CHON BURI: A hot-tempered mango seller seen on a video clip brandishing a sword when a Pattaya city official tried to arrest him turned himself in to police on Thursday to acknowledge three charges.
Thanyabun Chomchot, 43, arrived at Pattaya police station to report to Pol Lt Col Somphan Suksamran, deputy superintendent, after police called him in for questioning and to hear charges stemming from the incident on Tuesday.
The man was seen in the video clip waving a metre-long knife when Kwanchai Klaisombun, a Pattaya city council inspector, tried to arrest him for selling mangoes from his pickup without a permit on Chom Thian Sai 2 Road. Mr Kwanchai posted the video on his Facebook page and it went viral online.
During interrogation, Mr Thayabun admitted he was the person in the clip, according to police.
He said he had not intended to sell the mangoes on the back of his pickup when he stopped on Tuesday. He parked and got out of the vehicle to buy some things for his wife at a nearby convenience store.
A person had then approached him, asking to buy some mangoes. So he sold him some fruit.
A city inspector, or thetsakit, had then suddenly approached him and tried to arrst him. They had quarrelled for a while, he said.
A second city inspector took away his scales, sparking his anger. He then acted as shown in the clip, Mr Thayabun admitted, according to police.
Some Pattaya city inspectors were also present during the interrogation.
Police pressed three counts against him - carrying a weapon in a public area, resisting arrest, and violating the Public Cleanliness and Public Order Act regarding the use of a pickup truck or other vehicle to sell goods on a road or in a public area outside a vending zone.
He was held in police custody for legal action.
