18 year old man dies after two hooligans threw stones at him in southern Thailand

An 18 year old man died in hospital yesterday after two hooligans threw stones at him while he was riding a motorcycle on a road in the southern province of Satun.

The teenage victim, Kullatat “Folk” Tohem, was rushed to hospital on Sunday, April 2 with a serious head injury after two hooligans threw stones at him. The young man was being treated for injuries in hospital until he passed away yesterday afternoon. According to his relatives, Folk suffered brain damage and did not respond to treatment.

The two hooligans, Fasol Tonyalae and Natthakit Dorla, surrendered at Mueang Satun Police Station on Tuesday, April 4. Fasol denied all allegations but was temporarily imprisoned for 12 days before he faces a court date. Natthakit’s situation is more delicate because he is a teenager.

The pair were initially charged with violating Section 297 of the Criminal Law by committing bodily harm causing severe injury to the victim. The punishment will be imprisonment from six months to 10 years and a fine of 10,000 to 200,000 baht.

In an interview with MGR Online, Fasol’s wife claimed that her husband and his friends had a previous conflict with Folk and his friends. She stated that Folk and his friends once entered their house and dared her husband to fight them. The woman also claimed that her husband did not mean to murder Folk and that his action was in self-defence.

Folk’s uncle, 31 year old Theerapong Looarson, expressed his family’s dissatisfaction with the offenders and their families, stating that they did not feel guilty for their actions. Theerapong said…

“The offender’s wife even claimed that her husband threw the stone at Folk to protect himself. They did not apologise or take any responsibility. I will fight for my nephew.”

This is not the first time such an incident has occurred in Thailand. Rock-throwing has been a nuisance for motorists in several provinces in Thailand.

In 2019, a 12 year old gang leader and four of his friends were arrested for throwing stones at cars and motorcycles driving on the motorway heading to Chon Buri. One truck driver sustained head injuries after a rock weighing nearly 5 kilograms went through the front window. Many other motorists filed complaints with the police, leading to the eventual tracking down of the gang.