Sutthiporn Thanarit, 30, invited reporters to his home at Phuket Villa 3 in Wichit today (Feb 5) to hear his explanation of the events that led to him punching Natthaporn ‘Fon’ Srithep, 23, manager of the Best Express courier service office in Baan Nabon, Moo 1, Chalong, in the face.
Ms Natthaporn is eight months pregnant, and was left with a black eye from the attack.
Sutthiporn today said that “he did not mean to attack” Ms Natthaporn, although the entire incident was recorded on the office security CCTV, clearly showing him to be the aggressor.
He just needed an explanation about his salary being cut, he said.
“I was a parcel delivery man. For the last month, I delivered more than 1,000 parcels. The manager should have given me slightly more than B13,000. However, I received only B11,000. I wanted to know where the B2,000 had gone,” Sutthiporn said today.
“We had been arguing. I always followed the company rules, but the manager was not happy with me because the manager brought her father and brother to work in the company,” he alleged.
“She wants her father to deliver parcels in the areas that I was responsible for,” he added.
Sutthiporn said he felt guilty for “blowing a fuse” and attacking Ms Natthaporn.
“I have to apologise, but people do not know how she spoke to me,” he said.
Sutthiporn confirmed that he had presented himself at Chalong Police Station at 10am yesterday and admitted to the charges of attacking another person, trespass in the daytime and damaging property belonging to another person.
“I told the police that the manager had reported to the main branch that I often took leave. I always had a medical certificate to show her. Carrying and shouldering parcels left me with a sore back, so I had to receive medical treatment,” Sutthiporn said.
“Staff of the main branch told me that I had passed probation, so why did she tell me that I had failed? I never had any overdue parcels for my areas,” he said.
Sutthiporn asked for fairness from the media. “There are always two sides to a coin. I’d like you to listen. If I had gone to attack the manager, why would I take my child along?”
He added that he was struck with a plastic chair during the incident, and Ms Natthaporn’s mother had hit him with an umbrella.
He also said that there were people already in the office waiting for him.
“I want justice for myself. Today, my wife and I will go to Chalong Police Station to file a complaint. The manager also hit me with a plastic chair while her mother hit me with an umbrella. I do not have CCTV footage from the office as evidence to support me,” he said.
Sutthiporn’s wife, who asked to be named only as “Sunny”, repeated that her husband and the manager had been arguing for a long time.
“Other [work] colleagues know that he had been treated badly, but they never spoke out, as they may be afraid of losing their jobs,” she said.
“Sunny” today played down a text message that she sent to Ms Natthaporn before Sutthiporn went to the office on Wednesday, saying in Thai, “I don’t think you will have a chance to give birth. Be careful, see you”.
Today, “Sunny” said that she did not mean that Ms Natthaporn would lose her unborn child.
“I want to clarify that all that was meant was that my husband wanted to clear everything with her before she gave birth. It did not mean that he would hurt her child at all,” she said.
“My husband is a good man, works hard, but does not understand the young manager. She may not be happy with her husband, who is overworked. Where my husband received and delivered parcels, there were no problems.
“I want the media to see both sides. We admit that my husband was too hot tempered and hurt the young manager, but when he entered [the office] they were already prepared, waiting for him. It shows that the manager and the manager’s mother were prepared for this. We ask the media to look here too,” she said.
Christy Sweet | 06 February 2021 - 15:13:17