Outrage in Thailand over 3 children who set homeless man on fire for TikTok views
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A screenshot from a video taken from a security camera shows three children running away after setting a homeless man on fire in Bangkok.
PHOTO: SCREENGRAB FROM FACEBOOK
BANGKOK – The Thai police have identified three children, aged nine to 15, as suspects in the burning of a homeless man beneath a bridge in the capital Bangkok – an attack filmed by one of the trio and shared online, provoking widespread outrage and renewed questions about youth violence.
The man, identified by local media only as Mr Karn, 51, was injured but survived the attack.
Mr Karn makes a living collecting recyclable waste, and has been living under Ban Ma Bridge in Bangkok’s Prawet district.
He told reporters that he had been asleep there when he felt a cold liquid poured over him. Moments later, his body was in flames.
Witnesses told local media the assault appeared random, and Mr Karn said he did not know the children accused of carrying it out.
Police said on Jan 22 that the three suspects were identified, but that their names would not be released under child protection laws. The authorities expect to pursue charges, including attempted murder.
Investigators also said a nearby water pipe was damaged in the fire, adding a potential charge of property damage.
A video of the attack, circulated widely on social media, has drawn fierce public reaction.
Many online commenters have demanded that the children be prosecuted as adults or that their parents or guardians face legal consequences for negligence.
“Children can be monsters,” one said on Facebook.
Another remarked: “When you do anything just to get as many likes and shares on TikTok.”
The episode follows other recent violent incidents involving young people that have unsettled Thailand.
In August 2025, three teenagers in northern Thailand were arrested after a disabled dog was burned to death in an abandoned temple bathroom, a case that drew protests from animal welfare groups. That same month, a jobless man set a Malaysian tourist couple on fire while they were sitting outside a major Bangkok mall in an attack that made international headlines. The government later said it would cover the couple’s medical costs and provide compensation.
For many Thais, the latest case has become a symbol of both vulnerability and impunity: a man sleeping rough under a bridge, and children accused of turning his suffering into a spectacle.
