Police have pressed three charges against a man who attacked two women with a knife at CentralWorld shopping mall in the Ratchaprasong commercial area of Bangkok on Tuesday afternoon.
Pol Maj Gen Jeerasant Kaewsaengnok, deputy chief of the Metropolitan Police Bureau, said on Wednesday the assailant was charged with physical assault causing serious injuries, physical assault causing injuries and carrying a knife in a public area. He would be sent for psychiatric assessment.
The suspect's name was not released. He was detained shortly after attacking two shoppers at the mall.
Pol Maj Gen Jeerasant said the suspect claimed he carried out the attack for no real reason, and that he did not know the injured women.
Tests did not reveal any use of illegal drugs. However, the suspect had been charged with drug use in 2017.
Witnesses told police the attacker was a man aged around 30 years old, wearing a black shirt and a hat, who ran into the mall waving a knife around and shouting.
He first attacked a woman as she walked out of a restroom.
He then attacked a woman standing near an escalator on the second floor, injuring her around the neck and face. The woman fled inside a clothing shop while the assailant fled.
Some witnesses said the assailant appeared to be mentally disturbed.
Khaosod reported that the suspect was Thanaporn Budsee, 23. He was an electrical worker but had lost his job. He was homeless and slept under a pedestrian bridge at Sanam Luang.
CentralWorld posted a message on its Facebook page on Tuesday, saying that security guards had detained the assailant within five minutes of the attack and immediately called police.
The shopping mall rushed both injured women to the nearest hospital and they were reported to be in safe condition.
The statement assured shoppers that the mall was fully prepared to respond swiftly to any emergency situation, to ensure maximum safety for customers.
CentralWorld posted this message on its Facebook page after the incident on Tuesday.
