Thai drug addict leaves 9 year old boy fighting for life in shocking Isaan attack

Police arrested a Thai drug addict after he attacked three victims in the Isaan province of Nakhon Panom on November 29. Among the victims were a nine year old boy who is battling to save his life and another individual who sustained serious injuries.

Phonsawan Police Station officers swiftly responded to the incident at Phon Sawang Temple in the Phonsawan district of Nakhon Panom province. They successfully arrested the 26 year old drug addict, identified as Thotsaporn, at the scene. During the arrest, three methamphetamine pills, commonly known as Yaba, were discovered in the possession of the assailant.

Prior to the police arrival, the three victims had been transported to Phonsawan Hospital. The nine year old boy, Fin, suffered head injuries and lost consciousness due to the beating. Boonme, a Thai man, sustained severe injuries from a slash to his left arm. Another victim, whose identity remains undisclosed, suffered blows to the arm with a wooden stick.

Police reported that Thotsaporn was under the influence of Yaba. He showed no remorse and kept laughing at the police officers. He confessed to taking one Yaba tablet and attacking the three victims, and boasted that he was both a drug user and dealer.

A novice at the temple named Tonkla reported the incident to the police. He explained that four friends, including Fin, visited him at the temple. While they were playing, they saw Thotsaporn running towards them with a spade in his hand.

Tonkla said other friends managed to avoid the attack but Fin was hit three times on the head with the spade until he lost consciousness and collapsed to the ground. After attacking Fin, Thotsaporn grabbed a knife he found in the temple and ran out to slash Boonme’s arm.

Residents demand tough measures

Locals who witnessed the attack approached Thotsaporn and tried to stop him. In the ensuing chaos, Thotsaporn beat another victim with a wooden stick before locals and police managed to stop him.

Fin and Boonme were left in a critical condition following the incident. Fin sustained a fractured skull and bleeding on his brain tissue, necessitating urgent brain surgery. He was subsequently moved from Phonsawan Hospital to Nakhon Panom Hospital for the necessary medical procedure.

Boonme experienced a severed artery in his arm, leading to significant blood loss. He, too, was transferred to Nakhon Pathom Hospital for additional medical care.

Residents demanded that the police and relevant departments take strict measures against drugs and drug users. They said most of the drug addicts were arrested and later released to repeat their violent behaviour, leaving people living in fear.

Fin’s 24 year old mother, Supaporn, also urged the government to take the drug problem more seriously because too many people had lost their lives to drug addicts.

Supaporn gave an update on Fin’s condition today, December 1. She revealed that Fin was still in a critical condition and that doctors could not confirm whether they could save Fin’s life. There was no update on Boonme’s condition.

In this case, the drug addicted assailant, Thotsaporn, faced two charges, including:

• Section 57 of the Narcotics Act: use of category 1 drug is punishable by imprisonment for six months to three years, a fine of 10,000 to 60,000 baht or both.
• Half of the punishment of Section 288 of the Criminal Code: murder of others is punishable by life imprisonment or imprisonment for 15 to 20 years.