via CAAI News Media
Sun, Feb 14, 2010
The Nation/Asia News Network
By SAMATCHA HUNSARA
Acting Government Spokesman Panitan Wattanayagorn expressed dismay at multiple security glitches striking Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva's motorcade yesterday.
"Accidents can happen but they shouldn't happen twice in one day," said Panitan, who is also the PM's deputy secretary-general.
First a car and later a taxi tried to cut into the prime minister's procession as he was going to work to Government House and then going back home.
Panitan said security procedures might be reviewed to see if there was anything wrong although he personally did not think so.
"I believe Pol General Thanee Somboonsap, the PM's deputy secretary-general in charge of security, will look into the measures for the prime minister. And he may examine the facts regarding the incidents," Panitan said.
A white Honda with two men tried to cut into Abhisit's caravan travelling on the expressway towards the Yommaraj exit, near Government House.
Officers from the National Security Centre saw the Honda trying to cut in at the end of the procession and waved their hands at the men to slow their car but the two did not yield and tried to cut in again.
Police then sped up the van to stop the car from cutting in, cracking the hubcap on the right rear wheel in the process. The car finally stopped without anyone getting hurt.
Abhisit proceeded to Government House for the recording of his weekly television programme "Confident in Thailand with PM Abhisit".
Almost the same thing occurred when he was going home on Phetchaburi Road heading towards Prompong Intersection, at about 5pm. A taxi with the licence plate number tor wor 3801 cut into the PM's lane. On the back of the cab were two stickers saying "Red who wants no dictatorship" and "Red who wants no Amart (King's advisers).
The taxi driver drove close to a car belonging to the PM's security team, almost scraping it. When the security officials sent signals to him to keep away, the taxi came close to the back of Abhisit's car. Seeing what was happening, the same security team in the van that had stopped the first car in the afternoon sped up to force the taxi to slow down.
Abhisit instructed police to look at the video footage to see whether it was an accident or a malicious attempt. He said it was not necessary to beef up security for him.
Such encounters arise when motorists refuse to give way to the PM's convoy, but so far no accidents were serious enough to cause injuries. Some motorists are frustrated to come across a high-speed convoy, especially during traffic jams.
The premier also mentioned the human excrement attack on his home, saying acting National Police chief Pateep Tanprasert confirmed that police did not arrest the wrong suspect because a CCTV clip showed clear proof of the crime.
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