Violence erupts as group attacks volunteer at Bangkok gas station

Violence erupted at a Sai Mai district gas station in Bangkok when a group of over 30 people assaulted a volunteer from the Ruamkatanyu Foundation. The incident, which occurred just past midnight today, March 18, left the victim with serious head injuries after being knocked to the ground and repeatedly kicked.

In the dead of night, the Sai Mai neighbourhood was shaken by a brutal attack at a local petrol station on Thepharak-Sai Mai Road. A volunteer of the Ruamkatanyu Foundation was the target of a violent ambush by a group exceeding 30 people.

The altercation escalated quickly, with the assailants slapping the volunteer’s face and then unleashing a barrage of kicks that sent the victim tumbling to the ground. The volunteer’s head struck a concrete wheel stop, causing severe injuries, before the attackers kicked the prone individual again.

As chaos ensued, fellow volunteers from the Ruamkatanyu Foundation phoned the police to intervene. However, before authorities could arrive, the attackers fled the scene in a four-door pickup truck and on motorcycles, with a Sai Mai rescue ambulance in pursuit. The severely injured volunteer was initially taken to Phramongkutklao Hospital and later transferred to Rajavithi Hospital for comprehensive treatment.

Aside from the critically injured volunteer, another member of the Ruamkatanyu Foundation suffered minor injuries. After the incident, the volunteers filed a report at the Bang Khen Police Station and sought medical attention.

The conflict reportedly stemmed from a prior dispute between two volunteer groups: the Ruamkatanyu Foundation’s rescue volunteers and the Civilian Volunteer’s Sai Mai unit, also known as Or Bor Por. Both groups responded to an accident within Soi Phaholyothin 54/1, where heated arguments broke out. After the injured parties from the accident were transported to the hospital, a meeting was arranged to resolve the dispute, which ultimately led to the violent confrontation captured in a video clip.

Member attacked

Pimchanok Palakawong na Ayudhya, a committee member of the Ruamkatanyu Foundation, disclosed that the foundation was informed of the contention between the two groups of volunteers, prompting intervention. However, when the opposing parties arrived at the gas station, the committee member was immediately attacked before any discussion could take place.

The Ruamkatanyu Foundation volunteers later sought accountability for the assault from the Sai Mai Or Bor Por unit, but cooperation was not forthcoming. To make matters worse, as they left, assailants on motorcycles, brandishing unidentified firearms, attempted to shoot at the volunteers’ vehicle within the jurisdiction of the Sai Mai police, reported KhaoSod.

While the exact motives behind the attack remain under investigation, the unprovoked aggression against the Ruamkatanyu Foundation volunteers has raised concerns about volunteer safety and the need for better conflict resolution mechanisms within these community service organizations.