Australian man killed after row with teenage bikers

A Thai woman blames teenage bikers in Chon Buri for causing the death of her Australian husband. She believes the gang attacked her husband and made him crash his motorcycle into an electric pole.

Graeme Foster crashed his motorcycle into an electric pole on the Tung Klom-Tarn Man Road in the Bang Lamung district of Chon Buri at 11.30pm on Friday, January 20.

The 59 year old Australian was reported to have lost consciousness and broken his ribs, left leg, and suffered a big wound in the left thigh. Rescuers provided him with CPR and sent him to hospital where he later died.

Foster’s Thai wife, 46 year old Kittiyaphon Foster, informed officers at Nong Prue Police Station that she, her husband, daughters, and a friend visited a restaurant nearby the scene to have dinner.

After dinner, she and her husband travelled home separately. She drove a car back home with her daughters, and her husband and his friend rode motorcycles.

Kittiyaphon told police that her husband and his friend rode motorcycles in front of her car. She followed behind them for about 100 meters. She saw a group of teenagers on four to five motorcycles following her husband and friend very closely.

Kittiyaphon stated that her husband sped up to get away from the group until he arrived at the incident scene, where he crashed into an electricity pole. The teenage bikers fled from the scene immediately after the crash.

Foster’s friend said that he did not see what happened to Foster. The teenage bikers tried to start a fight with them and chased after them without reason.

Kittiyaphon added that it was dark. She did not know exactly what happened but suspects the teenagers attacked him and shoved his motorcycle away.

The waiters and waitresses at the restaurant told police that Foster drank alcohol but wasn’t drunk when he left. They also emphasised that the group of teenagers were always drunk and caused trouble for locals in the area.

The superintendent of the Nong Prue Police Station, Damrong Iam-pairoj, insisted that the officers would track down the teenage biker gang and question them as soon as possible, adding that the CCTV cameras from the restaurant to the scene of the incident would be examined.

This case was similar to what happened two weeks ago with a 71 year old British man, Neil Roger, who was shot dead after having a row with a 32 year old Thai man, Apichart, while riding a motorcycle.

Apichart surrendered himself to the police. He claimed Roger honked his horn, cursed at him, and hit his car, inciting him to shoot Roger in Soi Khao Makok 1 Road in Chon Buri’s Bang Lamung district.