The taxi driver, 23-year-old Marut Puangsombat, was initially charged by police with reckless driving causing death after the wipe out – which killed 40-year-old Phuket resident Mr Anuson Rattanadilok Na Phuket. (See story here.)
A tourist was in the taxi when the accident happened at 8am, Oct 30, but escaped unharmed, and immediately returned to the airport to leave. (See story here.)
“The investigation is still not complete,” Capt Supon Mueangkai of the Thalang Police told The Phuket News.
Asked what the delay was in concluding the investigation, he said “I have many things to do. Last month, I had an official meeting in another province,”
However, Capt Supon assured, “I will send this case to court before the end of January.”
“The victim’s family has already spoken with Mr Marut about compensation,” he added.
Meanwhile, no officials will confirm whether or not Marut is still working as a taxi driver picking up tourists from Phuket International Airport.
Praprai Sounkul, Chief Policy Specialist at the Phuket Land Transportation office (PLTO), the government department responsible for issuing general and commercial driver’s licences, repeated to The Phuket News that at this stage his office was still powerless to take any action over the incident.
“In a criminal case like this, the PLTO will revoke the taxi driver’s license, but only after we conduct our own review of the incident – and that will not happen unless the court finds him guilty,” Mr Praprai said.