Loan Shark Plants Bomb At Debtor's Front Door Over Unpaid Bt2,000

[webfact]

Loan Shark Plants Bomb At Debtor's Front Door



A 43-year-old Sriracha construction worker reported finding a bomb planted in front of his house. He told police a loan shark had threatened him over an unpaid 2,000 THB loan. The loan shark denied the accusation, and told police the man and his wife owed many creditors money.

SRIRACHA – March 2, 2013 [PDN]; a report of a man finding a bomb planted in front of his house was received by Pol. Lt. Col. Suthin Nilyaem, investigation officer, Sriracha police station. The victim was identified as Mr. Sombat Changphuphlangarm, age 43, a construction worker living on Soi Sonthaya 13 inTambon Surasak.

Arriving at the scene, officers discovered an M26 type bomb ready to explode, with a deadly radius of 15 meters. The police brought a tire to cover the bomb, and coordinated with the bomb disposal unit to retrieve the bomb.

Mr. Sombat told police that he and his wife had borrowed money from a loan shark for 2,000 THB, and had to pay interest for 400 THB per month. But they didn’t pay for several months.

Then on March 1, the creditor came to his house to ask for the overdue payments. They had a severe quarrel, and the creditor took out a gun to threaten Mr. Sombat before he left. The next morning, Mr. Sombat opened the front door of his house and found the bomb ready to detonate.

Full story: http://www.pattayadailynews.com/en/2013/03/04/loan-shark-plants-bomb-at-debtor%E2%80%99s-front-door/

-- Pattaya Daily News 2013-03-04

[Thaddeus]

This is not really a laughing matter, but I couldn't help thinking of this.......

Can the loan shark be charged with attempted murder if they can prove it was him?

[Locationthailand]

Yep seems to me even the fact he pulled a gun, that is over and above if they could prove he actually set the bomb. But simply unbelievable someone would murder for THB2,000. He needs to be locked away for a long time.

[fakename]

Probably cannot be charged, since they have a special protection plan.

If the 2000 baht was too small amount to kill someone over, then what would have been enough for him to kill someone?

[transam]

Really glad they covered it with a small tyre.

[RKASA]

How long ago was it that one collector set off a mail bomb in the SSI office because they stopped giving him the information he wanted to track people. Seems to be a tool of the trade here.

[jamhar]

2kbaht to a loan shark?

Construction work must really be slow.

[SparklingCascades]

All for a tiny pissy amount of Bht 2k? What we spend on a weekend Uni outing. Difficult to understand or believe. But then life is so cheap in Thailand and people can be so dis-respectful of each other. A shame.

[Nisa]

Maybe he just left the M26 Grenade there to help the guy out. Surely it should fetch more than 2,000 baht on the street.

[MEL1]

Really glad they covered it with a small tyre.

They wanted to add shrapnel, to make it more newsworthy, in case it went off.

However, 2,000 Baht..... I ask you? This loan shark must be a real low level incompetent or semi-pro. Which loan shark, does anybody know, get's irate over 2,000 Baht and drops to to the level of threatening somebody's life over it?...... a broken little finger, maybe.... but a bomb?? TIT 555.

-mel.

[chainarong]

The cost blow out on this project equals the governments printing of money,the cost and time of making the bomb would be more than two grand bht,not to mention the anticipated jail time. Conclusion: an under funded project that could explode in your face, just like the government's policies in the restive south.

[Bluespunk]

Really glad they covered it with a small tyre.

They wanted to add shrapnel, to make it more newsworthy, in case it went off.

However, 2,000 Baht..... I ask you? This loan shark must be a real low level incompetent or semi-pro. Which loan shark, does anybody know, get's irate over 2,000 Baht and drops to to the level of threatening somebody's life over it?...... a broken little finger, maybe.... but a bomb?? TIT 555.

-mel.

I'm guessing it wasn't so much the amount this guy owed but more the fact he was refusing to carry on paying. Loan sharks don't like this sort of precedent being set, might give the rest of the sheep ideas.

[Thaifever]

The tire around the bomb device.. I wonder how well that would contain the explosion?

That's what Somchai wanted to know, so he put the tire over the bomb and as you can see in the picture, he pressed the button that says "boom!", but nothing happened.

[metisdead]

An off topic post has been removed as well as the replies.

[nevets]

The 2000 may have been an instalment , but anyway 2000 is a lot of money for some who only earn 300b a day or less.

[surangw]

$b2000 is a big loss of face and needs to be "evened out"

[surangw]

maybe igniting a paper bag of kee maa at his front door might have been more appropriate

[animatic]

Probably cannot be charged, since they have a special protection plan.

If the 2000 baht was too small amount to kill someone over, then what would have been enough for him to kill someone?

By the sound of it the Vig was up over 2,000 baht, which it would pass in 5 months, so it was a staggering 4,000 baht.

Either way this is about the loan shark maintaining respect from other clients for not letting this guy slide.

[EyesWideOpen]

This is really poor debt collection.... At this point I would think the loss of

face would be from the loan shark. Bombs on the door step ?? Pretty wimpy stuff.

Better call for the loan shark would have been to shoot the guy a couple times in a non critical part of his body, then tell the guy to pay up or you will come back and finish the job...

[belg]

wow... 2000 baht with a 400 baht rent per month...

i guess loansharking is a job only reserved for thai people right ... better than playing the stock market

return on investment in 5month with 100% interest

[mogoso]

I think the bomb was the result of a loss of face. As a loan shark you'd need to set an example of what happens when your not paid. Once he pulled a gun and threatened the borrower he needed to follow through with action or change his business.

[Yo Sup]

This is really poor debt collection.... At this point I would think the loss of

face would be from the loan shark. Bombs on the door step ?? Pretty wimpy stuff.

Better call for the loan shark would have been to shoot the guy a couple times in a non critical part of his body, then tell the guy to pay up or you will come back and finish the job...

Elbows, knees and ankles. They call it a 6-pack in Ireland...

[EyesWideOpen]

This is really poor debt collection.... At this point I would think the loss of

face would be from the loan shark. Bombs on the door step ?? Pretty wimpy stuff.

Better call for the loan shark would have been to shoot the guy a couple times in a non critical part of his body, then tell the guy to pay up or you will come back and finish the job...

Elbows, knees and ankles. They call it a 6-pack in Ireland...

Damn !!!!!! I of course have heard of being knee-capped by the IRA, but

the six pack seems a bit harsh... :-) I learn something every day.....

[rbrooks]

The loan shark has plenty of money to buy his way out of this one.

[transam]

The loan shark has plenty of money to buy his way out of this one.

Really glad they covered it with a small tyre.

And it's a Michelin taboot with a six year guarantee. They got their heads screwed on this lot.

[tartempion]

All for a tiny pissy amount of Bht 2k? What we spend on a weekend Uni outing. Difficult to understand or believe. But then life is so cheap in Thailand and people can be so dis-respectful of each other. A shame.

I see them collecting a few 100's every day around the village.

They always drive a fast motorbike and are two with decent helmets.

Sometimes I watch the transaction at the local noodle stall.

Many people have to pay back these loan sharks, many for gamble debts (my gf's sister needs to pay back 2k/day for 30 days)

[blackthorn2005]

Maybe he just left the M26 Grenade there to help the guy out. Surely it should fetch more than 2,000 baht on the street.

Where did he get the grenade from?