A motorist was ultimately apprehended after reportedly 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 police on Tuesday for allegedly driving with a forged license plate on his Porsche Cayenne Vehicle. The license plate permitted him to drive through the M-Flow booths for free.
Sanchai’s car also had separate license plates in the front and rear, according to police. The front plate appeared to be a vanity plate that could only be bought at auctions organized by the Department of Land Transport (DLT). Meanwhile, the one at the back was a regular license plate. The police were responding to a complaint submitted by Thanathat (last name withheld), the true owner of the vanity plate. He said he received a notice from DLT demanding him to pay the M-Flow fee as well as late payment penalties.
Investigators discovered that Sanchai’s vehicle had gone through M-Flow booths on multiple expressways since March 3. On Tuesday morning, police stopped the vehicle on Liab Khlong 5 Road in Pathum Thani and handcuffed the man. The vanity plate on Sanchai’s car lacks a DLT watermark, and the 10-digit serial number does not match the DLT database, according to police. The reverse plate, on the other hand, has a watermark and the serial number may be traced.
Sanchai was charged with using a forged license plate and driving on the expressway without paying tolls. He is said to have admitted to the allegations. Police have advised motorists to observe the law when going through M-Flow booths, as CCTV footage can be used to trace down individuals who abuse the system.
The M-Flow technology was established just last year in an effort to minimize congestion. The M-Flow gates do not have a barrier or a cashier. Before using the system, users must first register their preferred toll-fee payment method online.
