‘Robbed’ woman apologises for damaging taxi drivers’ reputation
A woman who has confessed to filing a false complaint with police claiming a taxi driver had robbed her, has apologised for damaging the reputation of all taxi drivers.
Thongprakai Suksriraj, 26, issued the apology during a press conference held at the Metropolitan Police Bureau at 11.30am on Thursday.
She filed a complaint with the Lard Prao police station at 3.45am on Wednesday, claiming to have been robbed of a handbag with Bt14,000 in cash at the Nida intersection while taking a taxi from an entertainment venue in the Ratchada area to her condominium in the Seri Thai area.
Thongprakai said she cut her own left arm with a razor due to the stress she developed after being left to raise her child alone.
She said she lied to a friend to whom she owed money, and the friend took her to file the complaint with police out of genuine concern for her.
“The wounds were self-inflicted with a razor. I did it under stress,” she told the media. “At that moment, I thought there was no way out. I felt under tremendous pressure.
“Now, the stress is heavier,” she said.
"I filed the complaint because my friend led me to, because she was concerned about me. She thought [my story] was real, so the issue escalated out of control."
Raising her hands in a wai, Thongprakai said: “I would like to offer my apology to all taxi drivers for damaging their reputation.”
Lard Prao police chief Pol Colonel Passakorn Ratanapanadda said Thongprakai faces two counts of charges, including filing false statements with the authorities, which carries a maximum jail term of three years and a maximum fine of Bt5,000.
Thongprakai was also charged with violating the computer crime act by posting false information after posting the lie about the robbery on her Facebook wall. The charge carries a maximum jail term of five years and a maximum fine of Bt100,000.