Malaysian pays nearly B100,000 for damage from drifting

SONGKHLA: A Malaysian tourist has paid nearly 100,000 baht to four Thai people whose vehicles he damaged by drifting his car in the parking lot at tourist spot in Hat Yai district on Friday, police said.

Pol Lt Col Anuwat Rithichai, the Hat Yai tourist police chief, identified the Malaysian tourist as Abdul Raii Bin Azmi, 32.

On Friday, Mr Azmi drifted his BMW M2 car in the parking area at a privately-owned tourist spot in Hat Yai. During the six rounds of drifting, his tyres sent fragments of rock into the air, shattering the glass windows and damaging the body and paintwork of three tuk-tuks and a car.

The owners of the four vehicles filed a complaint with Kho Hong police station.

On Saturday, tourist police looking for the BMW spotted it at the Sadao immigration checkpoint on the Thai-Malaysian border, where Mr Azmi and his wife were about to cross the border back into Malaysia.

Mr Azmi and his wife were taken to the Hat Yai tourist police station to meet with the owners of the four vehicles.

The four demanded 107,000 baht in total. After some discussions, a settlement was reached for Mr Azmi to pay them 99,000 baht. The amount was to be shared among the four, based on the extent of damage done to their vehicles.

The Thai owners of the four vehicles said they were satisfied with the arrangement.

Mr Azmi told police he he drifted his car at the request of female staff at the tourist spot, unaware that doing so could damage other vehicles. He apologised for causing the trouble.