BANGKOK — A homeless woman was arrested Thursday on suspicion of throwing boiling hot water at random women pedestrians in Bangkok last week.
Sirirat Noanthong, 41, is accused of multiple counts of unprovoked assault, some of which were captured on security cameras. Police said the suspect will undergo a psychiatric evaluation to see whether she’s fit to stand trial.
Police spotted her on a street in Samut Prakan province Thursday night. Police reportedly found a thermos among her belongings.
Bangkok police chief Sanit Mahatavorn, who personally oversaw the investigation, told reporters the court issued an arrest warrant for Sirirat on Tuesday after she went on a spree of attacking people near the Office of the Narcotics Control Board in Bangkok.
Lt. Gen. Sanit did not say how many victims there were, but said all of them were women, and one of them worked for the anti-drug agency.
In security camera footage shared on social media, a woman later identified as Sirirat walks by a woman as she crosses a road and throws what appears to douse her with a liquid.
Sanit said some of the victims were hospitalized because of serious burn injuries.
Sirirat did not answer police questions after being arrested, the Bangkok police chief said. The woman was charged with assault causing bodily harm, an offense that carries a maximum penalty of two years in prison, but she will be sent to a psychiatric hospital for a psychiatric evaluation first, he said.
If it’s proven that she’s mentally ill, Sirirat will not stand trial, but her family and relatives, if she has any, will be prosecuted for not seeking treatment for her, Sanit added.
