Noppadon Hospitalized After Koh Loey Pier Assault; Suspect Manat Detained in Chon Buri

It started like a scene from a low-budget crime film — bright green paint splattered across a man’s face, a crowd gathering on a sun-drenched pier, and a crowbar glinting in someone’s hand. But this wasn’t fiction. It happened at Koh Loey Pier in Chon Buri, where a confrontation between two boat drivers ended with one man badly injured and another in handcuffs.

Rescuers from the Sawang Preteep Si Racha Foundation were first on the scene after a caller reported a seriously wounded man. The victim, 52-year-old boat driver Noppadon, arrived at the pier with his face and clothes smeared in startling green paint. He had suffered multiple wounds to his head and arms, and — in what witnesses described as the most alarming injury — his right ear was almost severed. Blood loss was significant, and he was rushed to Queen Savang Vadhana Memorial Hospital. Hospital staff later described his condition as stable, thankfully, after emergency treatment.

Si Racha Police Station officers soon arrested the alleged attacker, 32-year-old fellow boat driver Manat, who had remained near the scene. Once Noppadon regained enough strength, he spoke to police. His account painted a picture of a rivalry that had been simmering for weeks.

According to Noppadon, the feud began after an earlier clash when Manat allegedly caused his boat to collide with a larger vessel. Both men had fought then, and Noppadon believed the matter had been settled. But on the day of the attack, as he rested at Koh Loey Pier, Manat allegedly reanimated the dispute — literally — by throwing green paint over him before repeatedly striking him with a crowbar.

Manat did not deny the history of conflict. He told officers he attacked Noppadon because of what he described as “mafia-like” behavior. In Manat’s telling, Noppadon frequently docked his boat at the pier even when he had no scheduled passengers, effectively hogging prime docking space and leaving fewer berths for drivers who were actually waiting for fares. That accusation — of controlling the pier and taking advantage of the communal space — appears to be the spark that reignited old tensions.

Another boat driver, Adisak, told Channel 7 that Manat had recently been asking him about life in prison. Adisak, who had just been released from jail, said he was puzzled by the question and received no satisfactory answer. He later saw Manat walking past the pier holding a crowbar and a bucket of paint. When Adisak asked what he was planning, Manat ignored him and kept walking.

Witnesses and photos shared on social media, notably on the Facebook page Yes ข่าวศรีราชา, have circulated images of Noppadon drenched in neon-green paint — an image both shocking and surreal given the severity of his injuries. The paint may have been intended as humiliation or a dramatic warning, but the attack quickly turned far more violent.

Police have not yet publicly detailed the exact charges filed against Manat. Under Section 295 of Thailand’s Criminal Code, the statute covering assault that causes injury, penalties can include up to two years’ imprisonment, a fine of up to 40,000 baht, or both. Given the severity of Noppadon’s wounds and the allegation that his ear was almost detached, investigators are likely to consider the full range of applicable offenses.

The incident has left the local boating community rattled. Piers like Koh Loey hum with daily traffic, with drivers jockeying for position, passengers, and schedules — a combination that can breed petty squabbles or escalate into something much worse when tempers flare. What started as a spat over docking rights and a past collision turned into an assault that sent one man to hospital and another to a police station.

For now, questions remain. Did the dockside “turf” dispute go too long without mediation? Were there other grievances behind the paint and crowbar? And how will the community respond to make sure a similar confrontation doesn’t erupt again?

Si Racha police continue to investigate, collecting witness statements and reviewing social media posts. The case highlights how quickly workplace disputes — even in informal, tight-knit environments like a provincial pier — can spiral into real-world violence. The hope, officials say, is that swift legal action and community dialogue will prevent another scene like this from playing out on Chon Buri’s waterfront.

As for Noppadon, he remains under medical care but is reported stable. The image of his green-splattered face has become an unfortunate symbol of a conflict that needed to be resolved earlier, and more peacefully. In the meantime, Koh Loey Pier goes on — a busy little slice of maritime life where lines need to be drawn, and sometimes, apparently, where they need to be guarded by more than paint.