CCTV Reveals New Angle in Sticky Rice Tragedy: Vendor's Stabbing Death Found to Be Self-Defense
CCTV footage from a fatal stabbing at a Chiang Mai intersection reveals the sticky rice vendor acted in self-defense after being attacked by the deceased and his grandmother, who initiated the assault with a chair and physical violence.
New CCTV footage has emerged in the fatal sticky rice vendor stabbing case at Wat Phan On intersection in Muang District, Chiang Mai, showing the incident was an act of self-defense. The case stems from a recurring dispute between a sticky rice vendor and her relatives, resulting in a fatal stabbing.
At 12:20 AM on May 5, 2025, police brought the knife-wielding vendor to a police holding facility for questioning. The deceased's relatives arrived at the facility and attempted to attack the vendor while hurling insults. Officers intervened to prevent harm to the suspect. The vendor claimed the deceased and the grandmother had attacked her first, forcing her to use the knife defensively, but her account went unheeded amid continued verbal assault.
Police Major Prachaya Thisula, commander of Muang District Police, ordered investigators to review CCTV footage again to clarify the circumstances. The footage revealed that the deceased was called by the 63-year-old grandmother—the mango sticky rice vendor's relative—to assist her. In the video, the deceased grabbed a plastic chair to strike the vendor, who held a knife. Rather than lowering the chair, he positioned himself behind the vendor and attempted to restrain her. The grandmother then pulled the vendor's hair forcefully, causing her to fall, and kicked her repeatedly while the deceased joined in the assault.
With the knife already in hand, the vendor thrust it toward the man's chest. The deceased pulled the knife from his chest and threw it back at the vendor. The CCTV footage demonstrates that the initial assault came from the grandmother and deceased, with the vendor's stabbing representing defensive action taken while being overwhelmed.
Police will proceed with charges of intentional homicide in self-defense against the vendor and conspiracy charges against both the grandmother and the knife-wielder.
