Families seek to bring home Malaysian couple set on fire in Bangkok

BANGKOK: The families of two Malaysian tourists who were set on fire in Bangkok have requested that Thai authorities allow them to be transferred back to Malaysia as soon as they are medically fit.

Gan Xiao Zhen, 27, and her boyfriend Ong Yik Leong, 26, were attacked by an unemployed man who allegedly threw paint thinner on them before setting them on fire near a shopping mall on Ratchadamri Road on Thursday night.

Gan Kin In, Gan’s father, said his daughter had arrived in Bangkok on Wednesday for a holiday, just a day before the incident occurred.

“My heart felt uneasy when Xiao Zhen told me a week ago that she was planning to come to Thailand for a holiday with her boyfriend,” he told Bernama when met at King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital on Saturday.

“There have been too many incidents happening in Thailand this year, and I did not feel this was the right time to travel here. But Xiao Zhen convinced me that it was safe.”

The father said both families had requested a medical report on the victims’ current condition during a short briefing with Thai authorities and hospital medical staff. He said the families hoped the victims could be transferred back to Malaysia as soon as possible due to accommodation constraints.

“We just arrived in Bangkok this afternoon, and the Thai authorities arranged the briefing and visits for us. Apart from that, we also hope a medical report can be provided so that we can consult our own doctors in Malaysia regarding their current condition or any possibility of transferring them back soon,” he said.

He said Xiao Zhen, who is currently in the Burn Unit, suffered 36 per cent second-degree burns to her face, chest and arm.

“She is conscious, in a stable condition, and communicates by writing. The doctor informed us she might need around one month to recover,” he said.

Meanwhile, Yik Leong is being treated in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at Police General Hospital. He is also in a stable condition and is not facing any life-threatening injuries.

The 30-year-old man from Sa Kaeo province was apprehended by members of the public at the scene before being handed over to the police.

© New Straits Times Press (M) Bhd

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