Public anger boils over in protests in Phuket against Swiss man Mr Uli and private beaches

[webfact]

Emotions are still running high in Phuket in response to an alleged assault by Swiss national Uli Fehr (inset left) on a Thai female doctor on February 24th. Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin (insetright) called for peace and harmony. However, he said he had given instructions to police and tourism officials to brief foreigners on the need to strictly uphold Thailand’s laws. On Sunday, over 500 people attended a beach protest on the site of the incident at Yamu Beach in front of Mr Fehr’s residence in Thalang, Phuket.

Fury of Phuket locals against Swiss man Uli Fehr who allegedly assaulted a 26-year-old female doctor on the night of Makha Bucha Day. Activists also rail against private beaches after the incident. Legal action is reportedly imminent as the police chief refers to visa cancellations and the blacklisting of badly behaved visitors to the holiday island. However, police sources later suggested this may not apply in this case. Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin calls for peace and understanding. He did not want to inflame tensions.

On Sunday, the Phuket public voiced their anger and condemnation of an alleged violent assault by a Swiss man. The victim of the attack was a young Thai female doctor, Dr Thandao Chandam, who was stargazing at Yamu Beach in Pa Khlok, Thalang on February 24. The night she was attacked was the Buddhist holiday of Makha Bucha.

 

The protest went off peacefully and was attended by 500 locals and activists. The scene of the rally was the location of the beachfront assault. In the meantime, it has emerged that police have forwarded charges to court against 45-year-old Uli Fehr. Significantly, the Phuket police chief told reporters that the force was looking at revoking visas and blacklisting foreigners who behave inappropriately on the island. Later, police sources ruled such a sanction out in Mr Uli’s case, at least for now.

 

Tensions were still high in Phuket Thalang district on Sunday. It came following the controversial assault by a Swiss national on a young female Thai doctor on February 24.

 

The assault on Dr Thandao Chandam occurred on the night of Makha Bucha Day. Makha Bucha is a Buddhist occasion in Thailand when Lord Buddha’s teachings are celebrated.

 

by James Morris and Son Nguyen

 

Full story: Thai Examiner.com 2024-03-04

 

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[webfact]

PM: Don’t Fan Anger Over Foreigner Kicking Female Doctor
by TNR Staff

 

Rally at Cape Yamu beach today, March 3, 2024. Photos: Naewna

 

PRIME MINISTER Srettha Thavisin today (Mar. 3) urged the public not to verbally escalate a Swiss man having kicked a female Thai doctor as she sat watching the moon on the steps leading from his villa to Phuket’s Cape Yamu beach on the night Feb. 29, Amarin TV said.

 

Dr. Thandao Chandam, attached to Dibuk Hospital, was also verbally abused by his Thai wife. They have both publicly apologised to her saying their property had been encroached upon many times which led to their being angry and scared.

 

Talking to the press after a cabinet meeting at the Government House, Srettha said it is not appropriate to verbally amplify this incident as people in Thailand should live in peace with this small issue already being managed.

 

He added that he did not want something like this to occur but since it did he has instructed the police and Tourism and Sports Ministry to take care of the situation and underscore to foreign tourists and foreigners living here that they must strictly abide by the law.

 

A rally was held at Cape Yamu beach today attended by both local people and others from various provinces nationwide who are working in Phuket to look at the villa steps where Dr. Thandao was kicked by the Swiss businessman and take photos before steps two to four are dismantled as it has been determined that they were built on public land, Naewna newspaper said.

 

Full story: THAI NEWSROOM 2024-03-04

 

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[webfact]

Rally on Phuket to reclaim public beaches from developers

 

 

Hundreds of Phuket residents spontaneously gathered on Yamu Beach today, to demand the reclaiming of the beach as public property.

 

It follows an incident, a few days ago, when a Swiss tenant of a luxurious villa, located on the beach, was accused of attacking a female Thai doctor for alleged trespass.

 

The doctor claimed that she and a friend took a rest on the staircase of a villa, believing that it is a public beach. Without warning, she was then allegedly kicked in the back by a Swiss man, who claimed to be the tenant of the villa. He accused her of trespassing on his property. The doctor was also harshly reprimanded by the Swiss man’s Thai wife.

 

The doctor subsequently filed a complaint with Chalong district police, accusing the man of assaulting her. The accused claimed, however, that he did not kick her, but he had slipped as he walked down the staircase and one of his legs struck the doctor.

