Police Summon Loan Sharks Who Threatened Noodle Vendor, Granddaughter
Police in Buriram's Lam Plai Mat district are summoning a loan shark gang accused of brandishing guns and threatening a 53-year-old noodle vendor and her 12-year-old granddaughter. The vendor had co-signed an informal loan for a friend but faced intimidation when she tried to repay the debt and withdraw as guarantor. She filed a complaint seeking protection and mediation to resolve the dispute and return to normal life.
Police are preparing summonses for a loan shark gang that brandished firearms and threatened a 53-year-old noodle vendor and her 12-year-old granddaughter in Lam Plai Mat district, Buriram province.
The vendor, identified only as Ms. Da, came forward in tears to seek help, alleging the gang pointed guns at her and threatened to destroy her shop. The trouble began when a friend asked her to guarantee an informal loan, but the lending group insisted the guarantor also take out a loan themselves, supposedly to cross-guarantee each other. Out of sympathy for her friend, Ms. Da agreed to borrow as well.
When she later tried to pay off the debt and withdraw as guarantor, the gang became angry. On November 13, Ms. Da and her 12-year-old granddaughter filed a complaint at Lam Plai Mat Police Station, asking officers to pursue the gang for intimidation and to mediate a debt settlement so she can resume her business and daily life without living in hiding.
Whether the lending operation was unlicensed or charged interest above the legal limit will be determined by the police investigation. Ms. Da vowed never to borrow from informal lenders again, explaining she only did so this once to help her friend invest in a business.
The friend in question denied pressuring Ms. Da to borrow or co-sign, stating they each took separate loans. He also said he did not know if the claims of gang intimidation were true, adding that he borrowed from the same lender and had never been threatened, though he was unsure whether Ms. Da had repaid on schedule.
Following the complaint, Lam Plai Mat police investigators are preparing to summon the alleged loan sharks or lenders named by the victim for questioning and will proceed according to legal procedures. Charges will depend on witness testimony and evidence. If those summoned fail to appear, arrest warrants will be issued as the next legal step.
