Escaping Pattaya Teen Biker Gang Accidentally

[libya 115]

SOURCE: Pattaya Daily News: July 18th 2008

ESCAPING PATTAYA TEEN BIKER GANG ACCIDENTLY WOUND GERMAN

Pattaya police volunteer pursuing a gang of 10 teenagers on 5 motorbikes, early in the morning of July 18, 2008, were shot at repeatedly by one of the gang, but the bullets missed the police volunteers. A passing German, also on motorbike, unfortunately came into the line of fire and was slightly wounded, falling off his bike as a result.

Pol.Lt.Col.Samrit Khun-chit, Banglamung Deputy Superintendent, was notified by the volunteer police on at 3am July 18, 2008, about the shooting incident, and was asked for reinforcements from the regular police.

The incident happened at a railway crossing in Soi Khao Noi, Moo 5. When police reinforcements arrived at the scene, they found more than 10 Pattaya police volunteers helping Mr. Ulli Schneider (41), German citizen, who had been shot on his right cheek, but only sustained a minor injury. Mr. Schneider told the regular police that he had been riding his white Honda chopper motorbike on his way home to Chok Chai Village 2 from having dinner in South Pattaya with Miss Gesarin Gerinrum,(29), his girlfriend, whose car he was following.

Suddenly, he had been rapidly overtaken by a teenage gang of 10 on 5 motorbikes, trying to escape capture by a group of police volunteers. He had witnessed a gang member begin to shoot at their pursuers, then one of the bullets caught him instead, wounding him slightly in the cheek. As a result, he slowed down to get out of the way, but in so doing, lost control of his bike and fell off, scraping his arms and legs.

He said he saw the gang escaping down Soi Khao Noi, but the police volunteers were reluctant to follow, not being armed. Mr. Schneider said that he was fortunate that the bullet had only scraped his cheek, but he was, nevertheless, shaken and frightened by the incident. He said he was really surprised that the teenage gang had had the audacity to shoot at the police volunteers. After the incident, he phoned his girlfriend to help him and report the incident to the regular police.

One of police volunteers at the incident said that during their duty helping the regular police on Sukhumvit Road, they had seen a suspicious teenage biker gang coming down Sukhumvit Road and had informed the regular police that they were going to follow them to check if they were in possession of anything illegal. Seeing they were being pursued by the volunteer police, a gang member had fired two gunshots in the sky and the gang had then driven into Soi Khao Noi. They had apparently shot at the volunteer police at least ten times to deter them. Apparently, one of the bullets intended for the police had injured Mr. Schneider, instead, who had had the misfortune to be also riding down the soi at the time.

Pattaya police then began to search further in the hope of arresting the teen offenders, but the gang was long gone. All the police found were more than ten .9 mm bullet cases scattered on the road, which they believe belonged to the teenage gang. Police kept the bullet cases as evidence.

Mr. Schneider was advised firstly to go to the hospital to have his wound treated and then to make a report to Banglamung police station for the record. The police are continuing their search for the teenage assailants.

[scotsman]

This is the second or third report of teen bike gangs in or around the pattaya area shooting guns off without a care in the world. There was some people hurt in south pattaya last week with stray bullets now a german man. I just feel that its only a matter of time before some bystander is killed I worry about this problem getting out of control if the people in power can't or wont do something about it, as My wife driver's about on her motorbike on these roads. The Thai powers that be should place a auto 5 years in jail if caught with a gun that may stop these kids but its not going to happen.TIT

[Scott]

The problem with foreigners is that we are slightly larger targets than some of our Thai counterparts!

[mikethevigoman]

Guns are rampant with local teenagers in the pattaya area, my wife and i were in a car repair shop yesterday on sukomvit when a young lad came in on a bike, he was shouting and waving his arms, i didnt understand but apparantly he had bought an exhaust under a month ago from a shop down the road, the shop i was in had previosly looked at his exhast and told him as it was under warranty to go back where he bought it, he then produced a gun and said he was off to the shop to shoot the owner that had told him it had no warranty, the guys in the shop managed to calm him down and fixed his exhaust for free, ,these young guys see no fear and dont worry about the consequencies, very scary,.