Bloodbath at a Pattaya workers’ camp leaves a Cambodian barely breathing with his skull exposed. Police arrest Reaksa Chheut, 30, eating ice cream hours later. He admits the cleaver attack but claims he targeted the wrong man over a ฿9,000 wage feud.
A Cambodian worker was left barely breathing with his skull exposed after a savage cleaver attack at a Pattaya workers’ camp on Saturday. Police arrested Cambodian national Reaksa Chheut, 30, three hours later as he reportedly ate ice cream in Naklua. He admitted the attack but claimed he had struck the wrong man. His intended target was the victim’s older brother over a claimed ฿9,000 wage dispute. CCTV showed a large cleaver hidden beneath a construction helmet before the attack. Reaksa had been thrown out of the camp just 12 days earlier following a fight with the victim. Police later seized a 50-centimetre cleaver, while a urine test returned positive for drugs. Officers are now preparing serious injury charges and checking his immigration history.
A Cambodian worker was left barely breathing after a savage cleaver attack at a Pattaya workers’ camp on Saturday. Deep wounds to the back of his head exposed his skull. He also suffered a serious wound to his left wrist. Police later arrested a fellow Cambodian who admitted attacking him.
In a startling twist, suspect Reaksa Chheut, 30, claimed he had attacked the wrong man. He told police his intended target was the victim’s older brother. Reaksa claimed the brother had cheated him out of ฿9,000 in wages. However, the man he wanted was not inside the room.
The violence unfolded at a large Pattaya workers’ camp housing Cambodian and Myanmar nationals. Police and Sawang Boriboon Thammasathan rescue workers received the emergency call at about 12.30 pm. Rescue teams raced to a third-floor room and found the victim lying badly wounded on a bed.
Victim left barely breathing with skull exposed as police probe suspect’s earlier fight at Pattaya camp
Notably, the injuries to the back of his head were extremely deep. Several wounds exposed his skull, while another serious wound had torn into his left wrist. Moreover, rescuers found the victim barely breathing when they reached him. They immediately provided first aid before rushing him to Jomtien Hospital.
At the hospital, medical staff continued treating the seriously injured Cambodian worker. In parallel, police began piecing together what had happened inside the camp. Witness statements and CCTV quickly provided investigators with a timeline stretching back before the attack.
A 59-year-old work supervisor told police the suspect and victim had once been close friends. The pair had previously lived and worked together at the camp. Their relationship had since fallen apart following a fight during a drinking session.
Earlier, the supervisor initially knew the suspect as Sa. He said the Cambodian had been dismissed after the previous confrontation. As a result, Reaksa was ordered to leave the workers’ camp on August 3. He had therefore been removed from the accommodation just 12 days before Saturday’s attack.
Dismissed worker returns with large cleaver as guard tries to alert police before brutal Pattaya attack
Despite that order, Reaksa returned to the camp on August 15. According to the supervisor, he said he had come back to collect his belongings. Yet his return took a violent turn after he entered the accommodation area.
Separately, a person staying in a neighbouring room heard an argument. The witness went to investigate and found the victim seriously injured. By then, the attacker had left the room.
Another witness had already spotted something ominous before the assault. A 62-year-old security guard saw the suspect entering the camp carrying what appeared to be a large cleaver. The guard described it as resembling a kitchen knife used for chopping bones.
In response, the security guard attempted to contact police after spotting the weapon. However, the attack happened before officers reached the camp. The victim was subsequently discovered with devastating wounds to his head and wrist.
Crucially, CCTV footage provided another piece of the sequence. At about 12.08 pm, cameras recorded the suspected attacker carrying a large cleaver. The weapon was concealed beneath a construction helmet as the man moved through the camp.
Suspect lingers near Pattaya camp after attack before police track him to the rented room in Naklua
Minutes later, the attack took place inside the third-floor accommodation. Police said Reaksa later admitted attacking the victim while the man was lying inside the room. He used the cleaver during the assault, leaving the worker critically injured.
