Two Vietnamese men, entangled in a debt dispute, were arrested yesterday for assaulting a fellow Vietnamese national on South Pattaya Road.
The suspects, 30 year old Tran Chin Tin, also known as Boy, and 31 year old Nguyen Anh Kiet claim the violence erupted after their creditor insulted their parents.
Police Lieutenant Colonel Piyaphong Ensan of the Pattaya Tourist Police yesterday, June 26, interrogated the suspects at Pattaya City Police Station. The investigation revealed a complicated backstory: Boy had invested in a car pawn business in Vietnam with the 38 year old victim of the assault, Xuan, about three years ago. The business took a downturn when they were found pawning illegal vehicles, resulting in significant legal trouble and angry creditors.
Fleeing to Pattaya to escape his financial woes, Boy took refuge with Nguyen, whose sister runs a Vietnamese restaurant. The confrontation occurred when Xuan, determined to recover his money, tracked them down to the restaurant and allegedly hurled insults at their families.
Boy emphasised that the attack was not premeditated.
“His words about our parents pushed us over the edge.”
Police Lieutenant Colonel Thananon Athipansee, Deputy Superintendent of Pattaya City Police, elaborated that Xuan had suffered a loss of about 1.4 million baht due to the illegal car pawning, prompting his pursuit of the suspects from Vietnam to Thailand.
After being assaulted, Xuan remains adamant about pressing charges. The suspects, however, insist they are not part of any criminal organisation and had no intention of luring Xuan into a trap, reported KhaoSod English.
ORIGINAL STORY: Vietnamese men engage in brawl in Pattaya over debt
A brawl between foreign tourists erupted in Pattaya yesterday afternoon shocking bystanders in the vicinity. The confrontation, which left one man injured, unfolded in front of stunned locals and visitors near a popular restaurant on South Pattaya Road.
The chaos erupted outside a food-to-order restaurant when a group of men began attacking 38 year old Vietnamese national Xuan Hai Ngo in broad daylight. A KhaoSod English reporter, passing by, quickly sprang into action, capturing the altercation on video and stepping in to break up the fight. The attackers, upon realising they were being filmed, fled into nearby bushes.
Police were promptly called to the scene, managing to apprehend one suspect, who was identified as Vietnamese. However, other members of the group managed to escape into a nearby shopping mall’s parking lot.
Xuan, the victim of the assault, revealed the terrifying backstory. He explained that his attackers were his debtors, with whom he had arranged a meeting to settle an outstanding debt.
He had been waiting at the restaurant with a friend when the debtors arrived in a Ford car, accompanied by four men. The meeting quickly turned violent; without much conversation, Xuan was put in a headlock and repeatedly punched and kicked, eventually collapsing in the street.
“It was a trap. They planned to lure me there to attack me. I am very scared now.”
The police searched the debtors’ car and discovered an alarming array of weapons, including knives, metal objects, and wooden sticks, all of which were confiscated for further investigation. Police are intensifying their efforts to track down the remaining suspects and bring the Vietnamese gang to justice, reported KhaoSod English.
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