This incident occurred on Thepkrasattri Rd, at the U-turn near the Isuzu showroom in Koh Kaew, Thalang.
“Lt Col Naruebodin Pangleesen of the Phuket City Police tracked down an Isuzu pick-up truck from its number plate provided by the victim. Police called the owner of the pick-up truck to come to Phuket City Police Station,” Phuket City Police Deputy Chief Lt Col Nat Promthep told reporters.
“At 6:30pm the suspect, Noppadol Sainoi, 21, from Nakhon Sri Thammarat arrived at Phuket City Police Station. Police seized from him a 77cm machete.
“The incident happened on Thepkrasattri Rd (southbound), in front of the Isuzu showroom in Koh Kaew on Wednesday (Jan 17) at 9am,” Lt Col Nat added.
“After the victim, Suriya Yabantum, who was driving behind the pick-up truck negotiated with Noppadol, Mr Suriya did not take action against Noppadol.
“Noppadol’s urine test for drugs showed negative. We are continuing the process.” Lt Col Nat noted.
Phuket City Police confirmed Noppadol was charged on three accounts: not having a driver’s licence, reckless driving which may be dangerous to others in accordance with the Land Transport Act, and carrying a knife in a public place.
“The legal process will continue,” said Lt Col Nat.
The video went viral on Facebook after Facebook user ‘Anurak Tayardtrakunniam’ posted the dash cam clip on the ‘Phuket People complaints’ page with a message reading, “After seeing this video clip, how do you feel? If you are not strong enough you cannot stay in Phuket”.
The video clip, from the dash cam view of Mr Suriya’s car, at first shows general footage of traffic along Thepkrasattri Rd in Koh Kaew, where another modified pickup truck with a roof over the trunk is driving in the lane beside Mr Suriya’s car.
The footage suddenly cuts off to another scene where Noppadol’s pickup truck suddenly swerves in front of Mr Suriya and brakes suddenly.
Then Noppadol, wearing a white T-shirt and trousers, emerges from the truck with a long machete in his hand and approaches Mr Suriya’s car.
Noppadol disappears out of the dash cam’s view as he approaches the side of Mr Suriya’s car, banging on the doors repeatedly while shouting in Southern dialect, demanding that Mr Suriya opens his door.
Noppadol then walks back to his truck and drives away.
However, Noppadol then stops again at a U-turn beside the Isuzu showroom, Koh Kaew, emerging from the truck to bang again on the passenger door of the vehicle, as the driver of the car can be heard on the telephone reporting the incident to police.
“I am calling to report to you that a man in a pickup truck has just cut in front of me on the road and threatened me with a knife,” Mr Suriya can be heard saying in the clip.