A traffic stop in Cherng Talay, Phuket, led to an altercation between a motorbike rider and a police officer on March 13th, around 11:22 am. The rider, Lim Jia Lie, a 37-year-old man, was initially stopped by police corporal Siriphet Kasemul for not wearing a helmet.
When asked to present a valid driving license, Lim failed to do so, resulting in a ticket for both offenses. Officer Siriphet then invited Lim to accompany him to the nearby Cherng Talay police station to settle the fines. However, the situation escalated when Lim directly threw the money at officer Siriphet’s face and punched him from behind, causing minor injuries.
Following the incident, Lim was detained and handed over to the investigation team for further legal action. He now faces charges of insulting and assaulting an officer, although specific details regarding these additional charges have not been disclosed in official police reports.
Under Thai law, attacking or obstructing an on-duty police officer can result in a fine of up to 820,000 baht and a year in prison. The same penalty applies to attacking an officer. However, the fines Lim incurred for his traffic violations were not revealed in official police reports. The law states that riding without a helmet can result in a fine of up to 62,000 baht, while not possessing a valid driver’s license can lead to a fine of up to 61,000 baht.
It remains unclear whether Lim is a tourist visiting Phuket or a resident of the area.