PATTAYA, Thailand — Law enforcement authorities in Pattaya have launched an urgent manhunt for an unidentified foreign suspect who allegedly doused a 43-year-old apartment employee with chemical acid, leaving the victim with severe burns covering more than 40 percent of her body. The brutal assault occurred after the victim asked the man to stop harassing residents at the building.

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The incident took place at approximately 8:40 p.m. on Tuesday, June 23, 2026, at an apartment complex located in Soi Arunothai 2. Pattaya City Police and rescue workers from the Sawang Boriboon Foundation were immediately dispatched to the scene following emergency calls. Upon arrival, responders found the ground floor reception area heavily damaged, with furniture and nearby surfaces melted and corroded by a highly acidic substance that emitted a strong, acrid odor.

The victim, identified as 43-year-old Ms. Wirawan Aphimetheethamrong, was discovered in critical condition after being directly splashed in the face, chest, and shoulders. Her skin was severely burned and peeling over a large portion of her body. Rescue teams immediately flushed the corrosive chemicals from her skin to mitigate further damage and administered emergency first aid before rushing her to Pattaya City Hospital.

According to a colleague who witnessed the events and provided a statement to investigators, the suspect was a Caucasian male in his mid-thirties. The man was not a registered resident of the building but was known to frequently sneak onto the premises, wandering suspiciously between floors and causing significant distress among the occupants. Ms. Wirawan had approached the man to politely warn him and ask him to leave, as he had no legitimate business in the building. The suspect initially became visibly angry and departed the area, but he returned shortly afterward carrying a container filled with what appeared to be chemical acid. He walked directly to the reception counter and hurled the corrosive liquid at Ms. Wirawan with full force before fleeing the scene amid the ensuing chaos.

A foreign man is being hunted by police in Chonburi after splashing acid on a 43-year-old female dormitory manager.

The woman, who confronted him after he disturbed residents by knocking on doors, suffered serious burns to her face and body and remains in a critical condition pic.twitter.com/WN4FWWrClC

— Bangkok Lad (@bangkoklad) June 24, 2026

Investigators are utilizing a significant piece of evidence in their search for the attacker. Apartment staff had previously taken clear photographs of the man due to his repeated disruptive behavior and had handed these images over to the police. Authorities are currently treating the case as a severe violent crime, reviewing closed-circuit television footage from the apartment building and the surrounding Soi Arunothai area to trace the suspect’s escape route and identify his whereabouts.

The shocking nature of the assault has sent shockwaves through the local community and raised serious concerns regarding its potential impact on Pattaya’s international tourism image. Pattaya City Police are appealing to the public for any information that could lead to the immediate arrest of the suspect, who remains at large.

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As the investigation continues, authorities are working to identify the exact chemical substance used in the attack and to locate the fugitive before he can flee the country.

-Thailand News (TN)