Benjarat Aikphaiboon, his mother, said that despite five operations his injuries were so severe that he stopped breathing once last month. After he was revived, she said, “He was unconscious for three days in the ICU.”
Mr Tiansak was walking in front of his house on February 6 when he was attacked. The three dogs, belonging to a neighbour, had got loose and had just been chased away by people nearby after they tried to bite a woman.
Running back home, they encountered Mr Tiansak and set upon him instead. He was bitten repeatedly until local people managed to chase the dogs off.
Initially he was treated at the Bangkok Hospital Phuket but was later transferred to Phuket International for specialist treatment. When this was not entirely effective, she had him moved to the Bangkok Hospital in Bangkok.
“The wounds are still very serious; the dogs bit deep, close to the bone, and there are still two large wounds. He will have another operation tomorrow on his right leg,” she said.
She said that bills from the three hospitals have already exceeded B2 million, and there are more to come.
“It cost around B800,000 at Bangkok Phuket Hospital and B500,000 at Phuket International Hospital. Here [in Bangkok] it is already B900,000. I don’t know how much tomorrow’s operation will cost in the end.”
She added that the owner of the dogs had paid B300,000 compensation at the beginning but was not prepared to pay more.
“He has told us that if we want more money, we have to go to court. We have engaged a lawyer but we are waiting until my son recovers before we start legal action.
“After tomorrow’s operation, my son has to wait three weeks, then he will have another operation on his left leg.”
The owner, Prasert Kulweera-Aree, has been charged by police on two counts: negligence causing grievous bodily harm, which carries a maximum penalty of three years’ imprisonment and a fine of B6,000; and allowing a ferocious or vicious animal, to wander about alone in a manner likely to cause injury to people or property, which carries a maximum penalty of one month in jail and a fine of B1,000.
Contacted by The Phuket News, Mr Prasert’s wife Jantra, who is a judge in the juvenile and family division of the Phuket Provincial Court, said the couple have no comment to make on the incident.