Pattaya tourist police used a court warrant to arrest two Norwegian men and their Thai girlfriends on charges of attacking a fellow Norwegian businessman in his home.
At 3:40 am on 23rd October 2008 Pattaya police were notified that Mr. Roar Nilsen from Bergen in Norway had been physically assaulted at a house at no. 13/248 Pattaya Green Ville Village, Moo. 5, Nongprue. On arriving at the scene police found Mr. Nilsen (29) together with his girlfriend Miss Chutomar Thong But (25). Mr. Nilsen had been seriously injured and was sent to hospital where he was treated in intensive care for six hours and given 40 stitches to his wound.
Miss. Chutomar, residing at 38/173 Moo. 5, Nongprue, filed a police report identifying the attackers as Mr. Kjetil Stole(29), Mr. Jone Mardal (32) both from Haugesund in Norway accompanied by two Thai ladies. According to Miss Chutomar, on the night of the incident the four suspects broke into the victim’s house in the middle of the night smashing a glass door in the process. They used a piece of sharp ended metal to stab Mr. Roar Nilsen. It is understood that the two Thai ladies were not involved in the attack.
The victim explained that he had met one of his attackers before on several occasions and on the night of the attack he had previously had an argument with both of them in a bar.
On the 29th October police used arrest warrants no. 1842/2551 and no. 1841/2551 issued by the Pattaya court on the same day to apprehend the suspects while they were walking along Pratumnak Soi 4, off of sub-soi 3. The two men resisted arrest and it required the efforts of 7 police officers to prevent their escape. No police were injured but one officer admitted they had to “use some strong arm tactics as a necessity”.
The two men were taken into custody for further investigation and to decide to what extent they would be charged. Breaking and entering and assault carries a punishment of up to 5 years in prison. Should the charge be extended to include attempted murder and resisting arrest the pair could face a stay in Thailand rather longer than they had planned. The two Thai ladies have so far not been charged.
Mr. Nilsen said he was not interested in any financial compensation from his attackers but expected them to be prosecuted and punished to the full extent of the Thai law.
According to the police the two suspects were in Thailand on a tourist visa but own a house in South Pattaya. They are now investigating exactly what the pair is doing in Thailand. Reliable sources a PDN reporter has spoken to in Haugesund, Norway confirm that Mr. Stole and Mr. Mardal are well known hell-raisers and have a bad reputation in their home town.