 

Full story: Thai PBS 2024-03-04

 

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[webfact]

Update: Locals demand justice in Swiss expat alleged assault case
by Nattapong Westwood

 

Photo co urtesy of Bangkok Post

 

Residents of Phuket are set to converge on Yamu Beach in Thalang district today, enraged by an incident involving a Swiss expat accused of kicking a local woman for simply sitting on steps near his beachfront villa.

 

The Swiss expat, 45 year old Urs Fehr, also known by the name David, purportedly delivered a kick to Dr Thandao Chandam, a respected figure at Dibuk Hospital, as she enjoyed a peaceful moonlit moment with a friend outside his residence on the evening of February 24.

 

Adding fuel to the fire, David’s wife, Khanuengnit, reportedly joined in, unleashing a verbal tirade at the doctor. Dr Thandao wasted no time in filing a formal complaint with the authorities, alleging assault.

In a twist to the tale, the Swiss expat and his wife claimed they mistook the victims for Chinese tourists who had allegedly trespassed earlier. Although David offered an apology, locals are clamouring for his expulsion and the restoration of the beach to its rightful owners.

As tensions escalated, the couple found themselves summoned to Thalang Police Station to face charges of physical assault, with police poised to escalate the case to the Phuket Kwaeng Court.

 

Adding intrigue, investigations revealed the villa’s steps, supposedly the epicentre of the altercation, encroached upon public beach land. Pa Klok Subdistrict Municipality launched a formal complaint against Phuket Peninsula Estate Co Ltd, the overseeing entity of the villa project, uncovering further encroachments, reported Bangkok Post.

 

Pa Klok Subdistrict Mayor Panya Sampaorat expressed dismay at the discovery, pointing out additional structures, wooden stairs and a lounging area, encroaching on the public beach, sparking fresh outrage among residents.

 

ORIGINAL STORY: Beach blunder: Swiss man and wife regret assaulting Thai doctor in Phuket (video)

An underfire Swiss man and his Thai wife apologised to a Thai doctor for physically assaulting and insulting her after she innocently sat on the steps to their beachside villa. The foreign man claims the incident was an accident, stating that he mistakenly identified the victim and her friend as a previous Chinese trespasser.

 

The Thai doctor, 26 year old Tarndao Chandam, insisted on pursuing the charge against the Swiss man, 45 year old Urs Fehr, for physically assaulting her on the beach near Yamu Cape in the Thalang district of Phuket on February 24.

Tarndao told the public that the Swiss expat kicked her from behind while his wife insulted her and threatened to use her connection with high-ranking police to put the doctor in jail for trespassing.

 

Fehr came forward to reveal that he did not mean to attack or kick the Thai woman in the back. He insists that he accidentally kicked her while he was stumbling on the steps to his rental property. Fehr’s Thai lawyer confirmed this information, stating he saw the video of the incident and confirmed that it was clearly an accident.

 

The video was later shared on Thai social media and went viral. Many netizens agreed that the incident was a physical assault and not an accident as mentioned by Fehr and his lawyer.

 

In the 17-second video, Fehr is seen walking toward Tarndao and her friend, who were sitting on the steps. Fehr can be heard shouting, “Get the f*ck out of here!” It is followed by a thud sound. However, the video did not show clearly whether it came from a kick or a trip.

 

Swiss apology

 

Fehr and his Thai wife held a press conference today, March 1, to share their side of the story and apologise to the victim.

 

The wife explained that a few days earlier, a Chinese woman entered their villa premises while she was swimming and frightened her. She reported the incident to the accommodation’s juristic person to remove the Chinese man from the area.

 

Fehr’s wife informed him of the incident, making him worried. According to his wife, her husband approached Tarndao and her friend and shouted vulgarities at them thinking they were the Chinese nationals she mentioned.

 

The wife issued an apology to the doctor and her friend, explaining that she was sleepy and angry at the time, leading to an inappropriate conversation with the victims. She emphasised that she did not mean to threaten or insult anyone.

 

She also admitted mentioning her connection with a high-ranking police officer, clarifying that her son is a police officer but his rank is only a police sergeant. She added that if she had known the doctor and her friend were medical workers, she would have invited them to rest inside her villa.

 

Fehr apologised to the doctor as well. He said he did not intend to harm her but was worried about the Chinese trespasser. He added that he recorded a video of the incident to file a complaint to the accommodation’s juristic person about the invasion.

