Village Chief Drags Young Man from Bedroom, Chains Him to Mango Tree in Brutal Four-Hour Torture
A village chief in Phatthalung Province handcuffed a 28-year-old man to a mango tree and tortured him with ant nests for four hours, claiming he had stolen a beetle, though the accused said he was only retrieving a plastic bag for fishing b
On April 26, 2025, a complaint was filed by Somthorn (surname withheld), 49, and her sister-in-law Amornrat (surname withheld), 36, on behalf of their relative Suthep (surname withheld), 28, seeking justice. According to their account, a village chief from Si Nakharin District in Phatthalung Province forcibly removed Suthep from his bed while he slept and placed handcuffs on him. The chief then tied Suthep to a mango tree in front of the house, struck him in the face twice until his eyes were bruised, and kicked him once more.
The chief then brought four ant nests and placed them on Suthep's head (three nests) and beside him (one nest), claiming he had video evidence that Suthep had stolen a beetle from villagers. The ants attacked and bit the young man, causing blood to pour from his nose as he writhed in agony for over four hours while the chief refused to remove the handcuffs. Fearing for his nephew's life, a family member drove to Si Nakharin Police Station to request police assistance in removing the handcuffs.
When police arrived and removed the handcuffs, they found Suthep's body covered in ant bites from head to toe, with visible scratches at the base of the mango tree from his struggle against the pain. When questioned, Suthep explained that the chief had accused him of stealing a beetle, but he was actually retrieving an empty plastic bag to use for fishing bait from a beetle farm—not stealing any beetles. He noted that the video footage the chief showed contained only an empty plastic bag with no beetle inside, but the chief refused to listen and proceeded with the torture. The beetle owner later agreed not to press charges, and police advised him to stop the behavior.
Suthep admitted to occasional drug use (two pills daily) but stated the money came from grass-cutting work, not theft. He also acknowledged that he had stolen from villagers in the past while living in Had Yai District, but claimed he had reformed over the past year since moving back home and had not stolen anything since.
Suthep's aunt stated that while they would accept punishment if he was guilty, the chief's actions were excessive and disproportionate. Handcuffing him to a tree, beating him, and using ants as torture for four hours went far beyond appropriate discipline. She noted that police arrived two hours into the ordeal but could not release him because they didn't have the key and the chief refused to unlock the handcuffs. It wasn't until four hours had passed and family members came to police requesting Suthep's release that he was finally freed, suffering from pain and trauma throughout his entire body.
