THURSDAY, March 28, 2024
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Charges await furious aunties in Bangkok parking dispute

Charges await furious aunties in Bangkok parking dispute

Two Bangkok women have a date with police after taking an axe and spade to a parked pickup truck that was blocking their gate.

The gate outside their home in Prawet district was where police posted summonses on Monday for Rattanachat Seangyoktrakan, 61, and Ranee Saengyoktrakan, 57, to come see them on February 26 and explain why they’d damaged the pickup the day before.

Charges await furious aunties in Bangkok parking dispute
The “aunties” face charges of damaging property, making a threat and carrying a weapon.
Prawet superintendent Pol Colonel Alongkorn Sirisongkhram wants to ask them about a complaint filed by pickup owner Ratchanikorn Lertwassana, 37, who also provided a video recording of the incident.

Charges await furious aunties in Bangkok parking dispute
Police said damage amounted to Bt50,000, punishable by up to three years in prison and/or a fine of up to Bt6,000.
Alongkorn said the truck was legally parked in terms of zoning hours, but she was blocking an entrance, a petty offence – causing a disturbance – which could have put Ratchanikorn in jail for up to a month and result in a fine.

Charges await furious aunties in Bangkok parking dispute
Police decided to fine her Bt500.
Ratchanikorn said the house gate was padlocked and festooned with signs, so she assumed it was shuttered for legal reasons and thus unoccupied.
She parked, spent 10 minutes buying goods nearby, and returned to see the two women holding an axe and spade standing next to her damaged truck.
Ratchanikorn said she apologised for blocking their gate, but the woman with the axe threatened to harm her and, pointing to the signs, asked if she were stupid or illiterate.
Concerned passers-by pulled Ratchanikorn aside.
“I accept that it was my fault for blocking the gate, but I’m not from that area, so I don’t know what went on there and I thought the house was unoccupied,” she said.

Charges await furious aunties in Bangkok parking dispute
“They shouldn’t do this to others. I’m pressing charges so they don’t do it again.”
The video of the pickup’s window, hood and bumper being smashed was posted online and widely seen, with many viewers criticising the aunties for overreacting.
Some people did empathise, however, with one neighbour saying a man had died because his gate was blocked and his family couldn’t get him to hospital promptly.

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