SATTAHIP, THAILAND – A suspected poison baiting incident in Na Jomtien left more than 30 animals dead and sparked a criminal investigation and public outrage.
CCTV footage shows alleged poisoning in quiet alley
A security camera recorded how a foreign man threw a piece of meat into a quiet alley in Moo 1 and then kicked it toward the roadside. Shortly afterwards, the dog “King Kong” ate the bait, and by the next morning the alley had turned into what witnesses described as a slaughterhouse. Next to King Kong lay dozens of dead birds and another dog named “Auto,” with more than 30 animals reported dead in total.
Restaurant owner files complaint and demands justice
Shocked owner Ratsiri Kolb, a 40‑year‑old restaurant operator, immediately filed a complaint with police in Na Jomtien.
“My dogs never caused any trouble. Even if they had, someone could have spoken to me instead of taking matters into their own hands,”
said Ratsiri, who was described as desperate. She was convinced that the man, who had lived in the area with a Thai partner for decades, had intentionally poisoned the animals and now wanted to pursue the case through legal channels to obtain justice for her pets.
Suspect linked to past neighborhood disputes
According to local reports, the suspect already had a history of neighborhood disputes, and most residents reportedly avoided contact with him. Ratsiri pointed to a disturbing pattern in the alley, stating,
“In recent years, many cats and dogs have disappeared without a trace in this alley. But nobody had evidence.”
With the clear CCTV footage now available, she said she intended to follow through consistently in court.
Similar case reported in Udon Thani
Recently, in Udon Thani’s Mueang district, five poisoned dogs were found in a forested area. The method there appeared similar, with poisoned bait used to kill animals indiscriminately, prompting animal rights advocates to warn of a possible series of animal cruelty cases. Thai laws did provide for penalties for animal abuse and poisoning, but activists noted that clearance rates in such cases were often low.
Police investigation and shaken community
Police opened an investigation and reviewed the CCTV material, and the man’s identity was known to the authorities. The local community was described as deeply outraged and frightened, with trust in the safety of their pets severely shaken. In many Thai residential areas, freely roaming dogs and cats were common, and this act of cruelty personally affected many pet owners.
Calls for legal channels in neighborhood conflicts
The case highlighted a broader problem in which some foreigners and locals appeared willing to resort to drastic, illegal means in neighborhood disputes. Animal advocates urged residents to always use legal channels through local authorities or the police, stressing that vigilante “solutions” involving poison were indecent and criminal. For Ratsiri and her neighbors, the idyll in Sattahip was described as destroyed, and they now hoped for a swift arrest and exemplary punishment of the perpetrator.