Marut in November was sentenced to four years’ imprisonment for the wipeout on Thepkrasattri Rd in October 2018, which occurred while a tourist who just landed in Phuket was still in the taxi, but the sentence was later commuted on appeal to two years’ suspended sentence on a B200,000 good behaviour bond.
In total, Marut spent 28 days behind bars for his deadly driving. (See story here.)
Phuket Land Transportation Office (PLTO) Chief Policy Specialist Praprai Sounkul confirmed to The Phuket News last week that Marut had until Tuesday (Feb 25) to present himself to the PLTO to explain his actions and face a three-month ban on driving any commercial passenger vehicles.
However, Mr Prapai confirmed to The Phuket News yesterday that Marut failed to present himself.
Regardless, Mr Prapai declined to explain any further measures to be taken against Marut, who was allowed to continue to pick up and drop off passengers at Phuket International Airport and across the island during the whole year it took to bring him to trial.
With his commercial driver’s licence still not suspended or revoked, he is still allowed to continue to carrying tourists as passengers today.
Asked whether Marut’s licence will be suspended in absentia, Mr Prapai told The Phuket News, “I will not do anything with Marut’s license until I talk with him.
"I will suspend his licence for a period of up to three months,” he added.
Asked why the PLTO is refusing to act on a court verdict, Mr Prapai said, “I cannot use any other source of confession to proceed the banning. I want to ask him by myself.”