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Thai thugs break expat’s skull for attempting to stop fight
| Published: | 3 Jun at 6 PM |
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A British expat who attempted to break up a fight is now in a Thai hospital being treated for a fractured skull.
The violent incident took place in the popular Mai Hong Son tourist town of Pai, when a group of Thai men attacked a group of tourists walking down a local road. Resident expat Luke Thornton and his Thai wife Saufon were close by Pai Wuthayakarn school when a drunken Thai motorcycle gang suddenly arrived and tried to get past the group of tourists. A collision occurred and the argument became a fist fight.
Mr Thornton attempted to stop the fight, but became the focus of the gang’s aggression and was kicked and beaten until he was unconscious, with the gang leaving him for dead as they roared off on their machines. Locals called an ambulance, and the unconscious expatriate was taken to Chiang Mai Ram hospital where he was diagnosed as having a fractured skull as well as a damaged eye socket, double vision and other facial injuries.
Once he’d regained consciousness he was visited by Mae Hong Son provincial Police Colonel Suwan Tenphitak. During the visit, Saufon claimed relatives of the biker gang had threatened their lives would be in danger should they complain to the police. Later, local media reported three Thai men had been arrested for the attack, one of whom would seem to be of mixed race due to his surname. A weapon was found and seized, and the three have admitted they caused Mr Thornton’s injuries. They are being charged with assault and causing grievous bodily harm to their victim, but are insisting they only taught him a lesson for interfering as the original fight was none of his business.
The violent incident took place in the popular Mai Hong Son tourist town of Pai, when a group of Thai men attacked a group of tourists walking down a local road. Resident expat Luke Thornton and his Thai wife Saufon were close by Pai Wuthayakarn school when a drunken Thai motorcycle gang suddenly arrived and tried to get past the group of tourists. A collision occurred and the argument became a fist fight.
Mr Thornton attempted to stop the fight, but became the focus of the gang’s aggression and was kicked and beaten until he was unconscious, with the gang leaving him for dead as they roared off on their machines. Locals called an ambulance, and the unconscious expatriate was taken to Chiang Mai Ram hospital where he was diagnosed as having a fractured skull as well as a damaged eye socket, double vision and other facial injuries.
Once he’d regained consciousness he was visited by Mae Hong Son provincial Police Colonel Suwan Tenphitak. During the visit, Saufon claimed relatives of the biker gang had threatened their lives would be in danger should they complain to the police. Later, local media reported three Thai men had been arrested for the attack, one of whom would seem to be of mixed race due to his surname. A weapon was found and seized, and the three have admitted they caused Mr Thornton’s injuries. They are being charged with assault and causing grievous bodily harm to their victim, but are insisting they only taught him a lesson for interfering as the original fight was none of his business.
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