Angry 18-wheeler Driver Hangs Vinyl Banner Insulting Traffic Police After Wheel Lock Frustration
A frustrated truck driver in Haad Yai hung a vulgar banner on his trailer after police wheel-locked it while he waited for tire repairs, claiming the roadside parking spot was a normal stopping point.
An angry 18-wheeler driver displayed his frustration with traffic police by hanging a large vinyl banner with insulting messages on his trailer after his vehicle was wheel-locked while parked on the roadside. The driver had left his trailer by the roadside in Kuantang Subdistrict, Haad Yai District, Songkhla Province, while waiting for a tire shop to open to repair two burst tires. The 1.8-meter-wide, 6-meter-long vinyl banner, which cost 1,600 baht, contained profane language directed at traffic officers and their families.
On May 22, 2569, authorities reported receiving complaints from residents about the banner displayed on a 10-wheeled trailer parked along the Haad Yai-Phatthalung Road. The driver, identified as 51-year-old Wiratanchai (surname withheld), explained that two tires on the trailer burst on May 19. He had parked the trailer at the side of the road near a tire shop while waiting for it to open so he could get the tires replaced. He then took the tractor unit, which was carrying supplies for Thaksin University in Songkhla Province, to complete a delivery. When he returned, he found his vehicle had been wheel-locked by traffic police.
Wiratanchai claimed the location is a normal stopping point for 18-wheelers and that the vehicle was parked on the shoulder without obstructing traffic or causing accidents. He stated he was waiting to consult with a lawyer regarding the matter.
The tire shop owner confirmed that the driver did have two burst tires that needed replacement on the left rear axle, both on the inside and outside. The shop owner said the driver had called in the morning before opening to arrange the tire change and had parked the trailer at the shop. The driver then took the tractor unit to make a delivery to the university. When the tire replacement was completed, traffic police had already locked the wheel.
Lt. Sithichai Pradab, a traffic officer from Haad Yai Police Station, explained that on May 19, the trailer was left at the Kuantang intersection without warning signs or markers indicating a vehicle breakdown. Officers issued a fine and locked the wheel. He noted that regulations require vehicles with breakdowns parked on roadsides to display warning markers and cones at least 150 meters in front and behind the vehicle to alert other drivers.
