PATTAYA, Thailand – Police Lieutenant Colonel Wuttikorn Plodpong, Deputy Investigator of Pattaya City Police Station, received a report of an elderly foreign tourist being assaulted and robbed of his belongings at the entrance of The Village Pattaya, Nongprue after midnight on December 25. Upon receiving the report, the officers, along with rescue teams from Sawang Boriboon Pattaya, rushed to the scene.
At the scene, they found 80-year-old Belgian national Mr. Richard Ander M. Van Bogaert, a retired electrician, bleeding from multiple injuries to his head inflicted by a sharp object. The rescue team administered first aid before quickly transporting him to a hospital. His wallet, containing about 7,000 Baht, was reported missing.
The victim’s caretaker, 38-year-old Phornthip Jamuang, told police that Mr. Van Bogaert had been returning from a Christmas event in Pattaya when he was surrounded by three motorcycles carrying six young men. The attackers used knives to assault him and then stole his wallet, leaving him injured on the ground. The victim managed to crawl to a nearby house for help, where authorities were alerted.
Pattaya Police Chief Colonel Navin Teerawit has instructed officers to search possible escape routes for the perpetrators and gather evidence from witnesses and nearby CCTV footage. Investigations will continue to determine if the attack was purely for robbery or if the perpetrators had other intentions. Authorities are committed to apprehending the suspects and ensuring they face legal consequences.
