Royal Thai Armed Forces Headquarters is investigating after a sailor carrying a pistol approached a motorist in what is understood to be an incident of road rage.
Lt Gen Theerapong Patamasing na Ayutthaya, spokesman for Royal Thai Armed Forces Headquarters, said on Sunday that the officials had confirmed that the man seen in a video clip carrying a pistol was one of its personnel.
The military man in uniform – carrying a pistol in its case – approached a pickup truck driver to complain about his driving in front of a toll plaza.
The truck driver recorded the incident with his mobile phone. The sailor then walked back to his vehicle. The truck driver told the sailor that the latter was a government worker and they would meet again in the near future.
The sailor then closed his driver's door and the clip ended. The video was posted on Facebook on Friday.
Lt Gen Theerapong said that Gen Songwit Noonpakdi, chief of the defence forces, was informed of the incident and ordered the sailor's unit to detain him and investigate the incident before taking disciplinary action.
The probe would also include the legality of the firearms possession and its appearance in public. The investigation would be concluded and the results reported to the defence forces chief in 48 hours, the spokesman said.
Later on Sunday, Lt Gen Theerapong said the sailor would face a 21-day detention.
Moreover, he would lose his pension for the 2024 fiscal year, along with with his firearm possession licence, and undergo disciplinary training for 15 days.