The woman rode a motorbike through the checkpoint earlier today. Instead of stopping to be screened for possible infection of the virus, she drove into the lane of oncoming traffic approaching the checkpoint from the opposite direction.
She stopped halfway through and spoke very quickly. The only words clearly decipherable were, “I don’t care about Prayut Chan-o-cha.” Shen then rode off, ignoring officials pleas for her to stop, and ignoring officers shouting out, “Where are you going?”
The entire episode was recorded on video by an officer at the checkpoint.
Lt Col Thunturong Vutthiwong of the Cherng Talay Police told The Phuket News that he was informed of the incident at about midday.
Police began tracking down the woman, with their investigation leading officers to a house in Bang Tao, Lt Col Thunturong said.
The woman, who Lt Col Thunturong declined to name, was not at the home, but her younger brother was.
“He confirmed that the woman [in the video] is his older sister, but he said he did not know where he was. He tried, but was unable to contact her,” Lt Col Thunturong said.
“Further inquiries led officers to learn that the woman has a mental illness,” Lt Col Thunturong added.
“We told the family that if she does come home, tell her she needs to call Cherng Talay Police Station,” he said.
At this stage his officers have yet to decide whether they want the woman to come to the police station or meet officials elsewhere “because if she is infected sick, she may spread the virus to the officers at the police station,” he added.
As for any charges the woman might face, Lt Col Thunturong said, “We must consider which charges she must face, and we must take her mental illness into consideration.”