A Dutch tourist found himself in trouble after being caught performing dangerous stunts on a motorcycle in Koh Samui. His actions, including popping wheelies and revving loudly, drew the attention of local police, who were not amused by his claim of ignorance regarding Thai laws.
The incident came to light following a Facebook post in a group dedicated to Samui locals. The post included a video showing a foreigner riding a motorcycle at high speed, lifting the front wheel off the ground on a public road.
The stunts were performed several times, creating a hazardous situation for other road users, as vehicles continued to travel in both directions. The road in question is the Baan Bang Rak-Cherng Mon route in Bo Phut subdistrict, Koh Samui, Surat Thani province.
The local police, led by Denduang Thongsrisuk, assigned Booncherd Maneechai and Sophon Maksuwan, along with traffic patrol officers, to investigate the individual seen in the video. Their investigation revealed that the rider was a 28 year old Dutch national, Nova. He was subsequently brought in for questioning at Bo Phut Police Station.
Nova admitted to being the person in the video, explaining that the footage was captured around 9pm on Decmebr 20 near the Big Buddha Temple. He claimed he was unaware that his actions were illegal in Thailand.
Nova stated that he was in the country to learn Muay Thai and had plans to return to the Netherlands on January 15. He expressed regret for his actions, apologising and promising not to repeat such behaviour, reported KhaoSod.
“I didn’t realise I was breaking the law. I’m really sorry and it won’t happen again,” Nova said during questioning.
The police issued Nova with a formal warning, indicating that any further infractions would result in legal proceedings. He was fined 1,000 baht (US$30) for reckless driving and an additional 2,000 baht (US$60) for operating a vehicle with non-compliant equipment, specifically for not having a proper exhaust system as required by the Ministry’s regulations. The offending exhaust was confiscated for destruction.
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