Pol Col Sommai On-Kham was taken to Vachira Phuket Hospital after being beaten unconscious by a mob at a football match last Tuesday.
Police had gone to arrest Wirat ‘Kham’ Prabphet, 36, on charges of armed robbery, attempted murder and vehicle theft.
Kham was playing in a football match when the five police, in plain clothes, arrived at the Ban Bangtao School football field. Football fans, thinking that the police were, unaccountably, about to hurt someone for playing football, poured out of the stands and chased the officers.
The police ran away but Col Sommai was caught and received a vicious beating. Kham also made good his escape.
Examination of security camera footage allowed police to identify some of those who attacked the officers and on Saturday Suchat Wanthong and Thepnarin Manabut were arrested for their part in the attack.
Col Sommai is recovering, but will need a extensive dental bridgework to replace teeth that were broken in the attack.