Thai army officer allegedly shot at Israeli man over affair with man’s wife
Military names soldier and admits he threatened life of Israeli, who is married to a local woman and owns coffee shop where shots were fired
A Thai army officer opened fire at an Israeli man during a recent brawl between the two, allegedly over an affair the officer was having with the man’s wife, according to local media reports.
There were no injuries in the incident, which happened two months ago, but only became public after high-profile lawyer Sittra Biebangkerd exposed it last Thursday at a press briefing and in posts to Facebook.
Sittra said that Israeli Rudy Bahar, 53, who owns a coffee shop in the country, had approached his law firm for help after police declined to become involved and he had received threats, the Bangkok Post reported Saturday.
Bahar opened the coffee shop four years ago at the request of his Thai wife, investing about two million baht ($52,427) in the venture.
A new road was being built in the area under the direction of the army officer who became acquainted with Bahar’s wife, leading to an affair, Sittra claimed.
Citing testimony from Bahar’s daughter, but without naming the officer, the attorney said that on August 6 the suspect arrived at Bahar’s coffee shop in Sawang Daen Din district of northeastern Sakon Nakhon province, where the Israeli lives with his wife, three sons and two daughters. Bahar asked him to leave but the enraged officer then pulled out a gun, firing four shots at the ground and another five at Bahar, who escaped without injury.
The Israeli reported the incident to the Sawang Daen Din police station but was turned away, with Sittra claiming it was because police officers feared the army, which has more power in the area. Sittra further said that an interpreter subsequently deceived Bahar into signing a document that he would not take any legal action over the shooting.
In the wake of the revelations, the Thai army admitted Saturday that Lt. Preecha Chaimat, 51, of the Third Engineering Battalion based in Nakhon Ratchasima, had threatened the life of the Israeli man.
An army spokesperson said that the officer was taken Thursday to Sawang Daen Din police station, where he was told he would be charged with firearm offenses. He was later released, though the weapon was confiscated. A disciplinary committee has been set up to review the case, the spokesman said.
