A Thai man surrendered to police after assaulting two gay men in the Isaan province of Sakon Nakhon on Saturday, June 21, despite having no prior conflict with the victims.
The incident came to public attention after the Facebook page Jmoi V+ shared videos of the assault along with images of the suspect, identified only as Joe. The attack occurred at an entertainment venue in the province.
According to the page, Joe and his friends encountered a group of rivals at the venue. While his friends became involved in an altercation with their rivals, Joe stood nearby, facing a table occupied by the gay victims.
Joe reportedly shouted provocations at the rival group, prompting the two LGBTQIA+ victims, identified as Frank and Moo, to ask him to step back and attempt to de-escalate the situation.
However, Joe redirected his aggression towards Frank and Moo, suddenly punching both until they fell from their seats. He attempted to continue the assault but was restrained by the victims’ friends.
Frank sustained facial injuries, while Moo suffered a wound and bruising to his right eye. Both were treated at a local hospital before reporting the incident to officers at Mueang Sakon Nakhon Police Station.
The Facebook post included Joe’s images and links to his social media profile, drawing widespread condemnation from followers who criticised him for attacking innocent victims.
Following online backlash, Joe reportedly made his social media account private and turned himself in to police on the afternoon of yesterday, June 23. Police have not yet announced any formal charges or penalties.
Under Section 295 of Thailand’s Criminal Law, physical assault causing bodily or mental harm carries a penalty of up to two years’ imprisonment, a fine of up to 40,000 baht, or both.
The Jmoi V+ page also alleged that this was not Joe’s first offence. He was reportedly involved in multiple altercations with the same rival group at other events and entertainment venues across the province, but had previously evaded prosecution.
The story Thai man turns himself in after unprovoked assault on 2 gay men as seen on Thaiger News.
