A driver was caught after allegedly speeding through M-Flow booths on expressways 22 times without paying a single baht in toll costs.
Sanchai (last name withheld), 69, was apprehended and detained by highway patrol on Tuesday for allegedly driving with a forged license plate on his Porsche Cayenne Vehicle. Because of the license plate, he was able to drive through the M-Flow booths for free.
Sanchai’s car also had separate license plates in the front and back, according to police. The front plate appeared to be a vanity plate that could only be bought at Department of Land Transport auctions (DLT). Meanwhile, the one at the back was just a regular license plate. Thanathat (last name withheld), the true owner of the vanity plate, had filed a complaint with police. He said he received a DLT notification demanding him to pay the M-Flow fee as well as late payment penalties.
Sanchai’s vehicle had gone through M-Flow booths on multiple expressways since March 3, according to investigators. On Tuesday morning, police stopped the vehicle on Liab Khlong 5 Road in Pathum Thani and handcuffed the driver. The vanity plate on Sanchai’s car does not contain a DLT watermark, and the 10-digit serial number does not match the DLT database, according to police. The rear plate, on the other hand, has a watermark and the serial number can be found.
Sanchai was charged with forging a license plate and driving on the freeway without paying tolls. He is said to have admitted to the charges. Police have issued a warning to motorists to observe the law when going through M-Flow booths, as CCTV footage can be used to trace down those who abuse the system.
The M-Flow system was just implemented last year in an effort to minimize congestion. There is no barrier or cashier at the M-Flow gates. Before they may use the system, users must first register their preferred toll-fee payment method online.
