3 Thai children set homeless on fire and film incident as trophy
Three Thai attackers, aged between nine and 15, set a homeless man on fire by the roadside in the Prawet area of Bangkok and filmed the incident as a trophy.
The victim was identified as 51 year old Karn, a homeless man who lives under the Ban Ma Bridge in Prawet. He makes a living by collecting and reselling recyclable waste in the area.
The incident occurred on Monday, January 19, while Karn was sleeping under the bridge as usual. He told local media that he suddenly felt what seemed like cold water poured over his body, before flames erupted moments later. Fortunately, Karn managed to escape from the fire before suffering fatal injuries.
Before fleeing the scene, he reportedly saw three young boys filming the incident on their mobile phones. Karn said the same boys had bullied him multiple times in the past, including throwing rocks at him and verbally abusing him with vulgar language.
Karn insisted that he had never spoken to the boys or had any conflict with them. Residents living nearby also confirmed that he had never caused problems or disturbances in the community.
Officers from Prawet Police Station confirmed that they had identified the three suspects. The boys are aged between nine and 15, but their identities have been withheld under child protection laws.
Police said they intend to pursue legal action against the minors on charges of attempted murder and damage to public property, after a nearby water pipe was damaged during the fire.
At this stage, it remains unclear when the three children will be summoned for questioning. The legal consequences they may face have not yet been confirmed and are expected to differ from adult penalties due to their age.
The incident sparked strong reactions online, with many netizens calling on authorities to impose punishments equivalent to adult offenders due to their cruel actions. Others urged police to also take legal action against the parents or guardians for negligence.
A similar case was reported in Lampang province in August last year, when three Thai teenagers burned a disabled dog alive inside an abandoned temple bathroom. The attackers filmed the act and shared it on social media, prompting complaints to Watchdog Thailand Foundation and police.
The teenagers in that case were taken into custody, though the final legal outcomes were never publicly disclosed.
Another case was reported in Sa Kaeo in January last year when a security camera footage showed five Thai teenagers aged between 13 and 16 physically assaulting a homeless woman to death and abandoning her body in a pond.
