PATTAYA — Two Vietnamese debtors, who are suspects in an assault case against a fellow Vietnamese national on South Pattaya Road, were arrested on Wednesday. They claimed that they had been provoked by a debt collector who insulted their parents, leading to a loss of temper.
They pleaded with society not to view them as members of a mafia gang.
Police Lieutenant Colonel Piyaphong Ensan of the Pattaya Tourist Police questioned two suspects: Mr. Boy, also known as Mr. Tran Chin Tin, 30, and Mr. Nguyen Anh Kiet, 31, who were brought to the Pattaya City Police Station to face charges of assault.
The investigation revealed that about three years ago, Mr. Boy had invested in a car pawn business in Vietnam with Mr. Xuan, 38. Recently, they faced legal issues due to pawning illegal vehicles. Pursued by creditors, Mr. Boy fled to Pattaya, staying with Mr. Nguyen, whose sister owns a Vietnamese restaurant there.
The suspects claim the incident was unplanned. They say Mr. Xuan, their creditor, confronted them at a restaurant and insulted their families, which provoked their violent reaction. They deny being part of organized crime or luring the creditor to harm him, as had been previously reported.
Police Lieutenant Colonel Thananon Athipansee, Deputy Superintendent of Pattaya City Police, stated that Mr. Xuan, the injured party, had a car pawn business in Vietnam. One of the suspects allegedly caused him to lose about 1.4 million baht through illegal vehicle pawning, leading to police intervention in Vietnam.
After the suspects fled to Pattaya to work at a relative’s Vietnamese restaurant, Mr. Xuan flew to Thailand to recover his debt. Instead, he was assaulted. Mr. Xuan insists on pursuing legal action against the two main assailants, while two others present were not directly involved in the violence.
_______
Related article:
Vietnamese Debt Collectors Beat up Creditor in Central Pattaya
