Locals deny tourist knife attack incidents occurred before, following ex-F1 racer incident becoming headline news
Former F1 driver Mika Salo's injury at a Bangkok intersection was a traffic accident, not a knife attack as initially reported, with locals denying any history of tourist stabbings in the area.
Following the case of Mika Salo, a legendary Finnish F1 racing driver aged 59, whose injury made global headlines after being grazed by a motorcycle with serious injuries to his left thigh at Nana intersection on May 19, local residents on May 26 confirmed the incident occurred but denied it involved a knife or cutter blade. They stated that since living in the area, they have never witnessed such knife attack incidents on tourists, believing that local merchants would know about any such crimes as they routinely protect visitors to prevent damage to the tourism industry. However, they acknowledged occasional incidents of bag snatching and drug dealing in the area.
Major (retired) Pheeraphong, a 50-year-old motorcycle taxi driver at Sukhumvit Soi 4, stated he did not witness the incident but confirmed the area has never experienced tourist knife attacks—only traffic accidents during nighttime when tourists frequent the area. The location experiences frequent accidents because tourists sometimes cross without checking traffic signals while vehicles move quickly.
A local shoe repairman named Khun reported that 3-4 days prior, Poh Teg Tung Foundation staff parked at Sukhumvit Soi 4 to assist a tall-built foreign national appearing intoxicated, but he could not confirm if it was the same incident.
According to investigators, Mika exited from Sukhumvit Soi 3 opposite Sukhumvit Soi 4 at a four-way intersection, crossed at the zebra crossing toward Sukhumvit Soi 4 near the police station, then crossed to reach a gas station before heading to accommodation at Sukhumvit Soi 2. The incident likely occurred on Sukhumvit Soi 4 while walking from the police station to the gas station, as the soi has heavy traffic and curves before the entrance, suggesting a vehicle glancing collision occurred at that moment, with the injury sustained to the left thigh area.
