Thai police to charge prankster ‘My Mate Nate’
Controversial prankster’s YouTube channel featured a fight between a cat and scorpion and coins being placed on train tracks
Police in Thailand will charge online prankster Nathan Bartling, 24, over putting coins on the rail tracks for trains to run over and making a cat fight a scorpion on his YouTube channel “My Mate Nate”.
Police Colonel Alongkorn Sirisongkram, chief of the Prawet police, said on Tuesday Mr Bartling would be charged with trespassing under a 1921 law on railways and highways and with cruelty to animals.
Mr Bartling has been told to report to Prawet police to acknowledge the charges, the station chief said.
The trespassing charge carried a fine of 100 baht (US$2.97), he said.
He would ask the State Railway of Thailand if it also wanted to accuse Mr Bartling of damaging state property, as there were scratches left on the rails.
Mr Bartling posted a video on his “My Mate Nate” YouTube account on Sunday showing foreign coins being placed on the rails and flattened by trains. He claimed to be testing the durability of coins from several countries.
The video sparked wide criticism of misappropriate behaviour in setting a bad example for young people and concerns over train safety. He later removed the video.
The video was made near Ban Thap Chang station on the eastern line to Chachoengsao and Aranyaprathet stations. The area is under the jurisdiction of Prawet police.
It is not the first time the American has put himself in the spotlight.
Other controversial videos include one making fun of the English speaking skills of young Thais.
