Four Officers Transferred After Teenager Bloodied by Police

Following the viral spread of footage showing a traffic police officer slapping a teenage boy sitting on his motorcycle near Nong Kote Pond in Ban Pet District, Khon Kaen Province, the Ban Pet Police Station has opened an investigation and implemented preventive measures. The victim filed a complaint with investigators on August 3, 2025, and although he could not initially identify the officer by name or unit, he underwent medical examination to document his injuries. A fact-finding committee chaired by Deputy Superintendent Chontharam Nilthamor has been appointed to complete its review within 15 days.

Several officers on duty the night of the incident have been questioned and temporarily reassigned from traffic patrol duties to other station work pending the investigation's conclusion. Preliminary findings indicate the victim was part of a group in the area, though the exact duration of their presence and whether they were creating a disturbance remains under review. Residents in the pond area had called police that evening reporting a group of teenagers gathering to drink alcohol, prompting the officers to check all groups in the vicinity.

Police have implemented new protocols requiring officers to wear body cameras during all inspections and to inform subjects when recording begins. Future arrests will be documented on video, and officers are instructed to request groups consuming alcohol leave public areas unless a violation of alcohol laws occurs. Additionally, any vehicles found non-compliant with regulations will be impounded and prosecuted.

Manit Totsaeng, a local entertainment industry figure, commented on the incident via Facebook, stating that while the Ban Pet police officer's actions—striking the teenager twice until blood flowed—were unjustified, he emphasized that a police officer should not resort to such violence regardless of the circumstances.