German man brutally attacked by Koh Tao copycats

[lomuamart]

Khaosod English
17 November 2014, Last update at 13:53:00 GMT

German Man Brutally Attacked By 'Koh Tao Copycats'

UDON THANI — A 25-year-old German man was admitted to the ICU after he was allegedly attacked by drunk teenagers in Udon Thani who wanted to imitate the brutal murder of two British tourists on Koh Tao island in September.

Police say the German man was sitting with two Thai friends near a park in Udon Thani's Muang District in the early morning of 15 November when three Thai teenagers suddenly attacked him with a garden hoe.

The man is now being treated for severe injuries in the ICU at Udon Thani Hospital. Medical workers say he suffered wounds on his face and skull that required immediate operation. According to a doctor at the hospital, there's only "50-50" percent chance that he will survive.

The attack also left one of the German's friends with a broken arm, police say.

Police have arrested three suspects, two 18-year-olds and one 17-year-old, in connection with the crime.

Pol.Col. Surin Chaichomphu, deputy commander of Udon Thani Police, announced the arrests of the two men, named Thanakorn Khusuwan and Surachet Sripolmuang, at the press conference yesterday. The third suspect, nicknamed Wuth, was not present at the press conference because he is a minor.

According to Pol.Col. Surin, both men confessed to assaulting the German man.

Thanakorn and Surachet reportedly told police that they were drinking at Wuth's house on 14 November. After they became drunk, the teenagers reportedly drove around town on a motorcycle until they came across the German man and his friends at the park. They also brought a garden hoe as "protection" in case they encountered any rival gang members, Pol.Col. Surin said.

After seeing the German and his friends, the three teenagers reportedly dared each other to imitate the murder of two British backpackers on the southern island of Koh Tao on 15 September, in which the tourists were brutally beaten to death by a garden hoe.

Wuth reportedly accepted the challenge "out of drunkenness" and proceeded to beat the German and his friends with the garden hoe he had brought from home. The other two suspects soon joined in, Pol.Col. Surin said.

"This action is a typical case of youthful recklessness," Pol.Col. Surin said at the press conference. "The three suspects are all students. But now they have ruined their future."

All three suspects have been charged with physical assault leading to grave injuries. Pol.Col. Surin said a murder charge will also be filed if the man dies from his injuries.

Pol.Lt.Col. Kachornsak Wongsaraj, a detective officer at Muang Udon Thani Police Station, told reporters that the German victim works as a language tutor for Udon Thani residents who plan to move to Germany.

The German was at the park in the early hours of 15 November because he likes to watch the sunrise, Pol.Lt.Col. Kachorns

What is happening to this country?

[Spitfire]

The male kids here are a joke...way out of control, arrogant, selfish, violent for no reason and desensitized to so much with a constant mantra in the background from family that they are special, can do no wrong and they are certainly not taught to be responsible for their actions. Mix that with the usual modern bad parenting, rotten society and culture along with the self-entitlement so many have and feel now about everything as if it's an enshrined right that the world owes their pathetic butts a living or existence.

Society needs to throw the book at them big time and make some examples out of these little f$&%# but the perps know that if they admit it, appear contrite, spend some time as pseudo monks and perhaps pay some compensation then it'll all be fine and they'll get away with it.....maybe a little jail time if they are poor.

Too much garbage in society these days everywhere.....and that's putting it politely.

[Vital Spark]

Totally agree with you, Spitfire. I couldn't have put it better myself. I do hope that the quote from the policeman calling it "...youthful recklessness..." was as a result of bad translation. This was attempted murder on some innocent people, and those responsible should be removed from civilised society for a very, very, long time.

VS

[richard]

Didn't I read somewhere on a thread about a senior police official commenting on the Koh Tao murders that "Thais wouldn't do a thing like that"

Sick world we live in

[robcar]

All three suspects have been charged with physical assault leading to grave injuries. Pol.Col. Surin said a murder charge will also be filed if the man dies from his injuries.

'physical assault' ?????????? Is there no Attempted Murder charge here.

[Norseman]

No way.
This never happened because TAT yesterday declared that Thailand is a safe destination for tourists.

[richard]

Wait for the fallout if the international press latch on to this

[GLCQuantum]

I can't put things better than Spitfire already has. I'll just add...

I fear that you will be hearing about more and more of these attacks. As more foreigners settle, it's mathematically going to happen. Also, unlike immigrants in other countries, foreigners that decide to call Thailand there home do not come in packs, do not have a large support group in place and do not have a great deal of security. Things can go wrong real quickly without any wrongdoing of the victim.

Hope the young lad recovers well.

[GLCQuantum]

'A typical example of youthful recklessness', said the police officer! Like Vital Spark, I hope that this was just a 'typical example' of how translations can go horribly wrong.

If not, well...

says it all really.

[pdm3547]

The male kids here are a joke...way out of control, arrogant, selfish, violent for no reason and desensitized to so much with a constant mantra in the background from family that they are special, can do no wrong and they are certainly not taught to be responsible for their actions. Mix that with the usual modern bad parenting, rotten society and culture along with the self-entitlement so many have and feel now about everything as if it's an enshrined right that the world owes their pathetic butts a living or existence.

Society needs to throw the book at them big time and make some examples out of these little f$&%# but the perps know that if they admit it, appear contrite, spend some time as pseudo monks and perhaps pay some compensation then it'll all be fine and they'll get away with it.....maybe a little jail time if they are poor.

Too much garbage in society these days everywhere.....and that's putting it politely.

Wow.....

[theprice01]

as sick as it is, I'm not that suprised its happened

[Name Taken]

I can't put things better than Spitfire already has. I'll just add...

I fear that you will be hearing about more and more of these attacks. As more foreigners settle, it's mathematically going to happen. Also, unlike immigrants in other countries, foreigners that decide to call Thailand there home do not come in packs, do not have a large support group in place and do not have a great deal of security. Things can go wrong real quickly without any wrongdoing of the victim.

Hope the young lad recovers well.

I agree, there are very very few Westerners(Caucasians) living in Thailand full time.

[europtimiste]

The attackers must be certainly illegal Myanmar workers, Thais cannot do such things............

[Takiap]

Thais, and I mean every single Thai person on the planet, will always reach for a weapon if there is any chance of being involved in a fight. In my eyes, a sure sign of a coward. Anyway, that's a discussion for another day.


The three lads involved in this attack should be dealt with Malaysian style..........a good thorough police caning in from of their parents so that at least they too might feel slightly guilty for their pathetic lack of parenting skills.

Throw the little crap heads in prison for many years. And yes, the 17 year old punk as well. He is also old enough to know right from wrong.