Police Deputy Chief Transferred After Assaulting Local Reporter

A deputy superintendent at Ban Phai Police Station in Khon Kaen has been transferred following an assault on a local journalist. On August 9, 2569 (2026), Khon Kaen Provincial Police explained the incident that circulated on social media on August 8, in which a police officer with the rank of deputy superintendent at Ban Phai Station was accused of assaulting a local journalist, causing injury within the police station compound.

According to the police report, on August 7 at 7:30 p.m. near the investigation room at Ban Phai Station, Deputy Lieutenant Worawit (surname withheld), the deputy superintendent, engaged in casual banter with local journalist Tri Thep at a marble table beside the investigation room. However, Worawit then grabbed Tri Thep in a chokehold forcefully. When Tri Thep stood up and walked away, Worawit followed and grabbed him again, asking mockingly, "Upset over just this joke?" Tri Thep then lost consciousness. When he regained awareness, he found himself injured with a lacerated right eyebrow and red swelling on his neck. Rescue personnel transported him to Ban Phai Hospital, where he received medical treatment.

Lieutenant Colonel Rakthat Reuang Jarun, the superintendent of Ban Phai Station, immediately visited the injured journalist to express concern and assured fair handling of the incident. The station determined that the injuries resulted from Worawit's actions, though the exact cause remained unclear. For transparency and fairness, Khon Kaen Provincial Police ordered Worawit transferred immediately to assist operations at the provincial police center, effective August 8, 2569. An investigative committee has been appointed to review the facts of the case.

Tri Thep remains hospitalized at Ban Phai Hospital awaiting doctor's clearance to return home, after which he plans to file a formal complaint with police.