Fermented fury: Barefoot pensioner splashes Hun Sen portrait
In 2023, the retired man splashed fish sauce at the Election Commission
Bangkok commuters were treated to a bizarre spectacle on Monday, July 7, when a barefoot pensioner splashed fermented fish sauce over a portrait of Cambodian Senate President Hun Sen, earning himself a small fine and a lot of attention.
Retired tennis coach 69 year old Thewa Sritawan set out from his home in Pak Kret, Nonthaburi province, before dawn, carrying nothing but a bag containing the portrait and a bottle of pungent fermented fish sauce.
“I left at 6am,” Thewa told police later. “I was determined to protest Hun Sen’s aggression over our disputed borders.”
After a five-hour barefoot trek—broken only by a short ride from a sympathetic motorcycle taxi driver—he finally reached the Cambodian embassy on Pracha Uthit Road at around 11am.
There, he placed Hun Sen’s image on the pavement and doused it liberally with fish sauce. The unmistakable stench quickly drew the attention of embassy security guards, who detained Thewa and called Wang Thong Lang police.
At the station, the retiree remained defiant.
“I am angry that Cambodian troops patrol land that belongs to Thailand.”
Thewa reminded officers that he had previously walked 10 days to the contested border to show solidarity with Thai soldiers.
Despite the diplomatic nature of his target, the Cambodian embassy declined to press charges. Police ultimately fined Thewa 100 baht for littering—the most he could afford.
It wasn’t his first fishy protest, either. In July 2023, he launched a similar demonstration at the Election Commission office on Chaeng Watthana Road, splattering fermented fish sauce to express disgust at what he called the electoral body’s incompetence, reported Bangkok Post.
After paying his modest fine, Thewa set off on foot once again, vowing not to stop.
“I will keep protesting against Cambodia’s aggressive policies. And if any Thai government agency is corrupt, I’ll be back with more fermented fish sauce.”
Local passers-by described the scene as equal parts comical and surreal.
“At first, I thought he was feeding stray dogs,” said one witness. “Then I smelled the sauce and realised something strange was happening.”
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