A head chef in Patong, Phuket, was caught on security cameras slapping a 20-year-old intern’s head, striking her arm with a spatula, and forcing her to eat undercooked rice.
Footage shared by Facebook user Feunglatda Kongeard shows the intern flinching as a utensil was thrown at her.
The chef was then seen approaching her while carrying a saucepan in her left hand.
Source: Feunglatda Kongeard on Facebook
She then used her right hand to hit the intern’s shoulder, and then hit her again on the head.
Following the incident, the chef was arrested by the police.
The incident occurred around noon on Saturday (18 July) inside the hotel kitchen.
Before the assault, the intern was tasked with cooking rice, which came out unevenly cooked.
The chef then instructed her to remove the rice. However, because she was occupied with another task, she failed to act quickly.
Dissatisfied, the chef allegedly scolded the woman with harsh language before slapping her on the head, hitting her arm with a spatula, and slapping her on the head a second time, the Bangkok Post reported.
The chef then compelled the intern to sit and eat some of the undercooked rice, and watched her until she finished.
Source: Feunglatda Kongeard on Facebook
Aside from physical pain, she was also subjected to severe humiliation in front of other workers.
Coworkers took the intern to Patong Hospital for medical treatment after she reportedly suffered a headache and pain in her nape and arm.
The hotel’s human resource department has also been informed of the incident.
Seeking to press charges against the head chef, the victim noted that she would hand over her medical certificate and further evidence to the police on 20 July.
The intern, a student from Nakhon Si Thammarat province who began her internship on 1 July, said this was not the first incident.
She had been scolded and physically assaulted on multiple occasions by the same chef, though she had not been seriously injured.
Despite the mistreatment, she endured it to ensure she could complete her internship.
The victim’s older brother shared that following the incident, his younger sister’s mental state has severely deteriorated, and she has refused to eat since the day of the event.
He expressed deep concern, noting that she is currently living far away from home for her internship.
She was also acutely anxious about her studies and her relationships with peers. She said she felt deeply humiliated after being forced to eat raw rice and confined in a bathroom as punishment.
According to the Patong police’s statement posted on Facebook on 20 July, officers have arrested two female suspects involved in the abuse, aged 41 and 36.
Source: สถานีตำรวจภูธร ป่าตอง Patong Police Station on Facebook
Both suspects have been brought to investigators at the Patong Police Station for further legal proceedings.
Also read: Man allegedly assaults waiter at bar in Downtown East over S$2.50 mineral water, police report filed
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Featured image adapted from Feunglatda Kongeard on Facebook.