A delivery rider was left unconscious on a roadside after being kicked repeatedly by two men following an apparent road-rage dispute at the Mae Hia traffic light intersection at around 10am today, 7th March.
The attack was filmed by a passing good Samaritan whose decision to post the footage online sparked public outrage and ultimately led to the suspects turning themselves in to police the same afternoon.
The witness, Muay Thai instructor Thawatchai Chanapol, 37, was working a side job selling fresh orange juice at the intersection when he spotted what he initially mistook for two men kicking a stray dog some 200–300 metres down the road.
“At first I thought they were kicking a dog that had run into the road, but when I looked more closely I realised they were kicking a person,” Thawatchai told local media, showing his video footage of the incident and walking reporters through the scene, where a broken black prayer-bead bracelet believed to belong to the victim was still lying scattered on the ground.
He ran over immediately, filming on his phone as he went. When he tried to intervene, the two men turned on him and attempted to grab his phone. “They asked why I was filming and tried to grab my phone. Luckily I kept my distance so they couldn’t reach me, so it didn’t turn into a physical confrontation,” he said.
The attack is believed to have been triggered by a road-rage dispute — the two suspects allegedly angered after the rider’s motorcycle cut them off. After beating the rider unconscious, the pair fled on a motorcycle with no licence plate. Thawatchai chased on foot, shouting for them to return, but they rode off without stopping.
He stayed with the injured rider while bystanders called rescue workers, who transported the victim to hospital with head injuries.
Thawatchai said that despite many witnesses being present, he appeared to be the only person willing to step in. “A lot of people saw what happened but didn’t dare to step in because they were worried about their own safety. But when I saw it, I couldn’t just stand by,” he said.
He told reporters he posted the footage online both as evidence and as a public warning.
The video went viral rapidly and drew immediate and widespread condemnation online. Police inspected the scene and reviewed CCTV footage, and the two suspects surrendered to authorities the same afternoon, accompanied by a lawyer.
The case also drew a large show of solidarity from Chiang Mai’s delivery-rider community. Hundreds of riders gathered outside Mueang Chiang Mai Police Station later in the afternoon to monitor proceedings, many voicing concern that the suspects might evade prosecution or receive assistance from persons of influence. After a couple of hours, Police Colonel Prachya Thisala, superintendent of Mueang Chiang Mai Police Station, came out to address and reassure the crowd, and the group eventually dispersed.
Police have confirmed two charges against the suspects — joint assault causing bodily harm and drug use. Doctors continue to assess the victim’s injuries and if found to be serious, further charges may follow. Both suspects have accepted the accusations, admitted they acted excessively and agreed to cover the victim’s medical expenses and compensation. Police say the case will proceed in accordance with the evidence and the law.
