Thai Socialite Admits to Fabricating Taxi Driver Attack in Bangkok

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BANGKOK – Police were preparing to press charges against a 26-year-old woman for filing a false complaint about being attacked and robbed by a taxi driver in Bangkok early Wednesday.

Thongpakai Suksrirat told police at Lat Phrao station that a taxi driver repeatedly slashed her and robbed her of about 14,000 baht in cash, a luxury-brand bag, ATM cards and ID card.

The incident allegedly happened on her way from a pub on Ratchadaphisek Road to her apartment room on Seri Thai Road about 3am on Wednesday. She appeared at the police station in Bang Kapi district with multiple cuts on her bleeding arms.

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Pol Maj Gen Theerapong Wongratpitak, commander of the Metropolitan Police Division 4, said on Thursday that police checked footage of local surveillance cameras and did not find anything to arouse suspicion.

The woman did take a taxi, but the trip was direct to her apartment without any stops. The woman was seen entering the building alone. About 30 minutes later, a friend arrived and both later went to the police station.

Pol Maj Gen Theerapong said the woman confessed that she made up the story and the wounds were self-inflicted. Police were waiting for results of laboratory tests to find out if she was under the influence of any substance.

The woman admitted she was about 100,000 baht in debt, he added.

Police chief Pol Colonel Passakorn Ratanapanadda said Thongprakai faces two counts of charges, including filing false statements with the authorities, which carries a maximum jail term of three years and a maximum fine of Bt5,000.

Thongprakai was also charged with violating the computer crime act by posting false information after posting the lie about the robbery on her Facebook wall. The charge carries a maximum jail term of five years and a maximum fine of Bt100,000.

Source: The Nation, Bangkok Post