Fists of fury

LOP BURI: Not used to being on the receiving end of beatings, officers in Lop Buri’s Baan Pong District Police Station were given a nasty shock when a speed-crazed former World Boxing Association (WBA) flyweight world champion contender stormed into the station in frenzy in the morning of March 5. Police told reporters that Sgt Maj Ithipol Sawatdee was sitting at the station’s front desk as normal when Somchai “Sin Sor Phlenjit” Sanguanwong burst in in an agaitated state. When asked what he wanted, Somchai shouted at the unfortunate Sergeant Major, comparing him to a male sexual organ before suddenly rushing forward and punching him so hard in the face that he fell off his chair. Still not satisfied, Somchai laid into Sgt Maj Ithipol until he was left with a fractured arm and a broken finger. At that point Lt Col Surin Saengprethum came in to see what the kerfuffle was all about. Somchai quickly turned his wrath toward the colonel and began punching him in the face until he went down. Recovering from the initial shock of anyone daring to enter the lions’ den, 10 officers charged Somchai and managed to subdue him and throw him in a cell. When Somchai had calmed down a little, police got a urine sample from him to test for the presence of drugs. Sure enough, the sample turned purple, showing a positive result. Police believe that Somchai had been taking ya bah (methamphtamine). Police said that earlier in the day, Somchai had beaten up Yupha Sanguanwong, 61, his own mother, until she had blood coming out of her ears and her face was covered in bruises. From their investigations, police learned that Somchai had previously been a professional Thai and Queensbury rules boxer but had to stop fighting after becoming addicted to ya bah. After leaving the ring, he became an air conditioner mechanic. Police charged Somchai with grievous bodily harm on a government officer carrying out his duty. Baan Pong Police did not reveal why they thought Somchai had decided to launch his single-handed raid on their station.