Drug-addicted passenger stabs van driver on Nonthaburi Road
A Thai man grappling with drug addiction feared a van driver intended to assault him and decided to retaliate first by stabbing the driver while travelling on a road in Nonthaburi province. The driver is currently in stable condition.
The stabbing took place in front of Si Chai Thong Village in the Pak Kret district of Nonthaburi at about 4pm yesterday, May 22. The injured van driver, 34 year old Wasan, was rushed to a nearby hospital before officers from Pak Kret Police Station arrived at the scene.
Channel 7 reported that the attacker, 20 year old Earth, attempted to flee the scene but was unsuccessful. Earth was arrested and taken to a police station for a questioning.
Earth’s account was confusing. He claimed his mother and aunt arranged for him to travel to his home province, Sakon Nakhon, with his father paying 800 baht for the trip.
However, he was not familiar with the van driver and other passengers, making him anxious. Earth claimed the driver changed the destination to Udon Thani without explanation, further increasing his anxiety.
Earth said he asked to be dropped off but his request was allegedly refused. He believed the driver would kill him if he did not attack the driver first.
Driver’s story
The van driver, Wasan, clarified the incident after he recovered from the attack revealing that Earth’s parents hired him to take their son to Sakon Nakhon while he picked up other passengers along the way.
Aware of Earth’s drug history, Wasan inquired if he had consumed any drugs before the trip. Earth confessed to having taken some drugs. This revelation concerned Wasan, fearing that Earth might face arrest at police checkpoints along the route.
Keeping his apprehensions to himself, Wasan continued driving until they reached the scene of the incident. At one point, Earth took hold of Wasan’s mobile phone. While Wasan was preoccupied searching for it, Earth attempted to flee from the vehicle. However, Wasan promptly secured the door, preventing Earth from escaping.
Wasan’s action made Earth angry. He strangled Wasan and stabbed him repeatedly with a knife. Wasan managed to fight back but was stabbed near his heart. Wasan said he got out of the vehicle to seek help. It was lucky that the witnesses came to intervene just in time.
Earth was charged under Section 295 of the Criminal Law: assaulting another person until it causes both physical and mental harm. The penalty is imprisonment of up to two years, a fine of up to 40,000 baht, or both. The legal punishment for his drug use was not revealed.
