A 31-year-old man has been arrested after footage of him drinking a beer at McCormick Hospital in Wat Ket was shared online yesterday, March 3.
The accused, Mr. Khawisukh Thanya from Wiang Nong Long in Lamphun presented himself to Mae Ping Police Station yesterday afternoon after he became aware that the footage of him drinking the beer was making news headlines.
Mr. Thanya confessed to police that he did drink a single bottle of Chang beer at the hospital but was not aware that it was illegal to do so.
The news caused outrage on Thai social media and news sites as apparently drinking beer in a hospital is a big no-no. Unlike starting fires and polluting the environment – an actual crime that harms other people, drinking beer in a hospital, a completely victimless crime, is considered far more seriously by both the public and those in charge.
It’s not clear whether Mr. Thanya was remanded in custody but he has been charged with breaching the Alcohol Control Act. He faces a fine of up to 10,000 baht and/or up to six months in prison.
Photo: Mae Ping Police/Chiang Mai News
