Son-in-Law Defends Mother-in-Law, Gets Slashed in Neck
A man defending his mother-in-law from an armed attack was arrested after her longtime housemate suffered a severe neck laceration in Buriram on July 3; the woman credits her son-in-law with saving her life.
On July 3, police responded to a reported knife attack with serious injuries at a home in Nong Phrong village, Buriram's Muang district. Officers found 57-year-old Saiyan lying face-down in the middle of a village road with severe lacerations to his neck from a sharp weapon. He was rushed to Buriram Hospital in critical condition, struggling to breathe and pressing his hand against the wound.
The perpetrator, 41-year-old Kanying, the homeowner's son-in-law, waited at the village headman's office to turn himself in. According to witness Boonma, 61, Saiyan had come running for help, bleeding heavily and asking him to call emergency responders. Saiyan explained he had been slashed with a knife.
Saiyan's girlfriend, Linda Wensfein, 60, explained that Saiyan had moved into her home over seven years ago after her foreign husband's death, though she had repeatedly asked him to leave. She said that whenever he drank, he became violent toward her, resulting in several hospital stays, but he refused to leave.
According to Kanying's account, during the incident Saiyan was drinking with him and became verbally aggressive with Linda, then grabbed a large knife to attack her. Kanying immediately intervened to stop him, and during the struggle over the weapon, Saiyan was slashed in the neck before running out to seek help from neighbors.
Linada credited Kanying with saving her life, stating that without his intervention she might have been killed. She is calling for justice for her son-in-law and has announced she will completely sever ties with Saiyan. Kanying has apologized for the incident, claiming he acted in self-defense and to protect his mother-in-law, attributing his actions to being intoxicated at the time.
