The Thai police apprehended a drug addict who assaulted three individuals in Nakhon Panom’s Isaan province on November 29. Among the victims was a nine-year-old boy fighting for his life, and another person was also injured. Officers from Phonsawan Police Station acted promptly, arresting the 26-year-old attacker, identified as Thotsaporn, at Phon Sawang Temple in Phonsawan district. During the arrest, they found three methamphetamine pills (Yaba) on the assailant.
Before the police intervened, the victims had been taken to Phonsawan Hospital. The nine-year-old, named Fin, suffered head injuries and lost consciousness due to the attack. Boonme, a Thai man, sustained severe injuries to his left arm from a slashing, while another victim was struck on the arm with a wooden stick, their identity remaining undisclosed. Police revealed that Thotsaporn was high on Yaba, showing no remorse and laughing at the officers. He admitted to consuming one Yaba tablet before attacking the three victims, boasting about his involvement in drug use and distribution.
A temple novice named Tonkla alerted the authorities, explaining that while four friends, including Fin, were at the temple, they saw Thotsaporn charging at them with a spade. Although some managed to evade the attack, Fin was struck on the head three times until he collapsed. Following the assault on Fin, Thotsaporn seized a knife from the temple and slashed Boonme’s arm.
Witnesses who saw the attack attempted to intervene, during which Thotsaporn assaulted another victim with a wooden stick before being restrained by locals and police. Both Fin and Boonme were left in critical condition. Fin required urgent brain surgery for a fractured skull and brain tissue bleeding, necessitating a transfer to Nakhon Panom Hospital. Boonme suffered a severed artery in his arm, leading to substantial blood loss, and was transferred to Nakhon Pathom Hospital for further treatment.
Local residents demanded stringent action against drugs and users, expressing concern that previously arrested drug addicts often repeated violent acts after release, instilling fear in the community. Supaporn, Fin’s 24-year-old mother, urged the government to address the drug problem more seriously, citing the loss of numerous lives due to drug addicts.
