Thai man attacks friend with knife over pawned mobile phone dispute in East Thailand
The quiet community of Sri Racha was shaken when a resident took drastic action after a supposed denial of access to his mobile phone. A man yesterday reportedly launched a severe attack on his friend with a knife after he refused to give him a pawned mobile phone.
The violent episode unfolded at Pruksachat Villa 2 Village, a peaceful neighbourhood in Sri Racha, located in Chon Buri. Promptly alerted by distressed locals, a rescue team led by medical personnel hastily mobilised towards the alarming scene, where they feared encountering serious injuries.
Upon arrival, these fears were realised. They discovered a 45 year old man, Thongchai Phitaksin, in dire need of medical attention. Thongchai sustained two grievous knife wounds, one to his head, and another to his back. Meanwhile, the village was rife with eyewitnesses that converged on the police, urgently providing them with the identity of the suspect, 39 year old local man Nopporn Tamarit, reported The Pattaya News.
Nopporn, a supposed close friend of Thongchai, was apprehended not too far from the crime scene, acting on the insightful information from the eyewitnesses. The arrest attempt was less than tranquil.
Nopporn was reportedly belligerent, wielding a long knife in a wild fashion as he aimed to resist the police. Faced with this escalating threat, officers expertly deployed a Taser gun to bring Nopporn’s violent spree to a halt.
Suwinnai Budwat, a relative of Nopporn, provided some context to the shocking incident. Nopporn’s rampage was apparently triggered by the refusal of Thongchai to return a mobile phone. Nopporn previously pawned his mobile phone to Thongchai in exchange for 600 baht (US$18). When he had gone to request the return of his phone, Thongchai allegedly refused, leading Nopporn into a state of frustration that culminated in the assault.
In the aftermath of the incident, Nopporn is now in police custody. As enquiries continue, investigators are painstakingly piecing together the events of the frantic afternoon to ensure justice is served.
