A driver and his conductress wife were both fined 5,000 bht (getting better !) after a fight with a monk went viral online.
The incident has caused widespread comment among Thais most of whom were appalled by violence directed towards a monk. Though some felt that it was the saffron robed man who directed the first blow and got what was coming to him.
Both staff of the Roi-Et to Don Tan service were called in by the Roi-Et land transport department yesterday to explain what happened.
They were Pallop Prasert, 35, the driver and his wife who took the money Sawitree Srisombat, 38.
Pallop admitted to the land transport department that he was fighting with the monk. He said that the monk had been complaining about the cost of his ticket all the way while Pallop said the charge was in accordance with the regulations. The monk then spat on the floor, he claimed.
When they got to the Phon Thong bus station he said he asked the monk to get off the van and an argument developed. The monk then hit his wife and the fist fight began in earnest.
He was fined 5,000 baht for impolite behaviour and fighting with a passenger. His wife was fined 5,000 baht for not having a license to be a conductress.
Both were ordered to attend training whilst the operator of the service – Roi-Et Selaphoom Co Ltd – was fined 40,000 baht for not training their staff properly.
The company has withdrawn the service indefinitely.
Perhaps they were fortunate the monk was not from the Shaolin Temple ! (David Carradine fans.)
(Source:-Daily News)