Moment Brit 'drives on Thai roads while on drugs'

Moment Brit 'drives on Thai roads while on drugs'
Source: Daily Mail Online

A British burger bar boss is facing up to a year in prison for reckless driving and exposing his genitals while allegedly high on drugs in Thailand.

Lee Terry Obrien, 24, from Clacton-on-Sea, allegedly took a mixture of meth and caffeine before racing through the roads of Phuket with his friends on January 10.

While allegedly high, the tourist was behind the wheel of a rented bright yellow jeep speeding through the busy highway.

Dashcam footage appears to show him hurtling past cars, sparking alarm as he drove over the central reservation. The shirtless driver later shocked motorists when he stepped out of the vehicle to urinate in the middle of the road during a traffic jam.

Thalang Police arrested Lee the next day, January 11, following reports from outraged locals who slammed his 'reckless' behaviour.

The Brit, who is listed as the director of Billy's Burger Bar, was driving along the same road, in the same jeep, when he was detained at around 2pm local time.

Holidaymaker Lee is said to have admitted to being the driver in the videos. An alcohol breath test returned negative, but a drug test showed he had 'Yaba' - an combination of methamphetamine and caffeine - in his system.

The Brit was hauled to the police station, where he was charged with 'public obscenity, driving under the influence of a Category I narcotic, illegal consumption of a Category I narcotic, and driving without a licence'.

Lee Terry Obrien, 24, from Clacton-on-Sea, allegedly took a mixture of meth and caffeine before racing through the roads of Phuket with his friends on January 10

While allegedly high, Lee (pictured) was behind the wheel of a rented bright yellow jeep speeding through the busy highway

Holidaymaker Lee is said to have admitted to being the driver in the videos.

He now faces up to a year in prison for the catalogue of alleged offences.

Officers said in a statement: 'Mr Lee Terry Obrien was detained at the Thalang district station for legal proceedings. He admitted to being the person in the video and will be prosecuted for the behaviour.'

Yaba is produced largely in the crime-ridden Golden Triangle Region, where the borders of Thailand, Laos, and Myanmar meet.

Meth is classified as a category 1 substance in Thailand, where consumption is punishable by up to three years in jail and a fine of up to 60,000 baht.

Public obscenity is punishable with a fine of up to 5,000 Baht or a month in prison.

Meanwhile, driving under the influence of a Category I narcotic such as meth carries a jail term of up to a year.

The once-pristine island of Phuket has been marred by over-tourism as the Thai government implements a visa-free scheme to boost revenue following the barren pandemic years.

However, angry locals claim the push for tourist dollars has attracted crowds of 'low-quality' visitors.