Pattaya loan sharks turn themselves in to cops after threatening reporter (video)

There’s been another incident involving loan sharks in Thailand.

In Pattaya, two members of a loan shark gang turned themselves in to the cops after they threatened a freelance reporter earlier this week. The incident began when local Thai reporter, Buronsak Bunnodyom, asked the two men not to litter loan flyers in front of his residence on Soi 9, Central Pattaya, Bang Lamung District. In response, the men, 23 year old Chinnawat Posingarm and 20 year old Natthiwut Sudprasert, verbally assaulted the reporter and attempted to attack him with a large rock.

Following the incident, Chinnawat and Natthiwut surrendered to the police yesterday. Chinnawat admitted to littering loan flyers in front of people’s houses, while Natthiwut confessed to riding a motorbike for Chinnawat. The two were captured on video by the reporter as they threatened and attempted to attack him.

Regarding their motive, the two men said they were annoyed with the reporter for warning them not to distribute flyers, adding that it was a spontaneous decision to pick up a rock and try to attack him. Chinnawat and Natthiwut have since apologised for their excessive actions, The Pattaya News reported.

The two individuals now face charges for threatening others and violating the Cleanliness Act.

Another incident involving loan sharks occurred in Pattaya, where a bar owner and her employees faced harassment and threats for unpaid debts. The 31 year old bar owner, Daranee, accumulated around 800,000 baht (US$23,100) in debt from 14 different loan providers. She resorted to borrowing to address her financial issues and struggled to pay the daily interest of 30,000 baht (US$870).

Initially lured by flyers left at her establishment, Daranee found herself unable to make interest payments and took loans from other sources to make ends meet. When she couldn’t pay the daily interest, debt collectors visited her bar, forcing female employees to undress and attract customers for debt repayment. Some collectors also harassed and threatened her with harm if she didn’t pay. Read more here.