The statement was posted on the official Patong Police Facebook page this morning (see here) after a video of the angry outbursts started going viral on Thai social media.
The video shows a foreign man, speaking in basic Thai and later in English with a heavy French accent, shouting angrily at people involved in the accident, which involved a collision of two motorbikes. (See video here.)
The statement issued this morning stated that the Patong Police would like to “clarify the facts”.
Patong Police Chief Col Anotai Jindamanee also told The Phuket News that he wanted people to understand that the foreigner was not “mafia”, as people were claiming in posts online.
The statement explained that the incident involved a collision of two motorbikes on Phra Metta Rd, and the entrance to Soi Sansabai.
“A Honda X-ADVmotorcycle exited Soi Sansabai without being careful, causing a collision with a Honda Zoomer X motorbike. A woman riding as passenger on the Zoomer X was injured in the collision and the motorbike was damaged,” the statement read.
“The parties came to an agreement. The foreigner (who was riding the X-ADV) will pay damages and repair costs. Police fined the rider of X-ADV,” it added.
The foreigner seen shouting angrily in the video was not involved the accident, the statement added.
“The foreign man arrived at the scene after the crash. and he knew the foreigner who was a party to the accident. He spoke harshly at a person at the scene before officers arrived.
“After the officers arrived, the parties calmed down and were ready to speak to each other to resolve the issue.
“From all of us here at Patong Police Station, we ask all motorists to please use the roads with consideration of others, and to drive together with caution, calmly,” the statement concluded.
Col Anotai explained to The Phuket News, “I decided to post the announcement on Facebook because I do not want local residents to misunderstand that the foreigners involved are mafia, as rumours posted social media are claiming.
“The foreign man in the video was shouting because he knew the foreigner man who was in the accident. But after police officers arrived, he calmed down and eventually left the scene,” he said.
“Police fined foreign man who was riding the Honda X-ADV motorbike B400 for carelessness causing the accident.
“And he agreed to pay B30,000 to the woman who owned the Honda Zoomer X for repairs to the motorbike and medical treatment costs,” Col Anotai said.
However, photos taken at the scene and the video both showed that the woman injured was not wearing a helmet at the time of the accident.