NAKHON SI THAMMARAT: A man out celebrating his 27th birthday with friends was fatally stabbed while trying to help a woman negotiate with a drunk driver who hit her motorcycle early on Monday.
Witnesses told police that Sawit Maneechai, of Thung Song's tambon Na Suan, had celebrated his birthday with three friends at a restaurant in Thung Song market on Sunday night.
They left the restaurant in a car about 3am, and on the Thung Song-Surat Thani Road came across a woman haggling with a motorist who had run into the back of her motorcycle.
Sawit got out of the car and went to help the woman negotiate with the other driver, who appeared to be drunk.
His intervention apparently annoyed the other man's drunk friend and the two got into a fight. Sawit was overpowering his opponent when he was suddenly stabbed in the side. A friend who went to help was also injured.
The other men then fled in their car.
A shocked Sawit tried to stagger across the road, but collapsed and died. He suffered a fatal stab wound to his left side. His friend Nattapol Rittisak received a cut to his face.
Police said the silver Toyota Vios car, registered in Nakhon Si Thammarat, involved in the incident subsequently hit a traffic island in Thung Song municipality. The driver and owner, Wuthichai Noonkerd, appeared drunk and was taken to Thung Son police station for interrogation.
The alleged knifeman was identified as Juntakan Promana, 24, a resident in tambon Pak Praek of Thung Song district. Police were hunting for him.