Pattaya —
A Thai grilled squid vendor has turned himself in and apologized after allegedly punching a Pattaya city official who told him to move his sidecar motorcycle from blocking traffic.
However, the vendor denied physically attacking the official and blamed stress from poor sales as the cause of the incident. He claimed he only had a verbal altercation and tugged on the officer’s shirt.
First our previous story:
Now for our story:
On July 29th, 2024, Pattaya police invited Mr. Siwachett Nakham, who is a 42-year-old former temporary employee at the government’s Public Works Department and now a grilled squid vendor, met with an investigator to resolve the dispute between him and Mr. Udon Woranam, a 40-year-old Pattaya city official, whom he had allegedly punched earlier.
Mr. Siwachett was accused of punching Mr. Udon after the latter politely asked him to move his vehicle from blocking traffic near Jomtien Beach, directly in front of the Dongtan Police Box. However, Mr. Siwachett, who admitted to being the person in the video, denied physically assaulting the official, claiming he only had a verbal confrontation with the official and tugged his shirt. He claimed that he was fueled by stress caused by poor sales and financial burdens.
He also alleged that he did not intend to harm Mr. Udon because he had worked with the Public Works Department before, so he knew it was a bad idea to hit an official.
Mr. Siwachett apologized for his behavior, and Mr. Udon stated that he did not wish to pursue the matter further. However, Pattaya City insisted that legal action against the grilled squid vendor will be taken to set a precedent and prevent similar incidents.
Additionally, Mr. Udon warned other vendors to remain calm, control their emotions, and sell their goods in designated areas according to the law.
Following this negotiation, Pattaya Police Station’s traffic police officers conducted a raid on vendors illegally selling goods on public sidewalks and roads around Pattaya. This operation also followed complaints from tourists about obstruction and hazards caused by unorganized vendors.
When the authorities arrived at the area near Pattaya Police Station’s Dong Tan substation, they found that traffic there was heavily congested due to street vendors parking on the road. Upon seeing the authorities, some vendors attempted to evade arrest by speeding through the officers’ blockade, disregarding the safety of both the officers and other people in the area.
The authorities managed to capture 12 vendors, who will face legal proceedings under traffic and cleanliness laws. The authorities also announced they would increase daily inspections in collaboration with municipal officials to restore public spaces for residents and tourists.
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