Phuket defense volunteer fined B500 for pistol-whipping tourist

[webfact]

Phuket defense volunteer fined B500 for pistol-whipping tourist
Saroj Kueprasertkij


Police are investigating whether the gun Amnard Choodet (pictured) struck the tourist with has been used in other crimes.

PHUKET: -- A Territorial Defense Volunteer in Phuket has been fined B500 for pistol-whipping a Kuwaiti tourist and breaking his nose last month. However, the volunteer, Amnard Choodet, 38, may face more serious penalties for gun-related charges.

Patong Police charged Amnard with assault and carrying a gun in public after an altercation with Fahad Al Mutariy, 57, in Patong on Sept 9. (See story here.)

Amnard, a part-time Territorial Defense Volunteer for Kathu District, was found carrying a .38 Taurus revolver and 18 bullets on the Patong beach road when he was taken into custody.

Phuket Provincial Court on September 14 handed down a B1,000 fine and sentenced Amnard to one-year imprisonment for the assault.

“But as the defendant confessed and entered a plea of guilty, the court halved his fine and suspended his prison sentence,” a source at the court told The Phuket News yesterday (Oct 20).

The maximum penalty for assault is two years imprisonment, a B2,000 fine, or both.

Full story: http://www.thephuketnews.com/phuket-defense-volunteer-fined-b500-for-pistol-whipping-tourist-54627.php


-- Phuket News 2015-10-21

[lust]

Thailand is honestly the Wild West of the East.

[Shot]

Pathetic

[fritzzz25]

So was it 500 baht or 1000 baht? I am sure it is a huge deterrent to the others in any event

[phuketrichard]

my god,

he will think twice about doing that again, for sure!!!

[useronthenet]

Apparently foreigners' lives are cheap, had it been a Thai victim, well that would have been another matter no doubt.

[LivinginKata]

500 baht - what a joke.

I wonder how 'severe' the next gun related charges will be - another 500 baht ?

[stevenl]

Why is this "However, the volunteer, Amnard Choodet, 38, may face more serious penalties for gun-related charges." not explained any further?

[zaphod reborn]

Apparently foreigners' lives are cheap, had it been a Thai victim, well that would have been another matter no doubt.

Sure, he would have had to pay 1000 baht to the guy whose nose he broke, and another 500 baht to the police. It would have cost him 500 baht more. That will teach him to keep assaulting foreigners and to leave other Thais alone.

[LivinginKata]

Apparently foreigners' lives are cheap, had it been a Thai victim, well that would have been another matter no doubt.

Thai lives are even cheaper - most likely if assault on Thai then the police would have ignored it completely.

[NamKangMan]

As there is a two tier pricing system here - one price for Thai's, and one price for foreigners, there is also a two tier justice system here - one penalty for Thai's, and one penalty for foreigners.

It's a disgrace.

[Kasset Tak]

1000 Baht and then halved to 500 because he confessed! This is seriously a joke! "The maximum penalty for assault is two years imprisonment, a B2,000 fine, or both."

​Compare that with the maximum penalty for working without work permit: Imprisonment for 5 years or a fine ranging from 2,000 Baht to 100,000 Baht, or both.

[steelepulse]

Why is this "However, the volunteer, Amnard Choodet, 38, may face more serious penalties for gun-related charges." not explained any further?

Pending the ever present "negotiations" he may or may not face more serious penalties. I'd dare say he won't face more serious penalties except a hit to his wallet.

[worgeordie]

Did he get the gun back?

regards Worgeordie

[Alration]

So was it 500 baht or 1000 baht? I am sure it is a huge deterrent to the others in any event

The amount of the fine couldn't be any clearer if you bother to read the report.

[Alration]

my god,

he will think twice about doing that again, for sure!!!

He almost certainly will think twice about it considering that he was given a suspended sentence. You do know what a suspended sentence means, don't you?

[trogers]

I wonder if he would get the same sentence if the victim was a judge...

[canopus1969]

Courts around the world can be stupid but really the sentance handed out here does take the biscuit

[shirtless]

I thought Thai law was fairly severe , obviously this must only apply to farangs,

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Why is this "However, the volunteer, Amnard Choodet, 38, may face more serious penalties for gun-related charges." not explained any further?

It kind of was explained in the full article, although pretty obscurely.

If you read down at the end, the article says police haven't actually charged him for the gun possession part of the case, even though the article at the top appear to say he was charged with gun possession.

So what I'm interpreting this to mean is, he was sentenced for the assault part of the case, and drew the 500 baht fine.

But police now are checking the forensics on the gun for other potential cases, and then who knows whether they will ultimately pursue the illegal gun possession case again him. My guess is, it will fade away, like so often these things do.

Police have yet to formally charge Amnard for carrying a gun in public, Kathu Police Inspector Maj Col Theerasak Boonsang told The Phuket News.

“We are having a ballistics check done in case the gun has been used to commit another crime,” he said. “We have to wait about one more month for the forensic test results.”

Edited October 21, 2015 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[easybullet3]

Yes, a 500 baht fine will make him never do this again.

he much be so destroyed from this 500 baht fine.

any criminals in thailand had better think twice because maybe they might get a 500 baht fine !!

[harrycallahan]

Imagine the trouble the tourist would find themselves in if they fought back and injured him. Even if facing the same 500 baht penalty they'd be locked up until 'bail' is posted.

[Sutty]

Love it Pistol whipping Ha Ha

[English 1]

500 Baht for breaking a mans nose!

Ridiculously small amount.

[klauskunkel]

The fine for assault with a deadly weapon...

congrats, Thailand, for your continuous efforts in tarnishing your own image.

[Sutty]

Might be the way forward stopping some of the drunk I'm better than you tourists i would pay to see a few of Pattaya's drunk and abusive tourists pistol whipped

Edited October 21, 2015 by Sutty

[cruisemonkey]

So, the fine for pistol whipping a tourist is the same a tourist gets for not wearing a helmet. Interesting. I may have to re-evaluate my plans to vacation in Thailand.

[Ulic]

Well looks like justice Thailand style.

[sambum]

Pathetic

Can't really say anything more meaningful than that!

[ggt]

Dang...I would gladly pay B500 to pistol-whip several real estate agents I have dealt with...