Van Driver in Psychotic State Swings Baseball Bat at Motorcycle, Sets It on Fire, Then Rampages Through Bang Bua Thong Guesthouse Smashing Windows
A van driver in a psychotic state attacked a motorcyclist with a baseball bat on Highway 340 early May 17, then rampaged through a Bang Bua Thong guesthouse smashing windows and appliances after surrendering to police.
On May 17, 2026, at approximately 3:50 AM, a 49-year-old goat herder named Prasert (surname withheld) was riding his motorcycle on Highway 340 heading back to his accommodation in Bang Bua Thong when a white van driven by 37-year-old Itthiphattana cut him off and forced him to stop. The van driver got out wielding a baseball bat, shouting "Who sent you?" repeatedly before attacking. Prasert fled into a nearby alley, and the van driver proceeded to smash his motorcycle with the bat and set it on fire. When Prasert learned the van driver had surrendered at a nearby guesthouse claiming it wasn't intentional, the man continued his rampage, using the baseball bat to smash windows and doors, then moving inside to destroy a 32-inch television and a rice cooker in the investigation room. Security footage from Bang Bua Thong Police Station confirmed the van driver arrived at 4:19 AM, bowed three times at the guesthouse entrance while shouting incoherently, then systematically damaged property. The van driver's employer, 64-year-old Boonmi, stated the man had worked as a company shuttle driver for only ten days after being referred by a friend who asked for help finding him a job following his unemployment.
