NAKHON PHANOM: Seven young people, including a boy aged 11, have been arrested for a knife attack on a 20-year-old motorcycle passenger in Sri Songkhram district. The victim survived after a border patrol police officer came to his rescue.
Withoon Wong-ai, a resident of Sri Songkhram, was badly hurt in the attack in the early hours of Wednesday while his elder brother, who was driving the bike, managed to escape.
The incident happened about 1.30am on Wednesday as the two brothers rode past a local road and encountered seven young people on three motorcycles. The attackers, armed with knives, gave chase to the two men, who abandoned their bike and ran for their own safety.
Withoon ran into a blind alley and was set upon by the armed youths. Fortunately, Pol Sgt Kittichai Yothee, 32, attached to the 237th Border Patrol Police Company, was in his home nearby and heard a voice crying for help. He shouted at the attackers who fled immediately, then rushed to help bring the victim to Sri Songkhram Hospital.
Officers from the Sri Songkhram police station reviewed closed-circuit video from the attack scene and nearby areas for clues about the attackers.
On Thursday, all seven attackers, who lived in tambon Na Kham, were summoned to hear charges. They were aged 11-20 years old.
During questioning, the suspects confessed they had acted impetuously and wanted to show that they wielded influence in the area, said police.
The officers initially pressed charges of assault causing serious injury against the seven. The officers are awaiting a doctor’s medical opinion on the treatment of the victim before pressing more charges.
The 21-year-old victim said he and his brother had been working in Bangkok and returned home before the New Year holiday. They had not returned to work because they wanted to find jobs near their community.
On the night of the attack, Mr Withoon said, he and his brother had gone out to top up their mobile phones when the attackers on three motorcycles suddenly came upon them.
“At the blind alley, I could not flee. I kept begging them to stop and begging for my life, but they didn’t stop,” said Mr Withoon. “Luckily, there were people living in the area. A border patrol police officer came to my rescue after he heard my voice shouting for help.”
He said he did not know the attackers and had never had any conflict with any of them.
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