 

Fehr’s Thai lawyer also issued an apology to the public, acknowledging that his interpretation of the video footage differed from the prevailing viewpoint. He reiterated that he perceived the incident as an accident and emphasised that his defence of Fehr was not motivated by financial considerations.

 

Currently, the police have not issued any updates regarding the legal proceedings of the case. Tarndao declared on February 29 her intention to pursue compensation from Fehr, with the funds earmarked for beach maintenance and preservation initiatives.

 

Full story: The Thaiger 2024-03-04

 

- Cigna offers a range of visa-compliant plans that meet the minimum requirement of medical treatment, including COVID-19, up to THB 3m. For more information on all expat health insurance plans click here.

 

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[webfact]

500 Phuket Locals Rally At Swiss Expat’s Villa to Reclaim Alleged ‘Private Beach’
By Tanakorn Panyadee

 

 

Thalang, Phuket –On March 3rd, 2024, around 9:00 AM, over 500 local residents gathered at Ya Mu Beach in Phuket to demonstrate against a Swiss national, Mr. David, who allegedly kicked a female doctor.

The initial assault, which occurred on February 24th, 2024, sparked outrage and criticism from Thai citizens after the doctor reported being kicked by Mr. David near his rented beachfront villa in the Thalang area.

 

The woman, who works at a local private hospital, said she was sitting on the stairway leading to the public beach outside the villa when the assault occurred.

 

The peaceful demonstration, organized by Phuket residents, began at 9:00 AM. It saw more than 500 people gather near the scene of the alleged assault while police officers were also present to maintain order.

 

Participants took photographs and held signs written in English and Thai expressing their disapproval of Mr. David’s actions. According to the protestors, they congregated to protest not only against the expat’s behavior but also against reports that the villa is allegedly claiming ownership of part of Ya Mu Beach in front of the property, which is supposed to be public in accordance with Thai laws.

 

Full story: THE PHUKET EXPRESS 2024-03-04

 

- Cigna offers a range of visa-compliant plans that meet the minimum requirement of medical treatment, including COVID-19, up to THB 3m. For more information on all expat health insurance plans click here.

 

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[SAFETY FIRST]

Swiss guy is an evil person, he's got a history of no good. 

 

 

A foreign man pointed at the rescue vehicle with his middle finger

 

https://www.khaosodenglish.com/news/2024/03/03/a-swiss-man-who-kicked-a-phuket-doctor-has-another-dispute-with-an-ambulance-driver/

 

[Kerryd]

Lol at how quickly they mention deportation and blacklisting and then back off and say it's not being considered in his case.

I guess he's "too rich" to face having his visa revoked for mere assault.

 

Quote

The wife explained that a few days earlier, a Chinese woman entered their villa premises while she was swimming and frightened her. She reported the incident to the accommodation’s juristic person to remove the Chinese man from the area.

Now of course it was all a "mistake" and it wasn't a "kick" it was a "trip" and her "high ranking police officer" is just a sergeant.

So you can bet that soon the charges will be dropped as the doctor suddenly decides (or is "convinced") to be forgiving and accept the (rich) foreigner's version of the event.

[Zack61]

This guy is going to be deported or be milked for everything they can get their hands on. I’m hoping for both. 
Whatever happens, a change of address is on the cards. 

[geisha]

Frankly, Thailand and especially Phuket deserves a big clean up. Whether Thai or foreign construction companies/ investors, Phuket and its once paradise beaches are being destroyed. Too many crooks , thieves and scammers , druggies and good for nothings. Ugly cheaply built condos everywhere, and Villa ghettos.  They have had free range, if ever a crackdown was needed , it’s now , and it’s on Phuket.  Local authorities, government , do the right thing, do your job. 

[Frankie baby]

Everything seems to have been blown out of all proportion?

[expat_4_life]

Swiss guy lost his cool, should have gotten the security guards to handle the problem.

I suspect there is always an uneasy tension between the locals and the tourists that occasionally boils up in incidents like this.  There are way too many tourists for me in Phuket, can imagine how locals sometimes might feel.
 

Swiss guy will probably regret having acted impulsively and putting himself on the radar of government authorities - we'll have to wait to see how this all ends.

