A Belgian tourist senselessly attacked by a German in Hua Hin died in Leuven this week. Disturbing questions arise as Thai police investigate the vicious murder. The German also attacked an Englishman. The identity of the attacker and his legal status have still not been revealed.
A Belgian tourist, senselessly attacked by a German in Hua Hin, died this week in the Belgian city of Leuven. Disturbing questions have emerged about the incident, particularly regarding a German suspect reportedly later detained by police. The vicious murder of the Belgian appeared to go unreported in Thailand. It was later picked up by the media in Belgium. The German attacker also assaulted an English man in the popular seaside town on the same day. Certainly, this was also reported to Hua Hin police. In the case of the murdered Belgian, his close friend later filed a complaint with officers alleging attempted murder. That friend, Mr Danny Lemmens, explained that after flying from Belgium to Thailand to attend to his friend’s affairs, he discovered the victim’s shoes and some blood stains still at the scene.
A 64-year-old Belgian man succumbed to massive head injuries inflicted by a German on Monday. Jan Valkenborg passed away at Gasthuisberg Hospital in Leuven. At length, he had been airlifted out of Thailand in early May.
Previously, Valkenborg was treated at a Bangkok hospital, where he was transferred from Hua Hin following a 13-hour initial surgery in April.
64-year-old the victim of a crazed, horrific physical attack. It was entirely unprovoked as he sat by the pavement in early April in Hua Hin town centre
Mr Valkenborg was the victim of a completely random and vicious physical assault. This occurred in Hua Hin.
However, there has been no exact date given for when the assault took place.
It is believed to have been in the second week of April. The key source of the report relating to the crime is Mr Valkenborg’s friend Danny Lemmens.
Subsequently, Hua Hin Police reached out to him when they failed to locate his family.
Indeed, the first reports of the senseless attack came on April 11th via Belgian media. The first news report in Thailand regarding the incident came from the popular local newspaper Hua Hin Today.
In turn, it picked up the report from a Belgian news outlet.
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At that time, his best friend Mr Danny Lemmens had already been contacted by Thai police in Hua Hin. Indeed, Mr Lemmens was already in Thailand, having volunteered to handle arrangements for his friend’s family.
Belgian victim was visiting Hua Hin on a holiday. He had recently retired and was considering whether he would be able to live in Thailand as it is cheaper
It was also confirmed that Belgian consular services were informed. Despite this, the local media appeared to be in the dark.
At length, Mr Lemmens revealed that Hua Hin police had shown him CCTV footage of the assault.
His friend had travelled to the resort town on the coast of the Gulf of Thailand on a holiday from Belgium.
Mr Valkenborg had recently retired. In short, he wanted to know if he could live in Thailand. The cost of living in the kingdom is cheaper. Afterwards, his friend Danny organised the trip for his best pal.
The victim was sitting on the sidewalk in the centre of the town when the brutal assault happened.
The Belgian was smoking a cigarette. A German man passed by but then appeared to turn suddenly. After that, he was seen approaching Mr Valkenborg by stealth before violently pouncing on him.
Frenzied attack by an out-of-control German who doubled back to pounce on Mr Valkenborg inflicting fatal injuries as he repeatedly stomped on his head
Thrown to the ground, Valkenborg had his head repeatedly stomped upon by the berserk German man.
Following the assault, Mr Lemmens ascertained that the German had roamed the Hua Hin streets in a dangerous, violent state. Later, he also attacked an English national who has since made a complaint to police.
Following this, he was reportedly detained by officers in Hua Hin.
However, no details regarding the culprit’s current status have been released to the media.
Reports from Hua Hin suggest that he was a German who had lived in the resort town for some years. He was known to frequent a local martial arts club.
In April, Danny Lemmens described the suspect as someone looking for a fight. His friend Jan Valkenborg was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Consular officials notified of the attack. The murdered man’s friend travelled immediately to Hua Hin. Amazingly, at the scene, he found his friend’s shoes
Furthermore, Mr Lemmens told both Belgian and Thai media that after hearing from police, he immediately flew to Thailand. Firstly, he had sought the permission of Mr Valkenborg’s family in Belgium.
