A 21-year-old Bangkok garage worker turned himself in to police yesterday morning after he stole the effigy of a policeman in a drunken dare.

He was spotted loading the fake traffic cop onto a Toyota pickup truck at the Ratchawipa intersection of Wongsawang road in Chatuchak district. Police officers traced the pickup to a garage in Lat Phrao district's Lat Pla Khlao area, and found the effigy standing out front.

At 10am, Thaweewut Tonkham, still drunk, tottered into Prachacheun police station.

Drunken dare

Thaweewut, who saluted the effigy as a gesture of apology, told police that after drinking with friends until midnight Tuesday, he made a delivery of parts to Mor Chit Bus Terminal.

On the way back, he spotted the effigy, stole it to meet a challenge made by friends, and placed it outside the garage as proof of his feat.

Thaweewut is facing the charge of stealing at night-time which carries a punishment of up to five years in jail or a Bt2,000-Bt10,000 fine.

The police effigies stand at various intersections to signal the routes to police stations or government offices, said |traffic-police commander Pol Maj-General Weerapat Tansrisakul.