British Father Charged After Letting 9-Year-Old Son Steer Car in Phuket
A British man in Phuket has been charged after a viral video showed his nine-year-old son steering a moving car on Chao Fa West Road in Wichit.
Police in Phuket have charged a British man after a video showed him allowing his nine-year-old son to sit on his lap and steer a moving car on a public road.
The incident was filmed this week by a passerby outside a property on Chao Fa West Road in Wichit and later spread widely on social media. The footage showed the boy controlling the wheel of a grey sedan, swerving and braking suddenly, prompting safety concerns.
Wichit police ordered investigators to find the driver after the video circulated. Officers later located the man, identified by police as Mr. Mark, 41, a British national, at his residence in Chalong. The sedan seen in the video was also found there.
During questioning, police said, Mr. Mark admitted he was the person in the footage and confirmed that he had allowed his son to steer the vehicle on the day of the incident. Police later impounded the car and filed charges.
Authorities said he faces prosecution for driving without regard for the safety or convenience of others, allowing an unlicensed person to operate his vehicle, and encouraging or permitting a child to behave inappropriately in a way that could lead to misconduct.
Police said the charges fall under Thailand's Road Traffic Act, the Vehicle Act of 1979 and the Child Protection Act of 2003. They added that such behavior poses serious risks and will be met with strict enforcement to protect public safety.
