Village Chief Allegedly Paid To Drop Assault Case
A Phatthalung village chief allegedly paid 1,000 baht to a family to drop an assault complaint against him after their son was beaten and tortured in July 2026, claims the family now says he coerced the withdrawal through intimidation and i
In Phatthalung, the mother and aunt of 28-year-old Sutheep Chuenmak have come forward alleging that Tambon Chief Adisak Sintharp of Lamsinthon, Srinakarin District, paid them 1,000 baht to withdraw an assault complaint. According to the family, Sutheep was forcibly detained while sleeping in his home on July 2, 2026, then shackled, beaten, tied to a mango tree, and subjected to attacks by red ants from four nests for over four hours. The family claims video evidence shows Sutheep allegedly stole beetles belonging to a villager, prompting the chief's alleged retaliation.
The family expressed alarm when a prosecutor called asking why the complaint had been withdrawn—a fact they claim was never properly disclosed to them. They allege Sutheep, who cannot read and struggles with drug addiction, was coerced into signing the withdrawal document out of fear for his mother's safety. The family also raised concerns about investigative irregularities: the investigating officer was replaced by a deputy who is a relative of the tambon chief, witnesses not present at the incident were called while those who were present were never questioned, and critical photographic evidence was never submitted to the prosecutor.
Sutheep himself revealed that on the day of the withdrawal, only three people were present—himself, the chief, and the chief's wife, who drove them to a hotel. He claimed he was instructed to lie about his mental state and what he witnessed, and he admitted to being coached to deny seeing weapons during interrogation. The family is now appealing for justice, believing the investigation has been compromised and that insufficient evidence exists to prosecute the tambon chief.
