Taxi driver injured after slamming into an Army tank

BANGKOK, Sept 30 (TNA) - The army raised security at Bangkok's Royal Plaza after a taxi driver slammed his car into a stationary tank early Saturday morning.

Nuamthong Praiwan, 60, a native of Bangkok's suburban Nonthaburi province, received injuries and was sent to a government-run hospital for treatment.

Shortly after the incident, the number of soldiers in the area was increased while tanks were moved away some 20 metres from the main road.

Police initially charged the taxi driver with reckless driving and causing damage to government property.

Meanwhile, a physician at the hospital said that Mr. Nuamthong's condition was no longer critical but that he still needed to be under the care of doctors as he suffered a swollen left eye, a broken chin and three broken ribs.

The doctor said blood tests would be made to determine whether Mr. Nuamthong had consumed alcohol before the incident took place.

TNA

A taxi slammed into a tank

A taxi driver was in critical condition Saturday after slamming his car into a tank in Bangkok's Royal Plaza to protest the military council that seized the power from Thaksin government.

The driver, Nuamthong Praiwan, said he painted the words "Destroy the country" on the side of his taxi, and the word "Suicide" on the trunk, before speeding into one of the tanks parked at the Royal Plaza.

"I did it intentionally to protest the junta that have destroyed our country, and I painted all the words by myself," he said from his bed.

Nuamthong suffered broken ribs and injuries to his chin and his eye.

A police however downplayed the incident, saying the driver was drunk and no message was sprayed on the taxi. "I didn't see any spray-painted words. Initially police suspected the driver might have fallen asleep, or it could have been reckless driving," police said.

The words painted on the car were however visible in photographs and television images of the taxi.

Taxi drivers are among the strong supporters of ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra's populist policies.

The military deposed Thaksin last month while he was in New York.

The Nation

A soldier examines debris of a taxi that Nuamthong Praiwan slammed it into a tank at the Royal Plaza on Saturday. Nuamthong sprayed his vehicle with the words, “Destroy the country” and “Suicide,” to protest the seizure of power from Thaksin government. He was in a hospital after suffering broken ribs and injuries to his chin and eyes.

A sad twist to this story

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Taxi driver who slammed his vehicle into tank found hung

The taxi driver who protested against the coup by slamming his taxi into a tank at the Royal Plaza was found hung late Tuesday night in what appeared to be a suicide, police said.

Pol Col Phaisarn Kojasup, commander of Bang Sue police station, said Nuamthong Praiwal, 60, was found hung from a rail of the pedestrian flyover on Vibhavadi-Rangsit Highway in front of Thai Rath newspaper head office.

A passer-by spotted the body and informed police at 20 minutes past midnight.

A handwritten note was found near the body, saying the death was to protest against a spokesman of the Council for National Security for saying he had no ideology in his earlier protest against the coup.

Phaisarn said the surrounding evidences indicated that the man hang himself.

Nuamthong made headlines on September 30 when he slammed his taxi into a tank at the Royal Plaza at 6 am. He said he wanted to protest against the coup which damaged the country. He suffered broken ribs at that time.

The Nation