Chiang Mai — A ruthless gang of influential figures carried out a mob assault on rice auction participants inside the San Pa Tong Rice Research Center in Chiang Mai after their demand to rig the bidding prices was refused, leaving victims seriously injured and hospitalized. The group is reported to have committed similar acts in multiple other provinces.
The brazen group assault on rice auction participants took place inside the Chiang Mai Rice Research Center, Makham Luang Sub-district, San Pa Tong District, Chiang Mai, on 25 August. The incident sparked widespread criticism online over the safety of government agency premises.
The incident occurred when Mr. K. (pseudonym), together with Mr. Kh. (pseudonym), representatives from a company, traveled to the rice research center to participate in a rice auction — specifically the sale of mixed paddy rice from the academic work group and degraded seed rice from the seed production work group, for fiscal year 2024 (second round).
However, before the auction began, a group of approximately five individuals — comprising able-bodied men, an older man wearing glasses, and a young woman — approached and entered into negotiations laced with intimidation, demanding that the victims engage in bid-rigging by keeping the closing price at the starting level only.
The victims refused the arrangement because they wished to compete fairly on price. This angered the group, who began causing a scene before launching a violent attack, using iron pipes, clubs, and knives to beat and kick the victims repeatedly in the face and head — continuing even after the victims had fallen to the ground. A knife was also used to slash the right arm of one victim, causing injury.
After the incident, the injured were rushed to San Pa Tong Hospital. Mr. Kh. in particular sustained severe injuries to his head and face, requiring a brain scan.
Subsequently, Mr. K. filed a complaint with investigators at San Pa Tong Police Station, requesting that the perpetrators be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Initial vehicle leads identified in connection with the suspects include a silver-bronze Toyota sedan with Phitsanulok license plates, and a black Suzuki Ciaz sedan with Chiang Mai license plates.
At the same time, relatives of the victims posted messages on social media seeking justice and requesting help in finding leads, stating that the perpetrators are an influential group that has caused problems of this nature in multiple locations.
The relatives also raised concerns and noted that officials at the scene reported that the CCTV cameras inside the San Pa Tong Rice Research Center were broken and unable to capture footage of the incident. They called on relevant agencies and police to urgently investigate and apprehend the perpetrators for legal prosecution.
From inquiries with the victims' relatives, it was learned that this influential group appeared to have been operating under orders to secure the rice auction contract. They had previously committed similar acts in Lampang Province, with at least one member of the group having participated in an auction there. Anyone who resisted or refused to go along with the bid-rigging was immediately targeted for assault. After the violence, those who carried out the attack would be removed from the scene and a new team would be brought in to take part in the auction immediately.
