Thai Woman brutally assaulted by another Swiss man at a Trang supermarket on Tuesday. Meanwhile, the notorious Swiss man in Phuket, Uli Fehr aka ‘Mr David’, has had his visa revoked amid public outrage over his assault on a young doctor. Expats find themselves under scrutiny in Thailand across the airwaves.
There are heightened concerns for relations between the Thai public and expats in the kingdom. It follows another violent attack on a Thai woman. Certainly, the latest incident in Trang province, on Tuesday, is the most serious. A 53-year-old Thai woman was viciously beaten by a 62-year-old Swiss man. The woman was taken to hospital by emergency services. Afterwards, she was reported to have suffered a broken nose and severe facial bruising. Meanwhile, Uli Fehr, the Swiss man involved in an assault incident in Phuket on February 24 which provoked a storm of protest, has had his visa revoked. Furthermore, he has been ordered detained as a threat to society in Thailand although he is expected to be given bail.
Thailand has been stunned by another assault on a Thai woman by a Swiss foreigner living here. This time the incident was in Trang province.
Significantly, the violence involved was even more serious than the recent case in Phuket.
In that instance, which already outraged public opinion, another Swiss man kicked a Thai woman in the back. Nevertheless, he did not cause serious injury.
Swiss man in Phuket assault outrage has visa revoked as a ‘threat to society’ by Immigration Bureau chief. Charges expected before Phuket Provincial Court
Presently, that Swiss man’s business visa has been revoked by the Immigration Bureau. The news came also on Wednesday. Uli Fehr aka Mr David is the Managing Director of a well-known elephant sanctuary.
Police Major General Songprote Sirisukha, Immigration Division 6 Chief gave the order. In effect, the man was deemed a threat to society.
At length, this followed representations from local Phuket officials and the Immigration Bureau in the resort province.
In addition, Mr Fehr will be ordered detained. However, police may grant him bail to assist with his defence in a case that may well be brought before Phuket Provincial Court.
In the meantime, prosecutors in Phuket will make a decision this week. Police in Phuket are still working on the case including interviewing witnesses.
News emerged of a shocking physical assault on a frail woman in southern Trang province by another Swiss man, an elderly 62-year-old on a retirement visa
After that, even further shocking news from the South emerged with the vicious Trang assault.
It comes as talk media in Thailand has focused on the issue. The public has become vociferous about the problem of violent foreigners or ‘farang’. Public opinion in Thailand is now running high against resident foreigners.
This latest incident in Trang is by far the most serious. It occurred just days after a British man also allegedly assaulted another Thai woman.
On Sunday, that Thai woman demanded the British man apologise to her in public.
In short, she claimed he threw a glass at her in a fit of rage causing injury. Previously, she explained there was a verbal altercation over a barking dog.
It happened at a pet cafe in Jomtien Beach in the resort city. This was on Saturday, March 2. The woman suffered a cut to her wrist from the glass.
Ms Amavalee Tongfark took to Facebook. She accused the Brit in Pattaya, identified only as ‘Mr Sam’, of throwing the drinking glass at her. She said he fled the scene before police arrived.
UK man interviewed by Jomtien police in Pattaya
The man, accompanied by his Thai wife, was enraged over an incident linked to a barking dog.
This occurred near Jomtien Beach in the resort city at a pet café. The Thai woman showed photos of her injury.
‘Please share this post and help me look for the foreign man. He physically assaulted me by throwing a drinking glass at me on Jomtien Beach in Pattaya and fled the scene. We never had a conflict with each other. His Thai wife, who came with him, told me that he was a British national named Sam. He fled from the scene when we were waiting for the police on the beach. This is unfair!’
She later told the media that the British man was intoxicated.
At length, he offered her money to withdraw any potential complaint.
However, he refused to publicly apologise for his behaviour. It appears he was angered over a barking dog that he wrongly assumed was owned by the victim.
‘If it’s not your dog, then sorry,’ he said at one point after he assaulted her by throwing a glass.
On Sunday, March 3rd the UK man and his Thai wife were interviewed by police at Jomtien Police Station although he managed to avoid the media.
Swiss man arrested in Trang province for a vicious and prolonged assault on a frail 53-year-old woman at a supermarket. Incident began over checkout push
In the latest and most disturbing incident, a Swiss retiree, identified as Dieter Matthias Straumann, aged 62, was arrested in Trang province on Tuesday.
The European expat is facing serious criminal charges. The case involves grievous bodily harm to the victim.
In addition, the incident also appears to have been unprovoked. Certainly, the Swiss man’s behaviour was irresponsibly violent and extreme.
He stands accused of assaulting a 53-year-old Thai woman at a supermarket in Trang Province, southern Thailand.
The victim, Natchanan Khikkham, suffered severe injuries. In short, these include a broken nose and bruises, after allegedly being attacked by Straumann.
The altercation took place inside a Big C store in Muang district on Tuesday afternoon.
According to Ms Natchanan, the incident began when Straumann shoved her at a supermarket checkout. When she admonished him to be polite, he reportedly shouted at her before physically assaulting her. She was punched by the foreigner.
