A Phuket licence check turns into a wild chase as two Emirati tourists race through a checkpoint. A passenger kicks the pursuing officer before their Honda cuts him off and sends him crashing. Injured, he keeps chasing until both men are arrested.
A routine Phuket driving licence check turned into a dramatic motorcycle chase on Thursday after two Emirati tourists sped through a Kathu checkpoint. Police say the passenger kicked a pursuing traffic officer’s motorcycle before the pair drove against traffic and cut across his path. The officer crashed and was injured, but continued the pursuit into a housing estate. The escape ended at a dead-end road, where the men abandoned their Honda and fled on foot. Police later arrested Sohail, 21, and Hamad, 20, near the estate entrance.
Two Emirati tourists were arrested in Phuket after a traffic checkpoint stop developed into a high-speed motorcycle pursuit on Thursday. Police said the pair refused to stop for a driving licence check in Kathu. During the chase, the passenger kicked a pursuing traffic officer’s motorcycle. Later, the suspects cut across his path, causing him to crash.
Despite suffering injuries, the officer continued chasing the motorcycle into a housing estate. The two men eventually reached a dead-end road and abandoned their Honda. They then fled on foot. However, officers searched the surrounding area and arrested both men near the estate entrance.
The incident began at about 1 pm on August 13 near the Si Kor intersection. At the time, officers at Kathu Police Station were operating a traffic checkpoint on Phra Barami Road. The operation was under the command of Kathu Police Station chief Pol Col Chalermchai Hoensawat.
Emirati pair flee Phuket checkpoint before passenger kicks traffic officer during motorcycle pursuit
During the operation, Pol Sgt Maj Sivayos Yodrabum spotted a black Honda ADV 160 approaching from Patong. Two foreign men were travelling on the motorcycle towards the Si Kor intersection. One was driving, while the second was riding pillion.
Pol Sgt Maj Sivayos signalled for the motorcycle to stop. He wanted to check the rider’s driving licence. Instead, police said the rider accelerated through the checkpoint without stopping. In response, the traffic officer immediately gave chase.
The Honda continued through the Si Kor intersection towards Phra Phuket Kaew Road. Meanwhile, Pol Sgt Maj Sivayos remained behind the pair and attempted to stop them. The pursuit then reached the area outside Kathu Municipality.
There, the officer again ordered the motorcycle to stop. However, the pair continued their escape. Police said the passenger then used his left foot to kick the officer’s motorcycle.
The kick caused Pol Sgt Maj Sivayos to lose control temporarily. Even so, he remained in pursuit as the Honda continued along the road. The pair then moved farther through Kathu as officers searched for another opportunity to stop them.
Officer crashes during Kathu pursuit after fleeing motorcycle cuts across his path near housing estate
Separately, police later spotted the black Honda near a duty-free store on Phra Phuket Kaew Road. Once again, the suspects did not surrender. Instead, police said the rider drove against the direction of traffic.
The motorcycle then entered a lane leading towards The Valley housing estate. At that point, Pol Sgt Maj Sivayos continued pursuing the pair into the residential area. The chase had already moved across several sections of Kathu.
Inside the area, police reported another dangerous manoeuvre. The suspects’ motorcycle cut directly across the path of Pol Sgt Maj Sivayos. As a result, the traffic officer crashed.
The impact injured the officer and damaged several items. His clothing and glasses were damaged during the crash. In addition, his motorcycle sustained damage.
Notably, the collision still failed to end the pursuit. Pol Sgt Maj Sivayos continued chasing the two men despite his injuries. The suspects, meanwhile, travelled farther into the housing estate.
Eventually, the pair reached the end of a road inside the estate. The route offered no exit because the road was a dead end. Consequently, the motorcycle stage of their escape ended there.
Emirati suspects abandon motorcycle at dead end before police arrest pair near Phuket housing estate
The men abandoned the black Honda ADV 160 and ran from the area. By the time officers reached the motorcycle, both suspects had disappeared. Police therefore began searching the surrounding roads and residential area.
Soon afterwards, officers spotted two foreign men walking near the entrance to The Valley housing estate. They detained both men. Police subsequently identified them as the rider and passenger involved in the pursuit.
The suspected rider was identified only as Sohail, 21, an Emirati national. The passenger was identified only as Hamad, 20, also an Emirati national. Both were taken into police custody.
As part of the arrest process, officers informed the pair of the charges against them. Police also advised both men of their legal rights. Afterwards, they were transferred to Kathu Police Station for further legal proceedings.
Investigators then took responsibility for the case. However, police had not released a detailed breakdown of the charges by Friday. No further details concerning the charges were immediately available.
Driving licence check turns into Kathu pursuit as passenger kicks officer and suspects flee checkpoint
The confrontation had started with a standard traffic inspection on Phra Barami Road. Pol Sgt Maj Sivayos initially sought only to check the rider’s driving licence. Instead, police said the Honda accelerated through the checkpoint.
From there, the incident developed into a pursuit through Kathu. The Honda travelled through the Si Kor intersection before heading towards Phra Phuket Kaew Road. The officer remained behind the motorcycle.
Outside Kathu Municipality, the officer made another attempt to stop the pair. At that stage, police said Hamad kicked the officer’s motorcycle with his left foot. The kick caused the officer to lose control, but the pursuit continued.
Later, the suspects were spotted again near the duty-free store. Rather than stop, police said they continued fleeing. Moreover, the Honda travelled against traffic before turning towards The Valley housing estate.
The pursuit then produced a second collision involving the traffic officer. Police said the suspects cut across his motorcycle while he followed them. Consequently, Pol Sgt Maj Sivayos crashed and suffered injuries.
Injured Phuket traffic officer continues pursuit before Emirati pair abandon motorbike and flee on foot
His clothing, glasses and motorcycle were also damaged. Nevertheless, the injured officer continued after the pair. Their motorcycle escape finally ended when they reached the dead-end road.
At that point, the two men switched to an attempted escape on foot. They left the Honda behind and ran from the area. Officers then searched around the housing estate.
Shortly afterwards, police found Sohail and Hamad walking near the estate entrance. Both men were detained and taken to Kathu Police Station.
The incident therefore involved several separate attempts to evade the traffic officer. First, police said the rider accelerated through the checkpoint. Next, the passenger kicked the pursuing officer’s motorcycle outside Kathu Municipality.
Police detail repeated attempts to evade officer before Emirati pair are arrested after Phuket pursuit
Later, the Honda travelled against traffic as the pair continued towards the housing estate. Police then reported the motorcycle cutting across the officer’s path, causing his crash.
Finally, the pair abandoned their motorcycle after reaching the dead end. They continued on foot before officers located them near the estate entrance.
By Friday, both Emirati nationals had been handed to Kathu Police Station investigators. The case remained under further legal proceedings. Police had confirmed their ages, nationality and roles during the pursuit.
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Sohail was identified as the motorcycle rider, while Hamad was identified as the passenger. The black Honda ADV 160 was also recovered after being abandoned inside the housing estate.
Meanwhile, Pol Sgt Maj Sivayos was left with bodily injuries and damaged equipment following the pursuit. His glasses, clothing and motorcycle were damaged during the incident.
What began as a driving licence check had stretched from the Si Kor checkpoint into surrounding Kathu roads. It then continued into The Valley housing estate before ending with the arrests of both men.
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