Thai actress slams police inaction after Russian assaults brother
A Thai actress criticised the police for their inaction and bias after a Russian man physically assaulted her younger brother. The police later asked her and her family to drop the case to maintain the country’s appeal to foreign tourists.
The well-known Thai actress Chalida “Mint” Wijitvongthong, came forward to seek justice for her younger brother, 30 year old Rachan “Moss” Wijitvongthong. Moss was physically attacked by the Russian man outside his hotel on Soi Ratchada 3 in Bangkok on September 25 at around 2am.
The 31 year old Mint revealed at a press conference yesterday, September 29, that a foreigner with hearing loss checked into Moss’s hotel with the Russian suspect. Following check-in, the pair visited a nearby entertainment venue, where they became intoxicated.
Later, they attempted to dine at a restaurant adjacent to the hotel, which is owned by another of Mint’s brothers, Thanatchai “Mond” Wijitvongthong. However, as the restaurant was closing, the staff did not permit the foreigners to enter.
Communication difficulties with the foreigner who had hearing issues led to a misunderstanding, prompting the Russian suspect to push a staff member on the shoulder. The staff decided to call Moss to help defuse the situation.
Moss arrived and spoke with the two foreigners, who eventually agreed to return to their hotel room. Believing the issue had been resolved, Moss was soon proven wrong. The Russian suspect subsequently left his room and attacked Moss, knocking him to the ground.
Police’s bias
In the CCTV footage of the hotel, Moss can be seen begging the Russian man to stop but his pleas were ignored. The Russian attacker was seen kicking Moss in the face and repeatedly punching him.
Moss’s staff called officers from Huay Kwang Police Station but they arrived 40 minutes later, by which time the Russian man already fled the scene. The police coordinated with other local government officials and eventually managed to arrest the attacker.
Mint added that the attacker showed no remorse when he was at the police station and could not even produce his passport. The officers did not conduct any alcohol or drug tests and simply released the Russian man, saying they would process the case once Moss received his medical examination results.
Mint said it took seven days for the medical examination but the Russian suspect was scheduled to leave the country on October 3. She and her family were further angered and disappointed when the police asked them to forgive the Russian man.
“We are Thai people. We should forgive foreign tourists for the sake of our country. You should not worry about this case.”
Mint said this was unfair to her family and all Thai people, adding that it was completely wrong to forgive foreign suspects simply for being tourists.
Many Thai netizens condemned both the Russian man’s actions and the police’s handling of the situation. The case sparked widespread discussion on social media but Huay Kwang Police Station has yet to provide any updates.
