BANGKOK: A dispute over a US$775 monthly condominium rent spilt over on Thursday (June 18) when a 29-year-old man drove his car into a swimming pool at one of Thailand’s most prestigious universities, turning a private family row into a public spectacle.
The Thai police said the man was injured after his white Toyota Harrier crashed into a pool outside the Sasapol Building at Chulalongkorn University in central Bangkok shortly before dawn.
He managed to swim out of the crossover sport utility vehicle (SUV) and climb out of the pool before rescue workers arrived, and was later taken to Charoenkrung Pracharak Hospital for treatment. No one else was injured.
Media outlets in Thailand reported that the man had been arguing with his mother over his condo rent. He wanted her to foot the bill worth about 27,000 baht (US$775) to 30,000 baht a month, but she refused.
What happened next remains under investigation.
The police said the man drove into the university campus, where security guards attempted to stop him. Instead of stopping, he sped up, and then drove through a barrier and straight into the pool
Images from the scene show the SUV nearly submerged in water, its doors open and front end damaged.
The police said they were examining the circumstances leading up to the crash and assessing the driver’s state of mind.
The incident quickly drew attention online.
Many commented on how a simple argument over a $775 monthly rent had now snowballed into a headline-grabbing drama that would likely cost the man and his mother at least 10 times as much in cost, inconvenience and legal bills.
The SUV was likely beyond repair, and the university would have to be compensated for the property damage – and all that even before the lawyers step in.
The episode also touched a nerve in a country where housing costs and financial dependence between generations have become increasingly common topics of heated discussions.
Most had little sympathy for the man, citing the unfortunate incident as something that happens when privilege and poor judgment collide.
Summing up the sentiment, one social media user commented: “A 27,000 baht condo rent. A newish-looking SUV. An adult male with an acute sense of entitlement, total financial dependence on his mother, obvious anger issues, and the emotional maturity of an eight-year-old. Rich Thais.” - The Straits Times/ANN
