Thai Police Capture Australian Criminal

Thai police capture Australian criminal

UDON THANI, Oct 27 (TNA) – Police in Udon Thani and Pattaya today secured the arrest of a 45 year-old Australian man wanted in his homeland on a string of over 20 charges, including a hit-and-run driving offence against a policeman.

The arrest this morning of Mr. Eric Fenwick outside an Udon Thani shopping complex represented a close piece of collaboration between police in Udon Thani and tourist police in Pattaya, where the Australian had been living.

According to the Australian embassy, Mr. Fenwick has committed over 20 offences in his homeland, from where he fled to escape arrest.

He is first known to have entered Thailand in December 2003, flying out again one month later.

In March 2004 he flew into Thailand again before travelling to Laos in July, returning to Thailand three days later.

Since then he has remained in Thailand, despite his visa having expired.

Raiding Mr. Fenwick’s rented room in Udon Thani, police found print-offs from several websites featuring Thai women looking for foreign husbands.

Mr. Fenwick was known to own a Pattaya bar, which he ran together with his Thai wife.

However, he rarely put in an appearance in the bar, and police eventually tracked him down to Udon Thani, where he was apparently staying with a Thai mistress.

When the police arrested him this morning, Mr. Fenwick claimed to have lost his passport, but police found it when they raided his room.

He has been charged with being in the kingdom after the expiry of his visa, and police plan to launch further investigations into his case. (TNA)--E006

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