American man attacks 3 foreign motorcycle riders in Koh Chang
A violent American man attacked three foreign motorcycle riders yesterday in Koh Chang, an island in the eastern province of Trat. The community leader reported that he has committed a similar attack in the area before and believes his violence is a result of stress.
The perpetrator was reported to be a 60 year old man named Michael Doherty. Doherty lost control and beat the three riders with a wooden stick as they rode past him along a road near Look Ton Mountain.
Witnesses, both Thais and foreigners, were scared to step in as the alleged crazy man kicked off. Instead, they notified officers from Koh Chang Police Station who immediately rushed to the scene.
When the police arrived at the scene, they found three foreign victims with mild injuries. Doherty was still holding his wooden stick and appeared to be preparing for another swing. He even tried to attack the officers before eventually surrendering himself to the police.
The community leader, Termsak Sertsri, stated that Doherty did not have any drugs or alcohol in his system. Both he and the authorities believe that Doherty’s violent actions might be a result of stress.
Termsak also revealed that Doherty has been living in Koh Chang for a while, can speak and understand some Thai words, and had attacked others in the area before. The details of that case have not been reported.
Police officers suggested that the three victims file complaints against Doherty. The officers reported that the charges would be issued later after questioning the victims.
The incident is reminiscent of another attack that took place in the southern province of Nakhon Si Thammarat last year. In the incident, an American man named Andigo was seen in a viral video smashing a Thai man’s car with rocks and threatening two Thai women who tried to stop him.
Locals in the area also accused Andigo of always drinking alcohol and being angry at locals. His case was handed over to the Tourists Police for further prosecution.
