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Published on July 7, 2007

Kan-anek Pachimsawas yesterday vowed to take legal action against people who damaged his son's Mercedes-Benz vehicle after he had driven into them at a bus stop near Sukhumvit Soi 26 on Wednes-day evening.

One of the victims of the incident died on Thursday and three others remain in critical condition.

The incident occurred after Kanpitak apparently became angered by a bus driver following a traffic altercation. A rock was thrown at the bus driver.

Nine victims made police complaints against the driver, Kanpitak, the son of former Miss Thailand Savinee Pakaranang.

But Kan-anek yesterday threatened legal action of his own. He offered rewards for any witness who captured the alleged deliberate damage to the vehicle on video or mobile-telephone camera.

He insisted the incident was the result of a disease suffered by his son and told television news later that an "uneducated and low-class person" had incited the incident.

The story prompted Internet users to post scathing attacks at popular chat sites, many of them directed at Kan-anek.

"I will compensate the victims as deemed necessary and appropriate. But the compensation amount must not be too much," Kan-anek said later.

He added that his son was unable to move his legs because of thrombosis. Kanpitak is currently in Samitivej Hospital.

"My son is so sad he told me he wanted to die," Kan-anek said. He added it was as if his son had been possessed at the time of the fatal act. "He's a man with a kind heart," the father added.

Savinee will attend the funeral of victim Saichon Luangsaeng, but Kan-anek will not go "for safety reasons". "I just gave a television interview and used harsh words," he said.

Kanpitak accuses the bus of scraping his luxury car. Following his throwing of a rock at the driver, passengers were asked to leave the bus. When they blamed Kanpitak for the inconvenience and rock-throwing incident, he allegedly drove his car into the crowd.

The bus driver initially maintained there had been no collision but tests show the two vehicles had made contact.

However, Thonglor police maintain the incidents are separate. Superintendent Colonel Jirapat Phumisit said 10 witnesses had been questioned and police would soon interview Kanpitak.

"However, we are yet to get permission from his doctors," Jirapat said.

According to Kan-anek, the doctor who treated Kanpitak at the Galaya Rajanagarindra Institute earlier this year is overseas and yet to explain the young man's condition to investigators. The institute treats people for mental problems.

Saichon's daughter Sucheera Insunawan, 25, is finding it difficult to accept her mother's death.

"He [Kanpitak] should apologise to my mother. If he comes, I can forgive him and I believe my mother will forgive him too," she said.

The recent university graduate said she now had to take care of the family's condominium mortgage and her 15-year-old, mentally disabled cousin.