’s mental health claim remains to be proved, those offended by his tirade against the nation and the monarchy should refrain from retaliating or violating his rights.
The media and public critics should stop delving into the driver’s personal life and instead give him some sympathy, said Yongyud Wongpiromsarn, an adviser to the Mental Health Department.
Any person, regardless of whether they suffer a mental illness, can lose their temper, which underlines the importance of anger management as a life skill, said the doctor.
“A mental problem should never be cited to explain why someone behaved badly to others, as doing so can lead to more discrimination against mental patients,” said Kiattibhoom Vongrachit, director-general of the department.
A probe by mental health experts will be required to find out if the driver is suffering from a mental disorder as claimed and also whether his illness really was to blame for the road rage, said Burin Suraaroonsamrit, a fellow psychiatrist in the department.
In the viral video clip of the incident, the driver appears extremely angry, confused and violent, said the doctor. That could develop into a mental illness if left untreated.
“However, mental illness cannot always be cited as a reason to acquit someone of wrongdoing,” he said.
Lookalike police officer at same station
Meanwhile, the Royal Thai Police came forward yesterday to protect a junior officer who looks like Rachata after his picture was circulated on social media.
The police posted on a Facebook page that the person in the picture was not Rachata Wangitcharoensuk; he was a real policeman.
“That man is Pol Cpl Peerapat Masuk, chief of a unit in charge of crackdown operations at the Buddha Monthon police station,” it said.
“He looks like Mr Rach, the suspect,” it added.
Angry people had been monitoring the police station in Thawi Wattana district for signs of Mr Rachata when some of them noticed Pol Cpl Peerapat there. His photo later circulated on social media amid speculation he could be Mr Rachata in disguise so other officers could take him out of the police station safely.