Police press charges against van drivers hired by Yingluck supporters

Police have charged 21 van drivers under the land transportation law for driving Yingluck Shinawatra’s supporters to the Supreme Court.  

On 7 August 2017, 10 van drivers reported to Tungsonghong Police Police Station in Bangkok to hear the charges against them, Bright TV reported.    

According to Pol Lt Col Suban Athiset, Deputy Superintendent of the police station, four of the 21 van drivers are accused of driving vans outside their fixed routes without authorisation when they transported the supporters of Yingluck Shinawatra, the former Prime Minister, to the Supreme Court on 1 August when she delivered her closing statement to the court.

Six other drivers are accused of operating chartered vans without contracts. The police have not concluded if the remaining 11 have violated any law.

If found guilty, the four could face a jail term of up to one year or a 20,000 baht fine or both while the six could be fined up to 50,000 baht.

The officer added that the police will issue a second summons for the remaining 11 drivers and arrest warrants if they fail to report.

At the police station, Chonkan Phrommun, chair of the VIP Van Association of Thailand, said 17 of the 21 vans were chartered vans while four operated on fixed routes.

He added that most of the van drivers possessed permits and that they were not involved in politics, but were merely hired as drivers.

Yingluck Shinawatra in front of the Supreme Court in Bangkok (file photo)

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