วันพุธ, พฤษภาคม 04, 2559

British couple recounts nightmare assault during holiday in Thailand, vows not to return





In this April 13, 2016 image taken from video released by the Hua Hin Municipality, an elderly British couple and their son are on the ground after they were savagely attacked during a family vacation in Hua, Hin, Thailand. Pic: AP

by Asian Correspondent Staff
3rd May 2016

(https://asiancorrespondent.com/2016/05/british-couple-recounts-nightmare-attack-during-holiday-in-thailand-vows-not-to-return/)


AN elderly British couple and their son have vowed never to return to Thailand after their brutal assault in the coastal town of Hua Hin last month.

After recounting the events of April 13, the couple, who are in their 60s, are still having nightmares about the vicious attack which saw them being knocked unconscious after an altercation with locals.

Rosemary and Lewis Owen and their 43-year-old son were vacationing last month in Hua Hin when a group of four allegedly drunken Thai men attacked them.

Recounting the assault after giving the testimony, Rosemary said she still experiences bad dreams about the attack.

SEE ALSO: Thailand: 3 suspects arrested after shocking assault on British tourists (VIDEO)

“I still have nightmares about the things that happened to me and my family. I stayed in the hospital for three days; my husband and son were in for two days. The doctor showed me the thing he took out of my swollen head — it’s terrible,” she said.

“The attack scared me and I do not want to come back to Thailand again. But I still love Thai people. What I dislike is the bad guys.”

The couple were reported to have spent more than two hours providing police with details of the attack on Monday. The two are also expected to be returning home to the U.K. today.

A video of the April 13 assault that was widely shared in Thailand shows the three tourists getting punched and kicked until they fell unconscious.

In the video, below, the son was seen to be walking down a crowded street when he accidentally touched shoulders with one of the assailants after leaving a bar.

The mother attempted to step in, but an argument ensued which saw the men throwing punches and kicks at the tourists, who were eventually knocked unconscious





A Cabinet minister and other officials visited the couple Monday with fruit baskets, flowers and other gifts.

During the visit from the government officials, Rosemary expressed hope that her assailants would be punished and that there would not be a repeat of such an incident.

They were subsequently taken to the Hua Hin provincial court to record their testimonies, before returning home Tuesday.

Three men arrested in connection with the case late last month after a closed circuit television camera circuit footage of the attack went viral on social media. A trial date has not yet been set.

Additional Reporting by Associated Press