An American tourist met a tragic end in Bangkok, having been beaten and fatally stabbed by four men amidst a heated dispute involving his former girlfriend, according to multiple sources.
Stein Heath Cole, aged 54, was discovered with five stab wounds and two broken legs. The attack allegedly involved his ex-girlfriend’s new partner and her brother, who ambushed Cole during his attempt to reconcile with 24-year-old Nan Phawt Ar Cho on Monday afternoon, as reported by the Mirror.
The violence unfolded when Cole, originally from California, brandished a kitchen knife while conversing with Cho. This prompted her 26-year-old boyfriend, Saw Nay Lin Oo, her brother Thien Oo, and two other men to retaliate with their own weapons, according to police statements.
Cole was brutally attacked with a 3-foot metal pipe and a 10-inch knife, leaving him lifeless in a pool of blood. Disturbing images captured the scene, showing his body on the street as authorities attempted to manage the situation, the outlet noted.
“This tragic event stemmed from a personal relationship issue,” stated Bang Mod Police Chief Colonel Sonchai Poonpo. “The deceased was unable to accept their breakup and persistently followed his ex-girlfriend.”
He added, “On the day of the confrontation, he allegedly brandished a knife, leading the suspects to respond and attack. They asserted there was no intention to kill, but the chaos escalated beyond their control.”
One of the alleged assailants also suffered a stab wound during the melee and was rushed to a local hospital, police said, noting the pipe and knife used in the beating were also recovered at the scene.
All four men – the other two identified as Saw Kyaw Win Tun and Saw Kyaw Htunt Paing – were arrested and charged jointly with “assaulting another person, causing death,” the outlet reported.
Cops described Cole as an unemployed, heavy-drinking, aggressive loner who couldn’t accept the split.
“Relatives of the woman did not approve of her relationship with the American man and had been trying to separate them,” Poonpo said.
“He was described as aggressive, prone to outbursts, and a heavy drinker. Both the woman’s family and the American were staying in the same apartment building. There had been previous confrontations between him and her relatives.”
Concerned neighbors, who often heard the couple screaming and fighting, said Cole had lived alone for months in a Thailand apartment after Cho moved out over alleged harassment following the split.
Police said they are coordinating with the US Embassy as the investigation continues.