Afterwards, the suspected attacker behaved calmly enough to remain near the scene. Witnesses said he walked to a grocery shop directly in front of the camp. He bought drinking water and then sat near the security booth.
Shortly afterwards, the man finally left the area on a motorcycle. Police were meanwhile gathering information about his identity and movements. Investigators then began hunting for the Cambodian worker previously dismissed from the camp.
Within hours, officers traced Reaksa to a rented room in Naklua, Bang Lamung district. At about 3.30 pm, police arrived and arrested him there. The operation came roughly three hours after rescuers received the emergency call.
Remarkably, Reaksa was reportedly eating ice cream when police entered the rented room. He did not resist arrest and surrendered to officers. Police also seized a large cleaver measuring approximately 50 centimetres long.
Reaksa tells police he attacked the wrong man after returning to camp over a ฿9,000 wage dispute
During questioning, Reaksa admitted carrying out the attack, according to police. Yet he gave investigators an unexpected explanation for why he had returned. He insisted the seriously wounded Cambodian worker had not been his intended target.
Instead, Reaksa claimed he had gone looking for the victim’s older brother. He accused that man of cheating him out of ฿9,000 in wages. But the older brother was not inside the room when Reaksa arrived.
At the same time, Reaksa already had a bitter history with the man he found there. Police said he referred to an earlier fight between himself and the victim. That confrontation happened during a drinking session and eventually cost Reaksa his job.
Consequently, he had also been removed from the accommodation following that fight. The supervisor said Reaksa was dismissed and ordered out on August 3. Nevertheless, he returned less than two weeks later carrying the large weapon.
According to police, Reaksa said he became angry after finding his former friend inside the room. He then attacked the victim with the cleaver while the man was lying there. Multiple blows left deep wounds across the back of his head.
Police say suspect planned return to Cambodia as drug test and immigration checks follow attack
Additionally, the attack caused a serious injury to the victim’s left wrist. Rescue workers later discovered the full extent of the damage. His skull was exposed through the deep head wounds, and his breathing was extremely weak.
Following the assault, Reaksa allegedly headed back towards his rented accommodation in Naklua. Before leaving, witnesses saw him buying water and sitting outside the camp. He then departed by motorcycle and returned to his room.
By that afternoon, police said Reaksa was preparing to travel back to Cambodia. Officers reached him before he could leave. They found him at the rented room and took him into custody without a struggle.
As part of the investigation, officers transported Reaksa to Pattaya City Police Station for further questioning. Police also subjected him to a urine test following his arrest. The test returned a positive result for drugs.
On another front, investigators are examining Reaksa’s immigration history. They are checking whether his travel into and out of Thailand complied with immigration laws. Police are also reviewing his background before deciding on further legal action.
Police prepare serious injury charges as CCTV, witnesses and seized cleaver build case against Reaksa
For now, officers are preparing charges related to causing serious bodily injury. The investigation also covers the claimed ฿9,000 wage dispute and Reaksa’s previous fight with the victim. Police have his admission to the attack and the seized cleaver.
Meanwhile, investigators have the camp’s CCTV footage and accounts from workers and security personnel. The footage captured the suspected attacker at about 12.08 pm with the weapon hidden beneath a construction helmet. The security guard also reported seeing the suspect carrying the large blade before the assault.
The sequence began with Reaksa returning to a camp he had been ordered to leave. He claimed he was there to collect belongings after his August 3 dismissal. Instead, police say he entered carrying a large cleaver and later attacked his former friend.
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Twelve days after his removal, the camp became the scene of a brutal assault. The victim was found barely breathing with deep head wounds exposing his skull. His left wrist was also seriously injured.
By 3.30 pm, police had tracked Reaksa to Naklua and seized an approximately 50-centimetre cleaver. He surrendered while reportedly eating ice cream. Police said he then admitted the attack but claimed his intended victim was another man.
The wounded Cambodian, meanwhile, was rushed to Jomtien Hospital after receiving emergency first aid. Medical staff continued treating his serious injuries. Reaksa remained in police custody as investigators prepared charges and examined his immigration history.
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