Beach vendor with disability stabbed to death in Pattaya
Police arrested a man fleeing from the scene of a crime yesterday after he allegedly stabbed to death a vendor with a disability on Pattaya Beach. A witness believed the murder was motivated by an illegal business operation.
Officers from Mueng Pattaya Police Station received a notification that a 38 year old man named Thotsapon had been stabbed to death yesterday at 5.30pm. Thotsapon reportedly ran a rental mats business on Pattaya Beach. He was known in the area as the “fat lame man” due to his leg. He was stabbed in the chest and head near his left eyebrow.
Officers managed to arrest the offender, 43 year old man named Somchart, near the entrance of Pattaya Walking Street. He was still holding the knife he allegedly used in the murder. Somchart was drunk and his recount of the incident was unclear.
According to Somchart, Thotsapon stole 500 baht from him. Somchart claimed that he withdrew money from a nearby ATM and lost it. He looked for it, and Thotsapon admitted that he found it and kept it. Somchart asked for the money back but Thotsapon refused to return it. As a result, Somchart became angry and stabbed Thotsapon.
A witness contradicted Somechart’s story. The witness told officers that he heard the deceased shout at Somchart, “Where is my money?” Somchart then became angry and kicked Thotsapon in the face before stabbing him.
The witness believed that the row was related to an illegal business because Somchart had a long criminal history. He had been arrested six times and just released from prison at the beginning of this year.
Somchart is currently in police custody for further questioning and prosecution. The charges issued against him were not reported. According to his actions, he will be charged with violating Section 288 of the Criminal Law: murder. The charge will result in the death penalty or imprisonment for 15 years to 20 years.
Even though Mueang Pattaya Police Station is located on Beach Road, attacks, fights and theft are regularly reported near the police station.
In March, a man hit his teenage girlfriend on the head with a gun and fired a shot into the sky before fleeing the scene. Beachgoers enjoying the beach vibes were reportedly frightened and dashed for cover to save their lives. The scene was only 200 meters away from the police station.
Last year, two groups of teenagers, aged about 16 years old, fought each other and fired into the air. They did not care that the police station was located nearby, and some of them even wore school uniforms to commit violent acts.
