TRAT: A man was arrested after leading police on a long car chase across town in Muang district on Monday night until his vehicle overturned.
From about 9.30 pm, police chased a man driving a Toyota Altis with Chanthaburi plates. Police had been tipped off he may have been carrying an AK-47 rifle.
The chase wound through a network of connected streets in tambon Thakum and tambon Noensai in Muang district.
The suspect's vehicle stopped from time to time and police using loud-hailers told him to get out and surrender, but he took off again.
The pursuit continued on for more than one hour until the suspect's vehicle entered Soi Thanon Din Daeng and sped up to escape police, and then flipped over and came to rest upside down on the road.
The driver, identified as Chamlong Sethniyom, aged 40-45, was found to be under the influence. A search of his car turned up 20,000 baht in cash, but no weapon was found.
Police also found a summons issued by Dan Chumpol police station in Trat's Bo Rai district for Mr Chamlong to report in to answer a charge of trespassing.
A breathalyser test showed an illegal level of alcohol in his system. Mr Chamlong was taken to Muang Trat police station for legal action.
Investigators were searching back along the chase route, suspecting he might have thrown away a weapon.
According to police, Mr Chamlong, locally known as Suea Men, was sent to jail on drugs and weapons charges about 10 years ago. Since his release he has had no permanent job, police said.