A case of an angry female fruit seller who attacked a local official for trying to clear her off the sidewalk is the latest event in the battle between the authorities and the vendors.
The case is mired in corruption. The changing of the guard from a retiring official to a new one with new demands. But also violence.
It entails a furious woman trying to make a living who lashed out in frustration with a knife and injured an official.
But was he merely doing his job in clearing the sidewalk? Or was he extorting cash? Or both?
The police are set to meet the warring factions today to come to some agreement in what is becoming a war of words and actions not just in the capital but across Thailand as the military government tries to bring more order to the streets.
The latest incident involved 37 year old fruit seller Thongkham Yonaphan from Sisaket.
She was filmed in a furious rage attacking a “tetsakit” official from the Nonthaburi administration with a fruit paring knife.
He needed seven stitches in an arm wound. The footage, inevitably, found its way to Facebook.
Thongkham said that she had paid to be outside the Toyota dealership on Rathanathibet Road.
Why should she be cleared off?
Yesterday she explained that she had been selling fruit there from her cart for 5 or 6 years.
She had originally been asked for 500 baht to ply her trade and negotiated a fee of 300 baht with the “tetsakit” officer as her cart was a small one.
Everything was fine and she paid by the month.
Then he retired and a new guy came in.
He asked her for 1,300 baht “like everyone else”. She said he gave her a receipt for 300 baht.
“I don’t know where the other 1,000 baht went”, she said somewhat tongue-in-cheek.
So the status quo of 300 baht monthly payments was resumed but on the day of the assault the new officer tried to clear her away before she had completed her day of selling.
She said she had only been there two hours.
She got mad – she slammed her fist into her own cart breaking the glass then attacked the official with the knife.
Kittisak Thiangkamol of the Nonthaburi authority confirmed the incident. He said that Surasingh Noradee, 31, had filed a claim of assault after needing seven stitches in an arm wound.
Another official called Samniang Naowarat, 58, said his phone was slightly damaged in the melee.
Kittisak said that the officers were doing their duty but he intimated that there was an inquiry as to who ordered them to do what they were doing and and he wanted to know precisely what was their behavior and motivation.
Police are set to meet both sides today to come to an agreement.
Image: Thai Rath
A case of an angry female fruit seller who attacked a local official for trying to clear her off the sidewalk is the latest event in the battle between the authorities and the vendors.
The case is mired in corruption. The changing of the guard from a retiring official to a new one with new demands. But also violence.
It entails a furious woman trying to make a living who lashed out in frustration with a knife and injured an official.
But was he merely doing his job in clearing the sidewalk? Or was he extorting cash? Or both?
The police are set to meet the warring factions today to come to some agreement in what is becoming a war of words and actions not just in the capital but across Thailand as the military government tries to bring more order to the streets.
The latest incident involved 37 year old fruit seller Thongkham Yonaphan from Sisaket.
She was filmed in a furious rage attacking a “tetsakit” official from the Nonthaburi administration with a fruit paring knife.
He needed seven stitches in an arm wound. The footage, inevitably, found its way to Facebook.
Thongkham said that she had paid to be outside the Toyota dealership on Rathanathibet Road.
Why should she be cleared off?
Yesterday she explained that she had been selling fruit there from her cart for 5 or 6 years.
She had originally been asked for 500 baht to ply her trade and negotiated a fee of 300 baht with the “tetsakit” officer as her cart was a small one.
Everything was fine and she paid by the month.
Then he retired and a new guy came in.
He asked her for 1,300 baht “like everyone else”. She said he gave her a receipt for 300 baht.
“I don’t know where the other 1,000 baht went”, she said somewhat tongue-in-cheek.
So the status quo of 300 baht monthly payments was resumed but on the day of the assault the new officer tried to clear her away before she had completed her day of selling.
She said she had only been there two hours.
She got mad – she slammed her fist into her own cart breaking the glass then attacked the official with the knife.
Kittisak Thiangkamol of the Nonthaburi authority confirmed the incident. He said that Surasingh Noradee, 31, had filed a claim of assault after needing seven stitches in an arm wound.
Another official called Samniang Naowarat, 58, said his phone was slightly damaged in the melee.
Kittisak said that the officers were doing their duty but he intimated that there was an inquiry as to who ordered them to do what they were doing and and he wanted to know precisely what was their behavior and motivation.
Police are set to meet both sides today to come to an agreement.
(Source:-Thai Rath)