Driver Apologizes After Elbowing Traffic Officer During Tax Sticker Check
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A 47-year-old man bowed and apologized to Pol. Lt. Sombat On-rakamnoi, deputy inspector of Thung Phaya Thai Police Station, after being stopped for a tax sticker check but losing his temper and elbowing the officer, claiming he misunderstood and resorted to violence.
From the case where a clip of the incident was circulated showing a police officer stopping a vehicle and being assaulted in the area of Phet Kasem Road under the BTS Bang Wa station on October 24, 2026. At the time, Pol. Lt. Sombat On-rakamnoi, deputy inspector, ordered the vehicle to stop for inspection because no tax sticker was found affixed inside the car. The suspect then got out of the car in a furious mood before using his elbow to strike the police officer in the chin, causing injury, and was subsequently detained at Thung Phaya Thai Police Station.
On October 25, 2026, Mr. Komsan, aged 47, the perpetrator, went to meet Pol. Lt. Sombat On-rakamnoi, the injured officer, to apologize for the incident. Mr. Komsan stated that he had overreacted, causing physical and mental harm. He admitted that at that moment he had misunderstood, but after they talked and understood each other, he realized the officer only wanted to check documents, while he had thought too far, believing he had done something seriously wrong, and never expected to act this way. However, looking back at the event now, he may have gone too far.
Pol. Lt. Sombat remarked that at their age, they should pause and listen a little when something happens; it will benefit them greatly in the future. They must keep calm, stop and think about what the other person will do, why it happened, and what the future will be like. When angry, one stops listening to reason and goes off in different directions.
Pol. Lt. Sombat added that when he asked to inspect the driver's license under the Traffic Act, the driver must hand over the license and a copy of the vehicle registration for police inspection. When an officer encounters a situation, most traffic police can stop anyone under the law, but they specifically stop vehicles that have committed an offense first. In this case, the driver had removed the tax sticker, which was already an offense, so he was stopped.
Pol. Lt. Sombat further said he requested to inspect the driver's license; in fact, he would only issue a warning because the car was at fault. When the driver refused to hand over the license, it became a criminal offense and obstructed the performance of duty, which already meets all legal elements.
However, after the incident, officers detained Mr. Komsan and proceeded with legal action on three criminal charges: insulting an official on duty, assaulting an official on duty, and resisting an official on duty. He was released on bail during the investigation, and the investigator will send the case to court on October 26.
