Called to the scene near Baan Thungka-Mai Khao mosque, Lt Col Watcharin Jiratthikarnwiwat, Superintendent of Tha Chat Chai police, and his men found two vehicles by the side of the road – the Yaris and a van, whose driver, Thutchai Saisa’ad, 33, was bleeding heavily from the head and had a number of bruises elsewhere.
The windscreen of the van was cracked. Inside sat two scared tourists.
Mr Thutchai was taken for treatment to Thalang hospital, where he told police a strange story.
“We stopped at a convenience store and then we were driving along Thepkrasattri Rd when someone drove up alongside and yelled at us to stop.
“After I stopped, the Toyota pulled up to block me from going anywhere and the driver jumped out and banged on the windscreen, cracking it. He shouted that my van had run over someone and hurt them.
“He looked like he was drunk when I got out to talk with him.
“We failed to communicate and as I returned to the van he hit me on the head from behind with something hard,” Mr Thutchai said.
Mr Thutchai’s assistant was so terrified by the attack that he jumped out of the other side of the van and ran away, leaving the injured driver and the two tourists at the mercy of the enraged attacker.
Things got worse. Moments later, Mr Thutchai said, five or six men on motorbikes arrived and started beating him up.
At that point local residents intervened and the attackers drove away. The car of the prime attacker, however, remained at the scene.
Witnesses agreed that the suspect had a gun and had used it to whack Mr Thutchai over the head.
Undaunted, the police began a search of the area, figuring that the Yaris driver could not be far away. They found him hiding nearby, waiting for his chance to run to the car and drive away.
No such luck. He was soon handcuffed and taken away to face assault charges.