Off duty soldier confronts rescue volunteer in Chon Buri

A traffic accident in Chon Buri led to a heated exchange between a local volunteer rescue worker and an off-duty soldier, raising concerns about the behaviour of an individual in military uniform towards civilians during an emergency.

On April 16, around 5.50pm, a pickup truck collided with a motorcycle on Sukhumvit Road in Chon Buri. Two people sustained injuries in the incident, which happened near Naphaphan Land village in Satthahip district. Rescue workers of the Sawang Rojanatham Sathan Volunteer Foundation were dispatched to assess the Chon Buri accident situation and take the injured to Queen Sirikit Naval Hospital.

While attending to the injured victims, a resident expressed his dissatisfaction with the rescue worker’s response to the incident. He later returned wearing half of a soldier uniform (upper body) and continued his verbal altercation with the rescue worker. A police officer had to intervene to separate the two.

Mongkholchai, a 37 year old volunteer rescue worker from the Sawang Rojanatham Sathan Volunteer Foundation in Satthahip, and a certified Emergency Medical Technician (EMT), detailed the incident on his Facebook page.

“I arrived at the scene and noticed that the condition of the injured required additional help. I sent a photo to the rescue team, requesting more personnel to handle the situation.”

According to Mongkholchai, a man wearing a black shirt approached the rescue worker, accusing him of not acting quickly enough and asking if he wanted the injured to die. A heated argument ensued, after which the man left but later returned wearing half of a soldier uniform. He tapped the back of the rescue worker’s vehicle and revealed that he was a soldier while continuing his aggressive behaviour.

In response to the incident, the volunteer rescue worker stated that he wished others would understand and appreciate the work of rescue teams in such situations, as there is a proper procedure for assisting the injured. Mishandling of injured individuals can lead to further injury or even death.

Mongkholchai also called on the military or the soldier’s superiors to address the misconduct of the individual involved, who used abusive language and attempted to intimidate him with the military insignia. He emphasised that he is only a volunteer, trying to serve the community to the best of his ability.