Actress Panita "Ning" Tumwattana has apologised in person to the traffic policeman she accused of trying to extract a bribe in her high-profile Maserati car case.
The 39-year-old actress arrived with her family at Vibhavadi police station on Thursday morning to make amends. She handed a basket of fruit to traffic policeman Pol Cpl Theerapong Khabchanthuek who gave her a ticket on Monday.
Ms Panita said she truly regretted that her Instagram post, a knee-jerk reaction, caused a misunderstanding and backfired on her.
"I have learned a lesson," she said.
Ms Panita also said she was aware that she disappointed her fans and she asked for a second chance. She said she received and accepted negative comments to her post because she did wrong. She also told police she was willing to contribute to the work of traffic police.
On Monday the traffic policeman stopped her Maserati Quattroporte V8 2011 on Vibhavadi Rangsit Road because she illegally switched lanes. On her Instagram post, she accused the traffic policeman of taking slow action in giving her a ticket she demanded he issue, because he wanted money.
Pol Cpl Theerapong said he forgave the woman. He did not take the issue personally. He was just doing his job.
The traffic police division earlier explained that Pol Cpl Theerapong took time to check on the registration of the car. The kor thor 191 Bangkok licence plate fitted to the Maserati was registered to a BMW. The Maserati's annual registration was also overdue.
On Thursday Ms Panita handed the Maserati over to police. The registration plate affixed to it is of interest to officers investigating tax evasion in the importation of luxury cars.
Her husband, Jarin Tumwattana, said that through his company he had bought the car from a close and older friend, and used the wrong licence plates while waiting for its real licence plates from the Land Transport Department. He said he had lost its old plates.
He did not think the Maserati had been acquired illegally. If it had, there would have been a problem during the transfer of its ownership to him.
Pol Maj Gen Jirasant Kaewsaengnok, deputy commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Bureau, said police and officials from the Land Transport Department and the Customs Department would check the profile of the Maserati.