{
  "id": 1209912,
  "title": "Cambodian hacks fellow national in Pattaya, claims wrong target",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/16/cambodian-hacks-fellow-national-in-pattaya-claims-wrong-target",
  "topic": "tech",
  "section": "Tech",
  "published": "2026-08-16T03:41:42.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Thaiger",
    "slug": "the-thaiger",
    "url": "https://thethaiger.com/news/pattaya/pattaya-machete-attack-cambodian-wrong-target"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A Cambodian man was arrested in Pattaya yesterday, August 15, following a machete assault that left a fellow Cambodian worker with severe head and wrist injuries at a workers' camp. The assailant claimed he targeted the incorrect individual. Emergency responders from police and Sawang Boriboon Thammasathan arrived at the camp around 12:30pm. The victim, lying on a bed in a third-floor room, sustained deep wounds to the back of his head and a serious wound to his left wrist, rendering him barely able to breathe at the time of rescue. He was promptly transported to Jomtien Hospital for life-saving treatment. The victim's 59-year-old supervisor revealed that the accused, initially identified as Sa, had once been a close friend and colleague with the victim, having lived and worked together previously. The accused was dismissed from the camp on August 3 following a confrontation there. He returned to the camp on the day of the attack, claiming he wished to retrieve his belongings. A person in an adjoining room overheard an argument and investigated, finding the victim critically injured. A 62-year-old security guard reported seeing the accused enter the camp carrying a large cleaver or kitchen knife, commonly used for butchering meat. The guard tried to alert the police, but the attack transpired before their arrival. CCTV footage captured a suspect carrying a sizable cleaver concealed beneath a construction helmet at approximately 12:08pm. Post-attack, the man was seen purchasing bottled water, sitting near a security booth, and subsequently fleeing on a motorcycle. By 3:30pm, officers apprehended the accused at a rented room in Naklua, Bang Lamung district, identifying him as 30-year-old Cambodian national Reaksa Chheut. He was found to be eating ice cream when the police arrived and surrendered without resistance. Reaksa admitted to carrying out the assault but insisted he had intended to target the victim's older brother, believing the man had defrauded him of 9,000 baht in wages. The intended target was absent from the room when the attack occurred. Reaksa also mentioned a past altercation with the victim during a drinking session, leading to his dismissal and removal from the accommodation. Police noted a positive urine test for drugs and are preparing charges for causing serious bodily harm. They are also investigating Reaksa's immigration history and travel patterns to determine if these factors played a role in the legal proceedings.",
  "summary": "Police arrested a Cambodian man yesterday, August 15, after a machete attack in Pattaya left a fellow Cambodian worker with serious head and wrist injuries at a workers’ camp. The accused later claimed he targeted the wrong man. Police and Sawang Boriboon Thammasathan rescue workers responded to the camp at about 12.30pm. The large camp … The story Cambodian hacks fellow national in Pattaya,…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}