'Siam mafia' man nabbed, faces assault, theft charges
THE NATION September 10, 2015 1:00 am
A 38-YEAR-OLD Laotian man - known in the social media as the "Siam Mafia" thug after footage of him allegedly attacking a woman on a Bangkok subway went viral - has been arrested.
Apart from the charge of illegal entry into Thailand and the charge of assault, Weerapan Inthawong, who was arrested at the Sutthisan metro station on Tuesday evening, also faces a separate charge of stealing another woman's iPhone, said Pathumwan superintendent Pol Colonel Jarut Sarutayaporn.
Although the social media claimed Weerapan had intimidated and assaulted several people in the Siam Square area, Jarut said a police probe found Weerapan had committed only three attacks: The September 4 subway assault; stealing a masseuse's iPhone on August 10; and the August 12 assault of a 17-year-old boy at Siam Paragon Mall.
Weerapan confessed to having sneaked into Thailand to live in Bangkok and sell clothes for a living - but he denied stealing the iPhone.
Pol Maj-General Chayapol Chatchaidech, Metropolitan Police Bureau's Division 6 commander, urged other victims to come forward and file assault or theft complaints against Weerapan.
An informed source reported that Weerapan had falsely claimed to be a relative or subordinate of influential people such as former Bangkok senator Chatchawal Kong-udom and former Chon Buri politician Somchai "Kamnan Poh" Khunpluem.
