Unwelcome foreplay
A Songkhla jailbird with the words "Sex Love" tattooed on his eyelids has apologised for robbing local women whom he also took to a local motel.
Singha Nakhon police last week nabbed Cholthee "Man" Laisamut, 29 or "Man Sex Love" as he styles himself, after he robbed two women in the area and took them to the motel, or "resort" in Thai, where he hoped to have his way with them. Both escaped and alerted police.
The incidents took place on June 8 and 18. Man, who is only recently out of prison and admitted his misdeeds, has the word "Sex" tattooed on his right eyelid, and "Love" on his left.
Women do not get the pleasure of seeing his tattoo work until he has his eyes closed, so it is not normally visible. However, his nickname hasn't proved helpful in his most recent offending, as he robs people before taking them to the resort. Naturally enough, they flee the scene as soon as they can.
Police found him with a stolen motorbike, two mobile phones, cash and an ATM card. They also confiscated a fake gun.
Most media attention focused on the June 8 incident when Man pulled up alongside a woman outside Songkhla Hospital. Kem (assumed name) was riding a white Honda Scoopy motorcycle, which Man was to steal, along with her gold jewellery and 200 baht in cash.
He said the spark plugs in his bike were worn out and asked her to help tow his vehicle to a relative's place near Ko Yo where he would change it.
Kem said a woman friend was travelling on the rear of Man's bike. At one point in their lengthy journey Man sent off his friend on his ailing bike to the relative's place to change the vehicle, while Man stayed with Kem.
However, when they reunited the woman told him she had yet to swap the bike so Man changed his plan and asked Kem to take him to a resort where he would switch the bike there for another vehicle.
Kem said she asked if he would be much longer as she had to get home to her husband.
Shortly after, he started to threaten her. She jumped off the bike but he grabbed her belongings, whipped out his gun and forced her to get back on the back.
"I begged for my life, saying I had already given him everything. I ran looking for help but could find no one.
"When I saw people at a street corner near a factory I called out for help and jumped off again, but everyone scattered in fear.
"I hit my head on the road but was able to get help from a passing motorist," she said.
Earlier, after robbing her of her valuables but before she made her second run for freedom, he took her to the resort. Man paid staff for the room, but Kem refused to go inside. They stayed half an hour before Man was forced to take her elsewhere.
After Kem fled, Man took her motorbike to get repainted black and removed its licence plate. However, he did not sell the bike, he told the police proudly, as if to mitigate his crime.
Police say he picks on women and has a lengthy record. The woman who fell victim to the June 18 robbery said the circumstances were similar: Man robbed her, then took her to the resort to force her to have sex. However, she too was able to flee.
Following his arrest, a third victim also came forward, aged 63, to say Man had done the same thing to her. Police charged him with indecency, drug offences, and robbery.
He's out of seed
An elderly man supposedly upset with a younger friend's taunts that he had lost his sex drive whacked him over the head with a machete.
Nong Han police in Udon Thani nabbed Sawang "Chuang" Chansri, 80, after he struck his drinking friend, Buarian Chaiyarat, 69, repeatedly over the head.
Mr Buarian miraculously survived. He was treated in Udon Thani Hospital and declared out of danger.
The attack occurred in Nong Sahai sub-district, where Chuang lives alone in a rice-field hut. On the day of the attack, Mr Buarian, a friend from his younger days, dropped in for a drink.
Bailey Khammahung, 55, a neighbour, said Mr Chuang was noisy, generous drinker who likes a good time.
He had been largely alone since his wife of 20 years died. His children and relatives live elsewhere.
Over New Year he found a new woman friend, aged about 60, who moved in, However, the relationship was not to last, with his admirer leaving him at the end of May.
"On the day of the incident we were transplanting rice seedlings when I heard the old man kicking up a fuss.
"I assumed he was abusing his two dogs but it went on and on. I heard the sound of a struggle, and finally he called out for help," Mr Bailey said.
"Later I saw him holding a machete. He emerged from the hut to say, 'I killed the bastard'."
"I told him to go back inside while we alerted the village headman. When he turned up we felt brave enough to enter.
"We found Buarian inside. He wasn't in fact dead but breathing faintly on the floor. Chuang was still drunk but waited for police to arrive."
Jamnong Hongkam, 73, another neighbour, said Mr Chuang has a bunch of regular drinking friends including Mr Buarian, who started visiting more often after Mr Chuang's girlfriend left.
"He liked taunting the old man saying he had no sperm, and couldn't have sex so his girlfriend had to flee. Mr Buarian would ask why he didn't give his unsatisfied woman friend to him instead."
The two started to argue and exchange dares. Mr Chuang, he said, was a rabble-rouser in his youth, and wasn't going to put up with any teasing. He pulled out the machete and attacked him.
Mr Chuang gives a different version of events. The accused, who admitted attacking the victim, said he and Mr Buarian were bad boys in their youth.
"Buarian boasted of having tough skin...no weapon could harm him, he claimed, so I decided to put it to the test.
"I grabbed the machete and stabbed him many times, until he fell over and blood spurted from his head." This exposed his drinker's boast as just hollow words, he said.
Police backed his account of what happened, though still charged him with attempting to kill. Given his age, however, and the fact he did not try to flee, they granted him bail at the police investigations stage.
A loser in love
A Chiang Mai man who tried to end it all after his love life soured was impressed when his rescue worker told him he had four wives and should try again.
Tom (assumed name), 32, jumped from a bridge in Muang's Pa Daet sub-district last week, only to wind himself doing so as that spot in the Ping River is only 1 metre deep. When rescue workers arrived they found him floating in the water, crying.
Phuwadol "Tee" Jadklai, 30, head of Kusol Songkhor Chiang Mai Rescue, said he tossed Tom a rescue vest but he wouldn't return to shore.
"He said his girlfriend had left him for another man and he didn't want to talk to anyone. He told us to go. I decided to enter the water myself and drag him to shore. He was crying heavily all the way back," he said.
Back on the riverbank, Tom, who was still upset, said he was married previously for 14 years, and had a daughter aged two, but he and his wife quit seeing each other.
About a month ago he started seeing someone new but they argued and she had now run away with another man.
He drank beer at home before taking his motorcycle to the bridge at 10.10pm. He left his shoes and motorbike on top and jumped, intending to take his own life.
However, he hit a log and injured himself as he didn't realise it was shallow at that spot. Thwarted in his attempt to drown himself, he refused to see a doctor as the rescue workers advised.
Mr Tee decided to employ some basic psychology, telling Tom that he had four wives and if was in his position, he would simply find someone else, as there were plenty of women out there to choose from.
He opened his phone and showed him a picture of his four wives and kids. The pictures actually belonged to someone else, but Tom did not know that.
When Tom heard that Mr Tee had four wives he was stunned, asked how he did it and if he could be his student.
His tears dissolved and he agreed to see a doctor. Mr Tee accompanied him in the ambulance.
Talking to the media later, he said he doesn't really have four wives, but one.
"I love her very much though she is starting to get suspicious...she checks my phone often," he joked.
"I would like to say sorry to her via the media and ask her to understand. I did it [claiming he had four wives] in the name of duty," he said.
