Pol. Maj. Gen. Surawut Saengrungruang, Commander of Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya Provincial Police, has ordered an explanation and is considering setting up an investigation committee following the case brought by the 'Sai Mai Must Survive' page. The case involves a 42-year-old man who suffered a brain hemorrhage; patrol police mistakenly thought he was drunk driving, handcuffed him, and took him to the police station instead of a hospital. The man's condition is critical and unconscious, with a 50/50 chance of recovery.
On 5 March 2026, reporters reported that the wife sought justice after her husband was arrested because police thought he was drunk driving, but he actually had a brain hemorrhage. He tried to signal an SOS with his hands because he couldn’t speak, but police misunderstood. He was taken to the hospital late, causing brain damage. After several days, he remains unconscious with a 50/50 prognosis.
The wife of Mr. Theeramit, 42, sought help from Mr. Ekaphop Luangprasert, founder of the 'Sai Mai Must Survive' page, after her husband had a stroke and brain hemorrhage. He lost control of his vehicle and crashed into a motorcycle parked at a gas station. He tried to signal for help to officers, but no one understood. He was then handcuffed and taken by police pickup, who thought he was drunk driving.
The incident occurred in the early morning of 1 March. Mr. Theeramit, a taxi driver by profession, left home as usual but began experiencing weakness in his limbs and slurred speech. He tried to steer his vehicle into a gas station to seek help but lost control and crashed into a parked motorcycle. Police arrived at the scene but assumed he was intoxicated. They radioed for backup, handcuffed him, and took him to the police station without any initial medical assessment.
Later, it was found that the patient had a brain hemorrhage and was in critical condition, unconscious, and required emergency surgery. He remains unresponsive. Doctors said parts of his brain are damaged and cannot be fully recovered, and his condition requires close monitoring.
An examination of video footage from a bystander showed that when officers arrived, Mr. Theeramit tried to raise his hand to signal “SOS” for help because he couldn’t speak, but no one understood, causing a delay in assistance.
At 14:00 on 4 March 2026, at the Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya Provincial Police Headquarters, Mr. Ekaphop Luangprasert, founder of 'Sai Mai Must Survive,' accompanied the wife and family of Mr. Theeramit, 42, to request justice from Pol. Maj. Gen. Surawut Saengrungruang, Commander of Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya Provincial Police, along with Pol. Col. Ekkarat Ooncharoen, Deputy Commander, and Pol. Col. Arthit Simcharoen, Chief of Bang Pahan Police Station.
Pol. Col. Arthit Simcharoen, Chief of Bang Pahan Police Station, explained that at 03:40 on 1 March 2026, they received a report of a pickup truck colliding with a motorcycle inside a gas station. The driver appeared intoxicated. Traffic patrol arrived about eight minutes later. Gas station staff said the driver seemed drunk and was trying to reverse repeatedly, so backup was requested, and the vehicle key was removed. The driver was questioned but was incoherent and appeared dazed, so he was detained to prevent escape or harm. A search of the vehicle and person was conducted to locate relatives.
The suspect was taken to Bang Pahan Police Station at 04:44, where his condition was reassessed and still appeared heavily intoxicated. He was then sent to Bang Pahan Hospital. At 05:00, doctors admitted him and feared he might become violent, so the patrol stayed until 08:00 before the hospital transferred him to Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya Hospital around 10:00.
Pol. Col. Ekkarat Ooncharoen, Deputy Commander of Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya Provincial Police, said the use of handcuffs followed protocol to prevent the detainee from jumping from the vehicle or harming himself. Upon arrival at Bang Pahan Police Station and transfer to the hospital, the handcuffs were removed immediately, and the detainee was monitored until 08:00. He confirmed officers acted according to regulations and law.
Pol. Maj. Gen. Surawut Saengrungruang said he has ordered involved officers to report all details. Today was an initial briefing for the family. Official explanations will follow after he receives full reports.
Regarding knowledge of hand signals, all police officers receive training from the police academy, but it’s unclear whether officers saw the distress signal at the time, as the patrol had not yet reached the scene when the hand was raised. However, there will be a review and additional training for patrol officers to improve their effectiveness.
Whether there was any misconduct will be investigated through CCTV footage and body camera recordings. If faults are found, a disciplinary committee will be formed to investigate.
Later, at 16:00 the same day, after meetings concluded, Pol. Maj. Gen. Surawut Saengrungruang and Pol. Col. Arthit Simcharoen visited the injured man at Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya Hospital. They did not enter the ICU room but presented a gift basket and spoke with the wife, promising that the police will do their best and ensure justice for the family. They also asked officers to gather complete information and promised to keep the family informed.
The injured man’s wife revealed that doctors have said her husband’s condition is 50/50. He has had brain surgery and remains stable. She and relatives are preparing for the worst. She still has concerns but awaits the police investigation. She insists her husband has no underlying illnesses and is the family’s pillar. She said police should use judgment when assessing injured persons to determine the cause of symptoms. She urged police to prioritize medical conditions in similar cases to prevent incidents like this, noting it took over nine hours to get her husband to the doctor after the accident.