[jerrymahoney]

The kicking and verbal abuse may amount to nothing but this may prove the more actionable:

 

Adding intrigue, investigations revealed the villa’s steps, supposedly the epicentre of the altercation, encroached upon public beach land. Pa Klok Subdistrict Municipality launched a formal complaint against Phuket Peninsula Estate Co Ltd, the overseeing entity of the villa project, uncovering further encroachments, reported Bangkok Post.

 

 

[arick]

No mention of the Portuguese guy doing a hunger strike outside of the condo sales office in phuket trying to get back 1 million USD!

[arick]

Once all these people in Phuket realize where the doctor's from up in Chiayapum  they'll stop being so outraged about it

[Skipalongcassidy]

8 minutes ago, Frankie baby said:

Everything seems to have been blown out of all proportion?

That's exactly what the british said in 1773 at the Boston tea party... 

[hotchilli]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

The doctor subsequently filed a complaint with Chalong district police, accusing the man of assaulting her. The accused claimed, however, that he did not kick her, but he had slipped as he walked down the staircase and one of his legs struck the doctor.

Swiss should have kept his feet to himself, now he's not the most popular person in Thailand.

[findlay13]

"Later, police sources ruled such a sanction out in Mr Uli’s case, at least for now." I wonder how much that cost him?

[findlay13]

33 minutes ago, expat_4_life said:

Swiss guy lost his cool, should have gotten the security guards to handle the problem.

I suspect there is always an uneasy tension between the locals and the tourists that occasionally boils up in incidents like this.  There are way too many tourists for me in Phuket, can imagine how locals sometimes might feel.
 

Swiss guy will probably regret having acted impulsively and putting himself on the radar of government authorities - we'll have to wait to see how this all ends.

Look we know already how this will end. BIG payoff .

[stevenl]

36 minutes ago, expat_4_life said:

Swiss guy lost his cool, should have gotten the security guards to handle the problem.

I suspect there is always an uneasy tension between the locals and the tourists that occasionally boils up in incidents like this.  There are way too many tourists for me in Phuket, can imagine how locals sometimes might feel.
 

Swiss guy will probably regret having acted impulsively and putting himself on the radar of government authorities - we'll have to wait to see how this all ends.

What tourists?

[Ken444]

I wish I had a bandwagon to jump on 🙂

[hydraides]

This is like the repeat of COVID and Foreigners not wearing masks

[bamnutsak]

HomePro was sold out of pitchforks and tiki torches.

 

 

[itsari]

3 minutes ago, hydraides said:

This is like the repeat of COVID and Foreigners not wearing masks

Leg cuffs instead masks ?

[Ironmike]

OK so again this is such big news a scumbag alleged to of kicked a women there's no markings on her body and no video as proof only her word,,,This is disgusting no man should ever hit a woman but it again asks what's more important this act or the drunken Russian woman that killed two kids and nothing has been done about that nor have their been any more reports or protesting,, just two dead bodies to be shipped home

[lom]

1 hour ago, arick said:

Once all these people in Phuket realize where the doctor's from up in Chiayapum  they'll stop being so outraged about it

Thai's don't care where their half-gods grew up.

[Thingamabob]

Kicking harmless people in their back is not acceptable under any circumstances. Personally I would like to see this Swiss thug deported, but he apparently has the means to buy his way out of the situation he has created. The fact is his behaviour is bad news for the reputation of all  Westerners living in Thailand.

[Andre0720]

"He said he did not intend to harm her but was worried about the Chinese trespasser."

 

So got confused about the 'race', hehe. After getting confused about public and private land. And then got confused about how to properly deal with such a benign situation.

 

Now just try to close this Pandora's box.....

[quake]

What a load of BS.

Yes his a bad guy.

But Thais are the bad guys when it comes to crime.

What a total overreaction,  stirred up by angry Thais on the internet.

Your a joke Thailand, over this one. 

 

Ps, It will be business as usual today, for all the Bad Shomchai's and all the bad police in Thailand, doing far, far worse things. 

 

 

[Bangkok Barry]

 

Will there be similar public anger and protests at the scene where a Chinese tourist was killed on a pedestrian crossing by a hit and run driver? Or as he was Chinese and the driver was probably Thai* it doesn't matter?

*probably, based on the number of Thais compared to foreigners in Thailand.

[Tropicalevo]

"Public anger boils over in protests in Phuket against Swiss man Mr Uli and private beaches"

 

There are no private beaches in Thailand (by law).

There can be private access to a beach.