Thai police strangled in Bangkok traffic dispute, suspect still at large

A Thai man remains at large after strangling a police officer during a road rage incident in the Don Mueang area of Bangkok on Thursday, January 8.

The injured officer, Police Sergeant Satawat Seirattanapong, shared CCTV footage and details of the incident on his Facebook page on Friday, January 9, one day after the altercation. The confrontation reportedly occurred on Song Prapa Road in the Don Mueang district.

In the footage, the suspect, later identified as Thanaphat, was seen rushing towards Satawat and grabbing him by the neck immediately after the officer stepped out of his white SUV. Several motorcycle taxi riders who witnessed the incident quickly intervened and attempted to separate the suspect from the officer.

Despite their efforts, Thanaphat continued trying to attack Satawat, leading to a heated argument between the two men. The suspect later fled the scene in his van.

Satawat explained that the incident began when he made a sudden stop in the left lane after a foreign pedestrian attempted to cross the road. Thanaphat, who was driving behind him, reportedly became angry, pulled alongside the officer’s vehicle, and raised his middle finger at the policeman.

The officer said he lowered his window to explain that he had stopped to avoid hitting the pedestrian. However, Thanaphat ignored the explanation, cut in front of Satawat’s car, and prompted the officer to sound his horn.

Satawat said he then pulled over in an attempt to resolve the dispute, but Thanaphat immediately attacked him by grabbing his neck, as seen in the footage.

According to the officer, he identified himself as a police officer and urged the suspect to wait at the scene for authorities. Thanaphat reportedly refused and escaped in the van, which was later found to belong to a state enterprise where he was employed.

The company later attempted to persuade Thanaphat to surrender to police. However, he reportedly resigned from his job before disappearing.

Satawat confirmed that he would pursue legal action against the suspect and would not withdraw the complaint, despite not sustaining serious injuries. He said he wanted to ensure accountability and set an example to discourage violence during road disputes.