Meanwhile, after landing in Thailand and visiting the police, the Belgian man was able to go back to where the attack took place.
At the spot, he managed to retrieve his friend’s footwear and at the same time identify blood stains left from the assault.
Mr Lemmens was at the hospital in Hua Hin when doctors there operated on his friend. In the April 11th report in Belgium, he told how he had been staying at his friend’s hotel room in Hua Hin.
Mr Valkenborg’s friend Danny undertook a mercy mission to care for the tourist in Thailand left in a coma at a Hua Hin hospital with severe head injuries
‘There was a hole in his head. His skull was fractured in 10 places. Doctors operated on him for 13 hours yesterday. His entire eye socket was shattered. The hole in his head has been closed. There are now dozens of plates in his face. The operation went well, but they estimate that he will be in a coma for another 3 to 8 months. He has to wake up from it himself, so it depends on his willpower and body,’ he told Belgian news outlet VRT News. ‘He is also receiving medication to prevent swelling of the brain and his situation is being closely monitored.’
The Belgian victim’s friend was, at that point, feeling the strain of his mercy mission.
‘Waiting for 13 hours in the hospital, that was a really long day. I also had to sleep in his hotel room for two days. You live there between the clothes of your best friend, who is in the hospital. I have hardly been able to sleep in the past few days.’
At length, he also appeared traumatised by witnessing his friend’s blood still on the streets when he went to see where the shocking assault had happened. ‘I saw traces of blood on the sidewalk and his shoes were still on the street.’
Valakenborg was first transferred to Bangkok and later by air ambulance to Belgium where he was placed in the care of the Gasthuisberg Hospital in Leuven
In Danny Lemmens’ mind, he could also recall the horrific attack when shown to him by Hua Hin police investigators.
The attack, in which the victim was repeatedly stomped upon with force in the head, was unprovoked.
After that, Mr Valkenborg was airlifted to Bangkok after doctors in Hua Hin could not properly respond to his needs. Then, an emergency air ambulance flight was arranged to fly him back to Belgium.
On his birthday, May 17th, he was operated on again by doctors at Gasthuisberg Hospital in Leuven.
Following this surgery, the 63-year-old suffered several epileptic seizures. In the meantime, he had never managed to regain consciousness after the injuries inflicted. Neither was it clear if the victim had suffered brain damage.
Meanwhile, his best friend has been left bewildered by what happened to Jan.
His friend had just retired and Mr Lemmens recalled that he had worked hard all his life. His family in Belgium includes a 14-year-old son, mother, and sister.
Belgian certainly did not deserve the cruel fate he suffered. Questions now turn to justice for the murdered man and in particular the attacker’s identity
Finally, Mr Valkenborg passed away last Monday. At this time, there is no public footage available of the now fatal assault in Hua Hin. Neither have we the name of the German man who allegedly murdered him for no reason.
Mr Lemmens was with his friend in his last few hours in Belgium. It was Danny who had suggested he visit Thailand and perhaps retire there in the first place.
‘Jan didn’t deserve this. He was a guy with a heart of gold who everyone could rely on. I stayed by his side continuously for the last 48 hours until the very end. I couldn’t let him die alone,’ he said this week when the death was formally announced in Belgium.
Meanwhile, a small funeral service will be held on Saturday, June 22nd for the Belgian tourist’s family to say goodbye.
The question now turns to justice for the murdered man and whether the German killer is being brought before the criminal courts. Firstly, it would be appropriate for the identity of the attacker to be revealed.
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Further reading:
Belgian’s attempt to cover up the murder of a compatriot foiled by Region 4 police in Bueng Kan
Police probe mental health of suspected murderer who killed his wife and stepson in Maha Sarakham
Yaba Yaba Don’t. Another murder in Phatthalung province this week linked to the evil drug now rife
Crazed man kills two in night of bloody murder in Nakhon Ratchasima on Sunday including ex-wife
Israeli wife murderer trying to evade Thai immigration blacklist back in prison where he belongs
Thai man brutally murders the man who took his wife as his own in a country that lives off passion
