Questions over legal responsibility have been raised after an 11 year old boy drove a pickup truck into a group of monks in Mukdahan, killing 10. The Parliamentary Repository of Thailand (PRT) Facebook page yesterday, July 2, outlined the Thai laws that may apply.
PRT cited Section 73 of Thailand’s Criminal Code, which states that a child aged 12 or younger who commits an act defined as a criminal offence is not subject to criminal punishment. Instead, investigators must refer the child to officials under the Child Protection Act to arrange appropriate welfare measures.
The page also highlighted Section 56 of the Motor Vehicle Act 1979, which prohibits a vehicle owner or driver from allowing an unlicensed person, or someone holding an unsuitable licence, to drive their vehicle. Anyone who violates the provision faces an administrative fine of up to 2,000 baht.
PRT further referred to Section 429 of the Civil and Commercial Code, which states that although a minor remains liable for damage caused by their wrongful acts, parents or guardians are jointly liable unless they can prove they exercised reasonable care in supervising the child.
The legal provisions were highlighted as police continue investigating the circumstances surrounding the crash.
Yesterday, the boy’s mother met with the police and said that her son had taken the family’s pickup truck without her knowledge. She added that she immediately called the 191 emergency hotline, but officers were unable to intercept the vehicle before it struck the monks.
Mukdahan Provincial Police commander Major General Phairoj Thaiphutra said the inquiry is expected to take some time because the child remains in shock and is still unable to be interviewed. Any legal action, police said, will proceed in accordance with Thai law.
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