Irate Swiss man returned to assault the woman for a second time after she disdainfully threw a water bottle at him. Severely beating left her nose broken
As he walked away, incensed, she threw a water bottle at him in disdain. It missed. He then stormed back and inflicted a brutal beating on the frail woman. Ms Nathanbas uses a mobility aid to walk.
At length, he punched her repeatedly and knocked her to the floor. She further alleged that he pressed his knee against her neck and continued to punch her in the face.
The woman was left with bruised and swollen eyes as well as a broken nose.
Shocked store staff promptly called paramedics. Ms Natchanan was rushed to Trang Hospital, where she received treatment for her injuries.
Trang Public Health chief Sinchai Rongdet stated that she would require at least a month to recover from her ordeal.
The Thai woman is lucky to be alive given her condition.
Police quickly detained Straumann and attempted to question him at the Police Station, in the centre of Trang.
After that, he reportedly refused to cooperate, remaining silent throughout the interrogation.
Swiss man refused to talk with the police. However, he may well be facing a charge of causing grievous bodily harm under Section 297 of the Criminal Code
Despite this, he has been charged with physical assault causing severe injury and disobeying a lawful order.
Authorities have also sought an order from Trang Court to hold him in detention.
Indeed further investigations are being conducted into this appalling crime with potential further, even more serious charges, possible.
Straumann is a resident of Thailand on a long-stay visa. He recently renewed his retirement visa in November 2023. This came after he received a new Swiss passport in October 2023.
Police in Trang are scouring CCTV footage of the vicious attack on the elderly woman. At the same time, officers report that they have a queue of willing witnesses.
Many at the Big C store on Tuesday are ready to give testimony. They wish to secure justice in view of the appalling battering inflicted by the man on the helpless woman.
Retired expat now held in custody and is facing serious criminal charges. Report of a Thai woman who tried to intervene for him with police on Wednesday
An unidentified Thai woman later came forward to intervene on Mr Straumann’s behalf with the police. She enquired about the possibility of his release on bail.
The Thai woman said she lived with Mr Staumann for twenty years and he had never been violent. However, she said she was forced to live because he became too difficult.
Reports suggest Mr Straumann lives alone in a rented house in Trang’s Muang district. The incident has left the local community shaken and indeed also angered. Eyewitnesses are offering to testify in support of Ms Natchanan.
Despite this, reports on Wednesday suggested that the Thai woman related to the man is still trying to have him temporarily released.
The victim’s family members, meanwhile, at the same time, are pursuing justice for Ms Natchanan. They are hopeful that the legal process will ensure accountability for the perpetrator’s actions.
The Swiss man faces potential charges under Sections 296 and 297 of the Thai Criminal Code. This could see him jailed for up to 10 years if charged with causing grievous bodily harm.
In addition, he faces deportation and being blacklisted from Thailand after serving his prison sentence.
Strong local support in Trang for the injured Thai woman. Locals at the Big C supermarket who witnessed the incident came forward to police as witnesses
As the investigation continues, the community is rallying around Ms Natchanan. Locals are offering support and solidarity during her recovery process.
In the meantime, however, this is only the latest story to inflame public opinion in Thailand.
It follows the high-profile case involving Mr Uli Fher in Phuket. Mr Fehr allegedly assaulted Thai medical practitioner Dr Thandao Chandam on February 24th.
Dark news as Swiss husband confesses to a brutal murder. Thai Wife found with a card in her mouth – Jack of Hearts
Public anger boils over in Sunday protests in Phuket against Swiss man Mr Uli and private beaches
Swiss man’s seaside paradise turns sour as Phuket police press assault charges after doctor’s complaint
The reverberations of that case are still being felt. This included moves by officials to reject an extension of Mr Uli’s business visa which was subsequently revoked.
At the same time, local authorities are looking closely at his business and even his seashore home where the incident occurred on Phuket’s Yamu Beach.
53-year-old Swiss man in Nakhon Ratchasima brutally and sadistically murdered his Thai wife in January after an argument over her chronic gambling problem
Furthermore, these two criminal cases follow a brutal murder by a Swiss man of his Thai wife in Nakhon Ratchasima in January.
53-year-old Roland Posingam gruesomely murdered his Thai wife 46-year-old Orathai Posingam over her chronic gambling habit.
Police were horrified when the body of the woman was found near the couple’s home. In brief, a playing card, the Jack of Hearts, was found stuck in her gullet.
Her husband confessed to strangling her to death. He was charged with premeditated murder.
It is not clear if there is any particular reason for the upsurge in such incidents.
Certainly, there is growing underlying tension in Thailand between local people and foreigners as geopolitical tensions grow in Asia.
Thai audiences are subject to Thai language news which includes Chinese propaganda. This is fed to them by Beijing-based news agencies which are decidedly anti-western.
In turn, this is linked to rising tensions in Asia between China and the United States as well as Western allies.
On the other hand, it may also be linked to a change in expat lifestyle choices in the country at this time.
Many expats are known to be suffering from depression. Similarly, there is also an increased prevalence of drug and alcohol abuse.
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Further reading:
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