American-Filipino man murdered for drawing swastika on friend’s forehead
A half Thai half Filipino man murdered his half American half Filipino friend after he allegedly drew a Nazi Party swastika sign on his forehead in Bangkok.
The incident occurred on Monday, August 28 in front of No. 70 in Soi Lat Phrao 122 in the Wang Thong Lang district of Bangkok. Officers from Wang Thong Lang Police Station were called to the scene where they discovered the dead body of a 22 year old Thai-Filipino man, Saul Jeremiah Tammago Rosenthal.
Rosenthal was found lying face up on the road in front of the house. He wore a black T-shirt and long jeans and bore two stabbing wounds to his chest.
The attacker, a Thai-Filipino man named Set, was arrested at the scene. He was under the influence of alcohol and claimed that he attacked the deceased in self-defence. A five-inch knife used in the murder was confiscated.
According to information shared by friends of both men with the police, Rosenthal and Set were classmates at Ramkhamhaeng University. The fateful incident occurred during a social gathering where alcohol was consumed. It was during this gathering that a disagreement escalated between Rosenthal and Set.
Rosenthal, under intoxication, drew the swastika on Set’s forehead. Set informed Rosenthal that the symbol was unacceptable leading to a heated argument. They started physically assaulting each other, and Set suddenly banished his knife and stabbed Rosenthal.
Friends and witnesses attempted to save Rosenthal’s life. A rescue team was called to the scene but it was too late for Rosenthal to respond to the treatment in time.
Set initially faces two charges, including an intentional murder and possession of a firearm in a public space without permission. The penalty for the charge will be imprisonment from 15 years, life imprisonment, or death penalty.
In a separate yet related incident that generated much controversy among Thai netizens, a pit bull named Nazi inflicted severe injuries on its owner by attacking her neck and upper arm. The victim and her husband asserted that the violent outburst was triggered by the dog’s jealousy after she had fed a stray dog.
Names such as Nazi and Hitler appear to have gained a certain degree of popularity in Thailand, leading some people to urge Thai parents to do research on each name before giving them to their children.
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