Phuket Assault: Outrage Over Release of Suspect After Two Days

[snoop1130]

Photo via Facebook/Phuket Times ภูเก็ตไทม์

 

Phuket residents are voicing frustration after local police released a man just two days following his arrest for a violent, unprovoked attack on a foreign woman. The incident, caught on camera and shared by the Phuket Times, happened on April 4 along Thep Kasattri Road.

 

The video shows the woman standing on the footpath before being approached by a 40-year-old man, who suddenly pulled her hair, punched her, and kicked her to the ground. Bystanders, including a foreign couple and a Thai man, intervened to stop the assault.

 

The man, whose identity remains undisclosed, was arrested by Mueang Phuket Police shortly after the attack. He claimed to have been under the influence of alcohol at the time, although police have not confirmed if his actions were related to mental illness.

 

 

 

Outrage grew when locals reported seeing the man freely wandering around Phuket Old Town on April 7, sparking questions about why he was released given the violent nature of his actions. Concerned residents took to social media, questioning safety measures for tourists and the community.

 

Comments highlighted fears about potential future attacks, with some suggesting stricter measures or the establishment of a psychiatric hospital. Residents also questioned the adequacy of current safety protocols, especially in a tourist-heavy locale like Phuket.

 

Police explained that the decision to release the man stemmed from the foreign victim's decision not to press charges. However, this explanation has not quelled public anger and anxiety regarding the assurance of safety in the area, reported The Thaiger.

 

-- 2025-04-08

 

 

[BritManToo]

9 minutes ago, snoop1130 said:

Police explained that the decision to release the man stemmed from the foreign victim's decision not to press charges. However, this explanation has not quelled public anger and anxiety regarding the assurance of safety in the area, reported The Thaiger.

Interesting,

When I was attacked in CM, the public prosecutor brought charges against my attacker for causing serious bodily harm. I was just a witness to the crime, nobody ever asked me if I wished to press charges.

[petermik]

He must have "connections"....

[ronnie50]

He's probably mentally ill and noisy in the lock-up, so they cut him loose to get rid of the annoyance. I was getting into a taxi once on Phahon Yothin Road in Bangkok years ago and some filthy street guy sitting nearby on the sidewalk grabbed a loose tree branch and started whaking me with it as I got into the taxi. Didn't hurt. Taxi driver just shook his head and off we went, with the nutter behind us still holding the branch - a few leaves in the back seat..

[ikke1959]

Was there no article today about mental illness of foreigners??? I think the netizens need more help

[smedly]

anyone like to guess what happened, how much

[NE1]

This is the Quote at the time of his arrest.

" Although the female tourist, visibly shaken by the incident, chose not to file a formal complaint or press charges, local authorities confirmed that they would proceed with legal action regardless. “Public safety, especially in high-traffic tourist areas, is a top priority,” a spokesperson from Phuket City Police stated. “This kind of behaviour is unacceptable and will be dealt with through the full extent of the law.” 

[Rampant Rabbit]

why dont they all just go out get drunk and beat the sheite out of him, good  enough for the goose

[klauskunkel]

15 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

Police explained that the decision to release the man stemmed from

their very own innate laziness.

[hotchilli]

15 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

Police explained that the decision to release the man stemmed from the foreign victim's decision not to press charges. However, this explanation has not quelled public anger and anxiety regarding the assurance of safety in the area,

Considering the nature of the attack, the police have fallen short of protecting the public... but hey, that's not their priority as we all know.

[newbee2022]

15 hours ago, BritManToo said:

Interesting,

When I was attacked in CM, the public prosecutor brought charges against my attacker for causing serious bodily harm. I was just a witness to the crime, nobody ever asked me if I wished to press charges.

Interesting.

What was the reason being attacked in CM? I live there since decades and never found me in a similar situation 

[NedR69]

Released in 2 days?  

 

If the woman was Chinese...where would the man be??

[AgMech Cowboy]

17 hours ago, BritManToo said:

Interesting,

When I was attacked in CM, the public prosecutor brought charges against my attacker for causing serious bodily harm. I was just a witness to the crime, nobody ever asked me if I wished to press charges.

Speaking of which... How are you doing @BritManToo?  Maybe I should have sent you a PM, but many know you, or at least know of you and your short, but helpful, stint as an Immigration knowledgeable Moderator.  Have you fully recovered?

 

Thankfully, I've never been attacked in Thailand. But, I had a friend who'd lived here back in the 80's, 90's and the 00's.  And then one night on lower Sukhumvit (I think around soi 7), 'bang' a katoy, jumped him out of an alley and really roughed him up (2 black eyes, busted lip and blunted, bloody nose), but 'it' didn't get his money. (He's a Scotsman, and that's one of the hardest things in life to do... Get money off a Scotsman 😉(it was hidden in his shoe))

[Andrew65]

In years to come, and when and if tourist numbers become excessive, I could see Thailand starting to require an e-visa before travel for most countries. In the UK we have the DBS system to help filter out crims/undesirables.

 

A recent figure suggests that the ratio of tourists to residents in Phuket is 118:1.

[Grumpy one]

16 hours ago, petermik said:

He must have "connections"....

Yeah, connect him to 2 concrete blocks,

One to each ear at the same time, maybe it will reset his loose gears

[Snackbar]

The outrage, poor foreigners not welcome 

 

Rightly 

[Andycoops]

It's a daily occurrence if you are foreign and in particular a farang then it's always your fault, people who have lived here know this to be a fact.

 

Just this morning I bumped into a farang I know at the BigC, he had a intoxicated, young Thai male smash into the rear of his car, with no helmet, no tax, no license, no insurance and using someone else's honda wave.

 

They are now pursuing him for compensation.

 

He told the police captain I'm going to court because it's cheaper and of course it means the BiB won't get a cut in the settlement.

 

Negotiations are now underway...

[rough diamond]

43 minutes ago, Andycoops said:

They are now pursuing him for compensation.

 

He told the police captain I'm going to court because it's cheaper and of course it means the BiB won't get a cut in the settlement.

 

Negotiations are now underway...

I wish him luck but I suspect it will cost him much more, in more ways than one (T.I.T.) than he can ever get back via the courts!

 

[grumpyoldman]

15 hours ago, Rampant Rabbit said:

why dont they all just go out get drunk and beat the sheite out of him, good  enough for the goose

Exactly, except the getting drunk part I'd probably do after sending this a$$$h0!! to the hospital.

 

 

[still kicking]

I wonder, if a foreigner attacked a Thai, would he be free now?

[watchcat]

On 4/8/2025 at 9:46 AM, snoop1130 said:

He claimed to have been under the influence of alcohol at the time,

 

That's not an excuse but very normal in Thailand to blame something totally irrelevant, brake failure when they fall asleep etc.

[watchcat]

2 minutes ago, watchcat said:

 

That's not an excuse but very normal in Thailand to blame something totally irrelevant, brake failure when they fall asleep etc.