Pattaya, Thailand
Police have arrested a 21-year-old suspect accused of seriously injuring an 18-year-old vocational student by slashing and stabbing his throat with a knife before stealing his motorcycle in a brutal robbery near Pattaya.
The suspect, identified as Sophonwit Jirathanasawat, also known as “Ti Yai” (Big Ti), was apprehended in the Wang Nam Khiao district in the Nakhon Ratchasima province (Korat), after fleeing the scene. Authorities from Chonburi Provincial Police coordinated with officers at Udom Sap Police Station to track and detain him. He was transported back to Huai Yai Police Station in Chonburi for further questioning.
The victim, Siraphat Mai Thaisong, a third-year vocational student majoring in computer technology at a technical college in Banglamung, was attacked in the Mab Charoen garden house area in the Khao Mai Kaeo sub-district. The assailant used a knife to slash the victim’s throat, stab his neck, and cut his ear before fleeing on the stolen Honda Wave 125 motorcycle (black).
The victim sustained severe injuries but was quickly aided by rescuers and is receiving treatment and is expected to make a full recovery.
Police charged Sophonwit with robbery with a deadly weapon (knife) causing serious injury to another person and carrying a knife in a public place or community without reasonable cause.
During initial interrogation, the suspect confessed to the crime. He claimed he acted in a moment of lost control due to emotional distress after being abandoned by a friend at a gas station. He had asked the student for a ride to a bus terminal to return home but became enraged when the victim reportedly refused or was in a hurry to attend class. The suspect also claimed to have a history of psychiatric illness and said he had not taken his medication.
A Grab motorcycle taxi driver came forward with a chilling account, revealing he narrowly escaped becoming the suspect’s earlier target. The 21-year-old rider, Phiphat To Ha Mo, said he picked up the suspect (later identified as the robber) at a gas station in central Pattaya. The fare was agreed at 800 baht for a trip to an industrial area in Si Racha, Chonburi, covering nearly 100 km round trip.
The driver grew suspicious when the passenger repeatedly photographed his motorcycle with two mobile phones and asked unusual questions, such as whether the bike had GPS, its price, and how much a white one might fetch. The passenger also tried to direct him onto isolated roads.
Sensing danger, the driver pretended to feel sleepy after a long day and suggested stopping at a gas station in Khao Mai Kaeo so the passenger could buy him coffee. Once the suspect got off, the driver immediately sped away, abandoning him.
He later learned from news reports that the same person went on to attack the student and realized he had been the intended victim. The driver expressed shock and deep sympathy for the injured student.
Investigators uncovered key evidence after the robbery: The suspect posted the stolen motorcycle for sale in a Korat-area Facebook group for buying and selling motorcycles under his profile name “Ti Yai.” Police tracked the post and recovered the vehicle before it could be sold on the black market.
The suspect also had a recent prior offense. On February 1st, just one day before the attack, he pretended to apply for work at a worker camp in the Thung Klom-Tan Man alley. He allegedly stole a bronze-gray Honda Wave 125 motorcycle belonging to a worker and fled. Security cameras clearly captured his actions.
Police continue their investigation, with the suspect in custody and facing serious charges.
For the original version of this article, please visit The Pattaya News.
