CityNews – 8th November 2019, on the night of 4th November, a male foreigner, later identified as an American, destroyed the window of a shop in Chiang Mai during an incredible outburst filmed by a nearby shop assistant who was the focus of his ire.
According to Salita Akaruean, she was minding her own business in front of a shop she was working in when this man came up to her and, allegedly unprovoked, and began to shout and scream at her. She called the police who arrived to find a crowd of onlookers being verbally abused and threatened by this man.
Salita Akaruean posted the video on the 5th November which showed the man using a racial slur which was commonly used by American GI soldiers to describe the Viet Cong as well as another common racial slur for Chinese people. He also used a homophobic slur, and threatened to kill and rape the woman and all the bystanders.
Bystanders appeared to be very calm as they waited for the authorities, overheard saying to one another that he must be abnormal and mentally ill while the man appeared to be sweating profusely, at one point dancing and spitting at the crowd.
He also said, “Put me on YouTube and make me famous,” as police cuffed him.
Once the video went viral, the comments section lit up with up to ten people who alleged this same man had created similar offences in the past months. Many posters claimed that he had damaged other businesses around Chiang Mai, including McDonalds at MeeChok branch. Some commentators thought that he must be mentally ill. Others concluded that his behaviour may have stemmed from his desire for a free ticket home.
Salita updated her Facebook today with the news that the man has now been released and is awaiting his court date in December.